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Pam Durkin Courtney poses with actor Patrick Swayze in this 1985 photo.
Locals remember Patrick Swayze
Published Thursday, September 17, 2009
NATCHEZ — In 1985 Patrick Swayze came to Natchez to film scenes for the television miniseries “North and South.”
But while he was here for work, it was Swayze’s laid back personality and outgoing nature that locals remember.
Swayze played Orry Main, a southerner who struggled to maintain a friendship with a northern friend from Pennsylvania as the Civil War approached.
Swayze filmed in Natchez on two different occasions for about three months each time.
Sally Durkin, media liaison for the Natchez Convention and Visitors Bureau, worked with production crews doing set dressing while telelvsion crews were in town.
“I was around the principal actors a good bit in that role,” Durkin said. “And most of them knew I was local so they tapped into that to ideas on entertainment and places to eat.”
Swayze was one of the actors that sought Durkin’s advice and from that a friendship was born.
“He was a very laid-back and easy-going person,” Durkin said. “But he took his work very seriously. There wasn’t any funning around on the set while he was working like there was his social life.”
As would be expected, The “Dirty Dancing” star enjoyed dancing while he was in Natchez, and Durkin said he had a favorite spot.
“He really enjoyed going to the Sheraton, which is now the Isle of Capri (hotel), because they had a great dance floor, and he loved to dance,” she said.
Natchezian Charlie Vess said what stood out about Swayze to him was his willingness to interact with the public.
“He was friendly to all the cast and the local people that he worked with,” Vess said. “He was kind of a fixture in town while he was here. He didn’t meet a stranger and didn’t mind signing autographs and shaking hands.”
Swayze’s affable personality was apparent when Durkin had to make a stop at her sister’s bachelorette party before an evening out with Swayze.
“I asked him if he would mind if we stopped by really quickly,” she said. “He was very congenial and said it was fine as long as we only stayed about 15 minutes.
“We didn’t leave for two and a half hours.”
While at the party, Swayze socialized with all the girls in attendance and even took the time to pose for pictures with each person.
But the normally affable Swayze did get a little heated when one of the party attendees challenged his southern background.
“He actually got into an argument with my little sister about whether or not he was a Southerner since he was from Texas,” Durkin said jokingly. “She won, but he didn’t back down easily.”
Durkin said as much of a gentleman as he was while he was in Natchez, he did leave town with one debt left unpaid.
“He owed me $56,” Durkin said. “He had to go back to his ranch during one of the breaks and asked me to return a VCR he had rented. When I took it back, the clerk said “That’ll be $56,” so I paid it for him.
“He called me on my birthday of that year and I told him that his VCR cost me $56.”
Vess had a few day roles as an extra during the filming and at one point was able to interact fairly closely with Swayze.
“I actually rode a horse in the calvary in one of the battle scenes,” he said. “At that time he was young and had really long hair for the part and was very, very athletic.
“There was one scene where he was in a knife fight with a Union soldier and he threw the guy over his shoulder. He really was an athlete.”
Swayze died Monday of pancreatic cancer after battling the disease for 20 months. He was 57. The aggressive form of cancer took its toll on Swayze’s muscular frame.
“It is very sad,” Vess said. “He fought the good fight and I’d read some reports recently that he was doing better, but the cancer got the best of him.”
Durkin said cancer may have claimed Swayze’s life but she knows he fought the disease until the end.
“The news just took my breath away because I thought he was doing well,” she said.
“But that is just the type of person he was. He would never let anything get him down. He fought until he got the best of something or it got the best of him. Unfortunately in this case, the latter happened.”
Comments
Posted by trjnreb (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 4:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i just came upon something on the net that says Patrick S. had ancestors from Adams County, specifically Jersey settleres names Swayze-various spellings.
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 5:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And knowing that North & South was filmed a great deal here with Mt Royal (sp) being Stanton Hall and Orry Main's family home I have been a little ticked that the news media has said NOTHING about North & South!! Another role that skyrocketed his career! Whatsup with that?
