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"Mister Hanes, welcome, I hope you've had a safe journey" I said offering my hand.
To my surprise I received a quick and firm handshake from the man yet his eyes showed a degree of skepticism in me and my current appearance.
"Thank you for inviting me" he replied without emotion.
"My wife is right inside and we would like to offer you some cold water or soda and a place to sit down" I said leading the way.
"Mister Hanes, welcome to the Desert Belle, sir!" Andrea said smiling enthusiastically.
"You're Misses Donavan, I gather" Stewart now said, shaking hands with Andrea.
"I am, would you like a bottled water or soda?" Andrea asked, offering a metal fold-up chair to the man with a wave of her hands.
"Water is fine, thank you, Misses Donovan" Stewart said as he sat down.
"Please call me Andrea; there are no formalities here sir." Andrea said as she handed the man a bottled water.
"I understand that you have discovered some movie reels recently" Stewart said, getting right to the point and staring at the movie canisters upon the metal desk.
"Indeed we have, sir" Andrea said gesturing to the old battered desk's top where the movie canisters now lay.
"I would like to examine them, if I may" Stewart said.
"Please do" I interjected.
Stewart stood again and made his way over to the desk to look at the movie canisters.
"This one has been opened?" he asked looking at me critically.
"We do a lot of horse trading in antique car parts, Mister Hanes, and often times this involves acquiring things which are thrown-in with one transaction or another. We discovered the canisters among some things which we recently purchased and had no idea what the canisters actually were so we opened one simply to know what they were. We treated the film with respect and care; I assure you that it was not damaged or disrespected in any way. You are welcome to examine it yourself." I said.
"I answered your post on the webpage but you never replied to me" Stewart said almost a bit resentfully.
"I'm afraid that I am still a bit of a novice yet with the internet, sir, and I seldom check my email." I said, unsure if I liked or disliked this man yet.
Without acknowledging my answer, Stewart began to carefully open the first reel which all of us had unwound within the Texaco's front yard, weeks before. Stewart removed the reel from the canister and scrupulously studied it for several minutes before replacing it back into the yellow container.
"Would you like me to carry those to your car, sir?" I asked after several seconds of silence within the room.
"There's been a finder's reward offered for these, for many years now. Of course we will have to thoroughly examine the film in our lab before any payment could possibly be made" Stewart said, again without emotion.
"Mister Hanes, my wife has indicated to me that this film has been recognized as a historical and National work of art. She and I don't associate monetary value to artwork; our only wish is to place this film within the hands of its rightful owners so it can hopefully be enjoyed by people appreciating it as the art form which it undoubtedly is." I said quietly.
"I see ...so you have no idea where the movie reels originated from before they came into your possession?" Stewart asked.
"I'm afraid that's something which we have no real knowledge of" I said glancing at Andrea.
Stewart reached into his pocket and pulled out a remote control, the Cadillac's trunk lid suddenly rose outside.
"In that case, I would very much appreciate your assistance in placing the reels inside my vehicle" Stewart replied.
I made two trips to the Cadillac and placed all four of the movie canisters carefully within the trunk, I then gently set the trunk lid back down as an electric motor within the car fastened the lid firmly shut. I quietly walked back into the Texaco's foyer, knowing that Andrea and I had done the right thing by giving back the movie reels to their rightful owners.
"Thank you for your honesty in returning the reels to the rightful owners and also for not associating a monetary price with this film, you two, your gesture is quiet refreshing I must tell you. This movie has never been viewed by the public and even though it was produced almost seventy years ago, there are still those who would like to see the film in its entirety - and it will be shown, I can assure you of that. You are correct, Andrea, the movie is a work of art and it should be treated as such and it will. I bid the both of you a good day now and sincere gratitude from the studio" Stewart said abruptly with a tone of finality ringing in his voice.
He then turned abruptly and began to exit the foyer without so much as a backward glance. For some reason he then immediately stopped and gasped aloud, covering his open mouth with his hand...
"Mister Hanes, are you alright?!" Andrea suddenly asked with genuine alarm in her voice, quickly walking over to the man placing her hand on his shoulder.
Stewart said nothing; he just stood and gawked at the Texaco calendar...
