Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Dangerous Intimacy A Documentary Filming at The Lobster Pot and Redding Environs

There is so much interest in Mark Twain and so little known about his last years, that it is wonderful that recently  numerous books have been published about Mark Twain last years.  Also, with his last volume of his autobiography coming out in 2015...this will really focus and Mark Twain's time in Redding Ct, his last home, his relationships and his important last writings.


Twain loved Redding and built a Florentine Style mansion called Stormfield, on the acreage that once was my property, (aka The Lobster Pot). Mark Twain gave the old salt box, which he called The Lobster Pot, to Isabel Lyon, a woman that was his (controversial) companion for the years after Livy's,( Mark Twain's wife's), death. If you look on some of the other posts in this blog you will find a lot of information and pictures of Isabel Lyon, (my oil portrait of Isabel is shown below).

Below are photos of the filming of the Documentary  "Dangerous Intimacy"  produced by Richard Altomonte, based on the book by Karen Lystra. The full length Documentary film can be purchased at amazon.com.

Much of the Documentary was filmed at The Lobster Pot, also at the Mark Twain Library, New Pond Farm and Cindy and Brian Meehl's home in Redding, Ct. (which was also  part of the original Stormfield property). Cindy was very gracious to lend two of her precious horses for the filming, Red and Lilly. Cindy has a role in the film as Jean Clemen's riding companion when Jean had the train accident. Also, my sister, Deborah, plays Katie Leary, the Clemen's long time maid. There is a scene in the Doc. in the Lobster Pot sunken garden where Jean attacks Katy. 

In the Documentary I portray Jean Clemens..she is about 29 years old...obviously no close ups.....

 

  To see a 2 minute clip of this Documentary go to:

 

  http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi1840907801/

In these scenes at The Lobster Pot:  Top row we see Jean Clemens attacking Katy Leary in the sunken garden and Jean's fateful ride with her companion where Jean's horse is killed by a train and Jean breaks her leg.


In these scenes starting at top: Jean is at the Sanitarium missing her father and sister Clara, in center pictures Jean is having an epileptic fit, and bottom pictures Jean and Katy are setting up for the attack scene. (that's me and my sister in my sunken garden...what fun we had that day)





Jeans snow scene ride










Isabel Lyon, oil on linen 30 x 24,  Collection of the artist

 

This Documentary can be purchased thru Amazon

Please view other posts to find out more about Isabel Lyon  and The Lobster Pot

To see more art work by the artist and learn about The Lobster Pot visit: www.SusanDurkee.com