Was it 1998 or 1948? When cars pulled up to the Radford Avenue entrance to the CBS Studio Center on November 11, 1998 the sign above the guard gate read REPUBLIC PICTURES with its familiar eagle logo on top.

The Republic Pictures eagle soared again, for one day, as a mockup took the place of the CBS Studio Center sign at the venerable entrance on Radford Street in Studio City, California.

No, it wasn't a mistake, or an unforeseen corporate takeover. It was an unforgettable way to welcome guests to a luncheon honoring "The Sweethearts of Republic." The gathering was the brainchild of Robert Sigman, the erstwhile CEO of Republic Pictures.

Having moved here from Connecticut and been bitten by the cowboy bug, Bob has become one of the western's biggest boosters; he recently joined the steering committee of the Golden Boot Awards, and has eagerly participated in many western-themed events.

Toward the end of his trail with Republic, he realized that he had never visited the original lot in Studio City. Built for comedy producer Mack Sennett, this historic studio has undergone extensive changes but still has remnants of the old Republic. Bob decided it would be a perfect place to host a lunch for the leading ladies who starred in its serials and westerns. This was not to be a public event, or a media opportunity. It was just for fun.

Friends and colleagues: Ruth Terry, Peggy Stewart, Helen Talbot, and Adrian Booth (seated) share a happy moment on camera.

So it was that Dale Evans, Adrian Booth, Adele Mara, Helen Talbot, Peggy Stewart and Ruth Terry gathered around noontime at the commissary to chat with one another, meet with friends old and new, and enjoy reminiscing about their days at Republic. (Alas, the one invited guest who was unable to attend was Vera Hruba Ralston.)

The setting itself inspired memories: the Watts family, which who ran the commissary during Herbert Yates' long regime, had a precocious daughter they named Twinkle Watts, with an obvious eye toward show business, and sure enough, Mr. Yates put her in a handful of Republic movies!

The ladies compared notes about how young they were when they first started—most of them in their teens—and how kind the people at Republic were to them. Adrian remembered splitting the cost of a nearby motel room with leading lady Kay Aldridge when they were making a serial (with a grueling shooting schedule) so they wouldn't have to commute to work every morning from "over the hill." Adele looked at a publicity photo of herself leaving the studio infirmary and recalled immediately why she'd been sent there: to check her height! (It seems Mr. Yates disputed that she was as tall as he.)

And Dale had a vivid memory of her first visit to the lot, noticing a strange looking old man with a long beard perched in a shiny new Cadillac, and thinking she had really seen the essence of Hollywood: the gentleman, of course, was Gabby Hayes.

Rob Word decorated the walls with posters and lobby cards featuring the honored guests. Bob Sigman brought vintage copies of the studio magazine with featured stories and photos for all of us to gawk at. Everyone posed for pictures and signed autographs.

The lunch was made possible by the kindness of CBS Studio Center President Michael Klausman, but perhaps the most enthusiastic participant was Carla Whalen, whose official title is Director of Facilities Services but who has also taken on the unofficial job of historian. She has amassed a collection of photographs, newspaper articles and artifacts tracing the studio's interesting history, and looks forward to building even more of an archive in the years ahead.

At the end of the luncheon, golf carts took the ladies for a tour of the lot the way it is today. The back lot is gone, and other changes and improvements (most recently due to earthquake restructuring) have obscured many landmarks from the Republic era. But nothing could replace the memories that were kindled by this delightful gathering.