We recently had a great time attending the 2019 Memphis Film Festival, held during the first weekend of June at Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in Tunica, Mississippi. Fans were able to meet and chat with Hollywood actors, including Emergency’s “Doctor Kelly Brackett” (Robert Fuller) and firefighter/paramedic “Johnny Gage” (Randolph Mantooth); Darby Hinton (“Israel” on Daniel Boone); actress Angie Dickinson (star of Police Woman); and Gunsmoke actor Buck Taylor. Also, Hollywood stuntman Diamond Farnsworth signed photos and told stories of his work in films and TV shows like NCIS. Other special guests included “Zuzu” from the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life.
The large vendor hall offered opportunities to purchase books and incredible vintage items of memorabilia from 20th Century American pop culture, especially related to western stars and films. As an added bonus, most vendors are subject matter experts who love to chat with attendees.
Robert Fuller co-starred in the classic westerns Laramie and Wagon Train, however, I first became aware of him when he co-starred in TV’s Emergency as an ER doctor who championed the development of paramedic units within the Fire Department. (My wife and I appreciated that Mr. Fuller also made it a point to greet the vendors each morning of the Festival!) Randolph Mantooth co-starred as one of the two heroic paramedics in the series, inspiring many young viewers to choose a career path as part of an emergency response team. It was great to see these two guys meeting fans and sharing stories.
It was also a thrill to enjoy a close-up look at a replica Squad 51 truck on site! A man who is a big fan of Emergency built this incredible replica vehicle, and brought it to the Festival for attendees to see and take pictures. I happily posed for a photo, holding a replica Station 51 fireman’s helmet.
As always, we enjoyed seeing familiar faces of vendors and fans that we have met at previous events. The weekend went by swiftly, and my wife and I also enjoyed the chance to speak with so many wonderful attendees at our dealer table. If you were there, thanks for coming by! We are now looking forward to our next event, which will be the Roy Rogers Festival, in August, in Portsmouth, Ohio.
Matt
MATTHEW McKENZIE 