"Mister Hanes?" Andrea repeated.
"...Oh my God..." Stewart gasped.
"Mister Hanes, let's sit down for a moment" Andrea said, gently guiding the man back toward the metal fold-up chair where she helped him sit down.
"Do you feel alright, would you like some more water, Mister Hanes?" Andrea asked the man.
Stewart quickly waved Andrea away with a slight hint of resentment showing. "I'm physically fine" he snapped.
"...What's wrong, sir" Andrea gently asked again, leaning over the older man with concern in her eyes.
"Please ...I think would like another bottled water now" Stewart said quietly.
"I'll get you one" Andrea answered.
"It was here, wasn't it?" Stewart asked, looking at me as Andrea handed him another bottled water.
"What was here?" I asked the man, uncertain of what he was asking or the state of his present condition.
Stewart drank deeply of the water, his whole disposition now changed dramatically before me and he wiped a tear from his right eye.
"Mindy was here, wasn't she?" Stewart asked looking directly at me.
"...You were acquainted with someone named Mindy?" I slowly asked, making covert eye contact with Andrea.
"Don't take me for a fool, Mister Donovan, because I am not, sir!" Stewart now said.
"Mister Hanes, please elaborate further on what you're trying to ascertain" I said, trying to be patient with the man.
"This place ...this Desert Belle, this is where they came to isn't it? That's why the reels are here, because they'd hidden them here didn't they?" Stewart asked waving vaguely at the Texaco's interior.
"...Mister Hanes, maybe you should start from the beginning now and tell us where this is all going" Andrea said, making quick eye contact with me again.
"I'm saying that Mindy was here!" Stewart asserted sharply.
"Please be more specific on who Mindy is, Mister Hanes" I said trying to keep the names of Mary and Mindy Lane out of any of the conversation with the man.
"I'm saying that she was here and you know more than you're telling, that's HER on that calendar!" Stewart insisted, almost fanatically now as he pointed toward the calendar.
"Mister Hanes, intuition tells me that there's more to your coming here than for the sake of a seventy year old movie" Andrea asserted, holding eye contact with the man now.
"What are you implying, Misses Donovan?" Stewart asked, his temper suddenly rising slightly.
"Recalling my phone conversation with you earlier this week, you had stated that your only concern was for the film itself. I don't think you're being completely honest with us now, Mister Hanes, in fact it would almost appear as if you have ulterior motives of some kind" Andrea said holding her ground.
"There's no monetary gain in any of this for me!" Stewart snapped.
"I don't believe there is either, Mister Hanes, but I believe there's more to your story than you're telling us and we would like to hear your side of it ...maybe we can help you" Andrea said, holding the man's gaze.
My wife and Stewart held an intense eye contact for several seconds. Stewart then seemed to read something in Andrea's face which appeared to convey a sense of sincerity within her and the elderly man's face suddenly relaxed, accompanied by a slight wave of dismissal from his left hand.
"...Honesty is always the best policy isn't it, Misses Donovan?" Stewart asked almost ashamed.
"Yes it is, Mister Hanes" she replied.
"If I am honest with the both of you, will you be honest with me then?" Stewart asked, looking at me intently now.
"Mister Hanes, I will be as honest with you as discretion allows" I replied in earnest, tipping my proverbial hand slightly.
"Misses Donovan, agreed?" Stewart asked looking at my wife.
"As honest as discretion allows and off the record, sir." Andrea nodded.
" (sigh) ...Alright then I will tell you a story, Misses Donovan." Stewart said regaining some of his composure again.
Stewart took another swallow of water and closed his eyes.
" ...Once, in a large city, many many years ago there was a boy growing up in the streets, a small boy that couldn't fight, a boy whose father was always drunk and mean, and a mother that had left for good. One day this boy was playing stick-ball in the streets with his friends when a taxi cab hit him, the boy went to a hospital where he stayed for a long time. Everyday a wonderful lady would come and see the boy and talk to him and she was breathtakingly beautiful - not because of her external appearance but because of the heart within her. The boy came to love the lady and wanted to go home and live with her, he would cry each time she went away from him, wondering if she'd ever come back again. The lady always came back again and she'd talk with him and tell funny stories about wild horses in the Arizona Desert which made the boy laugh. One day the doctors gave the boy a cane and told him that he could go home but the boy didn't want to go home, he wanted to go live with the pretty lady that always came to see him.
