Frank Rickman

Frank Rickman, a Clayton, GA Native, was an accomplished creator, building resorts, ski slopes, and golf courses using inspiration from around the world. His larger than life personality gave him local recognition as a showman, a performer, and a man known to solve any problem. In 1955, Walt Disney was producing The Great Locomotive Chase on the east coast. The old fashioned train was loaded on a modern train car. When it got out there, they had no way of moving the train off of the car and onto the tracks they would use for the film. Initially, they were going to return the entire thing to the west coast and re figure it, but someone said they knew a man who could probably do it. Frank made a simple system, using grades and slopes to safely move the train. He caught the attention on Walt and even declined a job offer. He was cast as an extra and lifelong skill on horseback suited him well as a Cavalryman. He would Join the Georgia Film Commission and was a local scout for picturesque settings and characters, that he knew so well, in his home region. Frank Rickman died of Leukemia in 2004.