Tucson Daily Citizen from Tucson, Arizona • Page 35

7 Like Buck Better Every Day 9 --Mitchell Mitchell On Old Tucson Set Only 11 InchM highI York's new whole-house air conditioner is so low, so compact, your neighbors won't even see how comfortable you are! Enjoy whole-house comfort conditioning without a large, unsightly unit outside your home! York's new system is trim, low, super quiet yet it will cool, filter and dshumid- ify the air to assure you of total comfort even on the hottest, stickiest days. A belter way you feel better DIVISION OF CORPORATION For more complete information about your total comfort needs, consult any of the following Tucson merchants who are experts in Air Conditioning and your neighbors: AIR-CONDITIONING COMPANY OF ARIZONA 4220 E. Tennessee 795-2172 Julian Martin, Ben Bohrer, Chief Consultant, Resident Heating and Cooling AIR CONDITIONING REFRIGERATION INC. 1139 North Jones Blvd. 795-2410 Travis Bass, President Stewart (Stew) Gibson, Chief Consultant, Resident Heating and Cooling RINCON AIR-CONDITIONING HEATING INC.

4810E. Speedway Blvd. 327-6311 Sam Chuppa, Walt Reichen, Chief Consultant, Resident Heating and Cooling. SAYCO 1125 N. Belvedere Avenue 327-5955 Harry Robertson, President Ronald Anderson Frank Miller, Chief Consultants, Resident Heating Cooling.

TRI-M AIR CONDITIONING CORP. 4922 E. Speedway Blvd. 327-6995 Edward Marshall, President Buck McFarland, Chief Consultant, Resident Heating and Cooling ALL CONSULTATION AND ESTATES FINISHED WITHOUT OBUGATIOM EDITOR'S NOTE: The oldest charity fund raising project in Tucson the Knights of Columbus annual charity ball --will bo held this year from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

at the Ramada Inn with the stars, producer and director of "The High Chaparral," NBC's western adventure television series currently filming at Old Tucson, as guests. Leif Erickson, Cameron Mitchell, Mark Slade, Henry Darrow, Linda Cristal and members of the bunkhouse gang will appear as well as creator producer David Dortort and director William Claxton. Louis Leon and his 15 piece orchestra will provide the music. Tickets are available at $5 per person from of members or the organization's office 601 S. Tucson Blvd.

On the occasion of the charity ball and to celebrate the return of the NBC cast and crew, the Tucson Daily Citizen magazine here reinaugurates the series of profiles begun in the Citizen's news pages as the company was completing its first year of filming. Personality profiles that have appeared previously were on Mark Slade, Henry Darrow, Ted Markland, Roberto Contreras, Jerry Summers and Robert Hoy. Following today's profile on Cameron Mitchell, there will be other profiles in succeeding weeks (as space permits) on Leif Erickson, Rudy Acosta, Don Collier, and Linda Cristal, Dortort and Claxton. Hollywood flack notwithstanding, Cameron Mitchell was cast for the role of Buck Cannon on NBC's "The High Chaparral" television series when the show's creator, David Dortort and its producer- director William Claxton saw him one night at Tucson Greyhound Park. "What's he doing here?" reportedly asked Claxton, as the two cooled it after a day of location scouting for the series they were only planning then.

"He's shooting 'Hombre' with Paul Newman," Claxton told him. The rest is all like Hollywood an invite to the table, a chat, yeah, yeah, and bingo, he's signed. As it's turned out, the part has brought Mitchell more public attention than nearly any other one he's had in 30 years of sweating in front of the hot lights. And he is enthusiastic about the role: "I like my character, Buck, better every day. I feel truer to the part.

I like to think there was a guy like that. It's nice to walk in the country Cochise walked in and work with wranglers who stil! own cattle and horses and ride the horses. "No other western can make the statement that it shoots it where it happened. I think 'The High Chaparral' is the best western made for television." Mitchell is voluble and occasionally volatile as well, a prime target for writers, some of whom would like to make him off screen the swilling, wenching tough with a heart he portrays on screen. "I'm no Buck in real life," he laughs.

"It's what I'd like to do in my Walter Mitty dreams, but that's all. My wife would kill me for one thing." Turning back lo his role, he says: 'Buck hi basically a very lonely man. No wife. No family. Like most beachcombers, he's lonely and that loneliness makes his type more interesting.

He is basically very introverted. He could handle a prostitute but not a lady." Mitchell is proud that the show is one of the first in the industry "where we learn something from the Indian." "I feel the American Indian has been shoved around enough by us," he states flatly. Technically, Mitchell finds the television work different from stage work, physically very tiring, even more so than feature film work. "This is like a marriage for the long haul, for better or for worse," he says. "It's different every time.

I was on Broadway for 30 months in 'Death of a Salesman' I went out of my mind. I hate theater. I'll never do it again." The 49-year-old actor says it's heartwarming to know that "a big, fat, ugly man like myself" can still make a living acting. And he has noth- ing.but the back of his gloved hand for critics of his craft -and particularly of the series. "Look, television is free," he'll say to anyone who hints at criticism of the western.

"If you don't like it, push the button, change the channel, or, if you don't like anything that's on it, commit suicide. "I think most of the critics write what they do for their own publicity. They don't care about the money, sweat, blood and tears and love -there's a lot of love going into some of those shows. Nobody sets out to make a bad show; don't they realize that? If they think they can do better, let'em make one." Suddenly struck by an ins i a i Mitchell fairly shouts: "Why don't they review these things for what they are commercial merchandise? Why doesn't somebody take the public's side? People like David Susskind i everything stinks. Maybe it does but maybe people want it that way Reflective once again, Mitchell pauses and observes: "I use teevee like an opiate.

Dazed out of my mind from a hard day's work, I flip it on and watch, no matter what's on. I think a lot of people do that." Mitchell was born to Scots- German parents all the men were ministers for generations before him in Dallastown, one of seven children. Always gifted with gab, he wangled $250 from his high school principal without a lot of security to try New York and the big time. Big- Continued MI Page 24 SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1968 TUCSON DAILY CITIZEN PAGE 9.