``We didn't strike a chord,'' said Mr Hafemann of the famed 1940s Hollywood actor yesterday as he nursed a beer in Launceston's Lloyd's Hotel yesterday.

``I got to know Bogart when I worked on Key Largo with him, not my type, so aloof, but John Wayne, now there was a guy, he'd have a drink with you anytime,'' recalled the retired Hollywood special effects man, who is in Launceston on what he termed ``an indefinite holiday''.

``So how did I come to get here?'' the spry 86-year-old white- bearded Mr Hafemann asked himself softly.

``I was looking for a holiday in Australia, but I couldn't believe the noise in Sydney, I hated it, so I asked where would I find a place which was a bit quieter and I was told Tasmania was the answer,'' Mr Hafemann said.

His Hollywood career as a special effects man and builder stretched from 1945 to 1981.

In that time, Mr Hafemann:

• Built the patrol boat used in the film PT109 based on the life of US President John Kennedy;

``For torrential rain you can use a big fan and a high-pressure hose and Clint never worried about that, he wanted to be authentic, never used a double, you know, if the script called for him to get drenched, Clint got drenched.

``I've called in to see him where he lives in Carmel, California, he's got a restaurant there, the Hog's Breath.''

Mr Hafemann still wears the official baseball cap denoting membership of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees.

As for John Wayne, Mr Hafemann calls him a ``hail fellow well met kind of person who was a good friend''.

Mr Hafemann grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm before joining the US Army, then heading for Hollywood and Warner Brothers.

Currently living in retirement in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Mr Hafemann admitted to itchy feet after his wife Jean died two years ago.

``I love it here, I could easy settle here, you know,'' he said gently.