I worked for Hugh Rich in Glendale, 1949-50 making arrows. I lived in back of shop at the time. Before this time, I lived in Barstow, California as member of Desert Bow Hunters club founded be "Nubbie" Pate. We held the NFAA tournament there in 1949, introducing the "Clout" shoot. Fred Bear brought some of his new laminated recurve bows that year. Two or three time, Howard Hill came to visit and shoot the range. Once, he was accompanied by Guy Madison the movie star who was also an archer. As I recall, Guy was to accompany Howard to Africa to hunt, for one, elephants, but his jeep wrecked and his leg was broken. Roy and Frieda Hoff were some main people in the NFAA at the time. I still have my silver NFAA ring given to me by them. I was the "youngster" at the time. Lots of stories. I have some photos from Barstow days. Oh, those were the days of the long bow; osage, lemon wood and the like. Shoulder busters.

Sharkey, That sounds interesting and I as well as others would love to see your photos and read any experiences you would post. I for one spend my winter evenings reading older archery magazines, espically 1950 to 1968. So go ahead and enlighten us!

Sharkey, it would be appealing to me to hear your stories!

Sharkey Archery History and old photos would be neat!!!!

Thanks in advance.

Deno

Sounds like some great reading and looking at pics. please do and thank you.

Sharkey:

The reason Howard and Guy didn't go to Africa for Howards second Safari is Howard had been bitten by a dog and just a few hours before there departure, Howard was told the rabies test was positive and He had to undergo the Pasteur treatment. He had broken his leg before going to Africa the first time.

Bob

I would very much like to here the stories you would like to share!

Sharkey, I was a friend of Hugh and would really like to hear about your time at the shop. Also looking forward to your Barstow photos.

What are you waiting for? We're all ready!

This sounds very interesting and would you happen to have any stories or first hand interactions with Joe Fries?

I spent a lot of time talking with Hugh on the phone. The man liked to talk on the phope and write letters

I new Hugh I have a letter that he wrote to me back in the 50s.Jay Peake

Great to have you here, Sharkey. Looking forward to reading more!

One of my friends from CA. worked making arrows in his shop. George Casselman. Don’t recall what year/s. Him and I were talking arrows and he mentioned spraying shafts for store arrows. Said he did that working in the store. Hope you can share some pictures with us. I like California archery as well.

Would also love to read some stories and see photos.

I think Hugh Rich is the maker of a rubber "movie prop" broadhead I bought from St. Charles Archery several years ago. Neat memorabilia.

Hugh Rich an archery legend in Southern California. He was a confidant of many famous people, both in archery and Hollywood. He hunted with all of the greats of the day and was the "go to guy" for many archery legends to "field test" their prototypes. Fred Bear would send him products to test-- the famous Bear takedown was one. {One of those takedowns was hanging on his shop wall] The Bear "bow quiver" was yet another... I first met Hugh in 1974 when, as a archery-crazed kid, I strode into his shop on Brand Blvd. It was huge, loaded with tackle, practically an archery shrine dripping with history. There were black and white photos, dust-covered and autographed, by the likes of Howard Hill, Fred Bear, Ben Pearson, etc. And then there were the various Hollywood "movie props". You see, whenever Hollywood needed archery tackle, Hugh Rich delivered. I could go on and on with the many, many films he so generously furnished-- The Professionals, is one of my personal favorites. He also taught actors how to shoot a bow, both longbows and recurves. And, yes, he did "invent" the rubber broadhead. [Look for those on the tips of the arrows in "A Man Called Horse" with Richard Harris.] Hugh was a tough customer, a tough man to work for, a man you didn't cross [He once worked as Errol Flynn's bodyguard-- recommended for the job by Howard Hill] Hugh in his strapping youth had been a "prize fighter". called out to be that day I walked into his shop. Nobody else was in the place. I heard that gravelly voice, saw that Marine Corps crew-cut, those hard iron eyes. He was chain-smoking in the back, fletching up arrows [with turkey barred feathers!!] He taught me how to fletch and sold me one of his shop Bitzenburgers-- I still own it. I remember staring up at all of those prototype bows gracing the walls of his shop. "What are all those bows up there?" I asked. Hugh seemed to warm up to me a bit, took a deep drag from his ciggie and said, "Those are prototypes I field tested for every major manufacture in archery, son." That was quite an afternoon... Shoot Straight, rare breed

Rare Breed .. thank you for those memories. Especially fascinating for someone on this side of the pond ... thank you

Thanks for those stories - and don't be shy about sharing more!

Great stuff there, rare breed. Thanks!

Hugh Rich display at Archery Hall of Fame

Pssstt... After Hugh Rich's passing [lung cancer], his widow went on to marry Tom Jennings. I had the pleasure of knowing three of his long term employees-- so the "inside stories" related to me were monumental...

rare breed, Hugh divorced his wife, Hazel, and she is the one who married Tom Jennings. Hugh was very much alive at the time. Hazel stayed married to Tom and preceded him in death.

Hugh had many health problems in his last years, including emphysema, which was brought on by long years of cigarette smoking. He passed away peacefully at home.

So, what happened to all the Hugh Rich stories?

Sharkey, rare breed, we are all waiting. Where are you?

I want to hear some stories.

Don’t we all wish for a good trad shop near enough to hang out at and shoot.

I just read one of his ads in a 1950 copy of Archery Magazine.

Okay, okay, Leatherwallers. Here's a couple... Don Brown - a very well respected archer and true longbowman in days gone by - ran Hugh Rich's Burbank archery shop for him when Hugh "downsized" the business from its premier Glendale location. Don got his start in the archery business from Hugh. Don was a world-class Flight Shooter and... attempted to pull the "heaviest bow" on record. That meant, he wanted to pull/shoot a longbow equaling his own body weight. Normally, Don clocked in at around 175-180 pounds. He lost some weight, but in so doing, over did it. Wound up in the hospital, lucky to have survived. Don's girlfriend "April Moon" shot a custom-made 100-pound longbow crafted by Mr. Brown himself. Now back to the legendary Mr. Rich.... Hugh Rich hunted mule deer [real monsters] up in Jarbridge, Nevada with Howard Hill. But, sssshhh. It was their "secret spot".... Shoot Straight, rare breed

You did what a lot of people have done, including me. That is, misspelling Jarbidge. Just one r. I got called on that by someone who was very upset with a thread I posted where I made the mistake of adding the second r. I hope he's still not mad at me.

Also, Hugh was going to give Don Hugh Rich Archery. Literally, give it to him, name and all. For a reason I don't know, they had a falling out and the deal was off.

Keep it coming.

So, that's it?

No photos from Sharkey. No more stories from rare breed.

We're done?

That didn't last long.

ttt

Thank you so much. When you are all able keep the stories coming. This young'un (72 y/o) loves them.

I remember Guy Madison from the tv show the Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. Like most youngsters of the 50s I loved my westerns. Jawge

Ugly Coyote, sounds like you should be telling some stories, too.

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here