The C, D, E's of Shreveportby Joyce DaltonLearning the A, B, Cs is a distant memory for those of us old enough to read this. However, my first visit to Shreveport, Louisiana’s third largest city after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, left me thinking in alphabetical terms once again. With a bit of effort, I suspect it would be possible to come up with associations for all 26 letters (A for art; B for Bossier, Shreveport’s sister city across the Red River, and so on), but C, D and E encompass a goodly share of visitor high points. C Crawfish, Cajun and Creole are but a few elements of the Mudbug Madness festival, held each Memorial Day weekend in downtown Shreveport. The unattractive multi-named (crawfish, crayfish, crawdad, mudbug) crustaceans, which festival attendees twist and pull in a finely-tuned motion to get at the salty, spicy meat within, hang out in the freshwater mud of bayous and the Gulf. From there, the hapless creatures are destined for pots of seasoned boiling water to emerge on a direct route to eager stomachs or via a disguised journey to the same end as crawfish gumbo, bread, pie (actually, a small pastry), cake (think crabcakes), muffaletta (an Italian sandwich), or etouffee (a sort of Cajun stew). And who can forget the Crawfish Calling and men’s, women’s and kids’ Crawfish Eating Contests?
  For the crawfish-adverse, festival food stands tout such choices as bloomin’ onions, fried alligator, po-boys, Cajun fried pork butt on a bun, deep-fried Twinkies, catfish, dirty rice and pecan pralines. One vendor of the latter claims her many ingredients include Aunt Rose’s smile, Grandma Bessie’s patois, Lagnaippe (pronounced ‘lan yap) and “a little something more.” Whether the smile or patois deserves the credit, the pralines are first-rate.
  A dozen-plus Cajun, zydeco and blues bands keep the crowds foot-tapping, arm-waving and hip-swaying from 11:00 to 11:00 while a third stage entertains the younger set with clowns, karaoke and storytellers.
Admission is free until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, $3.00 per person other days and times. Free shuttles keep up a steady run between Festival Plaza and downtown points. D “Denzel sat over there eating cereal” and “Denzel walked right by our store” were but two of the oft-heard Denzel Washington reminiscences, especially in Mansfield, a town of 5,600 situated about 30 miles from Shreveport. It’s a pleasant place with an impressive court house, a flower shop that once served as the jail and sheriff’s office, an office supply store, a tourist office and a closed movie theater still advertising 25-cent matinee admission. Just outside town, an official State Historic Site remembers the last major victory for the Confederacy. The 1864 battleground now offers a museum of Civil War memorabilia, an introductory film and guided tours by park rangers.
 Still, Mansfield’s current claim to fame rests on Denzel and the film The Great Debaters, which the actor starred in and directed. Key scenes were shot along one of the main streets and in a house just up the road from the modest business district. Since the movie is set in a 1940s Texas town, the filmmakers covered the paved street with dirt, then finding it not the proper color, re-dirted it. As one local put it, “They took two or three months to get the area the way they wanted it, two or three days to shoot and two or three months getting things back the way they were.” This included raising the telephone lines till they were out of camera range.
Another cinema name we were to hear over and over from folks ranging from a Robinson Film Center spokesperson to the owner of Julie Anne’s Bakery & Café was Kevin Costner. Scenes in both Mr. Brooks and The Guardian were filmed at several city sites including the Oakland Cemetery, a bungalow on Oneonita Street and Maggie’s Hanger. The Costner character sought advice from the bartender at the latter, a favorite watering hole which claims an earlier incarnation as the music club of famed guitarist James Burton.  By no means were these the only stars or films to find Shreveport an ideal locale. Portions of Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, W, Mad Money, Homeland Security, the TV series Thief and the HBO production True Blood were all shot here. Logan Mansion, a striking Victorian home open to the public for tours, was turned into a bordello for scenes from The Pardon which tells the true story of the only woman ever executed in Louisiana. A perk for owner Vicki LeBrund was a set of heavy, rich dining room draperies brought in by the film crew and purposely left behind.
Over the past few years, some 30 movies have been made in and around Shreveport, ranking the region just behind Hollywood and New York City as a desirable film site. “The same things that bring tourists bring filmmakers,” a tourism representative said, mentioning scenery, good food, a mix of people, friendliness and a ready talent pool. Visitors can request a Film Trail itinerary from the tourist office listing, at current count, 28 area locations, the majority right in Shreveport. E I could talk about eating, which is superb here, but as one who remembers the ‘50s with increasing fondness, I choose Elvis. It was in 1954 at Shreveport’s Municipal Auditorium that a weekly three-hour live radio program, Louisiana Hayride, turned the soulful-eyed, pelvis-gyrating singer into a teen-age heartthrob. After being turned down by the Grand Old Opry (“Big mistake,” an auditorium spokesperson commented), Presley cast his sights on Hayride, country music’s second most popular venue at the time. For many years, the King of Rock and Roll performed on the program every Saturday, though, needless to say, his $18 per show beginning salary underwent some adjustment.
Presley is not the only Hayride star to have his own niche, complete with mannequin, pictures and memorabilia, inside the auditorium. However, only he and guitarist James Burton, a Shreveport native, claim bronze statues in front of the Art Deco structure which is considered the finest example of the architectural style in Louisiana. Dating to 1929, the building once housed an army barracks, the city morgue and Girl Scout headquarters. Today, it is recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The interior abounds with plaques and exhibits honoring those who made Hayride a top program between 1948 and 1960. In addition to Elvis, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Johnny Horton got their start here. It’s with good reason that Hayride became known as the Cradle of the Stars.  Considered among the top guitarists of the 20th century, James Burton’s long career began as house guitarist for Louisiana Hayride. Over the years, he went on to record with Elvis, Dean Martin, The Everly Brothers and John Denver, to name a few. In 2005, he organized the first James Burton International Guitar Festival, held in Shreveport, to raise money for a foundation which provides music training for kids and young adults. A highlight is numerous guitarists playing the same tune simultaneously.
In 2009, Shreveport celebrated the first Lead Belly Blues Festival. Featuring a number of well-known musicians, the event honors the legacy of composer, singer and guitarist Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter who was born and is now buried in Mooringsport, just 13 miles from Shreveport. Hopefully, the festival will become an annual event. Along the Red River District’s Walk of Stars, handprints of Burton, Presley, Williams, Ledbetter and other greats associated with northwestern Louisiana are set in the concrete path.   While it’s tempting to continue by the letters , at least through F for fish, it’s better to check out “Louisiana’s Other Side” yourself and create your own alphabet of memories.
For further information:Shreveport-Bossier Tourism Office: www.Shreveport-Bossier.org Municipal Auditorium & Stage of Stars Museum: www.stageofstars.com Mudbug Madness Festival: www.mudbugmadness.com Images by Joyce Dalton |
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