Memphis Film Festival
Two great legends make for one super celebration.
On June 5-7, the Memphis Film Festival will salute 75 years of the Lone Ranger and 70 years of Superman. (That’s Memphis, as in Tennessee, not Texas.) It’s an event that I have been planning for throughout the past five years. It began when my friend Jim Hollaert and I were lamenting that no one was doing anything for the 70th anniversary of the Lone Ranger.
We decided back then that the 75th anniversary would not pass without some kind of a celebration. Jim owned a Web site dedicated to the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers and other Western heroes. I own the Lone Ranger Fan Club. For the first couple of years the two of us and others talked about holding a festival. We knew we wanted to celebrate the Masked Man and we wanted to do it in the summer of 2008.
Two years ago I formed an international committee to plan a 75th anniversary celebration. I can say international because one of the members, Elizabeth Mortimer, is from England. The Committee met by e-mail and phone. We had a huge celebration planned out that was to be held in Amarillo.
The company that owns the rights to the character, however, didn’t like the location or time of year that we picked. Without their support, we couldn’t get sponsors and the necessary financial backing. Our plans were sunk a year out from the date, but rather than admit defeat, someone suggested we partner with an existing film festival.
After interviewing several, we felt we had the best offer from the Memphis Film Festival. There was only one catch. Ray Nielsen, the gentleman who runs the show, wanted to split the bill with Superman, who is five years the Lone Ranger’s junior. With a new Superman movie in the theaters, that seemed like a great way to increase attendance at the show, so we went for it.
For the next several months we wrangled over the guest list and other events. Wanting to focus on the television shows from the 1950s, we went through a tedious process of inviting guests, having some drop out for various reasons, and inviting others. As it stands now, we have two guest stars who have appeared on both shows. Noel Neill, who was Lois Lane on TV, and Beverly Washburn hold the double-billing status.
Joining them are, from the Lone Ranger side, Claudia Barrett, Michael Chapin, Bob Hoy, Dick Jones, Gregg Palmer and Lanny Rees.
Hoy was a late replacement for radio announcer Fred Foy, who had health concerns. Hoy was a stuntman for Jay Silverheels, who played Tonto. He also had a part in the movie “The Legend of the Lone Ranger.”
On the Superman side, stars include Laurie Mitchell, Gregory Moffett, Janine Perreau, and Jeffrey Breslauer, who was on “Superboy.” Additional guest stars include Kenny Miller and GiGi Perreau. Jack Larson, who was Jimmy Olsen on “Adventures of Superman,” will be on a panel via telephone.
The festival will include panel discussions, autograph sessions, a dealer’s room and radio program re-creations of “The Lone Ranger,” “Superman” and “Challenge of the Yukon” (also known as “Sgt. Preston of the Yukon”).
To help raise funds for the event, we have been having an opportunity drawing for a replica Lone Ranger holster and gun set. The guns are not real, but are for display and trick spinning. The holster is made by master craftsman Dusty Johnson of the Pleasant Valley Saddle Shop in Loveland, Colo. For more information about that, please visit www.lonerangerfanclub.com.
I have to admit that the festival isn’t everything I first envisioned, but at least I kept my promise to have an event and it will be a lot of fun. I know it’s short notice for folks here, but I hope some of you will be able to join us in just over a week in Memphis.
On June 5-7, the Memphis Film Festival will salute 75 years of the Lone Ranger and 70 years of Superman. (That’s Memphis, as in Tennessee, not Texas.) It’s an event that I have been planning for throughout the past five years. It began when my friend Jim Hollaert and I were lamenting that no one was doing anything for the 70th anniversary of the Lone Ranger.
We decided back then that the 75th anniversary would not pass without some kind of a celebration. Jim owned a Web site dedicated to the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers and other Western heroes. I own the Lone Ranger Fan Club. For the first couple of years the two of us and others talked about holding a festival. We knew we wanted to celebrate the Masked Man and we wanted to do it in the summer of 2008.
Two years ago I formed an international committee to plan a 75th anniversary celebration. I can say international because one of the members, Elizabeth Mortimer, is from England. The Committee met by e-mail and phone. We had a huge celebration planned out that was to be held in Amarillo.
The company that owns the rights to the character, however, didn’t like the location or time of year that we picked. Without their support, we couldn’t get sponsors and the necessary financial backing. Our plans were sunk a year out from the date, but rather than admit defeat, someone suggested we partner with an existing film festival.
After interviewing several, we felt we had the best offer from the Memphis Film Festival. There was only one catch. Ray Nielsen, the gentleman who runs the show, wanted to split the bill with Superman, who is five years the Lone Ranger’s junior. With a new Superman movie in the theaters, that seemed like a great way to increase attendance at the show, so we went for it.
For the next several months we wrangled over the guest list and other events. Wanting to focus on the television shows from the 1950s, we went through a tedious process of inviting guests, having some drop out for various reasons, and inviting others. As it stands now, we have two guest stars who have appeared on both shows. Noel Neill, who was Lois Lane on TV, and Beverly Washburn hold the double-billing status.
Joining them are, from the Lone Ranger side, Claudia Barrett, Michael Chapin, Bob Hoy, Dick Jones, Gregg Palmer and Lanny Rees.
Hoy was a late replacement for radio announcer Fred Foy, who had health concerns. Hoy was a stuntman for Jay Silverheels, who played Tonto. He also had a part in the movie “The Legend of the Lone Ranger.”
On the Superman side, stars include Laurie Mitchell, Gregory Moffett, Janine Perreau, and Jeffrey Breslauer, who was on “Superboy.” Additional guest stars include Kenny Miller and GiGi Perreau. Jack Larson, who was Jimmy Olsen on “Adventures of Superman,” will be on a panel via telephone.
The festival will include panel discussions, autograph sessions, a dealer’s room and radio program re-creations of “The Lone Ranger,” “Superman” and “Challenge of the Yukon” (also known as “Sgt. Preston of the Yukon”).
To help raise funds for the event, we have been having an opportunity drawing for a replica Lone Ranger holster and gun set. The guns are not real, but are for display and trick spinning. The holster is made by master craftsman Dusty Johnson of the Pleasant Valley Saddle Shop in Loveland, Colo. For more information about that, please visit www.lonerangerfanclub.com.
I have to admit that the festival isn’t everything I first envisioned, but at least I kept my promise to have an event and it will be a lot of fun. I know it’s short notice for folks here, but I hope some of you will be able to join us in just over a week in Memphis.
posted by Joe Southern | 12:11 PM
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