MEET THE CAST
JUNE SCHMITZ
Originally from New York, June Schmitz was performing as a night club singer at Boise’s Club Les Bois when the morals drive erupted. She knew several of the prosecuted men as patrons of the club. In the film, she talks about Boise from the point of view of someone who had recently moved to the community.
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ALTY TRAVELSTEAD
Alty was a child in the autumn of 1955, living a comfortable, carefree life. His family owned the “Howdy Pardner” Drive-In, renown for its rooftop song and dance shows, That all changed when his father, a charismatic local businessman and church leader, was implicated in the Boise sex ring cases. The allegations would change the lives of Alty and his family lives forever. He recounts the story of their ordeal and the lifelong implications for he and his family. The interview in The Fall of ‘55 is the only interview Alty ever gave about his family’s story.
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RON BESS
Ron still has deep admiration for his father, Emery, the man who started the investigation and who made the first allegations of a widespread sex ring. The junior Bess tells the story of how this investigation impacted his family and why he thinks it didn’t go far enough.
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BYRON JOHNSON
Byron graduated from Boise High School in 1955 and attended class with several of the accusers. He was studying at Harvard when the scandal broke, and in the film he discusses returning to a changed community. Johnson later become an Idaho State Supreme Court Justice. He was also the son-in-law of the late Merlin Young, one of the judges involved in these cases.
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DR. JEANETTE ROSS
SELFIn 1999, Dr. Ross conducted a major research project for the City of Boise, leading a project to interview dozens of Boiseans about the 1950s. As part of her research, she discusses talking with one man connected to these cases about his role. She also talks about some of the ongoing implications of the cases.
DR. PETER BOAG
Dr. Boag is an historian with a specialty in LGBT issues. He wrote the forward for the 21st Century reprinting of “The Boys of Boise.” In the documentary, he discusses the book and attempts to place it in an historical context. Boag is also the author of “Same-Sex Affairs: Constructing and Controlling Homosexuality in the Pacific Northwest.”
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LARRY OBERG
In November of 1955, former Boisean Larry Oberg wrote to ONE Magazine, an early gay magazine, with the prediction that the Boise morals investigation would shift to focus on consenting adults. He brings voice to his own letter in The Fall of ‘55. Larry knew several of the accused men, and he would later recount his own experiences in the memoir, “San Francisco: Open Your Golden Gate.”
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MELVIN “MEL” DIR
Dir, a well-known local theater director and actor, was the last man arrested in the Boise morals drive. Dir died in 2000, around the time initial research began on “The Fall of 55.” However, his words live on, thanks to an interview conducted with noted LGBT historian Jonathan Ned Katz in the early 1970s. Katz’s interview with Dir is the only known recording with one of the prosecuted men.
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MEET THE CREW
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Director
Seth Randal is an Emmy-nominated journalist and filmmaker based in Idaho. The Fall of ’55 is his first film. He has directed or produced numerous documentaries. Seth has worked on projects for networks including A&E, CW, Discovery, Food Network, Fox, Oxygen, and Tastemade.
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Executive Producer
Louise promoted “The Fall of ‘55,” at the American Film Market and at various film festivals, and was instrumental in obtaining distribution through Frameline in 2007. She started her movie development company, CTP Films, LLC, in 2004 to find marketable scripts for films that will help build the Idaho film industry. Louise was also an award-winning screenwriter.
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Historical Advisor
Originally from Maryland, Alan Virta has been proud to call Idaho home for three decades. While living in suburban Washington, D.C., Alan penned "Prince George's County: A Pictorial History." Since moving to Idaho, he has helped edit books on various topics relevant to the Gem State's history. Formerly an archivist at the Library of Congress, Alan spent two decades as Head of Special Collections at Boise State University and also served on the Idaho State Historic Records Advisory Board.
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Grammy Award-wnning musician Randy Coryell played the piano for more than 50 years, starting as a young child.
Randy performed more than 5,000 concerts and was involved in more than 40 album recordings for other artists. Randy played for Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, The Fifth Dimension, Oak Ridge Boys, Imperials of Nashville and many more.
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Art Director Matt Johnson took inspiration from legendary graphic designer Saul Bass for “The Fall of ‘55’s” logo and credits, particularly Bass’ work with Alfred Hitchcock. The logo features the film’s title set over a torn, stylized cottonwood leaf and gold pentagon.
The product of a nomadic childhood and a well-rounded liberal arts education, Matt Johnson works as a graphic designer by day and a cartoonist whenever he has time. When he's not working on projects, he can be found in the company of his lovely wife Wendy or spending time with his pack of dogs.
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Respected journalist Claudia Weathermon lends her voice as the narrator of "The Fall of '55." She is is a broadcast journalist whose 20-year career in the Boise area produced award-winning reports and newscasts. She continues work as a professional freelance writer, producer, narrator and consultant. Weathermon is a Treasure Valley native with a special interest in local history.
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Additional Editing By
These days, Buffy Naillon is primarily a food writer for Static Media, with articles on brand sites like Mashed, Foodie, Chowhound, and The Takeout. She has worked in the media industry since 1999, contributing to outlets like Der Spiegel Online (Berlin, Germany), USA Today Travel, AZ Central, CBS Radio, and more. For the past 10+ years, she has primarily concentrated on food, beverage, and travel reporting.
“The Fall of '55 details through vivid interviews and diligent research a witch hunt instigated by Boise authorities in search of a ‘sex ring…’”
— BOISE WEEKLY • Boise, ID • September 2006