Fair Field Productions

We need people to listen to a 1950s radio variety adio show called "The Big Show" All 57 shows (1hr 30 min each) are available on YouTube. The show had Tallulah Bankhead, Groucho, Marx, Jimmy Durante, and many others in it.. It had an orchestra conducted by Meredith Willson ("The Music Man"). We are looking for several of the shows where Meredith Wilson has an extemporaneous conversation with his tuba player, Bill Bell. We know that they occurred, but we don't know which episodes and there's no research that points to which show. So someone needs to listen to the entire show and when they finally find where Meredith Wilson and Bill Bell (from Fairfield) have a conversation, they would let us know where and when that was. I would suggest starting with the last show as the structure got a little looser as time went on.
Please let us know if you want to help. You would be credited as a researcher in our next film.
The Big Show Listing on YouTube

The Big Show - 11/05/50 episode 1 The Big Show - 11/05/50 episode 1OTRR version 2105

Thought you would enjoy this pic we got from the Carnegie Museum from a show put on by the Universal Producing Company around the time of the Great Depression. Notice anything unusual?
Thanks to all who donated so far. We received $1,000 in checks yesterday towards the $5K matching donation goal. We really appreciate your support.

Congratulations, Fairfield! "When Maharishi Came to Town" just won FIVE awards at the Iowa Motion Picture Association. Well done, team. Special thanks to Amine Kouider, Jason Strong and Tim Britton.

FREE SHOWINGS of the entire Series. One per month.

Step into Fairfield’s past with the award-winning Fairfield History Film Series at Fairfield Public Library!

Join us on Friday, May 22nd at 3:30pm in the FPL Meeting Room for a screening of Life Before Fairfield, the first film in this special community history series presented in honor of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

Presented in partnership with Fair Field Productions, Fairfield Media Center, and the Carnegie Museum, each screening includes a special “making-of” reflection from filmmaker Dick DeAngelis along with local guest insight and commentary.
Free admission. Donations to Fair Field Productions are welcome.

Who remembers tuba player Bill Bell’s return to Fairfield?

FAIRFIELD - Fairfield hosted a band festival in 1965 that featured the “world’s greatest tuba player.”

Those were the words of The Fairfield Ledger describing the “Tuba King” Bill Bell, who got his start on the instrument six decades earlier as an 8-year-old playing in the Central Park bandstand. Bell was honored with a Homecoming Parade upon his return to Fairfield on Sept. 18 of that year for a band festival at Parsons College.

Dick DeAngelis, producer and director of Fair Field Productions, wants to hear from members of the public who recall that parade for Bell 61 years ago. DeAngelis is producing the seventh film in his Fairfield History Series, this one about the area’s artists and musicians. He plans to include a segment about Bell and his connection to Fairfield.

Those who have a memory to share can contact DeAngelis at 641-919-4277, or email him at [email protected].

- Andy Hallman