Television, movie stars shine for Tombstone
By Michael Sullivan
Published: Monday, July 4, 2005 3:21 PM MST
Herald/Review
TOMBSTONE - The fifth annual Western Film Festival and Symposium may be the last one, but to its organizer, Jim Clark, it was the best one.
Amidst the bustle of Western film fans cheek by jowl with film stars during a signing event Sunday morning, Clark told the Herald/Review: "The amazing part is, each year, we ask how do we top ourselves? But we do."
Not only was this year's event the most fun, Clark said, but, "I might even show a small profit ... Last year was the first time I broke even."
An auction Saturday night raised several thousand dollars to help cover expenses. Among the auction items was a shirt Michael Landon wore during the TV series "Little House on the Prairie."
This year's festival was billed as the "Little House on the Prairie Reunion," and brought many former cast members to Tombstone to publicly reminisce.
The cost of staging the nostalgic extravaganza has become more than Clark can handle, so unless a corporate sponsor steps up with $25,000 to take it over, the festival and symposium will become another part of Western film history.
Esther Linn of Six Gun City has been a major sponsor, Clark pointed out, but she is not in a position to take over the event.
"The sad part is it's the end," Clark said, as well-wishers came up to thank him for his efforts. "It's always been a great draw at a normally slow time of year."
Strobes continued to flash in the background as a cluster of film and TV buffs had their photos taken with "Lassie" star Jon Provost; "Rin Tin Tin" star Lee Aker; Mariette Hartley, who played a role in the movie "Ride the High Country" and a 1976 episode of "Little House"; and others who showed up to sign large white panels in the yard at Tombstone Mercantile.
"To Jim, The Best!!" wrote Hartley. "Thanks for a wonderful experience and especially for support in our mutual love ... trains."
Clark said he was involved in 240 films because of his love and knowledge of vintage trains. He recently completed several months work on the TV mini-series "Into the West," for TNT. His work will show up in chapters four and five of the six-part series filmed at Santa Fe, N.M. Much of the rolling stock was rented from museums.
Clark retired from films in 2001 and became active in Tombstone, launching the film festival among other activities. Steven Spielberg called him out of retirement to work on the mini-series.
His love of trains led Clark in 2004 to promote the idea of a tourist train from Benson to Tombstone, but, he said, he has abandoned that plan because of a lack of support for the concept.
The time spent on the series was time away from organizing the festival and symposium, but it all came off nearly without a hitch, Clark said. The hitch occurred shortly before the start of the signing event.
The truck delivering concrete for the Hollywood-style handprint-signature event broke down outside Bisbee. Clark learned of the mishap 15 minutes before the scheduled 9 a.m. start of the signing, but quickly came up with plan B. He found two large foam panels in his shop and laid them on a picnic table in the Mercantile's side yard, under a canopy. The stars signed the panels with Sharpies. It worked just fine. Clark said he didn't know what he'd do with the collection of autographs, other than to frame the panels.
"Little House will never die!!" wrote Alison Arngrim. "Prairie Palozza, Love, Nellie."
A few moments later, Arngrim was sharing the speakers' table in Schieffelin Hall with her "Little House" sister, Nancy, also known as Allison Balson. Arngrim starred as one of the Oleson girls from 1974 to 1981. Balson starred from 1981 to 1983.
The TV sisters regaled an audience of about 20 fans with anecdotes from the series.
Arngrim said close bonds were formed among cast members of the series,
"I've stayed pretty tight with everyone," Anrgrim said, especially Melissa Gilbert, one of the festival's headliners. E-mail makes communication easy, Arngrim added.
In response to a question from the audience, both women acknowledged they wore curly blond wigs to play their parts.
Arngrim, whose Nellie character was a nasty rival to sweet Laura Ingalls, asked: "Am I evil, or is it the curls?"
With that, Arngrim pulled a curly blond wig from a plastic bag and slipped it on, drawing laughter from the audience.
"It's the hair," Arngrim declared.
Arngrim then pulled another wig from her bag and gave it to Balson, who slipped it on and posed with her "sister" for camera-toting fans.
Good spirits ruled the day Sunday, and Provost was caught up in it all.
The former "Lassie" star was looking forward to visiting Boot Hill later in the day with his family.
"We're having fun," Provost said.
Like the "Little House" cast members, the "Lassie" crew formed strong relationships.
Actress June Lockhart turned 80 in June, so they reconnected in honor of that event.
"She always remembers my birthday," Provost said.
Sisters Doris Bata of Sierra Vista and Eileen Davis of Tombstone told the Herald/Review they were saddened by the end of the festival. They enjoyed the panel discussions and meeting stars such as Dale Robertson and Hugh O'Brian.
"I hope they can get a corporate sponsor," Doris said.
HERALD/REVIEW reporter Michael Sullivan can be reached by e-mail at michael.sullivan@svherald.com.
