Western actors appear at Cowboy Con Expo in Reno

A small contingent of movie stars, writers, photographers, and wild west reenactors came to Reno Aug. 3-6 for the Cowboy Con Expo.

It was a festival so folks could experience the old west and the western movie world. It was a great time for anyone who loves cowboy movies and some of the actors who perform in them. What fun to walk around and see folks who you recognize in films and find out they appreciate the western way of life. One of those famous actors, Shannon Rebekah, came over from San Francisco. She is a talented young lady who has performed in the feature films, San Andreas, Wives with Knives, and Steve Jobs. Her old west link is she is in the western film Destiny, which is directed by John Pacino, a Reno resident, and will be made in Nevada. Shannon showed she was a down to earth western loving celebrity who could outdraw and outshoot some who fancied themselves handy with a six gun.

There were other popular names like Jessica Morris and Dominic Pace from Southern California both outstanding in their profession and the dynamic Johnny Ray Gibbs who hails from Texas. These are a few who will be in the film Destiny also.

Steve Morarity of Two Broke Girls and countless other films made his appearance. He regales with tales of Hollywood famous folks which captures his audience’s attention for sure.

Television directors Heather and Roger MacDonald and their friends Carrie Mitchum and Cindy Mitchum who just happened to be close relatives of famous movie stars Robert and John Mitchum showed up as icing on the cake. Charlie Lesueur writer and Arizona’s official Western Film Historian was a pleasant addition to the circle. There were also some great cowboy reenactors, John Wayne, Gabby Hayes and the well-known Hollywood stunt man Buck Montgomery. Mix in a stagecoach, calvary riders, old west clothes retailers, mineral merchants, wild horse advocates, cowboy poets, Studio owners and movie cast members and you have a recipe for a “Reel” hoedown a fun time old west cinema jamboree. Even Elvis made an appearance he did not want to miss out.

It was a grand little turnout so Cowboy con succeeded at promoting western films and bringing all those cowboy loving folks together. But after three days, they all had to hit the trail to other engagements so even though Reno is not Hollywood

We can still say, “That’s a wrap.”