Years before his grizzled face adorned The Last Picture Show, Ben Johnson the wrangler
(uncredited)
drove the runaway buggy to the dogleg railroad crossing right there by Flying Kite Winery
(as it exists today, just the railroad bed).
There in Elgin you can also see Ben
(a face in the crowd)
on the rail station platform – a bit of stagecraft for the choreography of Agnes de Mille
(she, who already got her boots wet)
with the ballet Rodeo scored by Aaron Copland
(he, who had never seen a real ranch).
Rodgers and Hammerstein were sitting on the fence as de Mille danced the lonesome cowgirl. They roped her to do Oklahoma! – on the Broadway stage. Later, it was…
(her only screen credit)
Travel down winery row and some say cowboy boots can still be heard step dancing there in the night by the Elgin Bridge.