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.

 Some of the 200+ audience members

Probably the success of the event was based on the full-page story the Charleston Daily Mail ran on June 10th. It included an interview with Joe Hodges and included several very interesting photographs he provided the newspaper.

The reception food in the lobby of The La Belle Theater

Unfortunately, Mr. Hodges told the press that the reception would begin at 5:30 PM so people starting arriving then. Margaret Field and others provided a nice reception of cookies and punch. The line went out the door and down the block with people waiting in line.

 David Radford, LOF retiree leader

The program began around 7:10 with David Radford, the man who started this event several months ago when he contacted the SCMF, telling them that he had a film about LOF made by Joe Hodges, a retired bricklayer. He found out that Hodges had made a more recent film, in 2007, about the sister plant across the street, Owens-Illinois. Mr. Radford, as the leader of the LOF Retirees, alerted the retirees about the film event and collected more than $300 from them for the construction of the Belgian Glassworker Display SCMF is presently working on. Mr. Radford said a few words to the audience, telling them that he “didn’t want people to forget about the lives and work of the many thousands of people who worked 24/7 at the LOF plant making it the world’s largest flat-glass plant for decades.”

Joe Hodges with his written speech

Mr. Hodges then took the stage, and using his well-planned speech, talked about how he simply had collected photos, video, etc. from the LOF and OI retirees to produce his non-copyrighted films. More than 100 people left their names and telephone number so that they could get their own copies of the films.

People outside the LaBelle Theater starting at 5:30 PM

After the LOF film ran, there was a short break and several people left, but most stayed and watched the second film.

 A scene from one of the films

Bernice Basham, a long-time member of SCM, said that she thought “it was the best program so far.” She said that she really enjoyed both films.

The funds raised as a result of the event, almost $800, will go toward paying for the $25,000 Belgian glassworker displaynow being designed by Stan Bumgardner.

Besides the full-page story in the Charleston Daily Mail on Wednesday, June 10th, the paper also gave Mr. Hodges a “Hats Off” for making the films on Saturday, June 13th. The Charleston Gazette ran a photo of the LOF plant in its Monday, June 15th edition.

Even though both LOF and OI have been demolished long ago, many thousands of people in the Kanawha Valley have relatives who manned the two glass plants for so many years.

Several people asked why the two plants were ever closed. Neither Mr. Hodges nor Mr. Radford could answer that question. Hopefully, the two DVDs, now placed in the WV State Archives, will allow future generations to see Mr. Hodges touching, historic, landmark films.

The DC Laborfilm Festival asked for copies of the two films which Mr. Hodges provided. I will post a story if they are shown in Washington, DC.

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