Academy Award-nominated actress Marjorie Main was born in a farmhouse in Acton and has been a favorite local celebrity for nearly a century. Although she starred alongside such greats as Cary Grant, Judy Garland, and Humphrey Bogart, her best-known role was that of Ma Kettle, a comedic rustic character whom she played in ten films from 1947 to 1957. Having grown up in rural Indiana, Main’s portrayal was doubtless informed by her childhood memories of life in farming communities.
The Historic Artcraft Theatre in Franklin, Indiana screens a Marjorie Main film every summer to celebrate the actress, who attended nearby Franklin College. This year’s film is one of the rarer Kettle titles, Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki. All ticket revenues support historic preservation organization Franklin Heritage, Inc. and the restoration of the Artcraft, a 1922 vaudeville house and movie theatre that was saved from demolition and is being restored to its original Art Deco glory.
Movie schedule and tickets are available at the Arcraft website.