1999 James Dean Fan Weekend, Friday Dinner Party

1999 James Dean Fan Weekend, Friday Dinner Party

     Updated 7 August 1999     URL is http://our.tentativetimes.net/99fanweek/dinner.html

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David Loehr gave us a dinner dance

We got to talking and no-one remembered to dance. Instead of a band this year, we were shown a lost video, a home-recording made ages ago, of a live television play, Something For An Empty Briefcase. That will be detailed on the next page. For now, let’s see who came to dinner.

     Our host, David Loehr hugs Maxine Rowland as she arrived from Ohio. Tom Tucker of Fairmount came in at the same time. Maxine works in the Gallery every other weekend, and takes great photos. Maybe she can share some of them with us!

David is wearing a shirt by Lenny, from whom you can get a customized shirt just the way you always wanted one.



Kip Brown, owner of Ear Candy, and author Pamela Des Barres flew in from Los Angeles. Kip’s Dean book, James Dean Day by Day, is done, after ten long years of writing. Rumor has it that author Pamela Des Barres has turned her attentions to screenplays. She may be writing a book about Dean too. Order David Loehr’s excellent reference book giving the value of James Dean memorabilia. I have my copy, and it’s terrific.



It was hot that night, especially since Terry McGinn was bent over a blazing grill for hours. We wore him out, so here’s a photo of him cooking for us another time, at Back Creek Friends Church brunch. He was ably assisted once again by Heath, down from college in Michigan for the weekend.

      Here’s Heath in the Adeline Nall room at the James Dean Memorial Gallery. All Friday everyone said "Where’s Keith? Where is Heath." Finally he arrived.

     Showing their appreciation for the Lions letting us have their building for the evening, Mary and Bill Lesniewski enjoy the sunset. Bill has great Dean tattoos, and maybe that’s what first caught Mary’s eye. They are so happy, and practically newlyweds. Has it been eight years yet, kids??

      Tom is enjoying Erika’s story, really he is. Cindy has her back to the camera.

One new source of perpetual motion this year: two women who went to the same high school in New York. On the left, Michelle Adams, now teaching in Houston. On the right, writer Magdalin Leonardo, whose pages make Deaners magazine much more interesting. Magdalin will return for the September Fairmount Museum Days, often called the James Dean festival.

      Les, Carolyn and young Dustin Stamm from Illinois, I think, just made it into the building as the food was being put to bed. Terry is unflappable. He and Heath heated up fine plates for the Stamms. We hope they will come back in September. "See you in September" ought to be our theme song.

      It wouldn’t be an event without Phil Ziegler, a fan loyal and true. Here he visits with Mark Kinnaman. Phil fell over a curb in New Orleans, stone cold sober, and knocked his shoulder right out of the socket. He still hurts like, um, well a lot. Will you send him a get well card c/o the James Dean Gallery, 415 North Main Street, P.O. Box 55, Fairmount, IN 46928

      Guess who got a hot new tattoo at Rockabilly Rebel Weekend this year? Kids, don’t try this at home! Good work, very good, done by a fellow from California?? I didn’t write it down….

Here’s a puzzle for you. Two Dean fans, both from Indiana, one now living in California. On chats they are known as Saint and Heaven Sent. Their msn chat room is for boomers. The rest is up to you to figure out!

      Every once in a while I hit the wrong button on my camera. I never know what will happen. In this case, Terry McGinn is covered by smoke at the BBQ grill.

     This fan’s car is in its original condition. A farmer owned it since 1950, driving it only on weekends. A local fan bought it and has kept it just as glorious as he found it. As the evening ended, we drifted out to our cars, wishing every one of us could get together like this every weekend.

And now for the treat of the year, David Loehr’s showing of Something For An Empty Briefcase


You know, I’m sure there are all sorts of James Dean gatherings in California. I’d like to put those notices on here, if anyone sends them to me. Or any other city. For instance, there will be a James Dean Ride each year, the second Sunday in July, starting from the truckstop in Warren Indiana, at Highway 5 and I-69. There is a breakfast around 8 a.m. and the ride commences to Fairmount at 9:30 a.m. So if you have a motorcycle, you are invited, wherever you live. No ride? Come in a car! RAIN DATE will be the third Sunday in July.


The PageWatch service that notified you of updates is no longer working for me. I think they want a lot of money. I am sorry to lose this service.


Here are the pages planned for this weekend’s pictures: if they are underlined, they are made or just started. There will be constant revisions until I am done.

Introduction

At the Gallery

At the Dinner Friday

Something For An Empty Briefcase

The Jeopardy-style trivia contest

This and That on a Fairmount Dean Weekend

Mark Kinnaman reports on the Saturday banquet

Enjoy the 1998 Fan Appreciation Weekend

The James Dean Deaner pages index

Tell-Mama music magazine

You can go to the cover of Our Tentative Times any time. It’s the mother of the five magazines I provide.

Logo graphics by Mark K. Kinnaman, artist to the fans.