“One year ago”-My recent post involving the truck used in BJ and the Bear has taken an interesting twist. Due to the post involving the Kenworth big rig tractor used in this series, the current owner of the truck has contacted me. He lives in Australia, his name is Kraig. He sent me some pictures and gave me a history lesson update.
Kraig explains: I bought the tractor in 2005 from Universal. I’m trying to locate the whereabouts of the orange trailer that goes with it. Transportation boss Alan Mulano told me the trailers, both Knight Rider’s and BJ’s, were sold off in the year 2000. Stuntman Jack Gill verified that date as the last time he saw them. Shows that I know for sure used it are: Street Hawk, Knight Rider, a -Stallone movie, and Quantum Leap. There were two orange trailers, did they paint the other or sell it? …some of his questions.
Hopefully, some people reading this stuff will be able to connect the dots so we can reunite trailer with tractor, the rig is in the process of being shipped to Australia…. From the Backlot- to the Outback, hopefully we can reunite this combo for this wonderful gentleman and collector. I love Happy Endings, I’m thrilled my story is involved in a potential recovery!
One orange trailer, looked like the great pumpkin, it was so unique. It was on the lot in what seems like forever, constantly being used to haul freight, which is movie equipment. They left it orange, the only orange trailer on the lot. Trailers are handy and easily get painted, the other trailers in question could have easily been altered. My old transpo boss, Rick Finney, retired before me.
We are looking for – The Great Orange trailer so it can be reunited with its tractor in the land down under…
Truck three- the one I jumped on board of... Like a retired horse in a pasture.If this cab could talk-lots of monkeying around took place inside here. Notice the Red Brake knob, lower right. That’s the knob the Bear wanted to pull, it would jacknife the truck. It was hard to get driving scenes done, Bear was a very playful chimp.
A rock star truck
Mike Johnson found this original BJ and the Bear Aerodyne in Georgia back in 2007, where it sat in a field- Gone With the Wind style. Truck three- back in business…The show only lasted three years but had three tractors.
My fascination of picture cars started on the TV series Batman in 1966. I first saw it parked in front of the Desilu Plantation offices, and it was involved in a scene with The Joker and Catwoman, with Batman, Robin and Batgirl. Not only did I see the Batmobile, I saw a Catmobile and the Purple Motorbike driven by Batgirl. That inspired me to ride my bike around the studio property daily. I would see the Batmobile on the Desilu backlot through a chain link fence as it sped by down the dirt road we call the Mayberry Highway. I was hooked- at age six!
The car I first fell in love with in 1966I have a die-cast metal miniature that we would strap sparklers to the bottom to recreate the after burner, I took this hobby seriously.
At MGM, I developed another transpo crush, for the Rat Patrol. Often, the desert squadron of yellow painted German vehicles along with the two jeeps would be parked at the main gate on Overland at MGM lot 2. I had a Rat Patrol lunch- pale and I would hold it against the fence to add realism to my afternoon lunch. I hated to go to school, but that’s another story.
I always felt security should use these jeeps instead of the Ford Bronco. The two transpo stars are parked across from Verona Square – Lot 2I see trespassers, let’s get um!This is a screen grab of the convoy that gets destroyed -weekly!All this equipment was usually parked at the main gates on MGM lots 2 or 3.
