May 9th --

As is the case with every festival, we have to announce a cancellation.  Denny Miller of "Wagon Train" and "Tarzan" fame has had to cancel due to health reasons.

Denny sends his regrets for having to cancel his appearance and is planning to attend again in 2014!!  Here's hopeing that Mr. Miller will have a quick recovery!

April 19th --

We are saddened to report the passing of another past guest of the Memphis Film Festival - Frank Bank - who was with in 2006 and left us earlier this week!

Frank Bank was known to TV audiences as the slow yet loyal friend, Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford, on TV's "Leave It to Beaver" and joined us when he was reunited with his co-star, Ken Osmond, who played the the local knave, Eddie Haskell!

Frank was energetic and excited about his appearance at Memphis and went out of his way to meet and be friendly with all the guests. Those guests wish him a fond farewell and appreciate the memories!

Frank Bank
(1942 - 2013)

March 31st --

A new guest has been added to the lineup for this summers' Memphis Film Festival - and this is quite possibly the final one for the year! But what a guest he is!   Gregg Palmer has been with the festival (although it has been a few years) but he fits in with one of the strongest guest starring role resumes in Hollywood today!

Gregg has done it all!  Westerns are his specialty but he has done war films, horror films, romantic dramas - you name it!

As mentioned in the "Scheduled Guests" section, he has done 20 guest appearances on "Gunsmoke", 13 appearances on "Death Valley Days", 9 appearances on "The Virginian", 5 on "Bonanza"! And that is just scratchin' the surface!!

This is going to be a truly special Memphis Film Festival!! Be sure to welcome Mr. Palmer to Memphis!

March 31st --

A new update to the 2013 Memphis Film Festival is now available!  It has the most up-to-date information - a must to plan ahead for this summers' festival!!  This one is very possibly the final flyer for the 2013 because we are getting so close to the actual event!

Feel free to download copies and print them out!

Help support the show by giving flyers to friends and family you believe will be interested in attending this exciting, fun-filled festival next summer!

MEMPHIS FILM FESTIVAL FLYER (JPG Format)

(Please note that one of these flyers is in PDF format. If you are unable to read it, it may be because your computer is not equipped with a PDF reader program. To download Adobe PDF reader free of charge, please take the following link.)

Download Free Adobe Reader

March 10th--

We have received a special message from Ray Nielsen, one of the festival's leading organizers, concerning transportation to the festival from the airport.

*****

Festival attendees flying into the Memphis Airport must seek their own transportation to the Sam’s Town Hotel. The trip between the two points is a little over 30 miles.

There’s probably more than one cab company which travels beyond the Memphis city limits, but one that does is Metro Cab of Memphis at (901) 323-3333. There is shuttle transportation available by reservation through the following entities: Blues City Tours at (901) 522-9229, Unique Travel at 901 848-0436, and ASAP Transportation at (901) 531-4322. Call these businesses for pricing and scheduling information.

March 4th--

Our Friday night special performance by our guest, James Best, is so special and entertaining that an unique flyer has been built just for that event.  If you are coming to Memphis this summer, you won't want to miss this fabulous one-man show!!

Don't miss out - order your tickets now!

And go ahead and print out a sample of the flyer above for your convenience!

James Best Flyer (JPG Format)

February 27th--

As the news about the passing of Dale Robertson spreads, the tributes keep coming in.  The following was remembered by Ray Nielsen, one of the organizers of the Memphis Film Festival about Mr. Robertson's appearance in 1997.

"I had heard before he came that he wasn't all that friendly or accessible. My impression was to the contrary. He was congenial and open. I remember going out to a Memphis restaurant to eat with him, Anne Francis, Darryl Hickman, Kevin McCarthy and others. He was the life of the party."

Dale made that same great impression on all his fans that year!  He will always be remembered fondly and as a real gentleman!

February 26th--

The Memphis Film Festival has lost one of its finest guests, Mr. Dale Robertson, who passed away this morning around 6 AM at the age of 89.

Mr. Robertson was a guest at the festival in 1997 and was here to celebrate his life in Hollywood including his work on two classic TV westerns, "Tales of Wells Fargo" and "Iron Horse" as well as serving as a host on TVs "Death Valley Days".

One of the highlights of that year was a screening of "The Gambler from Natchez" with Mr. Robertson in appearance along with his two co-stars from the film, Debra Paget and Kevin McCarthy.  It was a memorable evening for all film fans!

He was one of "the best" and will be greatly remembered from his great work.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Dale Robertson
(1923 - 2013)

February 17th--

The Memphis Film Festival lost another of its excellent staff -- Kenneth Price!

Kenneth helped us with audio/video for many years.  He began with Ken Wilburn, both of whom worked for Comcast in Memphis for years.  When Ken Wilburn died unexpectedly a couple of years ago, Ken Price stuck with us.  Both were invaluable to us over the years.

Kenneth was always available when he was needed.  No important festival event - banquets, panel discussions, special performances, etc. ever occurred without his being there in record it on tape or film.

