The Lone Pine Film Festival celebrates the long and wonderful film history of Lone Pine, Death Valley and the Eastern Sierra. Celebrity guests help do that with their stories and experiences working in those films. Once household names, now the stars’ names may at first elicit questions. Their faces always bring memories of the films we enjoyed sometime in our youth. The Festival is supported, in part, by a County of Inyo Community Grant.

Some of our guests were associated with our favorite stars and work today to keep their memories alive. Cheryl Rogers Barnett, who serves on the Board of the Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History, is not related to our favorite patrons Jim and Beverly Rogers, but is the daughter of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. She has written her memoir of her famous family called Cowboy Princess and also has authored a cookbook of recipes from the stars. She grew up with many and will be moderator for the one on one q and a sessions at Statham Town Hall this year. These events are new and were suggested by the fans that wanted to get to know our stars a little better.

Michael Chapin was a child star and worked in the film Springfield Rifle with Gary Cooper that shot scenes in Lone Pine. Michael worked in one television episode of The Lone Ranger. He was part of a kids duo and made four films as “Red” White. Other films he appeared in include The Night of the Hunter, Pride of the Blue Grass and Under Western Skies.

Lois Lane appeared with Superman both in the movies and on television. Phyllis Coates was the first Lois Lane before Noel Neill took over the role. When she saw Terry Hatcher’s modern portrayal from Lois and Clark, she mused, “I saw Terry in this beautiful dress with her boobs pushed up and I thought ‘That’s Lois Lane?’ I had a suit up to my color bone. I felt like a horse with a bit in my mouth.” Phyllis starred with Joel McCrea here in Lone Pine in Cattle Empire. She did three episodes of The Lone Ranger and multiple episodes of Gunsmoke and The Cisco Kid, among many television appearances.

In many television episodes and feature films we love to watch the bad guys and cheer when they get “theirs.” Richard Devon was one of those bad guys through most of his career. He did multiple episodes of the classic western series Wagon Train, which we are celebrating at this year’s Festival. Other series he appeared in several times include Bonanza, Yancy Derringer, The Rifleman, Big Valley and The Zane Grey Theater. Feature films with Richard include 3:10 to Yuma and such non-westerns as Magnum Force, The Silencers and Blood of Dracula.

Ever wonder how stunt men create action on the screen, safely and make the stars they double look good? We will have the answer this year at the Festival. Diamond Farnsworth, stunt coordinator for NCIS, will return to the Festival and will do a presentation on his career and work as a coordinator for all the physical activity in various productions. By the way, Diamond has been nominated for an Emmy so keep your fingers crossed for him.

As part of our “Remembering Wagon Train” theme we have the original scout Flint McCullough joining us this year. Robert Horton created the role that made him what most historians consider the first international television star. He also was the star of several other television series including The Man Called Shenandoah and King’s Row. Film appearances include Apache War Smoke, Return of the Texan and Pony Soldier. For our horror and science fiction fans, Mr. Horton was the star of the classic The Green Slime. Robert Horton’s credits on Broadway and in musical comedy are extensive and his appearances in Pajama Game, Kismet, The Music Man are remembered.

Loren Janes again joins us to share his experiences and insights concerning stunt work and his experiences filming How the West Was Won in the Alabama Hills and also worked with Steve McQueen as his stunt double, including work with him on Nevada Smith filmed locally. Loren has attended every Festival and serves an active role as a Board member for the Lone Pine Film History Museum. He also shot “Behind the Action” candid footage on many of the films he appeared in and brings extra insight to his audiences of the making of action pictures.

Geoffrey Lewis worked in Lone Pine films several times most recently in Joshua Tree (aka Army of One). He was here one week separated from his daughter Juliette who was filming Kalifornia with Brad Pitt and David Duchovny. He also worked in Highway 395 and Mel Gibson’s Maverick. His television credits are numerous and range from shows like X Files to a recurring role on Falcon Crest and even Gunsmoke.

