Dark Night of the Scarecrow
October 27, 2012 at 1:00 p.m.
Port Arthur, TX – The Port Arthur Historical Society invites the public to the Museum of the Gulf Coast to view the cult thriller classic Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) directed by Beaumont native J.D. Feigelson this Saturday, October 27 at 1:00 p.m. The film screening is part of a Saturday afternoon film series hosted in association with the temporary exhibition Lights! Camera! Action! on view in the Museum’s Dunn Gallery through December 30. The exhibitexplores the roles many southeast Texans have played in film production including those in front of the camera and those who have worked behind the scenes.
Writer, director, producer J.D. Feigelson is known for his thrilling movies, including Dark Night of the Scarecrow. While still in high school, Feigelson worked as a production assistant on the Shock Theater series, a local TV Saturday night horror show on Channel 4. In the early 1960s, he produced commercials as well as a Civil War drama entitled One of the Missing which aired on PBS. The success of the film led Feigelson to Los Angles and the production of Dark Night of the Scarecrow, his first commercial television network movie. His motion picture and television credits include The Lake (1998), Nightmare on the 13th Floor (1990); Chiller (1985), episodes for “The Twilight Zone” (1985), The Covenant (1985), and Red Water (2002).
Saturday matinees are FREE and include complimentary popcorn and admission to the Museum’s many exhibits. Remaining films in the Saturday afternoon film series include:
November 3 – Gone with the Wind (1939) starring actress and Port Arthur native Evelyn Keyes
November 10 – Silkwood (1983) based on the mysterious life and death of union whistleblower and Nederland native Karen Silkwood
November 17 – The Adventures of Don Juan (1948) featuring the Oscar-winning costumes of Port Arthur native Leah Rhodes
November 24 – Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) director by animator, illustrator and Beaumont native Kelly Asbury
December 1 – The Rose (1979) loosely based on the life of Port Arthur native Janis Joplin
December 15 – Arizona Days (1937) starring singing cowboy and Nederland native Tex Ritter
December 22 – Police Academy (1984) starring Port Arthur native G.W. Bailey and Beaumont native Bubba Smith
December 29 – Titanic (1997) starring Orange native Frances Fisher
The Museum will show yet another film this Saturday evening as part of A Night at the Museum. The family friendly event will take place from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and will feature the animated film The Nightmare before Christmas (1993) co-animated by Kelly Asbury. Beaumont native and animator Kelly Asbury was born in 1960. During Asbury’s 30 year career, he has served in several capacities on many of Hollywood’s most beloved animated films. He began his career at Walt Disney in 1983, working on such films as The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1992), and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). In 1995, Asbury joined DreamWorks where he worked on Toy Story (1995) and Shrek (2001). He made his directorial debut on Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) and proceeded to direct Shrek 2 (2004) and 2011’s Gnomeo and Juliet. He also provided several character voices for Shrek the Third (2007) and Gnomeo and Juliet (2011). A Night at the Museum will also includeflashlight tours of the Museum’s more mysterious and quirky exhibits, as well as crafts, games and a Pumpkin Carving Contest – visitors are invited to enter their jack o’lanterns no later than 7:30 that evening for a chance to win prizes. The cost is FREE to ages 10 and under and $3 for all others.
The Gumbo Pot 