January, 2003
In what is sure to become a cult favorite every January, the first MacDowell Downtown of 2003 will be the screening of The Lady in the Wings, a film produced about the Colony by Hallmark Hall of Fame in 1954.

The film traces the evolution of The MacDowell Colony, beginning with the serendipitous meeting of Marian Nevins, a piano student, and Edward MacDowell, a starving composer living in Europe who must take on a pupil to earn money. The imperious Edward is little match for the fiery Marian, and it's not long before their volatility leads to romance, a life together, and eventually, a mission that affords all artists the opportunity to work without distractions.

The dramatic reenactment was produced in the early days of live television, which adds a wonderful flavor. Rosemary DeCamp, better known for her roles as James Cagney's mother in Yankee Doodle Dandy and Marlo Thomas' in the television show That Girl, plays Marian with campy delight. Peter Hanson, who could be Edward's twin brother, takes on the role of the great American composer. Film buffs may remember Hanson from his appearance in The Ten Commandments. The screenplay was written by Colony Fellow Helene Hanff, who authored the book 84 Charing Cross Road, which was later turned into a film with Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins.

The Hallmark film, which was done in “Cinescope” (made by filming directly off of the black and white monitors in the studio), spans quite a lot of history in the hour it runs. It details Edwards's music career, explains how the then-radical idea of an artists' colony developed in the minds of the couple, covers why Peterborough was chosen as the site, and shows why Marian's notion of being a “lady in the wings” to her husband's and other artists' creativity might not be entirely accurate. In the film as in history, it was her tireless efforts and irrepressible spirit that attracted artists, raised money, and spread the work of the Colony across the country through wars, depressions, and one great hurricane in 1938.

In a rare cameo, Mrs. MacDowell herself makes an appearance at the end of the film. At 96, though no less fiery, she still remembers to share the limelight and thank all those who made her and her husband's dream possible. It's a magical moment that transports the viewer back in time and to the woman who many would say is still the soul of the place just up the hill from downtown Peterborough.