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 6:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh and he stayed at Stanton Hall while they were shooting.
Posted by SayItRight (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 6:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And rode horses and roped calves with a local.
Posted by tiny_tim (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 6:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sally, I think I've done more than enough for you to cover my cousin's alleged debt.
Posted by tiny_tim (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 6:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes trjnreb, there are many of us still here. We have a reunion every year in Kingston. You can visit http://www.djs.org/ for more information.
Posted by was_there (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 8:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is so sad. He was a wonderful actor. I too am so sad that they didn't mention the mini-series North and South. And Dirty Dancing was filmed at the Mountain Lake Resort in Virginia. Everyone thought it was filmed in upstate NY, but it was actually in VA.
Posted by mskitty (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 9:24 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by LilyB (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 9:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I remember when he was here filming North and South, a friend of mine and I would go sit at the UTH saloon to watch him make his daily run down and back up Silver Street. Wow! That man was in great shape. He really was a wonderful actor.
Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 9:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I enjoyed Swayze in numerous films.....
I especially remember the one in which the US was invaded by Russians....
I'll miss his work,
very interesting his ancestry with locals
Posted by NTZglasshouses (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 9:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
mskitty - I think it was a joke between Sally and Mr. Swayze. Calm down.
Posted by obamayamama (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 9:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I remember when he came to Natchez. My Dad said he shook PZ's hand and remember that he was cocky and short... a real Mr. Tough Guy.
BUt I still liked him, I mean who can beat his coolness in "Road House". My favorites were "Red Dawn" and "The Outsiders".
Posted by dixiecrat (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
“He actually got into an argument with my little sister about whether or not he was a Southerner since he was from Texas,” Durkin said jokingly. “She won, but he didn’t back down easily.”
How did she win that argument? Even though Swayze was born in the "Bayou City" (Houston) and his ancestors fought in both the Texas Revolution and the Second American Revolution (what Yankees call the "Civil War") that doesn't make him a Southerner? What -- so if it's not him it must be Texas -- anyone from Texas is not a Southerner then? What to make of the fact that Texas seceded only three weeks after Mississippi (one of the "Pre-Sumter 7") and months before Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas (Guess folks from there aren't Southerners either, huh)? What about all those Confederate statues -- Jefferson Davis, Gen. Lee, Gen. Albert Sidney Johnson (amongst others) -- gracing the University of Texas campus in Austin (not to mention that huge Confederate Monument there on the State Capitol grounds)? Telling a Texan he's not a Southerner is fighting words for many -- glad to see Swayze was one of them. I expect he's up there on the Southern side of Heaven right now!
Posted by ijohnson (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 10:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Patrick Swayze fought a really brave battle with pancreatic cancer. He came forth and disclosed what he was suffering with and was aware that he was in the fight of his life. I really liked Patrick Swayze, as a person and as a wonderful actor. He was great in many roles but I really liked him in Ghost.
He had something about him that compelled you to like him -- a strong sense of manliness tempered with a softness that comes from caring for and about others. He would always tear-up when he spoke about his father. He was proud of his Texas roots and proud of his mother and what she taught him and what she accomplished with her dance studio in Houston.
As for his Natchez roots . . . hhhmmmmh . . . that's very interesting. I went to school with some Swayzes. It's a small world; you never know who you may be related to!
Posted by mskitty (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 10:26 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by 3on23 (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I never got to meet Patrick Swayze, but I loved to hear Aunt Kelly Graning talk about his visit to her bedroom in the wee hours when he went hot tubbing with some of her kids. We sure had some great times while "Queen Kelly" held court in her bedroom. Lots of love and laughter and great advice were always available there.
I really loved a lot of his work! He will surely be missed by many. My sympathy goes out to all of his family.
Posted by hitchcock (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 11:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is not the time to bicker. Let's all just take time to remember this man and all his great accomplishments. If he was a true southerner or who he owed money to is not important and actully quiet boring.
