Oklahoma Trails is home for new female river otter, Hazel.

Guests visiting the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden will have an opportunity to see its newest animal family member, Hazel, a female North American river otter. Hazel, 1, recently arrived at the OKC Zoo from Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, Michigan, and can be seen at the Zoo’s river otter habitat in the Big Rivers building at Oklahoma Trails. The recommendation for Hazel to relocate to the OKC Zoo came from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan® (SSP) for North American river otters. AZA’s SSP programs are cooperatively managed programs created to oversee species populations within AZA accredited zoos and aquariums.
“It’s always exciting to connect guests to a new member of our animal family,” said Tyler Boyd, the Oklahoma City Zoo’s curator of carnivores. “Hazel is settling in nicely and becoming familiar with her new habitat space. At this time, she is our only river otter but we are working with the AZA’s SSP program for river otters to find her a companion.”
Located throughout North America and Canada, river otters are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as stable, meaning that their population in the wild is not in immediate danger of decline. River otters are just one of 13 different otter species found globally. River otters are known for their long slender bodies with short legs and their excellent swimming abilities. Adult otters can vary greatly in size, growing to about 2.5 to 5 feet and weighing between 10 and 30 pounds. A carnivorous species, river otters eat fish, frogs, crayfish, turtles and even some small mammals. They hunt either alone or in pairs but can also forage on land for insects and small mammals.
You “otter” make your way to the OKC Zoo to see Hazel! The Oklahoma City Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with the last entry no later than 4 p.m. Purchase advance tickets for general admission at www.okczoo.org/tickets. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner. Regular admission is $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free.
Stay connected with the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linktree and TikTok, and by visiting our blog stories. To learn more about Zoo happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit okczoo.org.

Story by Darl DeVault, Contributing Editor

Sometimes known as a Grand Activity, grandparents often help their grandkids explore new activities outdoors when they share leisure experiences.
Organizers say Oklahoma City RIVERSPORT provides such an opportunity in several locations, providing kayak lessons and rentals so grandkids and grandparents can share the healthy outdoors together.
The Oklahoma River in downtown Oklahoma City is a boon to recreational kayaking in the Boathouse District. Access these outdoor amenities at 725 S. Lincoln Blvd., located just south of Bricktown’s Bass Pro Shop. Organizers rent equipment and provide quick land-based lessons to instill confidence in newfound on-the-water kayaking skills to paddlers. Instruction is vital in steering these boats to a safe and fun adventure. This extends past those interested in kayaking to various paddle sports such as stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and whitewater kayaking with more training.
Sitting in the boat on the water, it’s easy to feel how kayaking can rekindle a connection with Mother Nature. The craft glides across the river’s surface with each paddle stroke at your pace and effort rate. The retirement privileged will easily keep pace with the young’uns or your companions. Your efforts may entice you to become a senior kayaker and more avid outdoor enthusiast.
This popular water sport affords paddlers an up-close-and-personal view of the river and the wildlife along waterways – cranes, geese, ducks, and the fish in the river. Wide, lightweight plastic touring boats and flatwater kayaks (also called recreational kayaks) make this possible.
A new generation of wider constructed, safer flatwater kayaks featuring easy dynamic control is fueling a paddlesport explosion. These smaller boats’ control and balance make for the perfect outing with grandkids.
Paddleboarding is standing on a wide “surf” board. You use a long, angled paddle to move leisurely through the water. Ages 8+ can paddle solo, while ages 5+ can SUP with an adult. SUP is included in the RIVERSPORT day and season passes, or you can rent a board by the hour. All participants must wear a personal floatation device (lifejacket also called PFD), which is provided.
SUP is available in the Boathouse District and via RIVERSPORT Flat Tide at Lake Overholser and Lake Hefner.
Downtown in the Boathouse District, grandparents can rent kayaks and SUPs or purchase a RIVERSPORT day pass for a whole day of fun and adventure.
“The Lake Overholser Boathouse and the Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge are hidden treasures in Oklahoma City,” said Elizabeth Laurent, spokesperson for RIVERSPORT. “It’s a great place for grandparents and grandkids to spend time away from digital distractions and get back to nature.”
RIVERSPORT’s Lake Overholser Boathouse is located on the east shore of Lake Overholser, 12 miles west, and offers hourly kayak and SUP rentals. It features the North Canadian River, which winds through the Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge north of the lake. The Refuge is one of the best places to kayak in central Oklahoma. Quiet waterways are a great place to learn the basics.
Grandparents can easily share some fun time on the water with their grandkids as they enjoy kayaking by renting one for a few hours. RIVERSPORT Flat Tide puts you on the water in kayaks and paddleboards at the northeast corner of Lake Overholser near the Route 66 Bridge on the weekends. This Spring, the Oklahoma City Water Trust upgraded the parking lot near the Route 66 Bridge with a new gravel surface. This widening and replacing of the earthen surface make it available to about 60 cars.
Kayaker Michael Jones from Edmond left this five-star review of the Stinchcomb portion on the alltrials.com website on March 19, 2022. You can track his paddle excursion: Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge: East Trail – Oklahoma | AllTrails: Beautiful day to kayak. The water was fairly calm. Busy on the river but not overly so. Went from the boathouse north, under bridges then up the west channel to the river. Not a lot of wildlife but heavier boat traffic is probably why. Went north on the river to near the turnpike. The water got shallow, so I headed back. Nice 3-hour workout.
Once a grandparent uses the on-the-water activities for a bonding session with their grandkids, the kids are sure to look around and see all the other opportunities RIVERSPORT has to offer. RIVERSPORT in the Boathouse District offers a wide variety of land-based activities, including a six-story adventure course, high-speed slides, climbing, bicycling, whitewater rafting, tubing, surfing and indoor skiing. RIVERSPORT also offers coached rowing and canoe/kayak programs for youth through high school age and masters (adult) athletes.
To learn more about RIVERSPORT, visit www.riversportokc.org online or email info@riversportokc.org.

