CHILLER THEATER EXPO PARSIPPANY, NJ, 2007

Ben presented an award to Tom Laughlin, writer, director and star of the Billy Jack movies, at the Silver Spur Awards ceremony in 2012. 

Here is a transcript of Ben's presentation:

"When I was a young actor, Tom Laughlin used to invite me to his home to play tennis, which he did for a lot of us. And after a day of tennis, we would watch films in his home - he was very gracious that way. And he seems to me to represent that great mythic western cowboy. The man who comes into town, quiet, but if you push him into a corner, he will fight. And he will protect those weaker than himself. Part of that western lore. Tom mentally created that in his role as Billy Jack. But as a filmmaker, he was an inspiration to a lot of us because he did it his way. He bucked the system. He made the picture with his money, his way, and he proved them wrong. He got it done.  It's my honor: Tom Laughlin."