Artist's Statement:

Producer Rob Word called me in 1993 to tell me about an unusual movie project he was developing for the CBS Television Network. He was acquiring the rights to the original ABC hit series, "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955-61), from Kate Edelman Johnson, daughter of the original creator and producer, Lewis Edelman. Rob and his production team planned to bring back Hugh O'Brian starring as an older Wyatt Earp returning to Tombstone in his automobile in 1914. All the new footage was shot in black&white film, edited with original footage from the series for use as flashbacks and colorized! I thought this was a very interesting concept. (See "In the Movies" and "Friends of Jimmy Don" under Wyatt Earp) He gave me the role of "Mr. Cox" which was a cameo appearance in the movie that took place in the actual newspaper office of "The Tombstone Epitaph". This was to be the very first Wyatt Earp movie ever to film on location in Tombstone! Of course, Rob's main interest was for me to do a painting for the "Making of..." segment of the video release and to offer limited edition prints to promote the film.

It was a great experience for me to work on location in Tombstone with Rob and my other friends, Bruce Boxleitner, Alex Hyde-White, Martin Kove, Bo Hopkins, Harry Carey Jr. ("Dobe") and public relations expert, Jim Moore. On the set, I got to meet and work with Hugh O'Brian, Paul Brinegar (best known as "Wishbone" on the classic "Rawhide" TV series), "Dandy" Don Meredeth and Jay Underwood. Johnny Cash did not appear in the movie, but the great Man in Black sang the famous theme song written by Harold Arlen. I put him in the painting because his distinctive voice would instantly bring his face to everyone's mind when they saw the movie. Katie Edelman Johnson, the associate producer, appears as an extra in the movie and also in the painting (Lower right with a young Hugh O'Brian).

When the movie aired, it was the highest rated program of the night! You can just imagine how I felt seeing myself in a movie that most of the footage was filmed from the time I was four until I was ten years old!