In a year of full returns in-person and across theaters, deadCenter Film and Norman Music Festival are proud to partner on Thursday, April 28, at Sooner Theatre in announcing finalists for the inaugural Oklahoma Music Video Award in advance of the 22nd annual deadCenter Film Festival, taking place June 9 – 12. The award finalists will be presented at 7 p.m. during opening night of the music festival, which will run through Saturday, April 30 in Norman and precede an evening of programming merging music and movies.
The 22nd annual deadCenter Film Festival will take place June 9 – 12 in venues across downtown Oklahoma City. This inaugural partnership merges the schedule kick-off of the deadCenter Film Festival, in its first full in-theater run since 2019, with NMF, returning to full three-day operations after being one of the first metro area festivals to cancel in 2020, subsequently canceling the event again in 2021 due to the pandemic.
“One of my favorite things about Oklahoma is the way organizations work together to bring unique experiences to our state,” said deadCenter Film’s director of festival and operations, Miranda Patton. “Our partnership with the Norman Music Festival is undeniably one of those great partnerships. I am beyond excited about our upcoming event, the Music Video award, and future opportunities to celebrate music and film together.”
Immediately following the announcement of music video finalists, deadCenter Film will offer a screening of the documentary feature “Skating Polly: Ugly Pop” about the Oklahoma-bred, now West Coastbased, band Skating Polly, which was winner of the film festival’s Audience Award in 2021. The evening will feature a Q&A with director Henry Mortensen after the screening and a performance by Skating Polly, a trio of siblings known for memorable, genre-shattering versatility for more than a decade.
“We are just thrilled to be able to partner with a tremendous organization like deadCenter Film Festival on the inaugural Oklahoma Video Music award. Being able to overlap our brands and extend our message to broader audiences on each other’s behalf is the kind of collaboration that benefits our state, undoubtedly,” Shari Jackson, Norman Music Festival’s executive director said. “Being able to make this presentation with Skating Polly in attendance is the cherry on the top. On behalf of our board of directors, I can certainly say that we look forward to future collaborations with deadCenter Film Festival.” For more information visit: https://www.deadcenterfilm.org/

OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, located on the OU Health Sciences Center campus in Oklahoma City, recently marked more than a decade of delivering the most advanced, research-driven, comprehensive care for patients facing the challenges of a cancer diagnosis. Dedicated on June 30, 2011, Stephenson Cancer Center opened to patient care three weeks later.
A $12-million gift made in 2010 by Tulsa residents Charles and Peggy Stephenson, longtime supporters of the University of Oklahoma, capped a $50-million private fundraising campaign. Theirs was the largest single donation to the Health Sciences Center at the time. In 2019, the Stephenson Family Foundation presented a transformative $20 million gift to expand the center’s research mission. Extending the impact of the Stephenson’s generosity, the cancer center committed to raise an additional $20 million, dedicated to the discovery of new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. The philanthropic support of the Stephenson family served to sustain momentum that helped secure the cancer center’s designation as a National Institutes of Health (NCI) Cancer Center in 2018.
NCI designation became a specific goal for Stephenson Cancer Center in 2001, when the Oklahoma State Legislature approved House Bill 1072. Passed with bipartisan support, the bill called upon the university to create a comprehensive cancer center to provide leadership in cancer treatment, research and outreach. Further, the overarching goal was to achieve national recognition as an NCI-designated cancer center. Over the past decade, more than $400 million has been committed to the support and ongoing development of the cancer center, making it the largest public-private biosciences initiative in Oklahoma history.
Stephenson Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated center in Oklahoma. NCI designation belongs to only an elite group of cancer centers representing the top 2% of centers in the United States. Then and now, the cancer center demonstrates an unprecedented commitment to fighting cancer through improved treatment, clinical research, support programs and education.
Robert Mannel, M.D., Stephenson Cancer Center director, emphasized what it means to have such a resource in the state. “Cancer is the greatest challenge of modern-day medicine, possessing an intimidating force to irrevocably alter the lives of patients and their families. Cancer touches all of us, with one of two Oklahoma men and one in three Oklahoma women getting a cancer diagnosis during their lifetime. Stephenson Cancer Center’s vision is to eliminate cancer in Oklahoma and beyond. Its mission is to provide patient-centered, research-driven multidisciplinary cancer care. Such care is available in Oklahoma at Stephenson Cancer Center.”
The presence of this unparalleled resource for the utmost in compassionate patient care makes it possible to offer a broad range of latest-generation therapies and research-driven clinical trials. Further, it allows patients to access world-class care close to home, eliminating the necessity of travel beyond state borders. This invaluable benefit preserves patients’ vital networks of physical, mental and emotional support found in family, friends and spiritual communities.
“We’re keenly focused on research-driven patient care that provides access to tomorrow’s therapies today. It is research that drives us toward a future reality in which the burden of cancer is reduced or eliminated,” said Mannel. “Here, we have harnessed the resources that will one day help to defeat this adversary, which has taken such a toll on families across the globe. Stephenson Cancer Center is an inspiring model of what we can accomplish as Oklahomans united for such a compelling cause.”
Mannel explained that the cancer center’s mission-critical components include recruitment of NCI-funded researchers and the education and superior training of oncology health professionals. “These strategies are part of the battle plan to defeat cancer.”

