In 1976 the Lacombe American Bicentennial Committee got off to a great start preparing to honor the nation's 200th birthday by having a hand in producing an award-winning short film. Here are the details from a News Banner article. Click on the image to make it larger.
The locally-produced film portrayed how the community began its "All Saints Day" evening candle-lighting ceremony in local cemeteries.
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First project of Lacombe Bicentennial receives award -APRIL 14, 1976
Selected for an unprecedented third time WWL TV received the coveted Peabody Award for Jim Metcalf's Sunday Journal. The show selected by Sunday Journal to compete with 500 other entries nationwide was the film done as the first project of the Bayou Lacombe Bicentennial Commission.
The driving force behind the film was Lacombe advertising executive, Torn Aicklen who conceived and directed the production. Aicklen said, "Few people realize the complexities associated with even a short piece of film such as this. Besides the normal technical and time limitations which beset any film, there were other challenges which had to be overcome in order to achieve the basic effect which we sought to create."
"It was a cooperative community effort, and we're proud of that. It reaffirms my belief that the Lacombe community has done more with the Bicentennial than many of the other communities. For instance, William Pearson got us a leaky old skiff from a Mr. Fisher, Alvin Love provided the oars, Father Bass lent us a hooded cloak, John McGovern acted the part of oarsman, Henry Cousin narrated a part of the film, Holy Redeemer provided a site of the bayou from which to shoot, photographer Richard Farley from Channel 4 donated many long hours filming and editing and of course all the many people of Lacombe who were in the film, all contributed to its ultimate success."
The production, which depicts the ancient origins of the All Saints night ritual, opens on a somber note with J. S. Bath's "Come Sweet Death" and traces the transition with Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" from pagan ritual to the Christian ceremony still perpetuated by Lacombe residents in the lighting of thousands of candles by the gravesides of ancestors and friends on All Saints night, November 1.
Gladys Kinler, chairman of the Bayou Lacombe Bicentennial Commission, stated that although the Commission was not officially formed until October 20,1975, just ten days later Lacombe was embarked upon its first ambitious Bicentennial project.
"It has really won our community nationwide acclaim. Naturally we never dreamed that our efforts would win the most prestigious Peabody Award. We are delighted and proud of Lacombe."
The Peabody, presented each year since 1938, is described as 'the prestige award of the industry, the Pulitzer prize of the 5th estate, and the goal of every producer in radio and TV." It is designed to recognize the most distinguished and meritorious public service rendered each year by radio and TV. The two previous Peabodys presented to WWL TY were for special documentaries on Israel and Red China.
Jim Metcalf, producer and host of the Sunday Journal will be presented the bronze Peabody medallion in ceremonies in New York on May 5. The award winning show will be aired in prime time at a future date. Metcalf, who has two books based on his TV program, said he will have a new book out this fall.
Last year Channel 4's Richard Farley won second place in the New Orleans Press Club Awards with a piece of film of the sunset over the marsh along Bayou Lacombe. It is still used behind the weather on the Friday noon news.
End of newspaper article
Lacombe was quite active on several fronts with the American Bicentennial Celebration.
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