Steve Walker
New Member
I have been reading posts on this forum for a few years now as an unregistered visitor. Today, I feel like joining in. My purpose is to reconnect with people that shared the experience of the formation of Golden Era Studios. I see some posts, some several years ago, from people who remember me, and a few who are trying to remember me. Occasionally I see a post from someone who was there, but the aliases have kept their identities from me. I cared very much for many of the people of those years. Although I remember a few, I have forgotten many of your names and the chronology of events is sometimes hazy from 27 years later. I offer my brief story here to open the channel for connections .
I arrived at the date packing plant, La Quinta, in November 1977, fresh from Clearwater, where I spent the previous two years at several posts (Qual Aide, HSDC Sup, and RPF). I had filled out a questionnaire inquiring if any staff had film-related skills or experience. I had been a musician and sound man for several years before my entry into Scn. I was whisked out of the RPF and onto a plane in single day.
I went to work with Dan Auerbach on the bench, tweaking electronics and building the studio that was to be used to record and mix the soundtracks for the films that LRH was then writing the scripts to. I met LRH for the first time at the door of the packing plant studio as we prepared to give him a tour of the newly completed mix room.
By the time we made the move to Gilman Hot Springs, I was involved in all aspects of audio for the films.
Late in 1978, I was appointed RAV, Ron’s personal audio tech. I lived and worked with him as a member of the HU (Household Unit) at the secret Hemet apartment complex for over a year. I was one of 4 to 6 people to watch as LRH drove off with Annie and Pat Broeker in his customized Transvan (in which I had installed the stereo). Many of my memories of the crew and events of that time are vivid. During that time, I assisted Ron in mixing sound from the day’s shoot as well as dozens of his lecture tapes from the ‘50’s. (Later, after his departure, I was to mix over 150 of such lectures in the reservoir studio at Gold, and edit them alongside Paul Davis, from Durbin, S.A. If those edited mixes have been scrapped, it is a crime, as Paul and I did some amazing cleanup on those original recordings.)
After LRH left the scene, I lived and worked at Gilman, where I assisted in the production of 11 of the original training films. (Does anyone still have the 1 ounce silver coin commemorating 10 films completed?) Some of my buddies were Bob Mithoff, Gary Lew, Wack (a kiwi and all around great guy! He had a brother we called Wick.), a guy named Randy, and Paul D. There were others. We spent months working in the reservoir, usually 16+ hours a day, mixing, copying, calibrating gear (and cleaning, for gods’ sake. We had white gloves by the Messengers every so often.)
In 1980 I married the studio Purchaser, Lynne Lee. This was viewed by the messengers as a bad choice for my career. I’ll always remember the late evening meeting that I was called to with Shelly Barnett (soon to be Miscavige) at the pool, beseeching me not to marry Lynne, that a nice Messenger would be a better idea.
During this time I had become a friend, and confidant, to David Mayo. I say confidant because we secretly shared our views on the insanity that was everywhere apparent there. I was a party to many conversations with others that, although we sought only to improve our conditions and make the movie productions go smoother, would be viewed by the Messengers as treasonous. I was increasingly under surveillance in 1981.
When a slight disagreement arose between myself and LRH regarding a technical procedure (it was on the “Doll Movie”, I don’t remember which TR it was.), the trap was sprung. Basically, I was accused of thinking LRH was fallible, and RPFed. I spent about 6 weeks cleaning the grounds until I was finally Fitness Boarded in Feb, 1982. The process was personally overseen by Miscavige. I will never know if Ron actually wanted me gone; by then DM had complete control over the comm lines to and from him. My wife requested a fitness board and left with me on Valentine’s Day.
We landed in another California city. I kept in touch with David Mayo and his organization in Montecito (AAC) for a couple of years. Somewhere there are some photos of a group of us escapees outside AAC, smiling and cutting up. I’d love to hear from anyone who was there.
Lynne and I were together until 1996 and have three children. We are still good friends. I am remarried. I am still an audio guy. I have a thriving business providing live event sound and studio and live recording.
Of course I have opinions about my experiences, about LRH, the Tech, many of the players, etc. I might even share them, if asked. I prefer to have a ‘big picture’ view of how all of this fits into the evolution of planet Earth. It’s not about me, but how I am in the world has been profoundly changed. I kept an appointment made long ago and am responsible for how I use the knowledge gained.
