Film Stars... Robert Fuller (of Laramie & Wagon Train Fame)
A New Yorker by birth, Robert Fuller is a veteran of the Korean War who began his acting career  as an extra, then took classes from Richard Boone, got his first major movie role in Teenage Thunder, then moved to work in a variety of Westerns.
In 1959, Fuller enjoyed guest star status in the TV's Western series Cimarron City. It was this appearance that led to his being offered a role in Laramie...but not the one he wanted and eventually received. Over the next four years, he immortalized the character of Jess Harper and gained millions of fans worldwide.
After Laramie, he became chief scout Cooper Smith in Wagon Train, where he worked with some of the best stars in the business, including John McIntire, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine and Rhonda Fleming.
Subsequent Westerns included Incident at Phantom Hill, Return of the Seven, The Hard Ride, followed by his starring role in TV's Emergency.
He's won a variety of significant awards, including the Buffalo Bill Award for outstanding Western entertainment, the Golden Boot (1989) and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Peter Brown (Film & TV Star)
To diehard babyboomer Western fans, Peter Brown will always be one of our favorite Western stars: Deputy Johnny McKay--eager, earnest, courageous (and sweetly guileless with women) in Lawman and Texas Ranger Chad Cooper--cocky, charming, scheming, courageous (and an unrepentant womanizer) in Laredo.
The 1960s saw him in Cheyenne, 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, The Gallant Men and Merrill's Marauders, some Disney films, a surfer flick and Kitten with a Whip with old friend Ann-Margret. You may also have seen him in such TV shows as The Virginian, Wagon Train and Kraft Suspense Theater. During the 1970s, when the popularity of Westerns waned, Peter "sold soap" in five different daytime dramas, all the while maintaining a steady presence in films and prime time TV. Nowadays, he owns his own production company and continues to make appearances in both television programs and films.
Peter is a popular guest at film and western events across the country and we're excited that he's included the Gene Autry Oklahoma Film & Music Festival in his appearance schedule for 2008. Johnny Western (Film Star, Performer, Radio Personality & Western and Country Music Historian)
Johnny was Gene Autry's featured singer and guitarist during the mid-'5 0s, acted in a variety of films and Western TV series, writer of "The Ballad of Paladin," the theme song for Have Gun, Will Travel, and later served as a featured performer and MC of Johnny Cash's road show.
Today Johnny does a daily radio show for KFDI in Wichita, Kansas, a station that features cowboy and Western. He continues to tour and perform at radios, film festivals and Western music events throughout the world.
He's become a fixture at the Gene Autry Oklahoma Film & Music Festival, and we welcome him back with great appreciation for his time, talent and winning personality!
 Lisa Montell (The Dark-eyed Beauty)
Born in Warsaw, Poland, Lisa came to the US with her family just before the outbreak of World War II. She grew up in New York City, attended performing arts college there, then moved to Lima, Peru, where she began her acting career. She went on to be featured in Westerns, Polynesian adventures and Hollywood romances.
You may have seen Lisa in such TV series as Maverick, The Gene Autry Show, Cheyenne, Bat Masterson, Sugarfoot, Have Gun, Will Travel, Frontier Doctor, Northwest Passage, Colt .45 or Tales of Wells Fargo. Her Western films include Tomahawk Trail, The Wild Dakotas, The Long Rope and The Firebrand.
Currently Lisa spends her time working with youth arts programs for the City of Los Angeles and is involved in various endeavors that promote the arts and education in the Southwest and internationally. Her recent projects include a second edition and audio version of her book Baha'i: The New Vision and work on a book about her life. She serves as director of the Center for Education at the Desert Rose Baha'i Institute in Arizona.
Alex Cord (Actor, Writer & Horseman)
 With a background as a rodeo cowboy and a bricklayer with a degree in literature, Alex Cord is an unlikely actor, but a successful one. He got his start as a professional actor at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut. He was invited to London where he starred in four plays and was nominated by the London Critics' Circle for its distinguished "Best Actor Award."
Alex has starred in more than 30 feature films, including Stagecoach with Bing Crosby and Ann-Margaret, The Brotherhood with Kirk Douglas, Harold Robbins' Stiletto, The Last Grenade with Richard Attenborough, and Fire with Ernest Borgnine. He has also starred in more than 300 TV shows , among them Airwolf, Mission Impossible, Walker, Texas Ranger and Murder, She Wrote.