Posted by bear30 (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 1:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I met PS when he was filming in Natchez too & he was a very polite man. He signed autographs & took pictures for everyone & we had a blast watching the whole filming process. May he RIP.
Posted by cooper3k1 (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 3:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have to agree that it is sad that none of the articles on his death even mentioned the North and South movie or Natchez.
Posted by treeclimber (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 4:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I know Sally Durkin and she would never tell a story on someone in a mean-spirited way. I'm sure she meant it as a fond remembrance. And no, I am not related to her nor are we close friends.
Posted by dedicatednurse (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 4:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I was around 10 years old when The North and The South was filmed in Natchez. I, too, was an extra in the film and I can vividly remember meeting him. David Carradine, too.
Posted by marinefrmntz (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 4:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This was a shock.. I loved Road House!
Posted by happyreader (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 5:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Honestly, I also thought that the $56 story was told in a teasing spirit. This is an article about good times that Swayze had here, and a humorous anecdote is not unexpected. Maybe it could have been written in a way that made it clearer that Sally was not actually griping but was rather chuckling about it. I don't think anybody meant any harm or offense.
Rest in peace, Mr. Swayze.
Posted by Idefinitelymight (Tom Scarborough) on September 17, 2009 at 6:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Pain don't hurt."
RIP Patrick Swayze
Posted by bjparker (anonymous) on September 17, 2009 at 8:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I was very much aquainted with Patrick when he was in Natchez because I was the bar manager at the Sheraton and he was there often. He never put himself above others because he was an actor. In fact, he said to me, "My friends call me Buddy". He also chose to discuss his life with his wife, Lisa, and his mother, who was a dance teacher in Houston. We spent a lot of time at the bar discussing his past and how much he loved Natchez. He sometimes treated the entire bar to hamburgers at the end of the evening in order to keep the party going a little longer. I did not know he had relatives in Natchez. That was never discussed. When the filming wrapped up, we gave him a 'going away party' in the Moonflower at the Eola Hotel. His wife, Lisa, flew in for the party. She was so nice. Everyone had so much fun.
To You Buddy, I have so many fond memories of you and hope that you are at peace in the after live. You owe me nothing but I owe you so much just for being able to know such a wonderful guy. You were 'real people' and that is what the world needs more of. By the way, I loved "Dirty Dancing" but "Ghost" is what really did it for you.
Betty Bench Parker
Posted by juju (anonymous) on September 18, 2009 at 12:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I also was in North and South 1 & 2 and I agree that he and the rest of the Hollywood cast where very nice. I was surprised how 'common' and friendly they all were compared to previous movies' casts. Truely, everyone was upbeat and smiled and laughed with all of the locals instead of acting better than us. I had a blast and learned alot about how movies really are behind the scenes! I'm glad that I was able to get plenty of pictures with him and the others. Many condolences to his family and loved ones.
Posted by SDurkin (anonymous) on September 18, 2009 at 8:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Dear mskitty...not that I feel it necessary to defend myself to you or anyone for that matter, I do feel it necessary to assure everyone who has commented that the thing about the money was a standing joke between Patrick and I, and we joked about it often. I made a number of comments to the Democrat about him, all of which were positive (did you miss those parts?). The arguement between him and my (at the time 19 year old) sister about whether or not his being a Texan constituted his being a "Southerner", was also extremely light-spirited and in jest. He was truly a fun guy to spend time with, a truly class act. And, gottabehappy...each time I picked him up to go somewhere it was from the Eola. I don't think he ever actually stayed at Stanton Hall, but I could be mistaken. Please understand that I had a special place in my heart for Patrick, and am deeply saddened that he lost his hard fought battle with cancer. And mskitty...how you can refer to me as a "no good person" is beyond me...who are you, and how is it you can judge me? And I have no problem paying my bills either. I meant absolutely no disrespect to his family members, and I commented on a lot more than the lousy $56 bucks. The Democrat did not clearly protray the stories I shared with them and the vein in which they were intended, so I implore you to cut me a little slack. And, tiny_tim, I have no idea who you are, so I would appreciate it if you would clarify what $56 worth of stuff have you done for me. Thanks
Posted by SDurkin (anonymous) on September 18, 2009 at 9:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And...thank you treeclimber, that is exactly how my input was intended and unfortunately just not clearly parlayed.