Now, I will share many car photos and just caption each as best I remember, so here we go-enjoy the ride. Yes, I have passenger endorsements, pull the emergency cord if you get sick…
We didn’t always have this fine ride. I also drove a jeep with a camera platform on the front, used for those moving- rough shots on Airwolf. I used it to carry electrical equipment. It looked like something out of The Rat Patrol. The only thing missing was the 50 caliber machine gun. It was freezing in the morning and hot in the afternoon. Loaded with- Hard work!Co-pilot Thor, my dedicated helper, sniffing out the movie caterer. Training begins very young!This post is in search of- this trailer. Original BJ and the Bear paint job.There’s that trailer, the orange vehicle parked at the wharf. My picture was taken from the paddleboat overlooking the Red Sea. Tales of the Golden Monkey set at opposite end of lake. A submarine coning tower is on a track below me. It follows trams to the Red Sea parting and fires two torpedoes. This iconic 40foot trailer has – if you notice- the tires are on pavement, not the wood dock. Our Fire Department mistakingly put the full weight of and engine on the wooden dock and it began to collapse. Fortunately, it was able to execute it’s way off – Like a scene from Emergency!The old rig and the new rig side by side…Best friends…We’re in search of their trailer…Post movie career- painted original.You’re inside the cab of Bj and the Bear’s first big rig. Notice the CB radio, this is how you call- The Bandit…Turn up the Jerry Reed music!Star Waggon…For ClydesdalesBetter yet, full of beer!I promised stars- here they are...”I’m booked solid through the end of the year!”Small scale picture cars- matchbox sizeBig cameras, with small cities and cars…Clarity Sheriff, Rock Hudson Circle, Colonial Street, UniversalMilk truck on the set of Streets of Fire. Original Brownstone street. Streets of Fire was a precursor to best describe the future of this area.The set of Oscar, directed by John Landis, two hours after I took this picture on the original Brownstone street at Universal, all this and more burned up. 23 beautifully restored 30’s cars were some of the victims.14 hours later…Fast and the Furious…More cars from F.F.The ultimate sand rail.Fast and Furious press junket-There is always “two” at least. “The show must go on”theory, even if the actor can’t.This old car ended up all over the lot, like some regular everyday employee.The Good Times have passed these cars by. The 80’s transpo department. That’s a shady looking DeLorean, I’d pull it over if I was a cop.Teamsters have a great sense of humor, and such big toys…Notice the orange trailer in question in background. Picture cars from- Saving Mr. BanksSame cars, different angle…Flintstones transportation…Fred’s ride, the village of Bedrock was built at Vasquez Rocks, not at Universal.Keep your eyes on the road…this pier cost a fortune to build.The Majestic, starring Jim CarreyI’ll leave it here.Shaquille O’Neal’s custom built Ferrari, it has to fit a 7′ tall Gentle Giant. He barely fit his golf cart…A car- named HudsonA boy named “Hudson”, and Jeff on a tank from the movie The HulkStuffy and oily but a very safe rideFiring mechanism…When a tank takes on a car, this happens.New York Street NY plates for NY City, Universal.Vintage Trolley You tell me the show, I can’t remember, I think it was Marvel.Same set…Desperate Housewives crashed this engineless Mercedez Benz into our Red Sea lagoon. It was pushed by a truck and a female and male stunt team were inside. Being extremely light on the front end without its engine, the car flipped upside down as it became airborne toward the lake. Nervous seconds passed as other stuntmen hit the water, but both inside escaped out the window underwater. They could not use that take, this is the reshoot, this was the look they wanted. Rough night on Colonial street.The Beaver House is a holding area on this all-night zombie shoot.This police car is being lit on fire. A stunt Zombie human will be on the hood, a driver stuntman is also involved…Working title The Kitchen Sink. Columbia picture. You get about 25 seconds before you feel the burn through a fireproof gel that’s put on the stuntmen. Start counting- ACTION!Real car, real fire, being driven by one man inside, one on hood. “zombie” on fire.10 more seconds…Put them out!…As this car turns the corner, fire equipment waits just out of view to put this gag out PRONTO. So you know, I love stunt folk! I remember saying to myself- “what did I just see,” I was totally blown away by this stunt. The show’s working title- The Kitchen SinkGet me out of here, this place is crazy!Don’t sin- however tempting it may seem.Sin- policeNot good!–Whats become of our country?What’s left of a picture car in WW2This is from Kraig while on board a tram, he wants these trucks and trailers, Knight Rider rig on NY street. At the end of the street you can see black tarps above building. This was to create night time while day time. Streets of Fire paid to have this system installed. That is a tremendous film for the Universal Backlot. Back to the Future paid to take it all down. I was very surprised in that decision- we’re talking lots of money here, but it would have all burned down anyway.You could talk to Kitt at the entertainment center. So tell me Kit” What’s David really like?”Another picture from the tram on Kraig’s tour in December 28,1988. I was a tram driver then, my last year on Glamour trams. I could be the driver here, small world. The A-Team was huge, it had its own stunt show, preceding Miami Vice. The tram is at a cue light, waiting clearance for Battlestar Galactica. The Universal Amphitheater is in background, the tram garage is where this van is parked. It’s there for tour guides to have something to talk about while we wait. On concert nights, this area was red carpet crazy. This was the center of the universe on big concert show nights. I bet I hear from Chuck Martinez, the driver for the amphitheater, on this post. He should write a book. He had one of the best gigs going, this area took on a life of its own. Now, Harry Potter has a castle here. MCA- my original employer, stands for Music Corporation of America. We lost our soul!Arctic expedition equipment. This is not for a movie, they fabricated this on the Sony Lot. It is part of an arctic expedition involving a former astronaut, Buzz Aldrin. That’s not Buzz- it’s a bigger version of HudsonThis is like a moon rover.