He's also a published writer, with two books to his credit, Sandsong and A Feather in the Rain, plus three screenplays.
Roberta Shore (From Mickey Mouse Club to The Virginian)
 A child star who got her start with Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Club, Roberta worked her way up the acting ladder through appearances on Father Knows Best, The Shaggy Dog, A Summer Place and The Lawrence Welk Show, until she landed her most famous role, as Betsy Garth on The Virginian, in 1962.
Trained as a singer as well as an actress, Roberta released an LP with her co-star, folk-country singer Randy Boone, during her three-year run on the top-rated television Western series. Don Reynolds (Little Beaver)
The son of famed horse trainer Fess Reynolds and a champion trick and fancy rider from early childhood, Don Kay Reynolds replaced Bobby Blake (later known as Robert Blake) as the hero's Native American sidekick in the last four films of the long-running Red Ryder series. Nicknamed "Little Brown Jug," Reynolds became a great favorite with the series' mostly juvenile audience. "Jug" made a total of 14 films, including The Red Pony with Myrna Loy and Robert Mitchum. He has spent his life in and out of show biz...and we're pleased to him spend some time with us at the Film & Music Festival.
Authors & Personalities... Bobby Copeland (Author & B Western Historian)
The world's most prolific writer of movie cowboy books, Bobby Copeland has just  published his 13th and 14th book on this subject, biographies of Sunset Carson and Smiley Burnette. He's a B Western historian and has studied the subject for more than 25 years. His numerous articles and books cover the cowboys, horses and many things pertaining to the B Western films. He excels in finding and writing the truths about the performers. Copeland books cover such subjects as the movie bad men, a Western star quotes, the star's horses, plus biographies of Tom Tyler, Johnny Mack Brown, Bill Elliott, Roy Barcroft, Charlie King, Bob Baker, Whip Wilson as well as some of the lesser known cowboys, including Eddie Dean and Russell Hayden.
Bobby regularly participates in film festivals across the country and has received numerous awards for his efforts in preserving the history of the B Western films. Judy Keel (Author & Mrs. Howard Keel)
Judy, wife of renowned Western actor Howard Keel, is co-author of On ly Make Believe, Mr. Keel's biography. Judy and co-writer Joyce Spizer Foy were a hit at our 2007 event and they've agreed to join us for the 2008 Gene Autry Oklahoma Film & Music Festival. We couldn't be happier! Joyce Spizer Foy (Author & Screen Writer)
She's co-author of Only Make Believe, the biography of renown ed Western actor Howard Keel, and is constantly working on new projects, new books and new films. From Selma to the Super Bowl, the story of football player Tony Hill and his family is her latest book and she's working on an audio book version of Only Make Believe, her Howard Keel book.
Several movies, including Valentino, the story of an Italian underground fighter, begins shooting in January and a football movie beginning in spring of 2008 are in the works for this prolific writer.
We welcome Joyce and pal/co-writer Judy Keel back to the 2008 Gene Autry Oklahoma Film & Music Festival. Michal McClure (Photographer/author)
Michal McClure has traveled extensively throughout his life, capturing cultures, people and nature through the lens of a camera. His latest book, Hawaiian Cowboys, tells the story of the cowboy, or paniolo, of Hawai’i, who has been cattle ranching on its vast pasturelands for two hundred years.
Rooted in a rich history shaped by kings, Mexican vaqueros, and generations of cowboy families, the paniolo way of life has resisted becoming part of generic America while perpetuating that most quintessential of American icons—the cowboy, thought by many to have disappeared into the dusty annals of a simpler time.
Intrigued by a way of life rich in tradition, devotion and pride, mainlander photojournalist Michal McClure traveled to the islands where he was invited on the ranches and into the lives of the paniolo. The result of the relationships forged and the trust earned is a remarkably candid and stunning chronicle of America’s westernmost frontier, where close-knit paniolo families rise early to work the cattle as a crew, brothers and neighbors compete for pleasure and pride in dusty rodeo corrals, and knowledge is passed down to children in a tradition that honors both the paniolo’s ties to the land and to the generations of cowboys that preceded him.
Bracketed by essays that provide insight into the rich cultural and spiritual history of the paniolo, McClure’s pictorial essay records for posterity the vitality and vigor of a contemporary lifestyle that is, in the words of Dr. Billy Bergin, “uniquely Hawaiian, Western and American.”