If you were there, I welcome contact.
I arrived at the date packing plant, La Quinta, in November 1977, fresh from Clearwater, where I spent the previous two years at several posts (Qual Aide, HSDC Sup, and RPF). I had filled out a questionnaire inquiring if any staff had film-related skills or experience. I had been a musician and sound man for several years before my entry into Scn. I was whisked out of the RPF and onto a plane in single day.
I went to work with Dan Auerbach on the bench, tweaking electronics and building the studio that was to be used to record and mix the soundtracks for the films that LRH was then writing the scripts to. I met LRH for the first time at the door of the packing plant studio as we prepared to give him a tour of the newly completed mix room.
By the time we made the move to Gilman Hot Springs, I was involved in all aspects of audio for the films.
Late in 1978, I was appointed RAV, Ron’s personal audio tech. I lived and worked with him as a member of the HU (Household Unit) at the secret Hemet apartment complex for over a year. I was one of 4 to 6 people to watch as LRH drove off with Annie and Pat Broeker in his customized Transvan (in which I had installed the stereo). Many of my memories of the crew and events of that time are vivid. During that time, I assisted Ron in mixing sound from the day’s shoot as well as dozens of his lecture tapes from the ‘50’s. (Later, after his departure, I was to mix over 150 of such lectures in the reservoir studio at Gold, and edit them alongside Paul Davis, from Durbin, S.A. If those edited mixes have been scrapped, it is a crime, as Paul and I did some amazing cleanup on those original recordings.)
After LRH left the scene, I lived and worked at Gilman, where I assisted in the production of 11 of the original training films. (Does anyone still have the 1 ounce silver coin commemorating 10 films completed?) Some of my buddies were Bob Mithoff, Gary Lew, Wack (a kiwi and all around great guy! He had a brother we called Wick.), a guy named Randy, and Paul D. There were others. We spent months working in the reservoir, usually 16+ hours a day, mixing, copying, calibrating gear (and cleaning, for gods’ sake. We had white gloves by the Messengers every so often.)
In 1980 I married the studio Purchaser, Lynne Lee. This was viewed by the messengers as a bad choice for my career. I’ll always remember the late evening meeting that I was called to with Shelly Barnett (soon to be Miscavige) at the pool, beseeching me not to marry Lynne, that a nice Messenger would be a better idea.
During this time I had become a friend, and confidant, to David Mayo. I say confidant because we secretly shared our views on the insanity that was everywhere apparent there. I was a party to many conversations with others that, although we sought only to improve our conditions and make the movie productions go smoother, would be viewed by the Messengers as treasonous. I was increasingly under surveillance in 1981.
When a slight disagreement arose between myself and LRH regarding a technical procedure (it was on the “Doll Movie”, I don’t remember which TR it was.), the trap was sprung. Basically, I was accused of thinking LRH was fallible, and RPFed. I spent about 6 weeks cleaning the grounds until I was finally Fitness Boarded in Feb, 1982. The process was personally overseen by Miscavige. I will never know if Ron actually wanted me gone; by then DM had complete control over the comm lines to and from him. My wife requested a fitness board and left with me on Valentine’s Day.
We landed in another California city. I kept in touch with David Mayo and his organization in Montecito (AAC) for a couple of years. Somewhere there are some photos of a group of us escapees outside AAC, smiling and cutting up. I’d love to hear from anyone who was there.
Lynne and I were together until 1996 and have three children. We are still good friends. I am remarried. I am still an audio guy. I have a thriving business providing live event sound and studio and live recording.
Of course I have opinions about my experiences, about LRH, the Tech, many of the players, etc. I might even share them, if asked. I prefer to have a ‘big picture’ view of how all of this fits into the evolution of planet Earth. It’s not about me, but how I am in the world has been profoundly changed. I kept an appointment made long ago and am responsible for how I use the knowledge gained.
If you were there, I welcome contact.
to you good Sir, nice you finally decided to land in this nick o' the woods Steve! 
) stories and take on the insanity you obviously wisely escaped!
& 
& 
& moar 
I was mired in movie production and hardly ever stuck my head up enough to confirm such events. I do remember a lot of land under water, despite the levee breach conspiracy. Within feet of some of the production buildings on the south side of the highway.
