Happy Mother's Day

September 23, 1963 was a happy mother’s day for Mary Ann Fischer when she gave birth to quintuplets in Aberdeen, South Dakota. What better ingredients for a great story? Everyone thought so, including the “Saturday Evening Post”, which hired Richard Leacock to document the momentous events. Leacock brought Joyce Chopra on board, to record sound, and the two traveled to Aberdeen when the babies were just two weeks old. What Leacock provided was a great film. What the sponsors wanted was a different film, and turmoil ensued. (D.A. Pennebaker)

From the collection of Österreichisches Filmmuseum

With HOW TO SMELL A ROSE: A VISIT WITH RICKY LEACOCK IN NORMANDY