Filming Location for The Color Purple

"When Anson County Went Hollywood during the Summer of 1985" - Retired Sheriff Tommy Allen remembers the phone call during the first half of 1985. He was invited to a secret meeting on a farm in southern Anson County. At the secret meeting were Hollywood Producer Steven Spielberg & several members of his staff, NC Film Commission Officials, along with Harry & Betty Huntley.

By 1985 Steven Spielberg was already well-known whereas he had already produced several profitable movies such as “Jaws” & “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial: & the first Indiana Jones movie. Security was a very important issue.

Spielberg was concerned with law enforcement & one evening rode with Sheriff Allen & a deputy across the county. Sheriff Allen honored Spielberg with an honorary title of “Special Deputy.”

Mr. Harry Huntley age 50 at the time had owned & managed Huntley Buick for many years but now was interested in raising cattle, while his son Bill Huntley managed the car dealership. Mr. Huntley had purchased the 650 acre along with the large James C. Bennett plantation farm.

Spielberg asked Mr. Huntley to convert the farm for filming most of the Color Purple movie & at the same time Spielberg asked that he or anyone not to publicize the forthcoming movie.

The first item to take care of was to move over 300 head of cattle to other locations that included a pasture.

The Anson County Water Department extended a water line down Diggs Road to a fire hydrant so there would be a sufficient water supply. Smith’s Cleaners in uptown Wadesboro did a great job of cleaning the “old timey” clothes of the actors.

One other problem was that the movie executives did not want the modern day power lines to appear in their “Color Purple” movie, so Pee Dee Electric relocated a half mile of a power line so that the company could continue to provide electrical services to that section of the county.

According to Mr. Walter Turner, “since my wife’s father was the brother of Harry Huntley, our immediate family was invited to watch a day of filming & it was very interesting to watch the filming.” “We were all invited to lunch at 3pm on the property.

“A gentleman sitting at our table introduced himself & told us his name, which was Mr. Danny Glover, who had co-stared in “Places in the Heart” in 1984 with Miss Sally Field.

The story that the “Color Purple” movie tells comes from the book, “The Color Purple” by Ms. Alice Walker, of which she won a Pulitzer Prize.

The Academy Awards nominations in 1985 included “Best Actress” for Whoopie Goldberg & “Best Supporting Actress” for Margaret Avery.

Ironically, the movie participants did not win any Oscars. However, the movie launched careers for Whoopie Goldberg in the movies & Oprah Winfrey in television.

The filming of our “Color Purple” movie brought curiosity & excitement to the residents of Anson County. For a few months in 1985, Anson County was a part of Hollywood glamour.

Source: (Page 3 of Anson County Historical Society's September 2019 Newsletter)