BEHIND THE SCENES with Deborah George
What drew you to the story of Sister Aimee Semple McPherson? And why did you feel her story was important for others to hear
Years ago, I produced a documentary on Father Louis Coughlin, the "radio priest" whose anti-Semitic tirades were so popular in the 1930s. Fr. Coughlin's broadcast sermons were powerful and seductive. Aimee Semple McPherson's sermons were just as seductive but dramatically different in tone and message. Her voice was cheery and maternal. Her revivals brought together whites, blacks, Latinos, and Gypsies
When the Kitchen Sisters were looking for stories for their Lost and Found Sound series, I thought it was time to resurrect Aimee's sermons for a new audience. There was also a lot of talk at the time of the "new" cult of celebrity and I thought that Aimee was probably one of the first American celebrities. Back in the day, her sermons and her scandals were tabloid fodder much as Brangelina's are today. And then, there's her disappearance –- still a mystery
Do you feel that Sister Aimee's story has been mostly forgotten by history
Aimee actually was never completely forgotten. She's rediscovered every decade or so. She was the basis for the character of Sharon Falconer in Sinclair Lewis' Elmer Gantry . Carey McWilliams wrote about her in The Aspirin Age , a terrific collection of essays on American popular culture in the first half of the 20th century. Faye Dunaway played her years ago in a TV movie, The Disappearance of Aimee . Most recently, she's Eli Sunday in the movie There Will be Blood . The Church of the Foursquare Gospel that she founded has millions of members around the world
You're an accomplished radio producer, reporter, and editor. Is there one role you prefer and why
There are bits I like about each role as well as things I don't. Reporting gives you the most control over a story but you usually have to trade the total immersion in the storytelling aspects that you have when you're the producer. The best thing about being an editor is getting to work with reporters and producers who have different approaches and insights from mine. And coming across talented new people is always exciting