'A Face in the Crowd' screens at Rodgers Theatre

Attorney Clifford “Joe” Cole and Amanda Robinson Lane, both of Piggott, stepped back in time Sunday afternoon as they watched “A Face in the Crowd” on the big screen at the Rodgers Theatre in Poplar Bluff.

Cole, who was 4 years old during the filming in his hometown, shared information with the moviegoers. His mother was an extra in the production and his family has provided many artifacts from the movie for the small Arkansas community to display.

Cole described himself as a youngster dressed in his cowboy outfit, wearing his toy holster and guns eating a peanut butter sandwich as he watched the filming.

Reading a few lines from the movie script before the film started, Cole talked about the film not only impacting the community and the region, but also as showing the power mass media continues to play in the world today.

Cole said while the movie was relevant in 1956, it is “still a very powerful movie.”

The star of the movie was Andy Griffith, who played Larry “Lonesome” Rhoades.

His character said in the film, “They do what I tell them. I can make them to eat dog food. I’ve got them in my hands.”

Cole explained the Elia Kazan movie featured female radio reporter Marcia Jeffries, played by Patricia Neal. Jeffries turns folk-singing drifter Rhoades into a powerful media star who becomes utterly detestable during his meteoric rise. The film includes Anthony Franciosa, Griffith and Lee Remick.

Setting two rows back in the middle section of seats at the Rodgers was Lane, 83, of Piggott. She reminisced about her role in the movie.

Lane was among a number of majorettes in the movie, but her best memories are of a lifelong friendship she made when the young Remick “came and stayed two weeks with my family.”

Lane’s family were educators. Her father was superintendent of schools and her mother was a teacher.

The Piggott majorettes were practicing on the football field when they realized three men were watching them. The men were movie scouts.

Lane was one of the youngest majorette in the movie.

“It was exciting. I was too young to appreciate it,” said Lane, who went on to teach school for 28 years as one of four Lane children to become educators.

While Remick was in Piggott, Lane said, “She went everywhere I went. I stayed in touch with her. She lived in Boston until she married a guy from England.”

Lane got to go to New York for the movie’s wedding scene. She asked the producers if the majorettes could have the uniforms they wore in the movies. They were told they were rented uniform. After they returned home, the “producers purchased and mailed them to us.”

Lane stayed in New York for two weeks and got to see “The Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” on Broadway.

Lane moved a lot since her husband was in the U.S. Air Force. She lived in Savannah, Iceland, and northern Michigan, but she stayed in touch with Remick as long as she was alive.

While many actors starred in the film, Cole said another star of the movie was the location, Piggott.

Cole said Griffith told him later, “Every day I would walk the streets of Piggott to get the local favor of the city.”

Director Kazan was looking for a place to film writer Budd Sculberg’s movie. They were talking to another writer, Ernest Hemingway. According to Cole, Hemingway, who wrote some of his novels in Piggott, didn’t mention the town, but Tobby Bruce said, “Piggott, Arkansas, is the town you want.”

The men came to town and decided it was the right location.

Other faces in the crowd came from Poplar Bluff, Cole said.

So many people were cut out of the film. About 40 scenes made it to the cutting room floor, but Grandma Spence stayed in the movie.

Cole said many of the buildings are no longer there. The Palace Hotel, where he was born, along with the courthouse, are gone. The band stand has been rebuilt.

Others starring the movie were Anthony Franciosa as Joey DePalma, Walter Matthauas, Mel Miller, Percy Waram, General Haynesworth, Paul McGrath as Macey, Rod Brasfield as Beanie, Marshall Neilan as Sen. Worthington Fuller, and Alexander Kirkland as Jim Collier.

Larry Hillis Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat provided vehicles Sunday to shuttle people to the Rodgers Theatre so they did not have to walk in the heat to see the movie.