Sign for the Matewan Massacre in the new WV State Museum

Adam Hodges of The WV Division of Culture & History was telling me a few facts about the new museum. 6000 items vs. 2000  in the old museum. It would take 26 hours to walk through the museum, watching all 22 film clips being shown in the space. I walked through it on Monday, not stopping to watch any of the films which I will some day. I was very impressed, after working in the Cultural Center for 30 years. Stan Bumgardner, the creative adviser, told me that computer stations will be added in the future, providing updated history.

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 Terry Lively after receiving her 2009 Crystal Award for producing and editing the book version of her 2007 film, “Crossings - Bridge Building in West Virginia”

As I often tell film students, great filmmakers are very often great writers as well. One local instance of this combination is WV Filmmakers Guild prez Terry Lively. She has been making films for years, teaching courses at WVSU, the state’s only film school, and doing a lot of writing. Both sides of her brain seem to be working to their maximum.

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The Charleston FestivALL will be showing “Still Bill: the Movie, ” the first WV screening of a new documentary about Bill Withers, born in Slab Fork, WV, on June 24th in conjunction with the West Virginia Intl. Film Festival. WVIFF will also be screening the annual student films as part of their annual competition. More about WV Music Hall of Fame inductee Withers here.

Shannon Tinnell, the wife of WV filmmaker/graphic novelist Robert Tinnell, has completed her MA thesis film, “When the Wind Stole the River,”on WV’s worst tornado that took place in the Harrison County community of Shinnston on June 23, 1944. She was a student in the WVU Dept. of History - Public History Program. One hundred people died just in the city of Shinnston that was almost totally flattened. Both Tinnells have family roots in the town. 

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Filmmaker Joe Hodges introducing his films

Filmmaker/retired bricklayer Joe Hodges introduced the two great films that he recently made about two giant Kanawha City glass plants, LOF and OI,  in front of more than 200 people on Saturday, June 13th. The LOF film is called “Remember MacCorkle Ave. & 57th Street” and the OI is called “Time Goes By, 57th St. & MacCorkle Ave. North, 1921-2007). It was the largest audience of any film shown by The South Charleston Museum since it began its WV Film Series in June 2004. Thanks to hard work by SCMF board members Judy Romano, Margaret Field and her sister, Phillis Shawver, Phyllis Wehrmann and projectionist Steve Siders, a great time was had by all.

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 B.J. with the camera that was stolen

B.J. Gudmundsson, one of WV’s leading filmmakers, was robbed two weeks ago  while she was on a trip to WVU. The thieves stold her Sony VX2000 camera along with a recent work in progress. They also stole several military, etc. medals given B.J.’s father. The local police have identified several local suspects but have been unable to recover the camera or other items.$5,000 reward for info leading to return of camera and tapes. If you have information on these items and/or this robbery, please contact her at 304-645-4998 in Lewisburg, Greenbrier County, West Virginia. 

Nancy Gerstman, the co-president of Zeitgeist Films, sent me a preview copy of their new film which has received rave reviews and won many honors. Some have compared it to the recent hit film, “The Tale of the Weeping Camel” which I saw in Minneapolis. This film could be called “The Tale of the Pregnant Sheep.” The film was shot in Kazakhstan, on a treeless steppe with people living in yurts - like the people of Mongolia live in. (more…)

 Photo of Harry Powers used in Stan Bumgardner’s Goldenseal article

Bob Wilkinson, director of “Shades of Gray,” the award-winning  2008 feature documentary about Clarksburg’s UFO pioneer Gray Barker, is working on “Romeo Must Hang,”  (new website with link to trailer)  a new film about another famous person from Clarksburg, Harry Powers. He was famous as one of America’s first serial killers and the basis for Davis Grubb’s landmark book/film, “The Night of the Hunter.”(1955)

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Marquee of The La Belle Theater, photo by Joe Hodges, filmmaker

The South Charleston Museum will be presenting two films by Joe Hodges about the Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company and the Owens-Illinois Glass Company on Saturday, June 13th, at 7 PM. There will be a 15-minute reception for LOF retirees with films to start at 7:15 PM.  SCM will be using this event to promote awareness of the once thriving glass industry in the Kanawha Valley and the future exhibit about the Belgian glass factories that once existed in South Charleston. Admission will be $ 4. Filmmaker and LOF retiree Joe Hodges will introduce the films.

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Elaine Purkey before she sings for the world premiere of Kelley Thompson’s film on WV labor great, William C. Blizzard, the son of Battle of Blair Mountain “general” Bill Blizzard and author of “When Miners March”

Elaine Purkey has been an activist singer/songwriter for more than 20 years. On June 21, Father’s Day, at the SFSU McKenna Auditorium in the Creative Arts Building, she  will join her fellow WV activist/singer Hazel Dickens and Mike Seeger,the brother of Pete Seeger, at the memorial service for one of the greatest promoters of labor culture, Archie Green.Elaine has been practicing a lot, and doing research including reading Green’s greatest book, “Only a Miner: Studies in Recorded Coal-Mining Songs.”West Virginia should be proud that two of the three singers at Mr. Green’s Memorial will be from our beloved state.

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