James Rosin (Actor/writer)
A former actor and television writer, James Rosin takes a look back at Wagon Train, the memorable television series (1957-1965) that depicted the emotion
and hardship of the traveling pioneers against the backdrop of the western frontier.
Wagon Train: The Television Series, published this summer, features a history of the series, commentary from stars Robert Fuller, Denny Miller and Robert Horton; plus numerous guest stars including Ernest Borgnine, James Drury, Debra Paget and Peter Brown, plus episode summaries, photos, biographies and more.
Rosin played featured and co-starring roles in numerous network TV shows and wrote for such TV series as Quincy M.E. (NBC), Capitol (CBS) and Loving Friends and Perfect Couples (Showtime). He also wrote and produced two sports documentaries for PBS, and has authored six books on sports, music and , television. Prior to Wagon Train, he published books on both the Route 66 and Naked City Television series. He also served as a contributing writer to Films of the Golden Age Magazine and Classic Images. Celebrity MCs... John Bu ttram (Pat Buttram Sound-alike)
He's a nephew of Gene Autry sidekick Pat Buttram and has made a name for himself as an MC and personality who dresses and talks like his Uncle Pat and shares a wealth of "Buttramisms." Close your eyes and you'll think that Pat is still with us, as John helps us out with MC chores throughout the Film & Music Festival.
He's served as MC for such prestigious events as Gene Autry Days in Kenton, Ohio, the big Cowboy Poetry festival in Lubbock, Texas, The Fort Worth Stock Show, The Cowtown Gala fundraiser, the Cowboy Symposium in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the Hopalong Cassidy Festival in Cambridge, Ohio. He has received recognition at the California-based Golden Boot Awards ceremonies. At this summers 100th birthday of Gene Autry celebration, he was featured in many of the festivities presented by Gene Autry Entertainment. He's been with the Gene Autry Oklahoma Film & Music Festival for ten years now and we welcome John back for his eleventh year!
Jo Hargrave (Radio Personality, Writer, Producer & Rancher)
This Oklahoma horse woman has been in the radio business for 27 years and is one of America's most celebrated cowboy radio personalities.
Her "Keepin' it Cowboy" show was syndicated by numerous stations all across the United States and in three foreign countries and several internet stations as well. Her "Christmas in Cowboy Country" (narrated by Clint Black) was featured on CMT for three years running. In 2003 she was named Top Western DJ by the Academy of  Western Artists, the first woman to win that honor.
In addition to her radio and related work, she's written for a variety of Western publications, has served as an event producer and gets a kick out of judging chili cook-offs and other food competitions! And if that's not enough, she's a horse woman, a rancher, a gardener and a baker...whose cinnamon rolls are to die for!
Known for her warm, folksy style, Jo will do some MC duties, moderating and will likely show up on a panel or two about Western music at this year's festiv al.
Tommy Wiggins (Western Music Pioneer, Performer, Actor & Radio Personality)
One of the founders of the Academy of Country and Western Music (now called the Academy of Country Music), Tommy has been associated with the Western Music industry in various ways for the past 65 years. He's worked in professional theatre, films, television, and even served for a time as a rodeo cowboy.
These days, Tommy spends his time appearing at a variety of film and music festivals across the country and enjoying his family (also across the country).
Special Guests...
Kriston Killion, Miss Rodeo Oklahoma
Representing the Will Rogers Stampede in Claremore, Kristin Killion was selected to reign as the 2008 Miss Rodeo Oklahoma...and she will be gracing our stage on Thursday, singing, sharing and promoting Oklahoma's western heritage and industry. The Chickasha cowgirl is the 22-year-old daughter of Jamie and Kelly Killion. In December she'll compete for the coveted title of Miss Rodeo America 2009 in conjunction with the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
She has earned many awards with her singing, speech and horsemanship. When she's not on a horse, you can find her performing at the Rodeo Opry in the Oklahoma City Stockyards, serving as an Ambassador for the Opry Heritage Foundation of Oklahoma to schools and performing in nursing homes, churches, rodeos and events all across Oklahoma. She is a soloist with the Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, a certified Billy Graham counselor and an active member of the First Baptist Church of Chickasha. She's also a graduate of Redlands Community College. We are so looking forward to meeting Kristin....and hearing her sing and play! Shannan Keenan, (Producer/director of Trail End)
Bor n and raised in Wichita, Kansas, independent filmmaker Shannan Keenan will be screening her latest short film Trail End, starring Barry Corbin, at the Film & MusicFestival. (See "News" or click here for more information about the film.)
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