Five grants totaling $1.5 million have provided new cage-cleaning and sterilization equipment for the more than 20,000 mice that call the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation home.
Offices in the animal facility, known as the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Genetic Research, also are being renovated, thanks to grants from the Hearst Foundation, J.A. Chapman and Leta M. Chapman Charitable Trust, National Institutes of Health, Presbyterian Health Foundation, and Robert Glenn Rapp Foundation.
Researchers rely heavily on lab mice, which share more than 95% of their genomes with humans. These mice help deepen scientists’ understanding of diseases ranging from cancer to Alzheimer’s to multiple sclerosis and often play a crucial role in developing new treatments.
Mice receive a new cage every one to two weeks. Research technicians wash, sterilize and provide new bedding for nearly 1,000 cages per day. After 20 years, the highly specialized equipment was breaking down regularly: In 2020, OMRF’s contracted technician made 38 visits for repairs.
“What kept us up at night was the prospect of our repair technician getting ill or that the equipment would have a catastrophic failure,” said Jennie Criley, D.V.M., OMRF’s director of Comparative Medicine.
A catastrophic failure, Criley said, could have meant a six-month wait for new, custom-made equipment. This would have caused sweeping delays in research operations, including experiments involving a select group of “germ-free” mice for OMRF researchers like Matlock Jeffries, M.D. These mice have no detectable microbes, and everything that enters their environment must be sterile.
“Our lab studies the relationship between osteoarthritis and microbiomes in the gut,” Jeffries said. “The germ-free facility allows us to give mice a precise microbiome and examine the effects on knee cartilage when we perturb the microbiome. It’s critical that their environment is kept reliably sterile. These grants provide that assurance.” The grants replaced seven pieces of equipment utilized by researchers at OMRF, the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Oklahoma.
The new equipment provides not only reliability, but also energy savings, resulting in more efficient use of foundation funds.
“These facility updates will provide decades of support for OMRF researchers to garner new insights and treatment strategies for diseases that impact people everywhere,” said OMRF President Andrew S. Weyrich, Ph.D.
NIH funds for the renovation are from National Institute of General Medical Sciences Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence program grant No. P20GM139763-01.

The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation presented scientific awards to four scientists and announced another as an endowed chair during Wednesday’s annual spring board meeting.
Florea Lupu, Ph.D., received the Edward L. & Thelma Gaylord Prize for Scientific Excellence, OMRF’s highest scientific award. Lupu joined OMRF in 2001 and holds the H. Allen and Mary K. Chapman Chair in Medical Research, which focuses on the study of cardiovascular and circulatory diseases and disorders. His lab aims to find a new treatment for sepsis, which kills about 270,000 people per year in the U.S. — more than lung cancer, breast cancer and drug overdoses combined.

The Merrick Award for Outstanding Medical Research was given to Benjamin Miller, Ph.D., an internationally recognized leader in aging research. Miller, a physiologist, seeks to prevent the onset of chronic diseases by slowing the biological process of aging. His current work focuses on whether metformin, the world’s most prescribed diabetes drug, is effective at slowing aging.
Gaurav Varshney, Ph.D., received the J. Donald & Patricia H. Capra Award for Scientific Achievement. Varshney uses revolutionary gene-editing technology to understand human hearing loss, a condition that affects 1 in 6 American adults. Last year, he received NIH funding to study 21 genes believed to be involved in developmental disorders such as hearing loss, autism and schizophrenia.
The Fred Jones Award for Scientific Achievement was presented to Wan Hee Yoon, Ph.D. Yoon uses fruit flies to investigate how disruptions or failures in mitochondria — the driver for energy and metabolism in cells — can lead to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Last year his research uncovered a rare genetic mutation deemed responsible for neurological disorders in nine children in Europe and the Middle East.
Also at the meeting, Darise Farris, Ph.D., was named the Alvin Chang Chair in Biomedical Research. Farris’ lab studies conditions that range from Sjögren’s disease to bacterial infections such as anthrax. Her focus is the body’s abnormal immune responses in these conditions and how countering those reactions can result in better health outcomes.
“Dr. Farris is internationally recognized for her innovative research on immune responses in health and disease,” said Rod McEver, M.D., OMRF’s vice president of research, who held the Alvin Chang Chair from 2009 to 2020. “She is a highly valued colleague at OMRF and other institutions, and most importantly, she is a dedicated mentor to younger scientists.”