The boy didn't get to go live with the lady but she did find him a place to live and a job sweeping with a broom. The boy slept beneath a theatrical stage and the lady continued to see him often. She made sure that he ate every day and had clothes to wear. Sometimes she would even put money in his pockets. One day the lady told the boy that she would always love him, and then she went away and never came back. People said that she had been a famous lady and that she died in a boat in Mexico. The boy stayed at that movie studio and worked there for forty four years, until he retired as a rich, rich man. He married a wonderful woman and raised a family which he cherishes to this very day but he has always mourned for the lady known to him as Mindy Vaughn for almost seventy years now." Stewart said quietly.
"I believe we understand why you're here now, Mister Hanes" Andrea said gently.
"Mindy was here all along, wasn't she?" Stewart asked, dropping his head and closing his eyes.
"...Mister Hanes ...why would you believe that this lady Mindy Vaughn lived here when you just told us that she died in a boat?" I asked, already knowing the answer to my own question but wanting to gauge the man before me now with his own answer.
"Because that's her on the calendar and the movie reels are HERE in Arizona and because I've had a lot of time to think about this! I believe you know the person which I'm refereeing to, Mister Donovan; you left a post on the website devoted entirely to Mildred Mayfield!" Stewart replied rather indignantly.
"What about her reported loss at sea in Mexico?" Andrea asked.
"You don't understand the dynamics of stardom, you don't understand the treachery of people when power is involved" Stewart said, trying to avoid the question.
"We know what the News papers said, Mister Hanes, and they clearly stated that Mildred Mayfield - or Mindy Vaughn as you call her, was lost at sea in a boat called Vaquero" I said assertively.
"There never was any such goddamn boat or plane trouble to begin with, the News papers in Mexico perpetuated a storm of rumors from the beginning and there were other considerations to take into account such as her husband. Felix Gordon, or 'Gordo' as he was known, married her during her young innocence and then methodically created a star of mythical proportion for the sole purpose of publicly displaying more of his own blatant arrogance through his creation of her. She was already married to the sonofabitch by the time that I knew her. ...Everything Gordo ever touched turned to solid gold but whatever he touched also died, he sucked the life out of everything around him including her! I've had almost seventy years of reflection on this and I believe I know what happened now. ...The world knew Mindy Vaughn as Mildred Mayfield of course but to me she was the most wonderful person that ever existed!" Stewart said passionately.
"She loved you as if you were her own child" Andrea said quietly.
"Mindy loved me ...that much I do know but I think a lot of her care for me as a child was simply out of a maternal and sincere need to love someone or something that didn't try to dominate and belittle her. ...She would have adopted me I'm certain, but Gordo would never have approved of that in a million years." Stewart said disgustedly.
"Her husband didn't love her did he?" Andrea asked.
"Gordo created her and treated her as PROPERTY! He also controlled everything within her life and completely ignored her otherwise. Whenever he wasn't openly screwing other women then he would be promoting Mindy like some circus attraction, he used her the same way he used everyone else, for his own selfish means. I knew the man for years and if he couldn't dominate or control someone then he tried to destroy them, this included her. - She was young then, much younger than that sonofabitch ever was, and I believe - in fact I know, that she finally came to the realization that she had to be free of him or she would eventually die inside." Stewart said.
"Why are you so certain the girl on the calendar is her and why Arizona, Mister Hanes?" Andrea asked, trying to gauge the man now herself.
"It's her on that calendar, Misses Donovan. ...Mindy fell in love with the Desert here when she began filming a movie called Arizona Dawn and she secretly told me that she always wanted to move here to raise kids and have horses, she was a romantic at heart and she loved life. That's why I think she was here in Arizona and these movie reels point right here to the very spot!" Stewart insisted, tapping his cane sharply on the floor for emphasis.
Andrea made no reply to this, just simply nodded.
