Wendie Malick to star as 'Wild Horse Annie'

Good news for LA Observed contributor Deanne Stillman. Her book, "Mustang: The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West," will be the basis for a Hallmark Channel movie on mustang activist Velma Johnston. Wendie Malick, the star of "Hot in Cleveland," will play Johnston and executive produce, says the Hollywood Reporter. “Velma Johnston, also known as Wild Horse Annie, grabbed hold of me from the moment I read about her in Deanne Stillman's fascinating book,” Malick said. “Despite physical and emotional challenges, Johnston committed her life to getting federal protection for our wild horses and burros, saving them from cruel roundups and barbaric slaughter."