"Sod and Stubble," the motion picture based on the classic pioneer story, will screen on Saturday, Oct. 4 in Holyrood, at the American Legion, 416 N. Main. "Sod and Stubble" will be the highlighted feature of the Holyrood Booster Club’s “Heritage Matinee” fundraising event.
The event will kick off at 1 p.m. with archival film footage collected by Arlen Schultz, dating from the 1940s, depicting scenes such as a football game between Lorraine and Holyrood, and the dedication of the Ellsworth County Courthouse and celebratory parade.
An open mic storytelling time will follow for people to share their recollections about Holyrood and Ellsworth County. Attendees are encouraged to consider sharing a prepared historical anecdote between 1-2 minutes, which will be recorded for Holyrood’s archives.
"Sod and Stubble" Director Ken Spurgeon will introduce his film and entertain audience questions. "Sod and Stubble" tells the story of the Ise family who homesteaded in Osborne County in the 1870s, and battled through the many challenges of homesteading on the Kansas plains. The original story was written by John Ise in the 1930s with the help and remembrances of his mother, Rosa Ise. In the 1990s, Von Rothenberger added over 150 pages of additional text to the new release. Now, the story of Henry and Rosie Ise comes to life on the screen through the work of an award-winning cast and crew.
The film features Bailey Chase (Longmire, Homestead), Dodie Brown (American Horror Story), Barry Corbin (Lonesome Dove, No Country for Old Men), Mary McDonough (The Waltons), Buck Taylor (Yellowstone, Tombstone, Gunsmoke), Darby Hinton (Daniel Boone, Texas Rising), Rudy Ramos (Yellowstone, High Chaparral), Wyatt McCrea, R.W. Hampton, Mark Mannette, Delno Ebie and more. The film was written and directed by Ken Spurgeon.
"Sod and Stubble" was filmed in Downs, Wichita, and El Dorado. The film was produced by New Albany Films and Sod and Stubble LLC, and distributed by Purdie Distribution. Sod and Stubble has been distributed nationwide to theatres and released on streaming platforms.
More information about the film is available at www.sodandstubble.com or by contacting Ken Spurgeon at [email protected].The Holyrood Booster Club will post updates about the October 4 Heritage Matinee fundraising event to Holyrood’s Historic 1887 Santa Fe Depot Museum & Gathering Space Facebook page. Refreshments will be available for purchase, and a free-will donation will be collected towards civic projects.