Governor Kevin Stitt nominates current interim commissioner of health for commissioner position

Thursday Governor Kevin Stitt nominated Keith Reed the Commissioner of Health for the state of Oklahoma. Reed has been with the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) for 20 years, serving in various positions throughout the agency.
Reed has been serving as OSDH’s interim Commissioner of Health since October 22, 2021.
“I am honored to be nominated by Governor Stitt for consideration as Oklahoma’s next Commissioner of Health,” said Keith Reed, current interim commissioner of health. “I am proud to work alongside professionals that are truly dedicated to improving the lives of their neighbors. I look forward to the potential to serve in this capacity and continuing the transformation of OSDH, as it strengthens internally to ultimately be more responsive and a better partner for Oklahomans.”
Reed was born and raised in Monroe, Oklahoma located in Le Flore County.
“I often draw on my upbringing in a smaller Oklahoma community when thinking about the needs of Oklahomans that OSDH has the responsibility for meeting,” said Reed.
Reed has his Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Oklahoma’s Northeastern State University and possesses a Master of Public Health Degree (MPH) from the University of Oklahoma. Further, he is Certified in Public Health through the National Board of Public Health Examiners.
In addition to his public health career, Reed is a Colonel in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, serving multiple tours in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. He is currently assigned as Commander, 137th Special Operations Medical Group, Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma City.
“Keith Reed has done an exceptional job as interim commissioner of health and will continue to serve Oklahomans well in this permanent capacity,” said Gov. Stitt. “Keith has a proven track record of success, and he is the right person to lead the Oklahoma State Department of Health into the future.”
Before Reed is officially named as the Commissioner of Health, the senate must confirm his appointment.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) protects and improves public health through its system of local health services and strategies focused on preventing disease. OSDH provides technical support and guidance to 68 county health departments in Oklahoma, as well as guidance and consultation to the two independent city-county health departments in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Learn more at Oklahoma.gov/health.

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

It’s all fun in the sun when you’re young.
But as you start to age all that exposure to the sun can begin to take its toll, resulting in blemishes and forms of skin cancer.
That’s where Dr. Elise Brantley and Scissortail Dermatology come in.
Brantley is a board-certified dermatologist who has been practicing since 2009.
Her practice focus is evaluation and treatment of growths of the skin with emphasis on detecting and treating skin cancer.
She is a native Oklahoman from Broken Arrow.
After graduating high school from the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics she attended the University of Tulsa for undergraduate studies.
She received her medical degree from the University of Oklahoma and completed her residency training at the University of Cincinnati where she served as chief resident.
While her husband was completing additional training in orthopedics she served on the faculty of both the University of Cincinnati and Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia before returning to Oklahoma.
She has been serving the Oklahoma City metro area for nearly 10 years.
She started Scissortail Dermatology this past September to better serve her patients.
“Over the years I’ve accumulated a practice of people who have had years of chronic sun exposure and a high rate of skin cancer development,” Brantley said. “Many of them are elderly because skin cancers come from years and years of sun exposure. It’s basically insult after insult after insult.”
Years of data have taught us about the harmful effects of the sun’s rays. Unfortunately, for many, that information wasn’t available when they needed it the most.
“We didn’t know then what we know now so when they were younger they were accumulating damage that no one had any idea how dangerous it was,” Brantley said. “Luckily, now, we have a lot more knowledge about how the sun’s rays cause damage but back then people just burned and kept going.”
Brantley has heard stories of patients trying to get sun tans when they were younger. Baby oil, Crisco, aluminum foil, iodine were just a few of the concoctions people thought might help them tan.
The wisdom of trying to get a “base tan” before the summer is also one that Brantley says is a myth. Base tans do not protect from sun damage or skin cancers.
Brantley educates her patients so they can become more knowledgeable about what to look out for.
She focuses on prevention and protection from the sun as well as skin cancer detection and treatment.
“It’s never a bad idea to come in and get a full body skin check from head to toe, at least for a start,” Brantley said. “We can look at your overall risk factors, your history and personal history and even clues from your skin as to how much sun damage you’ve already accumulated.”
“From there we can determine how often you should come in and we can go over how to detect things on your own.”
Three main types of skin cancer exist and some may have genetic components.
Non-melanoma skin cancers include basal cell and squamous cell cancers.
Melanomas are the quicker, more dangerous forms that – if left untreated – can become fatal.
“Those can take off within only a few weeks for the more aggressive ones,” Brantley said. “Anytime you have a brown spot or black spot that is not part of your normal skin that you don’t recognize or is behaving differently you definitely should come get that checked out sooner rather than later.”
“It doesn’t mean it’s melanoma. There’s a whole category of things that are benign that look similar but are hard to tell unless you are trained.”
It’s never too late to hedge your bet against skin cancer. Seeking shade and not being out in the hottest part of the days from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. are recommended.
There is more SPF protective clothing now than ever before including hats and shirts.
Sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher is also a great idea, reapplied every two hours.
Brantley notes that seniors are also at a higher risk of damage as they age, particularly if they spend more time in the sun.
“The more you are in the sun the less effective your immune system is at fighting off skin cancer,” said Brantley, who also noted the benefits of getting Vitamin D from the sun can as readily be achieved through vitamin supplements. “If you are immune-compromised you can start growing more and more skin cancers as your system gets weaker.”
Keeping a watchful eye over her patients is something that brings her immense joy.
“It’s very satisfying how you can get to know someone young and develop a relationship and know these patients over years and years. I love that once you get established with patients you build that relationship and it’s a privilege to get to know someone throughout their entire life. It’s very much a part of who a patient is, not just what their skin looks like.”
You can visit Dr. Brantley at one of her two OKC offices, Collier Skin Cancer Center, 3030 NW 149th St, or 401 SW 80th St, Bldg D, Ste 101. You can make an appointment by calling (405) 562-6222 or visiting her website at www.scissortaildermatology.com

