Richmond, VA: B-westerns festival in Williamsburg

[George Kincaid]

http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/entert ... le/W-FFans to mingle with stars of B-Westerns, stuntmen


BY DANIEL NEMAN TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Published: March 12, 2009

The stars (sort of) come to the Williamsburg Film Festival The stars, of a sort, will be shining brightly at the Williamsburg Film Festival.

The 13th annual festival, which runs through Saturday at the Holiday Inn-Patriot Convention Center in Williamsburg, allows fans to mingle with B-Western stars, longtime character actors, stuntmen and other performers.

Meanwhile, the festival will offer all-day showings of B-Westerns starring the likes of Roy Rogers, Johnny Mack Brown, Hopalong Cassidy and Buster Crabbe.

Scheduled to appear at the festival are Steve Kanaly, who played the ranch foreman (and J.R. Ewing's secret half-brother) Ray Krebbs on "Dallas"; Peggy Stewart, the queen of B-Westerns at Republic Pictures in the 1940s who is still acting; and Dick Jones, a former child star (he played the page in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," among many other youthful roles) who continued as an adult to star in the television series "The Range Rider" and "Buffalo Bill Jr."

Also planning to appear are Ron Harper (star of television series "87th Precinct," "The Jean Arthur Show" and "Garrison's Gorillas"); character actor Bo Hopkins ("American Graffiti," "The Wild Bunch," "The Getaway"); Steve Stevens (who starred in a series with Annette Funicello on "The Mickey Mouse Club" and is now a talent agent); and Jacqueline White, who starred in the films noir "Crossfire" and "The Narrow Margin."

Two famed stuntmen also will attend: Joe Canutt and Loren James. Canutt, son of the legendary Yakima Canutt, performed Charlton Heston's stunts in the chariot race in "Ben Hur." He is in the Hollywood Stuntmen's Hall of Fame. James, another member of the Hall of Fame, worked in more than 500 movies, including "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Dirty Dozen."

Country singer George Hamilton IV, who is best known for such hits as "Abilene" and "Before This Day Ends," will perform at the annual banquet Saturday night. Cowboy poet Larry Maurice will be the headliner tomorrow night and also will perform Saturday. Tonight's music will be country and Western songs by Ed and Bobbie Beard.

You can't have a film festival without films, so 10 Westerns will be shown today, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with "Heart of the West," starring William Boyd (better known as Hopalong Cassidy), and running through an 11 p.m. screening of "Oath of Vengeance," starring Buster Crabbe.

Tomorrow also features 10 pictures, from "Three Men From Texas" (also starring Boyd) through the Three Mesquiteers in "Overland Stage Raiders." Saturday sees six movies, starting at 9 a.m. with "Honor of the Range," starring Ken Maynard.

One room will be given over to dealers selling memorabilia, including books about Western movies and stars, movies and more. In another room will be the stars, talking about their careers today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.


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Contact Daniel Neman at (804) 649-6408 or [email protected].