Sunday Evening - The Celebrity Banquet |
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Excitement mounted as banquet time approached because it's a time to socialize with friends and mingle with celebrities. This year the Cinecon Career Achievement awards would honor 4 talented entertainers: Academy Award winning composer Richard Sherman and 3 wonderful actresses Stella Stevens, Denise Darcel, and Adrian Booth. Besides those entertainers being honored many of our former honorees and their friends also attended the event.
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The cocktail party was set to begin at 7:00 but fans and celebrities started coming in a little before that. One early arrival was fan favorite and long time Cinecon friend, former child actress Jane Withers. |
Former Cinecon honoree Coleen Gray showed up with her husband Fritz Zeiser
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Here's Jane again this time with fellow child star Sybil Jason. |
One of the evening's honorees, Denise Darcel is joined by actor and friend William Wellman Jr. |
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Actor Robert Dix came to the banquet with his wife Mary Ellen. Robert also attended our Book Fair earlier in the weekend to sign copies of his autobiography, Out of Hollywood. |
Film and TV actor Robert Forster came to the show with actress friend Denise Grayson. |
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Actress Ann Rutherford stops to talk to honoree Adrian Booth. |
Another of the evenings honorees, Academy Award winning composer Richard Sherman arrived with his lovely wife, Elizabeth. |
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Honoree Stella Stevens signs an autograph for a fan. |
Cinecon staff members get a quiet moment during their busy evening. They are longtime volunteer Sue Gulden, Cinecon president Robert S. Birchard and volunteer coordinator Stella Grace. |
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Actress France Nuyen came to present an award at the banquet. Here she is with film and TV actress Jane Kean. |
From child star to child star, presenter Johnny Whitaker stops to chat with Jane Withers... |
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...then they strike a pose for the camera. |
Award honoree Stella Stevens is seen here with her longtime partner musician Bob Kulick.
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Richard Sherman, visits with (left to right) dancer/choreographer Miriam Nelson, actress Francine York and actor Johnny Whitaker.
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Film and TV actress Ann Robinson (best know for co-starring in War of the Worlds) stops to talk to fans.
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Top ragtime piano player Frederick Hodges who was at the banquet to play a tribute to Richard Sherman during the award portion of the show decide to play a little music as people started coming into the ballroom.
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It soon turned into a casual sing-a-long with several people gathering around the piano including actress and singer Sybil Jason. |
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During a break in the music Sybil gets her picture taken with Frederick.
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Some of our Cinecon volunteers, Charlie, Sandy and Annette, are ready to have a nice evening at the banquet and enjoy themselves. |
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Actress Peggy Stewart would be presenting the award to Adrian during the show so the two were sitting next to each other on the dais.
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Actors and longtime Hollywood couple Joseph Bologna and Renee Taylor smile for the camera.
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After taking their seats on the dais Johnny Whitaker and France Nuyen pose for a picture together. |
As everyone settled into their seats the waiters began serving dinner. The awards portion of the evening wouldn't begin until after desert and coffee.
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| Cinecon president Robert S. Birchard opened the awards portion of the evening, |
Then MC Stan Taffel took over and introduced the celebrities in attendance before turning the podium over to the first presenter. |
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| Actor William Wellman Jr. was pleased to present the first award of the evening to Denise Darcel. He met her when his father directed her in Westward the Women. |
He had a lot to say about her career and her talent. |
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| The exuberant Ms. Darcel thanked William for being there to give her the award and talked about working with his father. |
Denise proudly displayed her award as she thanked Cinecon for honoring her. |
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| Western film actress Peggy Stewart was a good choice to present an award to a fellow western actress Adrian Booth. |
Even thought the actresses never worked in a film together they both made westerns at Republic Studios. |
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| Adrian thanked Cinecon for the award and said that she enjoyed being at the convention and liked meeting her fans. |
Adrian and Peggy show off the award. |
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| Actress France Nuyen talked about her friend Stella Stevens. |
France presents Stella with the award and congratulates her. |
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| Ms. Stevens said that she's always enjoyed attending our banquets but never expected to receive one of our awards |
She said she was very happy to be honored by our group and that she had a lot of fun at the screening earlier in the day. |
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| Pianist Frederick Hodges introduced the musical tribute to the vast career of Academy Award winning composer Richard Sherman. |
The Sherman brothers (Richard along with his brother Robert) wrote a lot of great music including many well known tunes for Disney like It's a Small World, and Chim Chim Cheree. |
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| Former child actor Johnny Whitaker starred in the musical version of Tom Sawyer which was written and composed by Richard Sherman and his brother Robert. |
As his own special tribute to Mr. Sherman Johnny sang one of the songs from that movie. |
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| Clearly moved by the gesture Richard thanks Johnny for the song. |
The gracious Mr. Sherman said that he was happy to get the award from a group like ours that appreciates movies as much as we do. |
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| He said that he always wanted to be a composer and that he couldn't believe that got paid to write music and make people happy. |
Back in his seat Richard and his wife display the award. |
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| After the banquet Denise's family join her on the dais for a photo. |
William Wellman congratulates Richard Sherman on receiving his award as Elizabeth looks on. |
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| Francine York flashes a smile as she talks with fans. |
Richard and Johnny are all smiles for the camera. |
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| Stella and Adrian have a chance to talk. |
Jane and France are looking at a Jane Withers kids book from the 1930s that a fan brought in. |
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| Cinecon officer Marvin Paige gets a picture with friend Ann Rutherford. |
Then Ann gets her picture taken with actress/dancer Carla Laemmle and dancer Miriam Nelson. |
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| A lucky fan gets his picture taken with Stella. |
Meanwhile Frederick was back at the piano taking more requests. |
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| Miriam Nelson flashes a big smile. She spent a lot of time with us on Friday doing a presentation on her career and then signing her autobiography afterwards. |
Johnny Whitaker talks with Sybil Jason. |
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| Richard Sherman and wife Elizabeth stop to speak with Cinecon's Mike Schlesinger on their way out |
Here's Peggy Stewart again, this time with her
escort Packy Smith. |
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| Even though a lot of people are still visiting with each other the crowd slowly begins to thin out. |
About a dozen or so people are still scattered around listening to Frederick play old show tunes. |
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| Jane Withers is always so popular with our members that by time she talks to everyone she is usually one of the last celebrities to leave the banquet. This year was no exception but before she left she said that she wanted to meet the pianist. Frederick was quick to oblige and wanted to meet her too. The two hit it off pretty well. Someone pushed the piano over to her table so he could play a special request for her.
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| Then Jane gets her chance to sing at the piano and she's joined by Miles Kreuger and Bob Birchard. |
Jane gets a solo. |
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About half of the group that was still there gathered around the piano for a photo. It looks like all were having a good time. |
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The banquet is always a good chance to get the Cinecon officers together for a group
photo. For those who don't know them, they are, from left to right, Robert S. (we call him
Bob) Birchard, Mike Schlesinger, Stan Taffel, Stella Grace and Marvin Paige. |
And so another Cinecon Career Achievement Award banquet becomes history. As we headed off to bed we knew we would have only one more day of great films to look forward to. |
Then 
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