In case you missed it, the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) released a report last week highlighting the growing number of nursing home closures. More than 1,000 nursing homes have closed since 2015, displacing as many as 45,000 vulnerable residents. As nursing homes and assisted living communities struggle with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of sustainable government funding, AHCA/NCAL projects that hundreds of add
* Since 2015, facility closures have included 776 before the pandemic and 327 during the pandemic.
* Over 400 nursing homes may close before the end of this year.
* During the pandemic, nearly half of nursing home closures (46 percent) were facilities with the highest ratings by the federal government.
In response to the findings from the report, Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL, said:
“Every closure is like a family being broken apart, with the lives of residents, staff and their families impacted in the process. With hundreds of nursing home closures looming now and thousands more anticipated if government funding is cut, state and federal policymakers need to step up to support our social safety net. We need to do better than just keep nursing home doors open—we need to make significant investments to better support our frontline caregivers and transform facilities for a growing elderly population.”
In many cases, facilities are faced with the difficult choice of limiting admissions or closing their doors for good as a result of financial challenges and a historic workforce shortage. Earlier this month, the Eliza Bryant nursing home in Ohio announced its impending closure because of financial and staffing troubles, and the Kensington, a nursing home in Nebraska made a similar announcement a week later.
Nursing home closures mean reduced access to care for vulnerable seniors who need around-the-clock care. Policymakers must act by allocating the resources necessary to address this urgent crisis and support long term care for the future.

