Dave Fulton
Marshal Dillon Arrives in Florence - 1958
Marshal Matt Dillon (actor James Arness)star of TV's GUNSMOKE is shown arriving at the Florence, SC airport in August 1958 to assume his duties as Grand Marshal of the 1958 Southern 500 Festival, parade and race in Darlington.
Photo from T.C. Griffin collection as used in book, FLORENCE.
Anybody remember Eastern Airlines? I flew with them in my younger years a couple times. Still have a deck of cards they gave out to passengers back in the day.
Mr.Marshal Matt Dillon (actor James Arness)star of TV's GUNSMOKE has been to Byrd Airport /in Richmond,Va/by Eastern Airlines/as Grand Marshal for the Tobacco Festival Parades/as Grand Marshal for the auto races.
You can still ride the Eastern Airlnes "SPIRIT of Captain EDDIE RICKENBACKER" EASTERN AIRBUS A319 in Summer 2014.
Thanks for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va. USA
Dennis, I still have James Arness' autograph from his 1958 stint in Richmond as Grand Marshal of the National Tobacco Festival. My father was purchasing agent for Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co., whose L&M brand sponsored Gunsmoke & brought "Matt" to Richmond.Devin, I often flew Eastern. My first Wrangler Racing Program asst. mgr.'s wife was an Eastern flight attendant and when Eastern closed its Charlotte reservations center, one of the former employees opened a travel agency at Lake Norman booking all the NASCAR teams. That later turned into the charter flights where she'd book entire aircraft before the teams bought planes.In 1960, Eastern took out 3 rows of seats to fly my great aunt from NY City on a stretcher to Richmond on a Golden Eagle flight after she broke her hip in NY.
By the way, the late NASCAR Winston Cup Series Director, Dick Beatty was operations manager for Eastern at Charlotte-Douglas Airport.
Dave,
Do you remember or know of an actor playing an oowboy in TV Series sponsored by tobacco company.
He came to Richmond,Va. as an Grand Marshal for National Tobacco Festival Parade and auto races.
He drink too much/got drunk/got mad and thought that City of Richmond,Va. was Dodge City.
He shoot his 45's at something (tv,wall,or human) in the hotel he was staying at and got arrested by Richmond Police Dept.
I think the judge felted sorry for him and fine him.
I might be wrong, my fuzzy brain is telling me, Actor James Drury of 'Virginian' TV series.
Don't know the date and can't find it on internet.
Thanks for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va. USA
Dennis... you are exactly right... not fuzzy at all. My dad's company also brought Drury to Richmond and wished they hadn't. He was the polar opposite of Arness and gave them nothing but trouble. The year was 1963 and the hotel was the John Marshall:
The Grand Marshal for the very first National Tobacco Festival in Richmond - 1949 - was Frank Sinatra. In that year's souvenir program on the page showing the football lineups for Tobacco Bowl opponents University of Richmond and Virginia Military Institute, Dad's company, Liggett & Myers advertised that its Chesterfield cigarette was the #1 seller on college campuses. It was a different age.
Thanks for sharing the A319!