"...(sigh)... Please excuse me for being rude, Misses Donovan ...I shouldn't talk so much and I didn't mean to drag you two into this mess. ...I realize of course, that she must have raised a family here and that you're being intentionally vague with me in consideration to them and I totally respect this in you - I'm someone you've never even seen before. I assure you both; I have no intention of contacting any of her family members or creating strife in anyone's life ...I'm simply interested in the procurement of this film for the sake of posterity. I will leave you in peace now" Stewart said as he began to stand.
"Mister Hanes, who would her accomplices have been in fleeing, do you have any idea?" Andrea asked.
Stewart slowly sat down again and seemed to have a look of surrender on his face now. The man remained quiet for several seconds and then began to speak again in a faraway voice.
"...She had a very talented make-up artist that it was rumored she was having an affair with, a young, good-looking guy named John Lish that knew how to handle himself pretty well in the street it was said. I believe that he was her accomplice" Stewart said slowly.
"Tell us about this John Lish" I said.
Stewart swallowed and hesitated for a moment. Finally after a long pause, something within the man seemed to indicate that he held a degree of trust in Andrea and I. He then began to elaborate further.
"John's father was an American News reporter working in radio and living in Mexico under a stage name then, John's mother was from Mexico City and John was fluent in both Spanish as well as English. Mindy introduced John and I once when I was fifteen; John was an intelligent man whom I believe could have accomplished almost anything he set his mind to. The two had plans to run away from early on, I believe, but Gordo's power and wealth would have chased them to the ends of the earth, it never would have worked for them." Stewart explained.
"But she was a major movie star, didn't she have millions of dollars that that they could live on and evade Gordon with?" Andrea asked.
"Misses Donovan, you aren't listening! Gordo controlled EVERYTHING in her life - she had NOTHING!" Stewart said forcibly.
"Mister Hanes, could this man John Lish, have also been known as John Light?" I asked, ignoring his slight outburst.
"I really don't know ...maybe, he was a rather elusive fellow as I recall" Stewart replied, calming down somewhat.
"Mister Hanes as talented and beautiful as she was, isn't there someone that would have taken her in and provided employment for her? I mean, she was a famous star." Andrea said.
" (sigh) ...My dear lady, you don't understand the loneliness or inner politics associated with fame or Gordo's fanaticism with control. Do either of you know what it's like to be lonely, I mean so lonely that your bones ache from it? Fame has been described as a golden cage and it was for Mindy, horribly so. She couldn't go anywhere without being worshipped or groped by mobs of so called fans. The term 'Fan' derives from the word 'fanatic' and she couldn't even go to a park by herself in safety. Women were insanely jealous of her and men only wanted to bed her, after a while she didn't even know who she was anymore. Gordo had her contracts locked up for the next ten years and as I've said, he controlled everything in her life. That's why she loved an orphaned little boy with a cane, because she knew that he honestly loved her ...and I did." Stewart said quietly.
After a moment of silence, Stewart continued his recollections of the past. Part of me believed that this slightly emotional man simply needed to tell his story to someone that would listen to him in earnest, so I decided to just let him continue.
"...Gordo had just finished the final edit of Belle of Autumn, it had gone over budget and there was a lot of skepticism surrounding the movie because the Korean War was going badly by then and war movies were unpopular at the ticket box. After long consideration by the executives, Wilson & Holbrook reluctantly decided to run the movie anyway, hoping to break-even if nothing else, it was a lean time for the studio and pennies counted. Gordo had every ounce of his own ego invested into that film and was beside himself with self praise and elation when word came that the movie would soon premier in theatres as planned - his whole life was centered around creating movies that stoked his own sense of self, regardless of the cost to anyone else.
Mindy was, presently during this time, on a U.S.O. tour with several others when word came through the wires that Hank Williams had suddenly and unexpectedly passed. This event would create the News media shield that Mindy and John Lish had probably been hoping would eventually come along at some point. With help from John Lish's father, the radio reports and News paper accounts in Mexico then began to snowball into a flurry of frenzied reports indicating that Mildred Mayfield had been lost at sea. These reports were grossly exaggerated and often contradictory, soon these stories began to feed off of one another and it became a free-for-all in the press rooms everywhere. I suspect that the boat was fictitious and probably never existed to begin with and that the eye witnesses were family members of Lish or paid actors.
