- Documentary about the VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program.
- Eric Meitzner was the VISTA member selected for the Atlanta portion of the film. The site was the Wesley Homes Apartments on Wesley Avenue and First Street near the current Candler Park MARTA station. Eric was invited to the property by the apartment owners when it was reported in the Atlanta Constitution Newspaper that landlords in Atlanta were unwilling to provide apartments for the VISTA volunteers. When the owners suggested they would be willing to accept a number of volunteers, only Eric was presented. During the 9 months or so that he lived at Wesley Homes, no rent was paid for the two units which he occupied. Eric achieved a great relationship with tenants and the on-site property manager Mrs. Jackson and Jr. Jackson who was incharge of maintenance.
The books were provided by the Ford Foundation. We hope their investment did not cause them financial problems. The White Cadillac shown in one scene was a 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible with no top and no muffler. Eric drove the kids to the Atlanta Airport and other places around the city on site seeing trips. Stoggy old citizens in Atlanta could not believe the sight of Eric and 8 or 10 kids in a Cadillac Eldorado convertable.
With about 60 days remaining in Atlanta, it was decided by VISTA to use Eric as one of the VISTA volunteers to be featured in a movie. The film crew arrived from Washington and decided that the story needed some villains. When the apartment owners were unwilling to serve in this capacity, it was decided to create a rival gang from another apartment. The club unit had been furnished by the property owners (at no cost). The Television set was provided by the owners as a reward to the kids for helping clean the streets and grounds one weekend. It was decided that the rival gang would destroy the club unit and break the TV. The kids had a great time destroying the unit and breaking the TV for the story line.
After the film was finished, the movie crew went back to Washington, Eric left to be an archaeologist and Jr and Mrs. Jackson cleaned up the mess and took the books to the garbage bin. The Movie was premiered at the East Art Cinema, formerly the Madison Theater on Flat Shoals Avenue in East Atlanta. The residents of the Wesley Homes Apartments were invited. After the movie, Mrs. Jackson was told that "Mr. Eric better not come back to Atlanta on-account he taught my child to sniff glue an Ise gon get him!" At that time sniffing glue was completely unknown in Atlanta. Eric never returned. The Wesley Homes Apartments were subsequently renovated and leased to the Atlanta Housing Authority for public housing. The site is now part of the Edwards Pie factory facility. Cone Maddox
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content