1983 Sons of the Desert Banquet

Above, the banquet program with autographs from Hank Worden and Hal Roach Sr.

Thirty-five years ago this month, I attended the 13th Annual Banquet of the "Way Out West" Tent of the Sons of The Desert at the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City with Glenn Thornhill and Mark Rosenthal. The banquet was held on October 15, 1983.

It was there that I met and obtained the autographs of actor Hank Worden (Mose Harper of The Searchers) and Hal Roach Sr. on my program.

Above, actor Hank Worden. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

At the table I was seated at was actress Joyce Compton, who was tickled that I remembered her starring with Bela Lugosi in Scared To Death.

Other stars were in attendance at the banquet, including Vivian Blaine, Alan Young, Henry Brandon and Anthony Caruso.

Above, yours truly with Mark Rosenthal (center) and Glenn Thornhill at the banquet.

Herald-Examiner columnist James Bacon was also in attendance and he wrote this in the October 20, 1983 edition:

Some of us were discussing John Wayne this morning and I noted that I met two actors in a clip from The Searchers: Hank Worden and Henry Brandon (Comanche Chief Scar). This led me to dig though my files of the banquet.