Posted by SDurkin (anonymous) on September 18, 2009 at 9:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And happyreader...you hit the nail on the head
Posted by jevans (anonymous) on September 18, 2009 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hi everyone, i have enjoyed reading your memories of Patrick. i think many of us have fond memories of him rather they be in person,watching him on the screen, or reading a article about him. instead of bickering over someone's personality(of witch this is her personality, she meant no harm) ask yourself if this is the way you would want Patrick to remember you. I think we need to talk about why pancreatic cancer is called the 'silent killer' it is because it's symptoms are almost always overlooked and are treated for another conditions. I say lets argue about if a symptom is treated for a longer matter of time and the root cannot be found ----PLEASE LOOK HARDER--- a smart doctor in the NRM er did not settle for the answer that my aunts temp. was always high. i argued with him thats what many docs have said and also home health, he argued back and ran a common test and found a mass .. pancreatic cancer! 3 months
Posted by rocketman (anonymous) on September 18, 2009 at 12:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ANYONE that knows Sally Durkin knows that she meant her comments in a light-hearted rather than a mean spirit manner. She could care less about the money....and more about the fact that someone like Patrick Swayze actually owed HER!!! The local that PS went roping with was Don Cavin (and he also had his wife, Lisa with him). He was chauffeured to the Don's roping pen by Paul Brown. Yes, he was a normal man and a good hearted soul that never forgot his beginnings.
Posted by hitchcock (anonymous) on September 18, 2009 at 1:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm sure Sally Durkin meant this in a joking way, but I wonder what Mr. Swayze would have thought if he knew a "friend" was telling that he owed a 24 year debt. If she were that good of a friend there should be other things she could have told. I just think it's bad taste to say something when the person is no longer able to defend themself.
Posted by squeetlebomb (anonymous) on September 18, 2009 at 2:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I remember every morning when we were waiting on hair and wardrobe at Stanton Hall Patrick would come out of his trailer in just cutoffs and do stretching exercises. He made having to wait so much more pleasant. He was so nice to all of us. I recorded all of his "Beast" shows to remember him by. RIP Patrick.
Posted by happyreader (anonymous) on September 18, 2009 at 7:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think that if Mr. Swayze knew that his friend was telling about a 24-year-old debt that was a running joke in a story that included humorous anecdotes and fond remembrances, he would laugh at it. He'd also probably scratch his head in wonder that there are people up in arms about it.
Posted by windy (anonymous) on September 18, 2009 at 9:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL I JUST WONDER WHAT THE TAPE WAS ??????????????
Posted by truelies (anonymous) on September 19, 2009 at 10:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Exactly.
You can't get a good meal for two at $56.00 today.
Everything was meant in fun.
All other complaints are total BS!
Posted by hitchcock (anonymous) on September 19, 2009 at 11:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I still think it was in poor taste to tell this story. Imagine how you would feel to be at your loved ones funeral and someone tells everyone they owed them $56 and continues like it is a big joke.
truelies
I don't know where you eat, but my taste is not as extravagant and I find many resturants that have great meals for two under $56.
Posted by rocketman (anonymous) on September 19, 2009 at 2:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I need to correct myself...it was Paul Burke, NOT Paul Brown that escorted PS to Don Cavin's house at Buffalo during North and South filming to team rope. I thought of that in the middle of the night last night. Sorry.
Posted by gottabehappy (anonymous) on September 25, 2009 at 7:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
rocketman we'll let that one slide.
Sally they tell at Stanton Hall that Patrick Swazye stayed in the gold room (Fredricks bedroom) and that is also the room that was Orry Mains. Who knows, maybe he stayed at SH and walked to Eola for breakfast!?
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