Visitation and funeral services will be held on Feb. 24th and will be conducted through Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave. Memphis, TN.

We appreciate his tireless effort, how he always went the "extra mile" and willingness to do whatever was necessary atthe time. We pray God will be with his family and friends!

Kenneth Price
(1959 - 2013)

January 8th--

The Memphis Film Festival would like to pay its respects to one of the great western actors of our time - the late, great Harry Carey, Jr who paased away just before the end of the year at the age of 91.

Harry married Marilyn Fix, the daughter of the actor Paul Fix, in 1944 while he was on leave from in the Navy. They have remained married for over 60 years, and have four children and four grandchildren.

After being discharged from the Navy at the end of the war, Carey followed his father into acting in 1946 by accepting a role in "Rolling Home," and then following it up with a featured role in Raoul Walsh's "Pursued." Carey's long association with John Wayne began in Howard Hawks's classic western "Red River," and his long-time acting association with Ford began with his role as The Abilene Kid in "3 Godfathers," a movie that was dedicated to his father, who had passed away in 1947. Ford had been the director of the original version of this movie in 1919, which had starred Carey's father. John Wayne was Carey's co-star, and the pair acted together in nine more movies.

Carey became a member in good standing of John Ford's stock company of actors. He appeared in the Ford/Wayne films "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," "Rio Grande" and "The Searchers," and with Ford but without Wayne in "Wagon Master" and "The Long Gray Line." Carey also appeared in "Mister Roberts" (which was begun by Ford but completed by Mervyn LeRoy after a couple of weeks of filming). He worked with Ford again in "Two Rode Together," and in "Cheyenne Autumn" without Wayne. Other movies filmed in which he worked with Wayne, but not Ford, were "Island in the Sky," "Rio Bravo," "The Undefeated," "Big Jake" and "Cahill U.S. Marshal." In total, Harry Carey Jr. appeared in nearly 100 movies and almost 100 television programs.

In 1987 Harry was awarded a Golden Boot by the Motion Picture & Television Fund Foundation, and in 2003 he won a Silver Spur Award from Reel Cowboys. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, awarded for his television activities, located at 6363 Hollywood Blvd.

We at the Memphis Film Festival will miss Harry Carey, Jr and are proud he was able to join for both the '82 an '83 festivals.  This year we will have a tribute to Disney's "Spin and Marty" series, for which he made significant contributions.  He leaves behind many fans of that series and his great film work.  May God richly bless his family and friends - He already has blessed his fans!

Harry Carey, Jr
(1921 - 2012)

January 7th-

The Memphis Film Festival is not through setting itself as the premiere event in the South this summer!

We have just added TWO new guests - the first completes the duo of Spin and Marty - Tim Considine - who had a dynamite career with Disney Studios and went on to do much more in Hollywood!

From "Spin and Marty" and "The Hardy Boys" to "The Shaggy Dog" and "My Three Sons", Tim has done it all and he will be there this summer to share his experiences with all his fans!

The second new guest is the most welcome return of Johnny Crawford, who is most famous for portraying Mark McCain in TV's "The Rifleman"!

For those who saw Johnny last year, you already know what a fine guest he was and we are proud to have him back!  But this year, we are in for a very specisl treat as Johnny will be performing at our Saturday night banquet displaying his musical talents as well!

For these exceptional additions as well as our already-outststanding lineup, please check out our "Guests Page" here or in the upper-left-hand corner!

September 25th--

Many people are excited about the appearnce of Guy Williams' son, Guy Williams, Jr, at the next summer's festival.  To help make this appearance more enjoyable, we have included here a video about the life of his late father who made the character of Zorro so exciting. It is our hope that you enjoy this intimate look at Guy Williams.

"Zorro - Behind The Mask"
(Courtesy of YouTube)

September 16th--

It wouldn't be right to have a tribute to the character of Zorro without an appearance by the son of the late actor who brought the most fame to the role.  We are pleased to announce that we will be having Guy Williams, Jr at next summer's festival!

Guy Wiliams Jr has been working to keep the legacy of his father's fame alive and will bring a lot of stories and memories with him to next year's festival!

With his addition, the Memphis Film Festival next year will be a place to be if you want to learn about the Golden Days of Hollywood and the character of Zorro in particular!

September 14th--

The Memphis Film Festival is excited to announce their latest guest addition! None other than Duncan Regehr who was most famous for his exciting portral of Zorro on The Family Channel's acclaimed series!  He will be making a VERY rare appearance next summer!

Besides his interesting characterization of Zorro (aka Don Diego de la Vega), this accomplished artist and varied actor has been known for his great performances as Errol Flynn in "My Wicked Wicked Ways" (below) and Count Dracula in "The Monster Squad" amongst many others!

At next years' convention, Duncan will be reunited with "his father" - Henry Darrow - who played that person in the memorable series. You will probably NEVER see the two together at a single convention again!

