David Carradine’s identification with Woody Guthrie became so intense that it repeatedly tested Hal Ashby’s control over the production. During one filming day, migrant workers marched past the set. Carradine spontaneously joined them rather than remaining available for the scheduled scene. By the time the crew located him, he had gone roughly two miles away with the marchers, bringing the shoot to a halt for three hours. Ashby later acknowledged that Carradine’s “to hell with you” attitude helped give him the right spirit for Guthrie, but also admitted that the same independence caused practical problems during filming. The episode became a striking example of method-like immersion colliding with the logistical machinery of a large-scale period production.
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AI concept artworkArchive Record · 1970s
David Carradine Walked Off Bound for Glory’s Set to Join Migrant Workers
David Carradine and Hal Ashby / 1970s
David Carradine’s identification with Woody Guthrie became so intense that it repeatedly tested Hal Ashby’s control over the production. During one filming day, migrant workers marched past the set. Carradine spontaneously joined them rather than remaining available for the scheduled scene. By the time the crew located him, he had gone roughly two miles away with the marchers, bringing the shoot to a halt for three hours. Ashby later acknowledged that Carradine’s “to hell with you” attitude helped give him the right spirit for Guthrie, but also admitted that the same independence caused practical problems during filming. The episode became a striking example of method-like immersion colliding with the logistical machinery of a large-scale period production.
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