By KEVIN SHANNHAN, Journal Services
Natchitoches has a surprisingly rich cinematic history. From The Horse Soldiers to The Man in the Moon, to several independent movies, our area has more appearances on the silver screen than most places its size. Of all the movies filmed in Natchitoches, the iconic Steel Magnolias has, by far, made the deepest and most lasting impression on our city.
These memories were revisited in a delightful program Thursday, November 13 at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum. The program, “Steel Magnolias Memories with Tom Whitehead and Friends,” featured retired NSU Journalism professor and local historian, Tom Whitehead, who was joined in a panel discussion by Ed Ward, Sandra Dickens, Bill Brent and Shreveport journalist Maggie Martin. Doug Ireland served as the event’s emcee.
Each local member of the panel played a role in making Steel Magnolias, either as an extra or working behind the scenes. Whitehead, the first person on the movie’s payroll and the last to be dropped, served as Steel Magnolias production location consultant and was integral to Natchitoches’ being chosen as the filming location.
Filmed over a three-month period in 1989, the movie is an adaptation of Robert Harling’s play of the same title. Harling, a Natchitoches native and NSU alumni, wrote the play that describes the tragic death of his sister and the bonds of friendship she had formed with the women in her life. Shot entirely in our city, Steel Magnolias featured many recognizable Natchitoches locations. Local people were in small roles or as background actors throughout the movie. These locations and seeing friends and family lend an extra bit of fun to watching the film.
Natchitoches took the cast and crew to its heart during the movie’s filming. Many of the memories expressed were of day-to-day interactions: meeting an actor or actress in a restaurant, renting a house to a cast member, or working with the cast and crew. The movie became a part of the city’s culture, beloved even 36 years later.
Ward, an extra in the wedding reception scene told of how his ballroom dancing lessons from St. Anthony’s school came in handy years later. Then-NSU freshman and production assistant Marlene Kierbow – who drove in from Dallas to honor Whitehead — turned 19 during the filming and is surely the only NSU alumnae to have had actors Tom Skerritt and Olympia Dukakis sing “Happy Birthday” to her.
Ward mentioned how Shirley MacLaine said she had always wanted to hear an authentic gospel concert. As luck would have it, church choirs from throughout the ArkLaTex were then meeting in Natchitoches and she was able to get her wish.
Brent, the head of NSU CAPA and band director at the time, told a humorous story about the band practicing for an upcoming halftime show at the same time the movie’s funeral scene was being filmed. Of course, the American Cemetery is quite close to campus and the band’s playing was interfering with the serious funeral scene. A car quickly drove to campus and as Mr. Brent said, “we sang the rest of the rehearsal.”
Brent made a point to express appreciation to Whitehead for his vital role in bringing the production to Natchitoches. He and Ward said the film’s economic and cultural influence on Natchitoches was transformational. Whitehead, in turn, acknowledged the late Jerry Pierce, a vice president at NSU, who was instrumental in many aspects of accommodating needs for filmmakers, crew and cast.
The event, which included a lot of entertaining and insightful audience dialog, was hosted by FLASH (Friends of Louisiana Sports and History), the local non-profit support group for the museum. New museum director Dr. Emily Bryant masterfully spearheaded the opening reception, complete with a replica of the famous armadillo cake and plenty of the film’s favorite color, pink, down to tablecloths and “Blush & Bashful” champagne punch.
Steel Magnolias’ superb cast and compelling story have made it a beloved classic that has well stood the test of time. The movie and its production have also been woven into the threads of our area’s culture, and continues to fascinate generations and bring visitors to Natchitoches.