John Locke appeared in ten episodes of Wagon Train and he will be joining our Wagon Train celebration. He will share his memories and experiences while working on this classic and long running series.

Denny Miller was Duke Shannon on Wagon Train for three years, filming episodes in the Lone Pine area including The Ben Morgan Story with Tommy Sands and Peter Falk. He has many television episode credits including Gunsmoke, I Spy and even Gilligan’s Island. He has the distinction of being the first blond Tarzan, starring in a feature film called Tarzan, The Ape Man. He has also had repeating appearances in various commercial promotions, most notably as the Gorton Fisherman.

Jacqueline Scott worked in Lone Pine in two classic Have Gun, Will Travel episodes: “The Wager” and “Crowbait.” She has numerous other television series credits including Gunsmoke, Barnaby Jones and Twilight Zone. Feature film appearances include Firecreek, Empire of the Ants, and Telefon.

Warren Stevens has diverse credits with two involved in classic science fiction, one a feature film and the other television. Mr. Stevens played LL. “Doc” Ostrow in Forbidden Planet and in Star Trek, the original TV show. He also appeared in Twilight Zone episodes and Science Fiction Theater. He is perhaps best remembered for his character of William Storm in The Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers. Mr. Stevens appeared in many classic television presentations in the early years of television including Studio One and Alcoa Presents, among others, He also made two Wagon Train episodes.

One of our favorite stars during the heyday of the B Western and serials and now back in Lone Pine is the Princess of the Plains Peggy Stewart. Besides her work in many westerns, Peggy starred in two important Lone Pine films each starring one the great singing cowboys. Peggy was in Trail to San Antone with Gene Autry and to help tell our story, she has given us her boots, which are on display in the Museum. Peggy also starred along with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans in the film Utah, a spectacular musical western made locally. Peggy also serves on the Museum Board if Directors.

New to our Festival this year, and with a filmography that includes the classic Old Yeller feature film as well as episodes of Wagon Train, Star Trek and Studio 57 among many others, Beverly Washburn will be sharing her memories of her career. She made three Wagon Train episodes, including the very first one, which also starred Ernest Borgnine. Beverly also made The Juggler with Kirk Douglas and was in the strange and wonderful late 1960’s film Spider Baby.

One of the themes of the Festival this year is “New Writers of the Purple Sage.” In the last few decades there has been a renaissance in western writing. Often the work of some of the authors in that genre have raised their output to the quality of true American literature. Elmer Kelton will be our special guest. He was voted the Best American Western Writer of all time by his peers, members of the Western American Writer’s Association. He has won the Spur Award, the most prestigious award given to western writers, an unprecedented seven times. With over fifty novels to his credit, he is being discovered by a new generation of writers or revisited by older fans. Without writers, there wouldn’t have been any westerns, and if the genre is to attain new, increased popularity, it will be thanks to writers like Mr. Kelton.

Dan O’Brien will be the second writer with us. An accomplished author of both fiction and non-fiction set in the west, Mr. O’Brien has also won a Spur Award. His non-fiction work has dealt with falconry and raising buffalo for commercial use. He has also written a two-volume fiction account of a real person who served the Sioux Indian population as The Contract Surgeon and The Indian Agent. Mr. O’Brien’s novels include In the Center of the Nation, Brendan Prairie and a book of short stories called Eminent Domain.

Cowboy poet and storyteller Larry Maurice returns to us again. Larry serves many needs of the Festival, but if you haven’t experienced his poems and stories recited during the Sunrise Tour on the crisp fall mornings in the Alabama Hills then you are missing a great opportunity. Some of his popular poems include “Silver Screen Heroes,” “Cowboys Hands” and “The Special Place.”

Gene Lesser has written for several television shows including Zane Grey Theater, Man Without a Gun, and Death Valley Days. In recent years, frustrated by the lack of freedom in writing episodes to please studio producers, Gene Lesser has concentrated on plays for the live theater.

Be sure to stop by www.lonepinefilmfestival.org to keep up with the latest guests who have signed on to be in Lone Pine October 10, 11, and 12.