The Williamsburg Film Festival

The 10th Annual Williamsburg Film Festival was again held at the Holiday Inn Patriot in Williamsburg, Virginia. Guests this time were William Smith, Will Hutchins, James Best, Mala Powers, Jan Merlin, Jimmy Lydon, Johnny Western, Peggy Stewart, Ben Cooper, Dick Jones, Beverly Garland, and Frankie Thomas.

To save on luggage (see my report on the Red River Western Festival for why I should have known better), I took my husband's Nikon 8700 camera rather than my own Minolta 5D SLR with all its various attachments and lenses and so on. I'd never used the Nikon before and will not use again. I didn't take many pictures because most of those I did take didn't turn out well—a considerable timelag between my hitting the trigger and the camera actually firing resulted in a good many missed shots. (Can you tell up I grew up among shooting enthusiasts?) I do have a few of Mr. Smith, of course, and I will grudingly admit that, as you can see on this page, some of them turned out pretty well. I still don't like the camera.

Mr. Smith was looking great, and he was at the center of perhaps the Festival's biggest moment: At the Q&A featuring him with Will Hutchins, Bill was presented with a wonderful portrait of himself by Rhonda Barker, an artist from Lexington, Kentucky. Rhonda's acrylic painting of Bill is a composite of a pose from a screen capture out of an early- or mid-60s performance, with his face from a photo I took (!) at the Festival in 2001. The painting incorporated a number of items relevant to Bill's past, including eleven dimes falling out of a little manila envelope (his pay for his first movie role, in Ghost of Frankenstein), a painting of his wife, Joanne, and wanted posters for two of his more notorious bad guys. Bill was clearly moved by it; the rest of us were simply blown away. Rhonda's got a tremendous talent.

The painting wasn't the only gift Bill received: he also was given a replica of the sword he used in Conan the Barbarian, though I unfortunately don't know the name of the fan. It was extremely cool and I know he enjoyed it very much.

I was (again) surprised and touched to find that Bill and Joanne Smith remembered me by name—how they do that is beyond me, considering the sheer volume of people they encounter at these things, and the number they attend each year. (I sure wouldn't remember me!) Joanne assured me Bill really does enjoy these events, which I was glad to hear since I'd feared it might be a bore for the stars (and their spouses). They are both so welcoming and patient, I truly believe they make every fan feel special.

Speaking of which, Bill actually kissed my hand after autographing stuff for me! So now I can point out the precise spot on my metacarpals where William Smith kissed me, the point on my cheekbone where Robert Fuller kissed me in 2004, and indeed the cheek where I got a quick kiss from the late and much-missed Michael Stroka (at ShadowCon 2 in Los Angeles back in 1980).

~*~*~ Just call me starkist! ~*~*~

All the guest stars this year for the 10th Anniversary were ones who'd come before and were popular with the Festival committee and the attendees. Every one of them was gracious and friendly as I went around to speak with them and get their autographs. Those I'd met previously, other than Bill, were James Best, who again brought a number of his paintings—he's really good!—and Beverly Garland. Actor / stuntman / comic Russ McCubbin was also there again, a big man with a big personality.

The Williamsburg Film Festival began with and retains an emphasis on Westerns, but for the last few years it has also featured early Science Fiction TV with the Solar Guard Academy (a group of enthusiasts who meet at the Williamsburg festival each year). Joining them for some of their screenings, I discovered with great glee such before-my-time classics as Tom Corbett, Space Cadet and Captain Video. Although I'd never seen these old shows before, I was instantly hooked—I signed up to join the Solar Guard Academy, and have the [increasingly uncommon] distinction of being one of its younger members. I think I gave both Jan Merlin and Frankie Thomas a kick when I told them I'd been a fan ever since the night before—they seemed amused, anyway.

I am particularly glad to have had the chance to meet Mr. Thomas, who passed on just weeks after the festival. He really embraced his famous character, appearing at the convention in his old uniform (or a replica thereof), and truly seemed to enjoy talking about old times. I think he considered himself very fortunate to have had the role and the love of so many once-and-always kids. According to news reports, he was buried in his space cadet uniform at his request.

Lookalikes were once more there in force (see the photos from my 2001 report). This year I spotted Roy Rogers, Zorro, Lash Larue, Smiley Burnett, Tonto, the Lone Ranger, Hanging Judge Roy Bean, Paladin, and (I think) Wyatt Earp, among others. A General Lee lookalike was there, too—not the respected military man with the beard, the orange "General Lee" James Best's Sheriff Roscoe kept trying to catch in The Dukes of Hazzard. When I first encountered Zorro in the hallway, I couldn't help but giggle, prompting him to ask if I was laughing at him. I assured him I wouldn't dare, to which he responded, "Well, you'd better not."

Besides the lookalikes, many attendees come in Western gear, and I got a real charge more than once out of passing the hotel bar, glancing in the window, and seeing the backside of a row of men all wearing gunbelts, boots, and cowboy hats!

Lucky Bill Parrish and Ted and Ruth Reinhart were there again to entertain with their Western music, and guest star actor / singer / songwriter Johnny Western also sang for us at the wonderful closing banquet. Attendee Monty Alexander, a world-renowned jazz pianist who loves the old Westerns, joined the show and entertained the audience with his humor, his great talent, and his unique interpretations of Western themes.

I understand this year's festival had the highest attendance thus far, and I don't think anyone left disappointed. This is an event I will attend every year I am able (especially when William Smith is there!).