Tad Devine - son of Actor Andy Devine

Director RJ McHatton with Tad Devine

It was a warm and beautiful drive down to Corona Del Mar.  I was there to interview Tad Devine for my documentary “The Flying Man: Life and Times of Johnny Myers.”  Tad is a great guy.  He is the oldest son of the famous actor Andy Devine and he knew Johnny Myers ever since he was a little kid.  I have always been a fan of Andy Devine.  He was in my favorite movie of all time, the John Ford and John Wayne film “Stagecoach.”  Andy Devine had worked in Hollywood since the silent days, had tremendous success both in the movies and on television.  He had a very successful television show for many years.  Tad did a fantastic job in the interview.  He told me some fantastic stories about his family history, how his mother’s family raised horses and his father’s family ran a hotel in Kingman, Arizona for many years.  He talked about how his father came to Hollywood and got into the movies because of his football playing.  Tad told me how his father got that unique voice that became his trademark.  Then we talked about Johnny Myers.  Tad had met Johnny Myers when he was very young.  John Myers was one of the world’s first entertainment attorneys and had worked with many of the most famous movie stars in the 30s, including Bing Crosby and Andy Devine.  Over the years John Myers became more famous as a flyer and a test pilot.  But he kept in touch with his friends, including Tad Devine.  Tad talked about how their friendship endured all the way until Johnny died in his 90s.  I asked Tad if he could tell me stories of John Wayne, since John Wayne was always my number one hero.  Tad told me some great stories about John Wayne and his memories of his dad.  I could tell that Tad was very close to his father.  I am very grateful that Tad took the time to let me interview him for my movie about Johnny Myers.  It was a great experience.