Jeremiah Johnson movie romanticized Liver Eatin' Johnson

Another story I recall reading about Liver-Eating Johnson (probably apocryphal) is that, during one brutal winter, he was captured by a rival tribe (Blackfeet?) to give to the Crow as a great gift. To prevent his escape, the Blackfeet stripped Johnson naked and bound him in rawhide thongs. One night, Johnson managed to work himself loose and overpower his guard. Johnson needed to move quickly, so for food he wrenched the warrior's leg off to gnaw on. During his flight to safety, Johnson found a cave to hole up in, but it was literally a den of wolves, so he beat the pack off, using--among other things--the dead Indian's leg as a weapon.

I wonder why they decided to leave this episode out of the movie... ;)

--JFrame
 
CodythenYellowstoneday7Oct2006180.jpg


Picture taken October, 2006. The place, Trail Town (next to rodeo grounds), was closed so the picture was taken at a distance. I studied the inscription with binoculars and it is Jeremiah Johnson. Shoshone River runs thru the deep canyon in the background.

According to a 80 year old long time resident, employed at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, the re-burial of Johnson was the largest funeral ever held in Wyoming. She claimed that about 2,000 persons were in attendance, including Robert Redford. She went on to celebrate at Buffalo Bill's saloon along with many others at the $100,000 bar in the Irma.

I realize the age of this thread but thought you might find this photo interesting.

Don't miss the Buffalo Bill Historical Center the next time you are in Cody. Probably the most outstanding gun collection, from about every manufacturer and age, anywhere.

All the best,

or
 
Thank you kindly and you are welcome. It is my pleasure.

You know, I really didn't think that there actually was a flesh and blood Jeremiah Johnson until I talked it over with that terrific woman at Buffalo Bill's Center and visited the grave in person. And, I would have asked the owner of "Trail Town" to let me in had his mother not passed away the day before. Next visit I'll get a better picture.

I heard Sydney Pollack interviewed about the making of "Jeremiah Johnson." He said that in order to finish the movie he had to take a mortgage on his home. This gave me the feeling that he really loved the story. I know that I love this story.

The thing that gives me the fidgets is how was the owner of "Trail Town" able to exume Johnson's remains at the federal cemetary outside Los Angeles? I imagine that he would need, at least, the OK from a relative. This is a part of the story that I don't know.

Here's a link to some other pictures, not mine however, from Trail Town: http://travel.webshots.com/album/83735832spaGuS

All the best,

or
 
Jeremiah Johnson was amazing, the mountain man philosophy has really intrigued me.
To keep this thread on track, I am going to start a new one about favourite wilderness related books, so I hope everyone adds some reccomendations :)
 
or,

Thanks a million for that account! I look forward to visiting Cody one of these days soon.

Dave
 
condahaw said:
or,

Thanks a million for that account! I look forward to visiting Cody one of these days soon.

Dave
Click to expand...

Dave you are welcome a million.

Cody is due east of me here in Oregon. And, it felt just like home for the few days I was there. It is on my list of places to retire/visit again/move to right now. Nice climate (drought there the last few years is hard on the folks working the land, however) terrific people, extremely interesting history, gateway to Yellowstone and Glacier and the home of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center (which house alot more than firearms).

Here is a Cody cam link for you amusement (I look at it most days): http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=336684&goto=newpost

All the best,

or
 
I loved the film Jeremiah Johnson - evocative, beautifully filmed. John Milius knows how to tell a story. As for its historical accuracy lets just remember it as a great movie. The character Liver Eatin Johnson appeared in a few of the Terry C Johnston books about the various Indian wars. There is a photo of Johnson in one of the books - he doesn't bear much resemblance to Robert Redford.
 
I think the local video store still has an old VHS copy . I,ll scare it up . I am lucky in that if a movie is accurate it pleases me . If it is inaccurate and still entertaining it still pleases me . I just take it as entertainment .
 
Great novel about Hugh Glass is "Lord Grizzly" . All time film about frontier is "Black Robe" about a Jesuit Priest in New France 1600's . setting out into the Canadian wilderness to convert the Huron.
 
John Myers Myers wrote a well-researched biography of Hugh Glass entitled:
Saga of Hugh Glass: Pirate, Pawnee and Mountain Man
 
Leanwolf said:
According to the historians who have researched ol' "Liver Eatin' Johnston, he never ate anyone's liver, nor was he a "mountain man." He was born in 1824, in New Jersy, and the "mountain man" era was over by 1840, the year of the last rendezvous, held on the Green River. He did not even come west until 1863, after a hitch in the U.S. Navy, serving during the Mexican War.
He went to Montana, seeking gold. Finding very little, he joined the Union Army in 1864.

He was wounded at the battle of Westport, Missouri. The Army records read, "gunshot wound, left arm."

He worked as a scout, a guide, and a couple of times, indian fighter, plus served a stint as a constable. The account where he got the nickname, "Liver eatin' Johnston," was refuted by Johnston, himself. He never claimed to have eaten anyone's liver, other than to joke about it to a man after a fight with Souix indians, in which they had killed several Souix.

He was also known on the frontier as a drunk. Died in Los Angeles, in 1900. Still, an interesting figure of the old frontier.


FWIW. L.W.
.
Click to expand...

More related to Johnson and his travels but my fiancées dad has a picture( or a copy) that has been authenticated and it has T Roosevelt, most of the Earps, Holiday, Liver Eating Johnson, and Bat Masterson taken at a train stop in either Montana or Wyoming, they were all there for a hunting trip.
 
Horned Toad said:
More related to Johnson and his travels but my fiancées dad has a picture( or a copy) that has been authenticated and it has T Roosevelt, most of the Earps, Holiday, Liver Eating Johnson, and Bat Masterson taken at a train stop in either Montana or Wyoming, they were all there for a hunting trip.
Click to expand...

You gotta post a scan/pic! You must. Pretty please. Thank you.

All the best,

oregon
 
LiverJ.gif


I think of JJ as a lone wolf. It would be interesting to see him with his contemporaries.

Best,

oregon
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top