*Most Senior German Officer to survive the siege at Monte Cassino Italy
*European Professional Soccer Star... Won title in Argentina
*World Equestrian Champion
*Movie Stuntman
*Wrestled a knife away from Charles Manson
*Died at 84, at 1:30AM, after a night of dancing
Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer - Date: Feb 9, 1998
When Frank Retz plunged to his death early Sunday after a portion of the private road leading to his house collapsed, the 84-year-old man left behind a life that Hollywood movies are made of. Retz, a native of Germany and a former cavalry officer there, worked as a stuntman during the golden era of Western movies in Hollywood. But possibly his biggest claim to fame came from his brush with death in the 1960s. The former stuntman lived next door to the notorious killer Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson (born November 12, 1934) is a career criminal who led the so-called Manson Family, a commune or cult that began to form around him in the U.S. city of San Francisco in 1967. and his sinister clan.
In a Daily News article in 1986, a deputy district attorney who helped prosecute the Manson case, Steven Kay, said Retz might have been next in line to be killed had the Manson crew not been arrested.
It was in a nearby creek bed that Manson members said they fatally stabbed another stuntman, Donald Shea, a friend of Retz's.
But Retz once told the Daily News he wasn't scared of the Manson clan. ``I told those druggie Manson people to get out, and when they saw me they would run away because I told them I would beat them up to death,'' Retz said in 1986.
Retz even got into an fight with Manson and a took a knife away from him, said Retz's longtime friend Ron Smith of Simi Valley.
``You don't meet a lot of people like him,'' said Bill Murdock of Chatsworth, who lived just two miles away from his friend. ``When Frank told you he would do something, he'd do it. There are not a lot of people like that". Retz came to Los Angeles in 1951.
Thread inspired by our own Bob! Thanks Bob!
17 comments:
Katie was wondering (on the previous thread) why Manson and company, chose Shea instead of Retz.
After watching these videos, and researching Retz... it looks like they took the path of least resistence. : )
LOL
Hey y'all...looks like I have a lot to catch up on...interesting posts Lynyrd.
Thanks for the post, Lynyrd & Bob!!
Hi Mary!! Good to have you back!!!
Boy, that Frank Retz' boobie traps reminds me of the movie "Wrong Turn". HA HA HA.
That guy knew how to keep out the riff raff. I'll bet there were some bear traps and "dead falls" up ahead. LOL.
((((((((((MARY))))))))))
Great To See You!!
...and looking lovely as ever, I might add!!!! LOLOL
wow! i was googling for information on bernard crowe and discovered this forum! hey lynyrd and katie!
let's see - - frank retz. quite a wiley bastard i hear. where exactly was his house? i really enjoy crazy michael's spahn ranch videos.
OMG!!!!!!
It's f#cking...
((((((((((BEDPAN))))))))))
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!
AHahahahaha
What's up my brother?!!
You GOTTA stick around! LMFAO
Remember the grocery list?
...and your band line-up for the re-union?
There's a cool Bernard Crowe clip, a couple threads back.
Frank Retz bought/owned portions of Spahn's, and evidently lived there until he died.
Peace... Lynyrd
Friends...
This is Bedpan.
A very dear friend from way back.
Please join me, in making him feel welcome.
Bedpan knows his stuff (big-time), and he's hands-down the funniest person, I've ever met blogging.
When BP gets on a tear, you'll pee your f#ckin' pants! LOLOL
HI BEDPAN!!!
I've been looking high and low for you to invite you here!! Where've you been guy??
This is a great blog, with lots of great people to have enjoyable discussions. I think you'll feel right at home again.
WELCOME!!!
Hey Bedpan, please shoot me an e-mail on my You Tube so I'll have your current contact info.
Thanks!!! :)
Bedpan good question. I don't know where his house was.
Does anyone else know???
Hello bedpan
According to Mike a BPT's...
Frank Retz, once put a gun in his face, and said: "Get off my property, and don't come back"!
That was back in the 90's.
Retz also had thick barbed wire, entangled around portions of the ranch... an area he would patrol occasionally, with a gun. LOL
Sounds like Ol' Frank may have been whackier than Charlie!
AHahahaha
It's too bad that Frank didn't get involved earlier. He might have run them off to the desert back in early 1969 and the victims would all still be alive.
But then.....we wouldn't have anything to discuss, now would we. HA HA.
According to the transcript on the previous thread, Retz first encountered Manson June 30, 1969 on "Kelly Ranch"... and called the sheriff.
That's a pretty short time-line, considering all hell broke loose in August.
Makes you kinda wonder if the family weren't building a hatred for Shorty, before Retz even entered the picture.
Unless they were capable of becoming that pissed, in a fairly short time frame.
Possible I suppose.
At least some of the "family" members blame Shea for calling the police, at least twice (the two busts).
I think it was Retz who called... Mike from BPT, says the same thing.
Does anyone know how long Shorty was interacting with the family, before Retz came on the scene?
I was one of the firefighters first on scene to this accident that killed Frank Retz. It was an ungodly rainy night where we were dispatched many times to incidents due to the heavy rainfall. The last incident that we responded to that shift was the accident of Frank Retz and his two companions. The road to to his property was built over a metal culvert filled over with earth. The canyon stream bed was usually dry except during prolonged rainstorms. We determined that the culvert was plugged with tree and brush debris from the previous large Chatsworth fire. The resulting dam caused by the clogged culvert caused the earthen bridge to wash away causing a huge drop into the canyon where the bridge used to be. Frank in the spring could be found doing his fire department code brush clearance in a clean, white, long-sleeved-shirt with a manually operated sickle.
I was one of the firefighters first on scene to this accident that killed Frank Retz. It was an ungodly rainy night where we were dispatched many times to incidents due to the heavy rainfall. The last incident that we responded to that shift was the accident of Frank Retz and his two companions. The road to to his property was built over a metal culvert filled over with earth. The canyon stream bed was usually dry except during prolonged rainstorms. We determined that the culvert was plugged with tree and brush debris from the previous large Chatsworth fire. The resulting dam caused by the clogged culvert caused the earthen bridge to wash away causing a huge drop into the canyon where the bridge used to be. Frank in the spring could be found doing his fire department code brush clearance in a clean, white, long-sleeved-shirt with a manually operated sickle
To aanswer your question, Squeaky told Charlie that Shorty was the one that tipped off the Police for the Spaahn raid, but in reality it was Frank who called them, but they didn't know it otherwise I am sure CM would have ordered Franks murder instead of Shorty
Shea never rattled or called the cops.Watson and others stole a dune buggy from Butler Buggys in Chatsworth.One of the girls sold the stolen motor back to BB.a week later.He checked vin saw it was his then called cops.Place was raided two days later.Stupid Family girls not Shorty.I had a 1966 bug at that time.The girls approached my brother selling parts.Everyone in Chatsworth knew.Let me tell you Manson was a 20 watt bulb that burned brightly.Most at the ranch thought he was paranoid.
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