From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

“Hey, Dallas!”

At the sound of the call, Dallas snapped to attention, straightening his back, but the force of locking his knees caused him to lose his balance. He nearly performed the 'flat-ground faceplant' technique, staggering forward a couple of steps, flailing his arms, barely regaining his footing before quickly puffing out his chest and pretending nothing happened.

He looked up sharply, and when he saw who it was, Dallas breathed a sigh of relief—

It wasn't Anson.

Dan-John nodded, “I was the same.”

He was like a straightforward boy, not holding back when making fun of himself.

Dallas relaxed slightly, “Really? You guys have met Anson?”

Larry, “Yeah, unbelievably! I was thinking, 'So what, it's just Anson-Wood, a sixteen-year-old kid, nothing special'; but when I stood in front of him, I just said, ‘Hello, I'm Anson-Wood.’”

Pfft.

Dallas burst out laughing, “Are you serious?”

Larry spread his hands, “Of course. Do you know how Anson replied?”

Dallas shook his head to indicate he didn't know.

Larry, “He said he was Larry-Bagby. He actually knew my name was Larry-Bagby, can you imagine my shock at that moment?”

“Me, a nobody, even casting directors don't know my name, but Anson knew. He not only diffused my awkwardness but also accurately said my name. God, I almost had a stroke at that moment.”

Dan-John, standing beside him, “That's when he almost pissed his pants.”

Dallas couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter.

Larry-Bagby and Dan-John-Miller were also minor actors. Although they were over thirty, they still didn't have any significant works in Hollywood, not even recognizable guest roles in TV series. "Walk the Line" was the most important performance opportunity of their careers—

In the film, they would play Johnny-Cash's early partners, the other two members of the "Tennessee Three," Luther and Marshall.

Although Luther and Marshall never made a name for themselves, they were always friends with Johnny and accompanied him for most of his career, pursuing their musical dreams with their skills.

In other words, they not only won the opportunity to collaborate with Anson and Reese but would also be by Anson's side, appearing on screen with him.

To some extent, Dallas was the same. His character, Sam-Phillips, was always closely related to Johnny-Cash in every scene.

A beat slow, Dallas finally realized something and looked at the two people in front of him with a stunned expression.

“Wait, wait, all of your scenes are with Anson, and so are mine; but why, why did you get to meet Anson, but I didn't?”

As soon as he said that, Dallas's face turned pale and bloodless.

“Could it be that Anson is excluding me? He called you guys for a private meeting but deliberately didn't call me?”

“Oh, God!”

As soon as the thought popped up, it immediately spread like wildfire in his mind, and all sorts of wild ideas exploded, completely unstoppable.

Larry witnessed all of this, couldn't believe his eyes, and waved his hands repeatedly, trying to stop Dallas, finally shouting out to interrupt him.

“Stop! Dallas, stop, stop, stop! It's not what you think.”

Dallas finally hit the brakes, his eyes clearing up a bit, and looked at Larry in confusion.

Larry exhaled a long breath, “Thank goodness I stopped you in time, otherwise this imagination would have run wild, who knows where it would have flown.”

“It's not what you think.”

“Don't misunderstand…”

He rambled on, hesitant to start explaining. Larry noticed Dallas's murderous gaze, and his words were abruptly cut off. He blinked his eyes and immediately got to the point—

It turned out that, recently, Anson and the August Thirty-First Band were working in the recording studio. Anson realized that their working methods might inspire the two actors, not just Reese, so he invited Larry and Dan-John to join them in the recording studio.

Johnny-Cash went to Memphis with musical dreams. He and Vivian married in Memphis, but the reality was cruel. Johnny had no idea how to start his musical career. For a living, he had to work as a salesman to earn a living—

The kind of salesman who went door-to-door with product catalogs.

The only thing he could do was to drink, play music, and sing with his two friends Luther and Marshall, who were repairmen, during his off-hours.

His work ability was average, and his sales were mediocre, so much so that he could hardly afford the rent.

Vivian pleaded with Johnny to give up his musical dreams. Her father had arranged a job for him, and they could leave Memphis and seek a stable life. The two had an argument, which plunged Johnny into despair.

In his predicament, Johnny finally mustered the courage to go to Sun Records to promote himself, securing an audition opportunity.

This was not just an audition; it was also the last chance to seize a lifeline.

However, in the audition, Sam-Phillips was not interested in the gospel songs Johnny performed because gospel songs were popular in the market and had long been overdone. He didn't need these mediocre imitations. He wanted to see if Johnny had something of his own.

Johnny needed to improvise on the spot, but he, Luther, and Marshall had never practiced together. When his life was on the line, Johnny started singing.

Here, there is a very, very important detail:

Marshall played the cello, while Luther played the guitar.

Whether it was the last audition opportunity with his life on the line, or the impromptu performance without prior discussion, coupled with the surprisingly similar combination of instruments, the details of the Tennessee Three and the August Thirty-First Band cleverly coincided in different time and space.

The different situations in the two time periods echoed each other.

Therefore, Anson extended an invitation, and Dan-John and Larry joined Reese in the recording work of the August Thirty-First Band.

As a result, they had already collaborated with Anson before joining the film crew.