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Quiet on the set . . . . . Action!

Tarentum RPC's (Pennsylvania) member, Tom Erdner relayed a story about a call he had recently.  Many thanks to Tom for sharing his hobby, and sharing this story with us.

'In late June I got a call from the owner of Animal Actors, Inc. in New York asking if I knew anyone who could provide pigeons for release in a movie they would be filming after July 4 in Pittsburgh. He found me through our club website.  I told him I could as we had just finished up our OB season and I had birds in plenty good enough shape to make a local flight.  He said "Great!" and added that he was relieved to find me as he had some pigeons at his property in NJ but wasn't confident they could make the flight from Pittsburgh.  He went on to say that over the years he's kept all kinds of animals in several barns there.  He even had an elephant at one time!

He called me in a bit of a panic the next day and said that the film schedule had been moved up and they were going to shoot the scene two days later at the Leetsdale Boat Dock in Leetsdale, PA, which is about 20 air miles from my loft. I met them there with the birds.  It as a very hot, sunny, muggy day.

Turns out they were shooting scenes for an episode of "The Mayor of Kingstown", a crime series about political corruption in a city surrounded by three prisons.  The town's economy revolves around the activities of those prisons.  Jeremy Renner plays the part of Mayor.  The series runs on Paramount Plus.

The scene they were shooting opens with the Mayor (Renner) waiting at a remote boat dock for a clandestine meeting with a couple of thugs.  As he walks out on the dock, he sees an old man who had been fishing there release a pigeon.   He asks the old man if that was a homing pigeon.  The old man says "Yes' and goes on to explain that he communicates with his son in Detroit via pigeon. He says the bird was carrying a note. (They had previously filmed the old man putting a note in the message container and then tying the container on the bird's leg). Renner wryly says, "I use a telephone."   The old man makes a few nonsensical remarks (to a pigeon flyer) such as "I've missed a lot of phone calls, but I ain't never missed a pigeon" and "A pigeon can fly from Pittsburgh to Detroit and back in about four hours."  They chat a bit longer and the thugs arrive.  Renner wishes the old man well and walks off the dock to his meeting. 

The shoot reminded of my long-ago life in the military -- "Hurry up and wait."  It was along, tedious day.  I arrived at 11:30 am and got home about 9:30 pm. 

The old man actor was a piece of work.  He admitted he was "afraid them birds would bite me."     I showed him repeatedly how to reach into the crate and catch the bird, and how to hold it with one hand, but he was too distracted about remembering his lines and not "getting bit" that he didn't pay attention to what I was telling him.  So later, I had to sit and grind my teeth as he pulled my magnificent birds one by one out of the crate by their wings or their necks in each take.

I was surprised that the pigeon release had nothing to do with the movie's plot, unlike the scene in John Wick where Laurence Fishburne communicates with his Bowery crew by pigeon to avoid telephone bugs and Internet IP address tracking.  I guess it was just a human interest angle.

There was a tremendous amount of interest in my birds from many members of the crew.  They couldn't believe that my birds would actually fly the 20 miles back to my loft.  Most thought the birds would just go out, fly a couple of loops over the river, then come back to the crate.  When I told them that we regularly race them up to 600 miles, they were amazed and slack jawed.  "No way!"

"Yeah!  Way!"

With all the standing around, I had several chances to explain pigeon racing to the curious.  I don't know if we will gain any members as a result, but it was fun.  The most gratifying remark -- "They're beautiful.  They sure don't look like the pigeons in Central Park." '

The Vintage Cock - Chuck Oshaben

             The following information about AU-68-WDC-2204 Blue Check cock was taken from the August 22nd issue of the Racing Pigeon Bulletin in 1977 (Oldest Flying Bird) and if you do remember this great bird there’s a good chance you’re eligible for Medicare. I may have remembered it during that time, but I sure do remember it in the late 1990’s.

            I had flown home for a visit with my folks and my Dad was all excited because he had recently acquired a bird that was supposedly a descendant of the Vintage Cock 2204. He had pictures and articles about this famous bird. Not only was this bird an award winning accomplished long-distance racer…. It was Pure Trenton!!!! To my Dad, this bird was a Super-Star and a bird most could only dream about.

             This Bird was flown continuously starting as a youngster and flew his first 500 as a yearling. He never missed a 500 or 600-mile race with the Washington Metropolitan Concourse and was flown up to the age of nine. He had many 1st 2nd and 3rd place wins and flew 14 times the 500 and 8 times the 600. He was recognized by the AU and received the Registered Champion Award. In his racing career he had compiled over 13,000 miles in recorded competitive racing.

            This past November I had the honor of attending the AU 2021 Convention in Tampa Fl. Besides all the awesome things the AU has to offer at these Conventions I was there to pick up the AU Breeder Elite Award for my Dad, Ed Oshaben for his many decades of dedication to his Trenton’s.

            During the lunch break on the Saturday of the banquet I spotted a table with two Gentlemen, both of whom were my seniors and I asked if they would mind if I sat with them. After a while one of the Gentleman said: Oh, you’re the Trenton Guy! Immediately the other Gentlemen started telling me how much he loved Trenton’s. He said his very first birds were Trenton’s, and he flew them for many years. Then he asked if I ever heard of the Vintage Cock? I excitedly replied: Yes, of course I have. He then told me he was the owner/breeder and handler of that very famous bird. My excitement was Sky High just to be sitting with this Guy!!! What happened next is the best part. He told me the Father of 2204 was from Art Nemechek and the Mothers bloodline was from that Oshbern (Oshaben) guy in Ohio. I about fell out of my chair, if my Dad would have only known… this most Famous Pigeon that my Dad so looked up to was of some of his bloodline. The Gentlemen I was talking with is John Celia, he lives in Silver Springs MD and is still a very active and accomplished flyer. After I told John who I was he was also excited as well. I pretty much latched onto his shirt tail and even later we sat together at the banquet. John, like many of that great generation, still reveres the old-bird long distance races.

            Not only did I come home with a beautiful plaque honoring my Father, I got to become friends with a great man and a part of pigeon history!

                Yours in Sport,   

                        Chuck Oshaben