{"id":3540,"date":"2012-07-10T20:26:35","date_gmt":"2012-07-11T02:26:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bmovienation.com\/?p=3540"},"modified":"2012-07-10T20:26:35","modified_gmt":"2012-07-11T02:26:35","slug":"western-film-fair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bmovienation.com\/?p=3540","title":{"rendered":"Western Film Fair"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The 35th edition of the Western Film Fair, now underway in Winston-Salem, has a new home. The four-day celebration of all things Western is now being held at the Hawthorne Inn & Conference Center, 420 High St.
\nXX\u201cIt\u2019s not only a lot more convenient, right off Business I-40 at Exit 5C, but it also fits our needs better in a lot of ways,\u201d said Jerry Campbell, a Jamestown native and one of the organizers of the event. \u201cIt has a bigger dealer room, more space to move around in, a really nice banquet facility, and is newly remodeled. Folks are going to like the location a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

XXThey are also going to like the roster of stars on hand this year. Back by popular demand are Connie Stevens, whose resume includes 66 (and counting) movie and TV credits and 17 soundtracks, including the early-\u201960s hit \u201cKookie, Lend Me Your Comb,\u201d and Ed Nelson, whose filmography lists 176 titles from \u201cPeyton Place\u201d to \u201cPolice Academy.\u201d They will be joined by no fewer than seven recognizable names to anyone familiar with the genre.
\nXXNancy Stafford\u2019s appearance has taken on added significance as a result of the death of North Carolina native Andy Griffith. Stafford played alongside him on the long-running TV series \u201cMatlock,\u201d which starred Griffith as a homespun, folksy lawyer and Stafford as his law partner, Michelle Thomas.
\nXXLainie Kazan will be making her first appearance at the film fair. One of her more memorable roles was as Bette Midler\u2019s co-star in the movie \u201cBeaches,\u201d and she also starred in \u201cMy Big Fat Greek Wedding\u201d and appeared numerous times in \u201cDesperate Housewives,\u201d among many other credits.
\nXXJulie Adams was a genuine superstar during the heyday of B-movie Westerns, co-starring alongside all the cowboy stars of the era, plus Jimmy Stewart, as well as starring in the TV series \u201cCheyenne.\u201d But, oddly, many remember her most as the star of \u201cCreature from the Black Lagoon.\u201d
\nXXTom Reese appeared in so many episodes of \u201cGunsmoke\u201d that he was almost considered a cast member. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t a leading man but always played the sidekick or the heavy in his movies,\u201d said Campbell.
\nXXRoy Thinnes played in dozens of movies and TV Westerns, but his claim to fame is his starring role in the popular \u201970s television series \u201cThe Invaders.\u201d
\nXXRoger Mobley was discovered on \u201cTed Mack\u2019s Original Amateur Hour\u201d and appeared in such notable TV Western series as \u201cWagon Train,\u201d \u201cFury,\u201d \u201cCheyenne,\u201d \u201cThe Virginian\u201d and \u201cDeath Valley Days.\u201d
\nXXJimmy Lydon was an original Mouseketeer and well-known child actor who went on to play Henry Aldrich in the movie series based on the radio character of the same name.<\/p>\n

XXEntertainment will be provided by master yodeler, singer and rope-trick artist Cowboy Randy Erwin and, as always, Johnny Meeks. Singer-guitarist Meeks has recently added another feather to his cap, having been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Gene Vincent\u2019s band, the Blue Cats.<\/p>\n

XXMovies will run each day on an hour and a half rotation in three screening rooms. Each of the stars will appear for a panel discussion, generally paired with another star, after the showing of a movie in which they appeared. They will also be available for daily autograph sessions.<\/p>\n

XXThis marks the fifth year the festival has been held in Winston-Salem. It began in St. Louis and after two years there moved to Charlotte for most of its span. It was held in Raleigh two years and seems to have found a permanent home in Winston-Salem.
\nXXThree-day passes to the event are $60 (couples $75) daily passes are $20 and after 5 p.m. only $5 per person.
\nXXFor more information contact Tommy Hildreth at 828-524-5251.