The year was 1990. We flew to New York, invited to see the premiere of Wharton, Texas playwright Horton Foote’s movie 1918.
The Chicago Tribune review labeled the movie as ‘1918—Plagued by Small Town’s Unmerciful Hopelessness.’
During our present pandemic you often read or hear about the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic that killed more people than those who died in World War I. Broadway playwright Foote remembered 1918 Spanish flu stories recounted in his hometown and he adapted those tragedies to his screenplay.
In 1990 I was partnered with my college roommate Fred Barbee as owners of the El Campo and Wharton weekly newspapers. I represented our Wharton County support for the new movie, even though the movie was filmed near Waxahachie Texas, a scenery decision.
The party before the showing featured a Texas band Asleep at the Wheel.
We were given t-shirts made by Foote’s artist friend, Andy Warhol. Only the movie title–1918–was repeated on the cloth.
Another gift was a cassette tape rendition of a World War I song “Keep the Home Fires Burning,” recorded by Willie Nelson and Robert Duvall.
Libations were served. By the time invitees moved to the theater, all were in good spirits.
When the movie began the Wharton women were rolling bandages for the war effort. The uplifting message was countered by the death of the movie’s star. The audience that stayed to the end left with downcast looks.
Moral of this remembrance. Be reluctant if someone asks you to go to the premiere of a movie entitled 2020.
Photo: An influenza ward at the US Army Camp Hospital in Aix-les-Bains France during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918-19 By Everett Collection