Next summer is shaping up as a very exciting convention to attend!!

August 26th--

This has been a busy, busy week for the Memphis Film Festival!

First, we announce our newest location, Sam's Town in Tunica, Mississippi!
Then we announce a new guest, James Best!
A new flyer is published!
Now we announce still another guest for next year's festival - Alex Cord!!

Alex has starred in the Westerns “Stagecoach” (playing the role made famous by John Wayne), “A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die,” and “Grey Eagle.”  He also guested on “Laramie” (the first thing he ever did), “Frontier Circus,” “Branded,” “Gunsmoke,” and “The Quest.”  Alex was also a regular on a short-lived detective series with Angie Dickinson called “Cassie and Company” and of course starred on “Airwolf.”

August 23rd--

No sooner are we announcing our new facility than are we anouncing our latest guest - James Best, known to his western fans as a guest star to many, many TV westerns.

James Best is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane on the very famous Dukes of Hazzard TV series but he has appeared in more TV westerns and feature films than most actors.

His amazing feature film credits include "The Quick Gun", "Firecreek", "The Killer Shrews", "Shenandoah", "Fantastic Planet", "Ride Lonesome" and many, many more!

His TV credits may be even more impressive with such famous notables as "Gunsmoke", "Bonanza", "Wanted: Dead or Alive", "The Andy Griffith Show", "The Lone Ranger", "The Gene Autry Show", "The Twilight Zone", "Trackdown" and so many others.

Memphis fans will be especially happy to hear that on Friday night, James will be presenting a one-man show that will focus on highlights of his amazing acting career!

August 17th--

The facilities for the 2013 Festival have been announced!!

The new location is Sam's Town in Tunica, Mississippi!  It is only a few minutes south of the old location in Olive Branch!

Further details concerning the airport shuttle service that will be available, etc. will be announced soon but rest assured there will be plenty of room at the hotel for everyone - we will not have to be split over several hotels as we have been for the past couple of years!

That being said, if you wish to go ahead and make your reservations, go ahead and do so at the hotel reservation web site or call the hotel at the following number: 1-800-946-0711 .

Please note that the reservation code for next year's Memphis Film Festival is MEMF13A. You MUST be sure the reservationist gets this code in order for you to get the best rate and for the festival to get credit for your reservation!

The nightly rates may not be the same from night-to-night but that is because you are staying at a facility that also hosts a casino meaning the weekend rate will be higher than the weekday rate!  You WILL find that if you are staying for the entire festival that your hotel bill will be cheaper than the old facility!  The room rate for Sunday through Thursday will be only $39!  For Friday and Saturday only the weekend rate of $109 will apply.  But as mentioned, it is cheaper for the entire festival run!

But the better food, the much-larger room facilties, a dealers' area that allows for larger tables and makes room for more dealers - all this makes for a better film festival going experience and enjoyment for all!

Yes, as mentioned, there is a casino "under the same roof" - but the two are separate and there is no problem with having kids at this facility.  Not only are children under 21 not admitted into the casino but the they will not be allowed to simply roam into a gambling area unnoticed! 

The Memphis Film Festival just keeps growing and getting bigger and much of that success is thanks to you, the fan!  We are glad to continue to serve you and look forward to 2013 being one of te best Memphis Film Festivals ever!

July 6th--

The 2012 Memphis Film Festival is making history now.  This summer's western TV reunion was a big hit - not with just the attendees and guests, but with the local press as well!

The festival got great coverage and we thought you might enjoy some of these great news stories as well.  So feel free to enjoy the extensive newspaper article below.

Jacksonville Press News Article

Enjoy it - it gives a good description of our Gathering of the Guns show!

July 4th--

The 2012 Memphis Film Festival is now history.  And if you want a piece of it to help you remember the great times at the festival, this is your lucky day!

You can still orger the great T-shirts and coffee mugs you saw around the hotel as souvenirs of the show - or for those who are looking for a GREAT gift idea, this is it!

The T-shirt is perfect to remind you of the fun festival and comes in all sizes! This pre-shrunk shirt has incredible printing and includes the Gathering of Guns 4 logo on the front.

We also have this GREAT coffee mug perfect for enjoying both hot and cold drinks!  It also reminds you of the historic 50th anniversary celebration held earlier this year for "The Virginian". This will be a one-of-a-kind type item and will not want to be left behind!  Order these today!

The website address for ordering these wonderful items is listed below. Use this link to get to this quick and easy site!

Order form for the GOG4 Memphis Film Festival items

Get yours today!

May 27th --

There have been many, many guests who have appeared at the Memphis festival over the past 35 years.  In fact, there have been over 300 guests making over 450 appearances.

Want to relive some memories of those shows?

Or, if you haven't been attending these shows for long, you may want to be surprised by the very impressive list of guests the festival has hosted over the years?

You can do that now - by checking out our new "Past Guests" page.  You can review the list of past guests by festival date or by an alphabetic last name.

Check out this page here - you will be impressed!