Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention 2009

JAMES BEST

While he is probably most widely known for his role as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the television hit, The Dukes of Hazzard, James Best has a resume that spans over 600 television shows and almost a hundred movies!

Among his television credits: Gunsmoke, The Andy Griffith Show, The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, Perry Mason, The Fugitive, Rawhide, Mod Squad, Wagon Train, Burke's Law, Flipper, 77 Sunset Strip, The Green Hornet, Hoaplong Cassidy and many more!

JOHNNY WHITAKER

His first film, The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming! (1966) co-starred Brian Keith. Whitaker and Keith got along so well that Keith was instrumental in setting him up for an interview with the producers of television's A Family Affair (1966-71), in which he was eventually cast as Keith's nephew, Jody.

Whitaker appeared in numerous television programs including The Virginian, Bewitched, Lancer, Bonanza and Green Acres.

He later co-starred with a young Jodie Foster twice. The first time was in Disney's Napoleon and Samantha (1972), and then she played Becky Thatcher to his Tom Sawyer (1973). He made national tours for the "Tom Sawyer" line of boys' clothing after being cast in the the musical film. Eventually the same firm put out a "Johnny Whitaker" line as well.

He originated the role of Scotty Baldwin on General Hospital, a character still seen on the show.

His official web-site is http://www.johnnywhitaker.com

CELESTE HOLM

Celeste Holm is an accomplished American stage, film, and television actress, with an Academy Award-winning performance in Gentleman's Agreement (1947), as well as for her Oscar-nominated performance in All About Eve (1950). After she starred in the Broadway production of Bloomer Girl, 20th Century Fox signed Holm to a movie contract in 1946, and in her first two years as a film actress Holm cemented herself as a formidable performer, especially when she won an Oscar and Golden Globe for best supporting actress in Gentleman's Agreement. After her famous performance in All About Eve, however, Holm realized she preferred live theater to movie work, and took on few film roles over the following decade. The most successful of these were the comedy The Tender Trap (1955) and the musical High Society (1956), both co-starring Holm with Frank Sinatra.

During the 1970s and 1980s, she

BOB HASTINGS

Bob Hastings appeared on radio in Archie Andrews, X Minus One, The Shadow, and many other programs before making the transition to television smoothly in 1949 in early science-fiction series including Atom Squad, Tom Corbett, Space Cadet and as a video ranger on TV's Captain Video.

His first recurring role was as a lieutenant on Phil Silvers' Sergeant Bilko series in the late 1950s. Most of his career has been spent in television, including Green Acres, The Twilight Zone, Batman and many others. He is best known for playing Lieutenant Elroy Carpenter on McHale's Navy, and Captain Ramsey on General Hospital. Hastings was briefly the host of the game show Dealer's Choice; throughout much of the seventies, and he had a recurring role as bar owner Tommy Kelcy on All in the Family.

PATTY McCORMACK

She achieved success as a child actor, and received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Bad Seed (1956). She has appeared in Here Comes the Groom (1951) and Two Gals and a Guy (1951).

On television she co-starred on Mama (also known as I Remember Mama (1953 to 1956). Her has acting career has continued with supporting roles in film and television including One Step Beyond, The Cavalcade of America, Dallas and The Sopranos, including a more recent performance as the First Lady Pat Nixon in Frost/Nixon (2008).

DIANA SOWLE

Most notable for playing Mrs. Bucket, Charlie's mother who sung the classic "Cheer Up Charlie" in the 1971 movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory which starred Gene Wilder.

Having been very active in theater and supplying voices for videogames such as Fallout 3, she has never done a public autograph session for fans so this marks her first time meeting and greeting fans and signing autographs! If you are a fan of the motion-picture then this is your rare opportunity to meet Diana Sowle!

JOEL BLUMBERG

Joel Blumberg has taken his lifelong passion and knowledge of classic movies and has gone public with it in the form of his acclaimed radio program “Silver Screen Audio” heard weekly on radio station WGBB in Freeport NY, a New York City Suburb. Guests on the program have included actors like, Burt Reynolds, Stacy Keach, Biff Elliot, Peter Ford, Marsha Hunt, Christopher Lee, Richard Anderson and Warren Stevens. Mr. Blumberg has been a featured host at the Palm Springs Film Noir Festival since 2005 and has spoken at other film festivals around the country. This year Mr. Blumberg makes his debut at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention hosting two of the three celebrity Q&A panels.

ROSEMARY RICE

". . . but most of all, I remember Mama."

That nostalgic statement, spoken by the actress Rosemary Rice in each weekly episode of the classic domestic comedy series Mama, warmed the hearts of television viewers more than 50 years ago.

Based on the novel and movie I Remember Mama, the television program was a stepping stone for what was to come. Truly an inspiration for Leave it to Beaver, Father Knows Best and Ozzie and Harriet, the MANC convention is pleased to present Rosemary Rice who starred as Katrin, the lead on this series. Rosemary also has an extensive credit to her name having appeared as an actress on commerical LP records and radio programs including X Minus One and Suspense. Patty McCormack, another of our guests, was also a regular cast member on Mama. And this weekend we will feature two rarely-seen episodes plus a special documentary.

(That's Rosemary in the middle front of the cast photo.)

Meriwether portrayed Catwoman for the 1966 Batman movie and co-starred as scientist Dr. Ann MacGregor in the 1966–1967 television series The Time Tunnel. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she had guest starring roles in numerous TV series, including the CBS anthology, The Lloyd Bridges Show, Star Trek episode "That Which Survives" (pictured below on the left) and the classic F-Troop episode "O'Rourke vs. O'Reilly". In films, she joined John Wayne and Rock Hudson for The Undefeated, and Andy Griffith in Angel in My Pocket in 1969. In the same year, she played IMF spy Tracey Fielding in six Mission: Impossible episodes, after Barbara Bain's departure.

Hastings has also done voice work for animation and commercials, including Beany on Beany and Cecil, the voice of the Raven on The Munsters, Superboy in the Superman/Aquaman cartoons of the 1960s, and in recent years, the voice of Commissioner Jim Gordon on the animated Batman series.

For the record: Bob Hastings is probably the only cast member from McHale's Navy that has not been out there signing autographs. I have personally met more than one person who had photos autographed by the entire cast except for Bob Hastings. So when we say this is a rare opportunity to meet Hastings in person, we mean it!