Raven Jake Dawes

An Evening with George Van Tassel

 

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I'm pleased as punch to announce the release of my first DVD, "An Evening with George Van Tassel"

Lloyd Noel brings the legend to life in his acclaimed portrayal of a true California eccentric. From humble beginnings in Jefferson, Ohio, Van Tassel left a life of stability in the aerospace industry to raise his family in the desolate Mojave Desert.

An encounter with alien spacecraft near the world's largest monolith, Giant Rock, propelled Van Tassel to national celebrity. His legacy? The Integratron: a device that, had it ever been completed, promised to recharge the cells of the human body to a state of youthful health.

In this one-man performance piece, Lloyd Noel draws on his historical research to paint a portrait of a complex individual, a man who left behind a career as a flight test engineer for a mystical path following the channeled teachings of inter-dimensional space beings. This documentary alternates between Noel's performance as a time-traveling Van Tassel offering an autobiographical lecture followed by a question-and-answer period and Noel describing his journey as an actor portraying Van Tassel.

The unforgiving California desert was the backdrop for an air field, flying saucer conventions, a meditation center, and the construction of the Integratron in the time span from the 1930s until 1978. Van Tassel's faith, resourcefulness and hard work make this most unlikely of histories a tangible link from the pioneer past to a space age future.

A must-see for history buffs and flying saucer fans alike.

Bonus feature: Lloyd Noel gives a tour of the Morongo Basin Historical Society Museum and Research Center, formerly the Vernette Landers Estate, in Landers, California. The lives of Vernette and Newlin Landers and their numerous contributions to their namesake town are discussed. Vernette's breeding program of Siamese-bobcat hybrids and the historic Landers Post Office are special highlights of this seven-minute segment.

Copies are available on CreateSpace  https://www.createspace.com/261947

Willie Boy at Hi-Desert Museum Wednesday

Willie_Boy_Prison We're going to be down at the Hi-Desert museum on Wednesday filming Paul Smith talk about Willie Boy. Paul otta know - he's married to my friend Jane, whose family has owned the 29 Palms Inn for three generations. As I've said many times before, the Oasis of Mara is one of my favorite places. If you find yourself in Yucca Valley on Wednesday night, make sure you drop on by.   Hi-Desert Nature Museum First Wednesday History Program: “Willie Boy,” Weds., March 4, 5:30PM Wednesday, March 4, 5:30 p.m. Hi-Desert Nature Museum 57090 29 Palms Highway Yucca Valley, CA 92284 http://www.hidesertnaturemuseum.org/events.html $5 donation to the MBHS (Morongo Basin Historical Society) at the door. Willie_Boy_arrest_warrant The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is pleased to partner with the Morongo Basin Historical Society in hosting Paul Smith as he explores the reality of what happened back in 1909 and the cultural lessons which carry forward to the present. Paul Smith has been researching California history for years and wrote the History of Eagle Mountain near Joshua Tree National Park. His interest started while he was in high school and wrote an award winning essay on the history of early aviation in Southern California. He writes bi-monthly historical columns for the Sun Runner Magazine and was a co-author of the Arcadia publication The History of Twentynine Palms. He first became interested in the Willie Boy story when he was researching and writing a museum level exhibit on the Forgotten Gold Rush of Southern California. He also teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Copper Mountain College and is co-owner of 29 Palms Inn, where Willie Boy lived. Hi-Desert Nature Museum 57090 29 Palms Highway Yucca Valley, CA 92284 The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is located in the Yucca Valley Community Center Complex just off Highway 62, on Dumosa Avenue between Sage and Highway 247 (Old Woman Springs Road). Directions: From Interstate Highway 10 take State Highway 62 east to Yucca Valley, then left on Dumosa Avenue. From Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree take Highway 62 west to Yucca Valley, turn right on Dumosa Avenue.

Willie Boy