Charlie Altamont

Biography
Charlie Altamont was a pimp who ran Charlie's Frontier Fun Town with his associates Bubba and Clevon. Charlie Altamonte's family adopted Johnny Lee Johns from an orphanage many years ago and he was raised as Charlie's brother. Johnny Lee grew up to become a violent killer, upon which Charlie gave him the nickname "Cutter", due to his skills with a knife. As Cutter's interests turned towards macabre funhouse attractions, he became known as Captain Spaulding.

In 1978, Charlie's brothel was losing money and Altamont was desperate to try a new angle. His employees suggested integrating a science-fiction theme into the establishment to latch on to the popularity of the film Star Wars. Charlie was reluctant to experiment with such an idea however, feeling as if it was just too weird.

On May 18th, Charlie received a telephone call from his brother. Cutter, his daughter Baby, and Baby's brother Otis were on the run from the law and needed a place to stay. Charlie invited them to stay at his brothel until they could make better arrangements. When the three arrived at Charlie's Frontier Fun Town, Cutter and Charlie played a prank on Baby and Otis, pretending to get into a fight with one another. Charlie threatened to shoot Cutter with a gun, but when he pressed the trigger, only water came out. Baby found the prank amusing, but Otis was less than impressed and expressed his irritation by giving Charlie the finger. Once tempers cooled down, Charlie allowed his guests to avail themselves of everything his place of business had to offer including prostitutes, alcohol and drugs.

The following morning, Charlie and Clevon went to a roadside market to purchase two chickens (Cutter intended on using them to make his "world-famous" fried chicken). The owner of the chicken farm, Darrell, asked the two men if they intended on fornicating with the chickens. Charlie was completely bewildered by the bizarre question; even more so when the man then began extolling the virtues of violating a chicken. Leaving the farm in relative disgust, Charlie ran into Ruggsville County sheriff John Quincy Wydell. Wydell knew that Altamont was an associate of the Fireflys and warned him in no uncertain terms that if he knew where they were, it would be in his best interest to let him know. Charlie told Wydell what he wanted hear and soon after, the sheriff, as well as two bounty hunters named Rondo and Billy Ray Snapper raided his brothel and captured the three criminals.

Charlie instantly regretted betraying his brother and extended family and sought to make ammends. He followed Wydell and his prisoners back to the Firefly ranch. He found the sheriff and prevented him from killing Baby Firefly. Wydell got the upper hand however and killed Charlie Altamont by cleaving him in the throat with a hatchet.

Notes & Trivia

 * Although Charlie Altamont was indirectly related to the murderous Firefly clan, he did not share their homicidal instincts.


 * Like many members and associates of the Firefly family, Charlie Altamont assumed an alias derived from a Groucho Marx film. Charlie also went by the name of Wolf J. Flywheel, Groucho's character from the 1941 comedy The Big Store.


 * Actor Ken Foree and co-star Sid Haig would go on to star together in the 2007 vampire film Brotherhood of Blood.