Newport saddles up for the Duke’s 100th

Newport Beach is just finishing up one 100th birthday celebration, and another one is right around the corner.

Now that the city has feted its own centennial, officials are talking with the Balboa Bay Club, Newport Beach Film Festival and John Wayne’s son, Ethan, about commemorating the Duke’s 100th birthday in May 2007.

Wayne, who died in 1979, lived in Newport Beach for 15 years and is buried here, and his wife and several of his children still live in town.

Plans for the celebration are still preliminary. So far, the main event will likely be a black-tie gala at the Balboa Bay Club and Resort, said George Lysak, the resort’s executive director of sales and marketing. John Wayne’s birthday is May 26, but the red carpet event could be held earlier. Proceeds will go to a cancer organization yet to be named.

“This is going to be a full-blown thing with the support of the city, the support of the convention bureau,” Lysak said. “We think this is going to be an event that is going to get some national and potentially some international exposure for the city.”

Newport Beach Film Festival officials plan to show some of Wayne’s major films and hold a symposium on “Wayne and the Western,” festival chief executive Gregg Schwenk said. The 2007 festival is set for late April.

“The festival is in the process of recruiting volunteers, sponsors and underwriters right now for all parts of the festival, but especially with the component of spotlighting John Wayne we’ll need more help than ever,” Schwenk said.

To get involved with the film festival, call (949) 253-2880 or e-mail Schwenk at [email protected].