Story by Darl DeVault, Contributing Editor

In a conversation with an early-career friend and actor Michael McGreevey, Kurt Russell, 71, provided detail about his long career in TV and movies before a standing-room-only audience the morning before he received a great honor. Many seniors with a lifelong appreciation for Western heritage and culture gathered to hear him speak.
He was in Oklahoma City on April 9 to be inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers along with his father, Bing Russell, later that night during the Western Heritage Awards at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Russell’s father, Neil Oliver “Bing” Russell, who died in 2003, acted in many Western TV and film productions, including Bonanza. For several years Bing played Deputy Clem Poster in the TV series Bonanza.
Russell treated the crowd of 440, of whom 100 stood for the hour-long conversation to candid, sometimes humorous and unrehearsed insights into his career. He took corrections from the audience several times to keep his stories moving forward.
Russell explained some of his early work. He described meeting Elvis Presley as a 10-year-old uncredited bit player in one of his films, “It Happened at the World’s Fair” in 1963.
Russell talked about his move from Hollywood to buy a ranch near Aspen, Colo., when he was 25.
He discussed how acting in the super successful 1979 ABC Movie of the Week “Elvis the Movie,” playing Presley at 27, earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination. Later a shorter, re-edited version of “Elvis” played in theatres throughout Europe and Australia. He said the highly-rated TV movie performance sparked his film career, and he has not done TV since. Russell’s father Bing co-starred in the biopic as Elvis’s father, Vernon Presley.
The discussion then turned to his roles in Westerns, where he starred as legendary lawman Wyatt Earp in the iconic 1993 film “Tombstone.” While some writers cite the movie as an absolute cult classic because it was a box office, purists realize it is one of the most iconic Westerns ever in depicting Western dialog.
Russell told the audience, “Tombstone” is getting what it deserves (continued acclaim). As far as I’m concerned, when it comes to dialogue, no Western stands up to “Tombstone.”
Oklahomans agree, as evidenced by the Oklahoma State University football program’s use of a scene from the film shown on their stadium’s big screen as the Cowboys run onto the field. They loudly play 10 seconds of the scene near the movie’s end where Earp screams, “the laws coming, you tell’em I’m coming and hells coming with me, you hear, hell’s coming with me.”
Although screenwriter Kevin Jarre (“Glory”) began directing his script for “Tombstone,” producers fired him after a month. Russell said, “After helping secure financing for the film, the director was fired. They wanted me to take over the movie. I called Sylvester Stallone, who recommended George Cosmatos, who had done Rambo II with him. When he arrived, I said to George, “I’m going to give you a shot list every night, and that’s what’s going to be.”
Russell revealed other fascinating bits of the behind-the-scenes drama on the movie’s set. He was forced to cut 22 pages from the script and yet still respect all the great actors he had helped gather for the production.
This extra effort on the film explains Russell’s understated role as Earp for most of the movie, whose character was supposed to be retired from gunplay to be a gambler. Instead, Val Kilmer played the majority of the scenes involving a feared killer, Doc Holliday, capable of instilling fear and dispatching his opponent without a hint of remorse. Some writers think Kilmer stole the many scenes he was in because of his edgy, extremely believable portrayal of all the physical tics of a person with tuberculosis living in a hot climate.
Not at the event in OKC, Kilmer confirmed much of this in a 2017 blog post (via The Hollywood Reporter), saying: “Russell’s totally correct about how hard he worked the day before for the next day’s shot list and the tremendous effort he and I both put into editing, as the studio [Hollywood Pictures] wouldn’t give us any extra time to make up for the whole month we lost with the first director. I watched Kurt sacrifice his role and energy to devote himself as a storyteller, even going so far as to draw up shot lists to help our replacement director, George Cosmatos, who came in with only two days prep.” Kilmer continued in 2017: “I have such admiration for Kurt. He sacrificed lots of energy that would have gone into his role to save the film. Everyone cared, don’t get me wrong, but Kurt put his money where his mouth was, and not many stars extend themselves for the cast and crew. Not like he did.”
Russell also starred in 2015 Westerns “Bone Tomahawk” and “The Hateful Eight”. In 2019, “The Hateful Eight” was again released as a re-edited four-episode miniseries on Netflix with the subtitle Extended Version. Russell explained his role in “Bone Tomahawk”, cited as Western horror, was so powerful it will be discussed 20 to 30 years into the future.
He finished by taking five questions from the audience in an approachable manner, including a child’s request for his autograph. An audience member has posted a YouTube video of the event at Kurt Russell Full Panel Discussion with Michael McGreevey 04-09-2022 2022 Western Heritage Awards – YouTube
The Museum’s website says it best: Through its three Halls of Fame, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum honors and memorializes the men and women who have, through their exemplary lives, careers, and achievements, embodied and perpetuated the heritage of the American West. Every inductee, whether a real cowboy in the Hall of Great Westerners, a “reel” cowboy in the Hall of Great Western Performers, or a rodeo cowboy in the Rodeo Hall of Fame, perpetuates and enriches facets of this Western heritage. By honoring them, the Museum, in a sense, provides a generational continuity with the past, present and future and bears witness to an evolving American West.