When we sit down at Taylor’s Bar and Grill on the edge of the University of Oregon campus, Katherine Wilson tells me about who she used to drink with at the famous bar when she was in college in the late ’60s — Oregon track legend Steve Prefontaine. But Wilson has more Oregon stories than just that. In her new memoir, Echoes from the Set, the “Godmother of Oregon Film” writes about her work on sets across the state — including Animal House, Five Easy Pieces and Stand By Me — and the stories and insight she has collected over the years about the state’s vibrant history of film production.
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In Echoes From the Set, Wilson tells stories of scouting locations for Animal House, finding realistic extras for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and working with University of Oregon students to make a documentary about Animal House, titled Animal House of Blues. She paints a vibrant picture growing up in the Oregon film industry and argues why Oregon’s unique cinematic voice matters.
Wilson and UO Cinema Studies and English professor Steve Rust joined Split Tooth Media to talk about her book, how the reception to comedies change with the times and share stories from making Animal House and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. She also gave us a behind the scenes look at where famous Animal House scenes were shot on UO’s campus and included her location list from the film, shown below.
The original Animal House. (Courtesy of Katherine Wilson)
You can find Wilson’s book here.
We have compiled a Letterboxd list of Oregon films, including the titles discussed in this podcast and other favorites. Check out the list here.
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