Did you know today is Rambo day? We at the Hope Standard nearly forgot about this day – which would have been a travesty – yet were kindly reminded about it by the province’s ministry of transportation.
“Happy Rambo Day!” Yes, it’s a real thing,” the ministry stated on Facebook, detailing how special permits were granted for filming along Hope roads in the winter of 1981.
This year has been quite a year for the 38-year-old franchise and its origins in Hope. A carving of John Rambo was installed at Hope’s Memorial Park on Aug. 22, an event which made national and international news. Sylvester Stallone, the actor portraying the iconic character, even gave his approval for the carving, stating on social media that he was proud of the carving in an Instagram post that received over 400,000 likes.
Earlier this year, fans of Rambo said goodbye to the actor who played Rambo’s antagonist in First Blood. Brian Dennehy, who played Sheriff Will Teasle, was remembered as a cast member who spent a lot of time getting to know the community during the shooting of the film. After Dennehy’s passing April 15, Hope’s tourism promoter and knower of many obscure Rambo facts shared some stories about Dennehy with the Hope Standard.
And fans of the film franchise continue to flock to the town where it began, both during anniversary events and throughout the year. People who stop in at Hope’s visitors centre ask about Rambo a lot, in fact it’s the second-most inquired about topic behind the Othello Tunnels.
Were you living in Hope during the 1981 filming of Rambo: First Blood? Have you heard stories of that time in Hope? Are you a Rambo fanatic? We’d love to hear what you are thinking about on Rambo Day, get in touch with by emailing news@hopestandard.com.
Read more:
Hope B.C.’s new Rambo carving is Sly-approved
Goodbye to Sheriff Teasle, stories shared by Brian McKinney
PHOTOS: Hope’s most famous drifter is back in town, and here to stay
Hope becoming small town USA to celebrate First Blood’s 35 years
Hope has 11th busiest Visitor Centre in British Columbia
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email:emelie.peacock@hopestandard.com
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