A huge turnout of fans of cult-hit biker film Stone and original cast members have together added a chapter to its story and honoured the movie's creator at Dubbo.
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Momentum also grew at the Stone/ Sandy Harbutt Memorial Weekend for it to become an annual event at the Westview Drive-In, organiser Jason Yelverton reports.
He estimates about 1500 people attended the functions hosted on March 5-6, but it is feedback that it was a fitting tribute to a much-loved man that's left him even more buoyed.
Trailblazing Harbutt, who wrote, directed, produced and starred in the 1974-released Stone, died last year.
At the request of Harbutt's mates the event went ahead as a memorial, planned with care by Mr Yelverton.
"The feedback from the people in the movie was that Sandy Harbutt would have been so proud of the event and they themselves said it was such a fitting tribute for so many people to come and enjoy that movie in such great spirits," Mr Yelverton said.
"...to have the people who knew him the best, his partner and some of the actors, his best friends, to be standing up and saying that was quite special, for me as the event organiser as well, to have pulled it off, and done it in such a respectful and positive way.
"It was also great for the community of Dubbo and those little towns around Dubbo, for how well they received all those people who converged on town, it was unreal, and everyone was saying how great Dubbo was and they were all looking forward to coming back."
The weekend included a Stone Memorial Run led by original cast member John Ifkovitch, who played Zonk, to Mendooran, Dunedoo and on to Ballimore for lunch at the village's hotel.
Kawasaki Z900s - a make made famous by Stone - were among the motorcycles that powered up Dubbo's Bourke Hill into the drive-in after a lap through the city on Saturday afternoon.
"There were about 200 registered for the run, and then in the afternoon for the ride through town, I believe it was probably closer to three or four hundred," Mr Yelverton said.
At 6pm there was a moving moment reflecting Stone's setting at the end of the Vietnam War and its brotherhood of veterans.
...we did the Ode of Remembrance because a lot of those people on bikes are returned servicemen.
- Drive-in operator and event organiser Jason Yelverton
"One of the really special things we did on the night was we did the Ode of Remembrance because a lot of those people on bikes are returned servicemen," Mr Yelverton said.
"To have the trumpet playing and echoing off the big screen, it sounded like there was a team of trumpeters, it was really, really special."
There was generosity on display as well, as auctions raised about $2300 for Harbutt's partner for the expenses she'd faced in the past few months, Mr Yelverton said.
Enthusiasts had travelled from Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to attend, and Mr Yelverton estimated at least 90 per cent of attendees were from out of town.
Plans are now afoot to repeat the event next year.
"It was announced on the weekend by other people that it's going to be an annual event, so now I've got to start looking at next year," Mr Yelverton said.
The inaugural event's organiser said it was "exciting" but he was first going to catch up on some sleep.
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