This section will carry men and instruments- this is a fascinating machine designed for the world’s harshest environment.
The Green Hornet car
The car from the past-reengineered.Hudson could be a Ghostbuster with his Bio-chemical degree from UC Davis. Lookout Ghosts, you’ve met your match.Adam Sandler’s ride outside Happy Madison ProductionsI save the best for last-the MGM Ford Bronco, parked at the main gate waiting on a flat tire repair. In 1976, it was retired from being the vehicle of choice MGM used to chase kids off the backlot.Here pictured on Chips.
License FJPP, this is the same Red Bronco…I have ran from this so often, scared to death. It was stealth, until security floors it. At night, certain guards drove with out headlights.” Don’t look back until your on top the fence-then you can -flip the Bird!”This is the jeep that terrorized us, minus its white roof, and a passenger seat. It became part of MGM’s transportation and went out on shows.Imagine my astonishment, here I am on Saturday night watching the best show on TV at the time, and I see the license FJPP. I quickly realize it’s my jeep, modified by a show that cuts up cars like a cube of butter and modifies them. No one has been the focus of the front end of this vehicle like me. These headlights have been on my rear end running full speed. I’ve experienced this scene, I had nightmares in the 70’s of this image and the sound of a maxed out engine, with an arm sticking out, packing a salt rock pistol.Chips at MGM lot 2, each evening car wrecks would be dropped off from the location they were destroyed at, it’s how each day ended. This was a full time operation, one of the funner shows you could work on, as a teamster or stuntman, Good times!
They called me the "phantom of the backlot." Join me on my adventures through the historic and celebrated MGM studios, in Culver City, during the height of its glory.
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4 thoughts on “The story behind BJ and the Bear and Universal Transportation…”
Hey Donnie, As I have been reading your adventures it just hit me that these studios had a lot of fires that damaged or destroyed the sets. Was these fires due to all of the electrical cable run throughout the sets…or other miscellaneous causes? Seems like these sets on multiple studio lots have had their fair share of fires. Thanks as always for providing us insight into your life…it is very interesting!! Hello to Maureen….take care, Leon
One New York Burn, the second version, was set lighting electrical on a high budget Japan Commercial on a Sunday. “There’s a million ways to start fires in the old west -Leon”
Why do you keep referring to the BJ cab and trailer as orange and not red? Thanks.
Phantom of the Backlots 
Hey Donnie, As I have been reading your adventures it just hit me that these studios had a lot of fires that damaged or destroyed the sets. Was these fires due to all of the electrical cable run throughout the sets…or other miscellaneous causes? Seems like these sets on multiple studio lots have had their fair share of fires. Thanks as always for providing us insight into your life…it is very interesting!! Hello to Maureen….take care, Leon
One New York Burn, the second version, was set lighting electrical on a high budget Japan Commercial on a Sunday. “There’s a million ways to start fires in the old west -Leon”
Why do you keep referring to the BJ cab and trailer as orange and not red? Thanks.
Never happen again thanks