The Newnan-Coweta Historical Society has been awarded a grant from the Georgia Humanities Council. There will be a series of events throughout the summer and the fall, which kick off next week with “The Reel Past,” Reel 1: focusing on the John Wallace murder trial and the resulting TV movie, “Murder in Coweta County.” Other events focus on Erskine Caldwell, the Wayne P. Sewell Production Company at Dunaway Gardens, and the Senoia film and television industry.
In coming weeks, to celebrate this rich history of Hollywood coming to Newnan, the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society has created a series of programs called “The Reel Past” which celebrates this past with a grant from Georgia Humanities. This series accompanies the newest exhibit at the McRitchie-Hollis Museum, “The Golden Era of Hollywood,” featuring original paintings of Hollywood’s classic era of the 20s, 30s, and 40s, from the Atlanta Loew’s Grand theatre.
The Southern stereotype will be explored through the works of local writer Erskine Caldwell in “Southern Images and Erskine Caldwell” which is set for Thursday, Aug. 20, 7:30 p.m. at the McRitchie-Hollis Museum. Several of Caldwell’s works have been adapted to the big screen such as Tobacco Road and God’s Little Acre. Dr. Randy Hendricks of the University of West Georgia will walk visitors through Caldwell’s depiction of the South.
“Gardens and Patchwork: Rediscovering Dunaway Gardens” is Saturday, Sept. 12. It will take a look at the history of the founder, Hetty Jane Dunaway, and her association with Sarah Ophelia Colley, better known by her stage character Minnie Pearl. The event will feature select performances of scenes from several of her plays which were once developed at the Gardens and performed throughout the Southeast by the Sewell Production Company. Saturday, Sept. 12.
“The Reel Past” will conclude with a program Thursday, Oct. 15, on the significance and impact of the TV and film industry on community growth and identity and the effect of Raleigh Studios on the economic growth of downtown Senoia.
All programs and events associated with the “Reel Past” are free and open to the public. These events were made possible through a grant from the Georgia Humanities Council.
For more information contact the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society at 770-251-0207.
