Memphis Film Festival

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Most people who've collected 16mm B western films and serials over the years probably encountered Dewey Derrick of North Little Rock, AR somewhere along the way. He'd been an avid collector since the mid-1970s and was very proud of his films. Bob Steele was his favorite cowboy, and he also enjoyed Tim MCoy, Buck Jones, Ken Maynard, and Tom Tyler among others. He was involved with the Memphis Film Festival during the early 1980s, and continued to loan film to it for years afterward.

Dewey died on February 3rd. He was about 85 years old. He had been in ill health for the last year or so. He is survived by his wife, Lorene, and two daughters. He was active in Masonry for a long time.

This is Dewey preparing to run one of his beloved B westerns
with posters and lobby cards of some of his favorites in the background.

I owe alot in my life to Dewey. He was the one who reintroduced me to B westerns, which I had enjoyed on television as a young boy in the early 1950s. They were only a part of my past in 1977, and I never dreamed I'd be able to enjoy them again until I saw a news story about Dewey and his collection on a Little Rock television station. I was intrigued that anyone could actually collect and watch these films, so I contacted the station to see if it could put me in touch with Dewey. I called him shortly thereafter, and he invited me to his home in the Rose City section of North Little Rock.

He had converted his garage into a screening room, complete with theatre seats and cowboy movie posters covering the walls. He screened part of a film for me that day, and invited me to come back when he showed a complete one to a small group of fans. I returned and continued to do so one Saturday a month for the next 30 years. Dewey would run a couple of serial chapters and would follow them with a two or more B westerns. More often than not, we'd be watching his films but occasionally others who collected would bring something of theirs along to screen. There'd always be a lot of great conversation afterwards about the films we watched, the characters featured in them, and how these movies still meant so much to us decades after they were made.

Dewey holding a plaque his friends in "The Cliffhangers Club" gave him
for all the entertainment he provided them over the years.

Because of Dewey, I first became aware of a film festival held in Memphis beginning in 1972. It was dedicated to B western movies, and I went to my first festival there in 1977. I can still remember being awestruck by meeting the likes of Monte Hale, Myron Healy, Iron Eyes Cody, Art Davis, Arkansas "Slim" Andrews, Penny Edwards, Jock Mahoney, and Foy Willing of Riders of the Purple Sage fame. Within three years, when the festival reorganized, I'd become a part of the organization.

Dewey taught me everything I learned about film collecting. He also introduced me to other collectors such as Norman York, Don Shofner, Charlie Boren, H.K. Garth, Mitchell Schaperkotter, and others who broadened my horizons. A year or so ago, Dewey's health got the best of him, and he was no longer able to show films at his home. We moved our group to my schoolroom in Conway, AR., but we still talked with him on occasion and tried to keep him up with what we were doing. There are about 10 of us now who are continuing the tradition Dewey started. He will remain in our hearts for as long as we're together.

---Ray Nielsen
Chairman, Memphis Film Festival
(with memories from Jimmie Covington, Fred Davis, H.K. Garth, Jimmy Higgins, Harold Mathews, Bill Matchett, Bob Moore, Ross Stanley, Dwayne Yant and the late Cloyd Reeg.

For more information on Dewey, his film collection hobby and how he was involved in the early days of the Memphis Film Festival, please check the article in the book, "Moving Pictures and Classic Images".

You can post your tributes to our good friend at the new MFF forum.

Dewey Derrick
(1925 - 2010)

Brad's film career started out in "Our Gang" comedies and he had several as a child actor in such ntable films as "Little Lord Fauntleroy", "Bringing Up Baby", "Young Tom Edison" and "Pride and Prejudice".

His film career was interrupted by his serviceas a fighter pilot in World War II. He was shot down over Germany and spent 6 months as a prisoner-of-war.

After the war, Brad returned to acting and found his niche in the industry when he appeared in B-Westerns along with such stars as Lash LaRue, Jimmy Wakely and Eddie Dean. Some of the classic westerns that featured his performances were "Stage to Mesa City", "Range Beyond the Blue", "Law of the Lash" and "Border Feud".

Brad retired from show business and had a second career as an airline captain for Western Airlines. He made a rare appearance at the 1999 Memphis Film Festival where he had a great time revsiting his Hollywood memories with the fans.

Our prayers and houghts go out for his family and friends.

Brad "Buster" Slaven
(1922 - 2009)

George was a movie theatre owner-operator who began screening B-Westerns at The Hub Theatre in Gaffney, SC. in 1992. It started as a small gathering of folks who loved watching old westerns and grew into a force for preserving their memory and passing them down to future generations.

Bill Elliott was George's favorite B Western star, and "Prairie Gunsmoke" (shown below) was his favorite film. His son, Jack, says George had a 16mm print of it, and for a time they both watched it together at least once a week.

As off-shoots of his devotion to classic westerns, George got involved with the Silver Screen Saddle Pals. They're a group of B western lovers who dress up like their favorite movie cowboy heroes and sidekicks from days gone by and take their positive message to parades, children's hospitals and other public events. He also became publisher of "The Old Cowboy Picture Show" (TOCPS) a newsletter that features biographical stories of B western stars and others involved in their production.

(George, on right, with Steven Lodge)

George attended a lot of western film conventions and supported them all. He supplied many 16mm films for screening at the Memphis Film Festival over the years, and he loaned them for various screenings at a film club I convene in Conway, Arkansas each month.

George was also good about promoting Memphis with ads and commentaries in TOCPS.

George's big heart finally gave out on him, but his contributions to western film lovers will live on. George's son, Jack, says there will be one last issue of TOCPS. "It may take me a while to get through it," he said. "I will have to close that door for dad."

That door may close, but it will not shut out our memories of all that George meant to us.

---Ray Nielsen
Chairman, Memphis Film Festival

You can post your tributes to our good friend at the new MFF forum.

George Coan
(1942 - 2009)

Alvin was born to Dora Kouri Naifeh and Noimmer Naifeh April 26, 1933 in Sapulpa, Okla. Following his graduation from Classen High School in 1953, Alvin attended classes at Oklahoma City University. He volunteered for & appeared in Lyric Theatre productions. He also worked in the campus post office. Alvin was an icon at OCU, and many people knew who he was and admired him for his accomplishments.

Alvin's Cafe is a special place on OCU's campus and is named in his honor. He loved the Lord, movies, and plays. Thank you to Dr. & Mrs. Walker & Wilt Conine, who were special friends to Alvin. He is survived by Eleanor & Jean Vandruff, their children & grandchildren; Carrie Lee Kouri & her children & grandchildren. David & Susie Opp were his loving caregivers in recent years. Alvin was preceded in death by his grandparents, Addy & Mary Kouri; his parents; aunts & uncles.

Alvin Naifeh
(1933 - 2009)

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