TWR Listeners Lounge - Jim Dunham

<p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>In this episode, Alan Sanders and Walt Murray chat with cowboy historian, performer and artist, Jim Dunham. Jim joined us back in season two as an Old West expert to help with with five episodes of Blazing Saddles. This time we wanted to get <em>his</em> history. Jim Dunham first became fascinated by the Old West after watching the Davy Crocket Show on The Wonderful World of Disney. The show led him to the library to read more about him and other characters from the West. By the time he was in college, he was taking acting classes and learning how to speed-draw and do gun tricks. Jim loved to learn the history of the West and soon found a job at 20th Century Fox studios performing in a Wild West Show. His career was growing when he was called to serve in the Army for a time.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>When he finished his service, he tried to get back into the film industry, but wasn't making any in-roads. He created a one-man show, performing all over the United States. Along the way, he would help actors with proper gun techniques. He also made himself available to help with Western screenplays. One of those just happened to be for the film, <strong>Tombstone</strong>, by Kevin Jarre. <strong>Tombstone</strong>, though still not entirely accurate, may be the closest we can get to the events leading up to and after the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":5} --></p> <h5><strong>The Booth Western Art Museum</strong></h5> <p><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>Jim found his way to NW Georgia, getting hired as a special projects manager at the Booth Western Art Museum. The museum is a world-class, Smithsonian affiliate. In 2020 and 2021, it was listed as the number one art museum in the United States according to a USA Today Reader's poll. While continuing to work at the museum, Jim created a 30 minute show, recreating the OK Corral gunfight every October during the Cowboy festival. Jim still