Ray Lum, Mule Trader: Film Showing at The Strand Theatre

2 films and a conversation.  Vicksburg’s Dr. William R. (Bill) Ferris will be coming home for a program debuting the latest chapter in a quest he has been involved with for over fifty years. The Strand Theatre will host a special event featuring two short films about local mule trader, Ray Lum, and a conversation with the filmmakers and guests who are connected to the films.  Daniel Boone, program presenter at the Strand explained, “There was a time in the first half of the twentieth century when mules were essential for transportation, agricultural, and construction work. Here in Vicksburg, Ray Lum was a mule trader. It was his occupation and his way of life. In other words, he lived by his wits and his words. As automobiles and tractors and other heavy equipment became accepted in other parts of the country, the mule remained a valued tool and partner here in the South for a number of years. After the mule was no longer needed by many, Mr. Lum auctioned cattle and horses at his livestock barn.”  Ray Lum was a larger-than-life character; a natural storyteller which served him well in his efforts to sell livestock. He believed it was important to always tell the truth even if it might sometimes be necessary to “handle it with care,” according to Ray Lum: Mule Trader, a book told in Lum’s own words by Bill Ferris. In the introduction to that book Ferris states, “In the late ‘60s while a graduate student in folklore at the University of Pennsylvania, I rediscovered and understood better my culture as I filmed and recorded black blues musicians, storytellers, and folk artists from the Mississippi Delta. By 1970 I was teaching English at Jackson State College, and my father suggested I record Lum, whom he felt was unique as a storyteller. I took my father’s advice and in 1970 began a quest for Lum and through him my own identity.”In collaboration with Judy Peiser and Bobby Taylor, Ferris, a former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, coeditor of the award-winning Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, and author of several other books; made a film about Lum in 1974, also entitled Ray Lum: Mule Trader. That eighteen-minute film will be shown at the Strand along with a new film entitled Okay, Mr. Ray which utilizes footage shot by Ferris and which was directed by Ashley Melzer, a young producer, filmmaker, and writer based in Durham, North Carolina; who considers Ferris to be a mentor.  Ferris and Melzer will be at the Strand to talk about their films and will be joined in conversation by Henry Harris, the son of Squire Harris, who is featured in the film, and Betsy Lum Lipscomb, Ray Lum’s niece. According to Kelle Barfield, owner of Lorelei Books, “I have stock of Ray Lum: Mule Trader at Lorelei Books, which I will have at the Strand on July 13 for those who would like to purchase an autographed copy. I plan to donate profits from sales to The Strand.”This program is being supported by the Mississippi Humanities Council who helped fund the new film. The event will be Saturday, July 13 at 7 PM at the Strand Theatre located at 717 Clay Street in downtown Vicksburg. It is free and open to the public.