Girls on Wheels revisit Savannah through the storytelling of murder and intrigue.
Vicki Baker
Given the cold, wet, and dreary weather, Girls on Wheels (Nancy Burns, Karen Dipietro, Susan Hebert, Cassie Richardson, and Vicki Baker) opted to spend time at home. Looking back at our 2023 visit to Savannah got us talking about the nonfiction novel authored by John Berendt and Clint Eastwood’s movie adaptation, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Intrigued by the notorious 1981 murder, we planned brunch, a book discussion, and a movie watch centered around this sordid story of antiques, parties, drag queens, voodoo, cemeteries, eccentric characters, murder, and revenge.
Savannah, characterized by historic squares, cobblestone streets, and period architecture, is set under a veil of Spanish moss. It’s doubtful that city founders ever imagined a book about a four-time-tried, arrogant antiques dealer would turn Savannah into a top tourist destination.
Berendt’s vivid storytelling and the on-location scenes in Eastwood’s film beckoned us back. The storyline follows the life of Jim Williams, a wealthy antiques dealer on trial for the death of Danny Hansford, his employee and occasional lover.
It was wonderfully strange to have visited actual places made famous in the book. The Mercer-Williams House was pivotal in the story. It’s where Danny Hansford was shot by then-owner Jim Williams and where Williams died of heart failure eight months after his acquittal. While touring the house, Williams’ sister forbade guides from discussing the murder, trials, or book!
Next, Telfair Academy Art Museum, home to the “Bird Girl.” The statue topped the plot of a local family until a photograph of it graced the book’s cover. Afterwards, fans flocked to the cemetery, trampling on graves to catch a glimpse. The statue was relocated to Telfair Academy, then later to Telfair’s Jepson Center for the Arts.
We strolled Forsyth Park, which surrounds the iconic, three-tiered fountain. This 30-acre landmark was the backdrop for several scenes in the book and movie, including walking dogs—both real and imaginary.
Although no opportunity to visit Bonaventure Cemetery, we drove past the final resting place for Savannah’s most notable and the original home of the “Bird Girl” statue. It’s the site of the Mercer family plot where characters have late night drinks and the voodoo priestess cast spells on the district attorney who filed murder charges against Williams and over Danny Hansford’s grave to vindicate Williams.
We couldn’t leave Savannah without lunching at Clary’s Café. Berendt described Clary’s as “a clearinghouse of information and gossip.” He ate breakfast here daily while working on the book, and it’s where he met Luther Driggers, an eccentric, poison-carrying character with flies strung on his lapel.
So, now we’ve read the book, watched the movie, and immersed ourselves in Savannah, the location where it all happened. Though Berendt’s story oftentimes seemed too unbelievable, it kept us turning the pages to see what would happen next. For Girls on Wheels, the discussion was lively, the movie intriguing, the brunch delicious, and the memories everlasting!