Howdy Everyone!
Continuing with my visit to the Hopalong Cassidy Festival...
After paying the admission fee, I entered the dealers room, where mountains of western memorabilia were for sale. I didn't see much Maverick merchandise this year, though. In fact, the only thing I ended up buying in the dealers room was a commemorative mug with lovely color portraits of William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy and Boyd's widow, Grace Bradley. Ms. Bradley passed away in 2010 at the age of 97, and this year's Festival was dedicated to her memory.
Of course, the big attraction at the Festival is the guest stars, who were seated at tables on the far end of the room. I didn't arrive at the Civic Center until after 3:00 pm, so I missed seeing "Grizzly Adams" (Dan Haggerty). And, Beckey Burgoyne, the author of a biography about actress Amanda Blake titled Perfectly Amanda - 'Gunsmoke''s Miss Kitty - To Dodge and Beyond, wasn't able to be there until the next day, Saturday.
But, I did get a glimpse of Julie Ream, who wrote the introduction to Ms. Burgoyne's book, and who has some amazing connections to Hollywood western history. And, seated next to Ms. Ream was Jeff Connors, the son of Chuck Connors, TV's legendary Rifleman. Mr. Connors brought along the rifle his father used on the show.
At the next table sat Chuck Connors' other 'son', actor/singer/musician Johnny Crawford. The little boy who played "Mark McCain" is now a mature man, and he still charms the female fans. I heard one lady whisper breathlessly into her cell phone, "I shook hands with Johnny Crawford!"
I didn't get that close to him, however. There were lots of people hovering around the tables, and I think I've finally learned the secret to these things. You can't just stand off to the side, pretending to seriously consider whether or not to buy the LP Festus Sings and Talks About Dodge City! (okay, I like to hear Festus sing and talk, but not for $50), while waiting for a lull in the crowd. There is never a lull in the crowd, so if you want to talk to one of the guest stars, you have to be bold about it. You're just going to have to hover around them like everyone else. Then, after the guy finishes telling the story about meeting the Rifleman at the state fair, or the lady finishes shaking Johnny Crawford's hand, you can say "Howdy" to him, too.
It never fails that when there are a couple of events I want to attend, they're usually scheduled at the same time. I had another commitment all day on Saturday, and I couldn't stay for the Friday night or Saturday festivities at the Hopalong Cassidy Festival. So, I bid the Festival "Adios" and happily drove home with my mug and my autographed portrait of JK.
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Coming soon in TDS: JK putters around! :)
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