Show 2002 2 August Friday Cache Herald The 14 Page Things get rough and tumble at the Festival of the American West Story by Jeff Hunter Photos by Mitch Mascaro Profa— tonal gun entertainer Jim Dunham shows off his WELLS VILLE — One is branded “hysterical”The other “historical” And hypothetically folks end up dead Such are the two gunfights currently being staged at foe Festival of the Amencan West While the afternoon show is heavy on humor and high jinks the evening clash is a of the renowned Gunfight at die OK Conal at Tombstone Ariz in October 1881 “I’ve done my homework” says Jim Dunham the events' top gun choreographer and master of ceremonies “I've researched this stuff to the nth degree” Although he lives in Atlanta Dunham writes a script choreographs the action and then ships it off to in Cache Vhlley They then have all winter to prepare for die gun play “Then when we get together a few days before die start of the festival we have a quick rehearsal and work out die finer points” Dunham says “It works real good” While the early show is lighthearted and doesn't involve any known names the evening perfonpance showcases some of the Old West’s most famous gunfighters includand Doc ing “He kindo? looks like Wyatt?” four people declare simultaneously when asked how Steven Wright of Hyrum landed the starring role of Earp Wright’ wife Cynthia who also portrays Earp’s wife Mattie says it’s the long Mack coat “He boughtthat frock coat six yean ago when he decided to portray Wyatt” Cynthia say s“He loves it That’s what he wears to church” Presumably without the Coh 45 around bos waist but who knows? Diinham’s cast dearly loves its firearms ' “When you’re a little kid this is wharyou dream of” ' says Bred Jones a Logan resident who plays Wyatt’s '1 brother Morgan “And we’re just big kite living that dream” During the Gunfight at the OK Corral the cast acts out the battle in slow motion while Dunham narrates It’s then played out in real time taking just two minutes to unfold The gunplay itself lads just 27 seconds blit totals 30 shots fired three men ldUed and three more wounded “Ask anybody what they know about the Old Westl and the first thing they’ll say is Tbrabstone’” notes Hyrum’s Cody Merchant who portrays the Earps’ nemesis Frank McLaury Jim Dunham is deariy proud of where he’s from — “I grew up in Dlinois” hesays “Name a gunfighter Most ' gunfighters were from Illinois” — but that doesn’t mean ' he wanted to stay there He canm west to attend college at the University of Colorado became involved with the theater and then J Dunham worked on die motion picture "Tombstc did an episode of “Quantum Leap” called “The Las Gunfighter” and has been featured in four episodes History Channd series “Tries of the Gun” fast-draA one-tim- e champion Dunham says little slower every day” a getting “I was probably fastest when I was 2S to 26 yen and see I’m 59” he continues “I’m still pretty acci but there’s a lot of guys that are a kit better than I a “I can still spin ’em and twirl ’em and flip ‘em a throw ’em but I couldn’t win a competition with a w now” Dunham says he developed his love of gunfighte while listening to cowboy programs cm the radio w a gone-b- y age Unless they figure out a way for a horse to burst inf flames and explode Westerns aren’t going to be able to compete with That's LJ skills tor Festival patrons ng ounmoouo cnoscSm headed further west following graduation and landed a job in Hollywood with 20th Century Fox So since 1965 Dunham has lived every young boy’s dream 1 do this for a living” he proclaims “Ain’t that funny? Hard to believe isn’t it” Currently die director of special projects at the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartenville Ga Dunham also supports himself through Western history presentations on the banquet and convention circuit In " he has served as a consultant andfar acted in numerous Western films" P 4 TOver threats I figure I’ve probably taught 27 movie stars how Ife handle a mm” Dunham Imys “Robert Culp Armand Assanle Bill Bixby ScottBakula and Dean StockweHEvcn Bob Hastings frbmMcHale’s Navy’ and Tim Drury The Virginian” was a child and then later by watching Westerns ( 'Vision “It’s the closest dung we have in our country to Knights of die Round Ihble” he says “We don’t 1 King Arthur or Sir Lancelot so the most romantic charismatic figure in our history is the cowboy an dally die cowboy in conjunction with Old West gi fights7 Dunham notes that while Old West-themotgs tions such as die Single Action Shooting Society a ing by ‘leaps and bounds” the glory days of cowl ing off into the sunset an TV and die big screen h: the way of the buffalo “Rom time to time you’ll have a good Western will never come back with the popularity that it er the ’50s and ’60s" he says “That’s a gone-b- y age they figure out a way for a hone to bust into flan ed |