'Tillamook's Gold' makes its first U.S. appearance in Mesa

The Legend of Tillamook's Gold," a family movie with distinctly family-oriented origins, opens today in exactly one theater: the Harkins Superstition Luxury 25. Nowhere else in the state. Nowhere else in the United States.

So how is it that a professional feature that was shot in Oregon and produced in Los Angeles makes its commercial debut in Mesa? The answer can be found in an upscale business park in north-central Phoenix, where a Valley company has adopted a novel approach to film distribution.

The name of the mini-studio is the Maitland Primrose Group, and "The Legend of Tillamook's Gold" is the company's second theatrical release, following a little-seen documentary called "The American Ruling Class" two years ago. Back in May 2007, the company acquired the movie - about an Oregon teenager (Suzanne Marie Doyon) who escapes her troubled home life by embarking on a quest for lost treasure - and earmarked it for a limited Valley run.

The company does not produce its own movies; rather, it picks and chooses from the marketplace of unreleased, low-budget independent films, like "Tillamook," and finances their distribution.

"The plan is if we open it up in Phoenix and it does well, then we explore other, bigger markets," says Ted Chalmers, vice president of distribution for Maitland Primrose. "It's called a 'theatrical test,' and it's a very common practice. All the independent studios do it."

According to Chalmers, the company has acquired the rights to about 20 films, most of which - including "Think Tank," from "Napoleon Dynamite" producers Brian Petersen and Chris Wyatt - will go straight to DVD. However, in "Tillamook," the company thinks it might have a sleeper theatrical hit. Featuring such recognizable character actors as Max Gail (best known as Wojo from "Barney Miller") and Brian Thompson ("Cobra"), the movie was the brainchild of spouse filmmakers Richard Doyon (screenwriter, executive producer) and Jane Beaumont Hall (director). The actress who plays the heroine is their daughter.

"It's a real family affair," Chalmers says. "A labor of love, and I think that comes through on the screen."

The 5-year-old company, which also publishes the movie-themed Moving Pictures magazine from its Phoenix headquarters, draws a distinct benefit as one of the few Arizona-based film companies, Chalmers believes.

"The Valley offers a really great cross section of America," he says. "Everybody here is from somewhere else. So for releasing a movie, you hit a really wide audience. You get a good sense of who your audience is. It's ideal for us, as a small theatrical distributor."

The downside, Chalmers acknowledges, is for filmmakers who want to march straight into the Hollywood studio system.

"There aren't many studio executives in Phoenix," Chalmers says. "Unless you count me."

QUICK-HIT

'The Legend of Tillamook's Gold'

Part "Holes"-style adolescent adventure, part domestic drama, this earnest tale of an Oregon teenager (Suzanne Marie Doyon) who spends a summer looking for lost treasure lacks polish and pizazz. Playing exclusively at the Harkins Superstition Springs. Not rated (all audiences), 101 minutes.

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Grade: C-