Six southern belles with ridiculously southern names pass the time gossiping at a makeshift beauty parlor in between celebrating holidays. They support, tease and enjoy each other's company in between the one-liners and tears.
Since Steel Magnolias begins and ends on Easter, I figured what better movie to post about today. Adapted from Robert Harling's play, which is based on his sister's life, the movie features a star-studded cast and a future Pretty Woman who deliver steelar ;-) performances, although Olympia Dukakis' accent is about as southern as a New York cheesecake.
Steel Magnolias was filmed in Natchitoches and Natchez, LA
Location: Downtown Chinkapin Parish
Address: 732 Front Street, Natchitoches, LA
Chinkapin Parish was the fictional setting for the movie. There is a street named Chinkapin Drive and I happened to pass by this sign...
Location: House with The Blue Car
Address: 170 Jefferson Street, Natchitoches, LA
Location: The Eatenton House
Address: 320 Jefferson Street, Natchitoches, LA
Annelle stops in front of 325 Jefferson Street across the street...
The tree that probably belonged in Bodega Bay...
The "Steel Magnolias House" is now a bed and breakfast. For a couple of hundred bucks you can stay in a room named after one of the characters. From some of the online comments, the new management is about as friendly as Ouser, but maybe they were caught a bad time, like a bird had just shit on them perhaps? The house was closed when I visited but I was able to get a glimpse of the staircase Shelby emerges from at the front door...
Location: Truvy's Beauty Spot
Address: 453 Henry Boulevard, Natchitoches, LA
The garage has been redone but otherwise the house looks the same...
Location: Shelby & Jackson's Church
Address: 453 Henry Boulevard, Natchez, LA St. Augustine Church
The sanctuary... hosed down with Pepto Bismol...
Location: Ouser's House
Address: 310 Jefferson Street, Natchitoches, LA
Location: The Chinkapin Christmas Festival
Address: near 760 Front Street , Natchitoches, LA
Location: Clairee's Post Game Interview
Address: 175 Sam Sibley Drive, Natchitoches, LA
The great debate of whether the uniforms were grape or aubergine took place in the Field House at Northwestern State University. Whoever heard of aubergine as a color anyway? And I had the 64-count box of Crayolas...
Location: Clairee's House
Address: 1972 Williams Avenue, Natchitoches, LA
Just a ways down from Shelby & Jackson's House. The exterior was not seen in the movie, but interior was used for Clairee's Christmas party, which until I started researching locations for this movie, I always assumed it was the Eatenton's party. I thought M'Lynn was making something for the party when Shelby tells her she's pregnant, and since they announced she's with child during it, I figured the guests were all friends of their family. Way to steal Clairee's thunder, Drum...
Location: Shelby & Jackson's House
Address: 1950 Williams, Natchitoches, LA The Odalie Lambre-Gwinn Home
The house actually looks very similar to the one that's across the street from the Eatonton House, which you can see when the car pulls around to pick up Shelby...
Location: The Supermarket
Address: 318 Dixie Plaza, Natchitoches, LA Super 1 Foods
Location: Annelle & Sammy's House
Address: 515 St. Maurice Lane, Natchitoches, LA
Location: Truvy's Church
Address: 533 2nd Avenue, Natchitoches, LA
Unfortunately, the church was locked so I couldn't go inside. But the brick wall across the street was a nice consolation...
Location: Aunt Fern's House
Address: 434 2nd Avenue, Natchitoches, LA
Location: The Cemetery
Address: 2nd Street #200, Natchitoches, LA American Cemetery
I kept looking for the cross in the background a reference point but after walking around for a bit, I couldn't find it. Then I wondered if maybe it was part of the set dressing, and it turned out it was. But I finally stumbled upon the unique tombstone M'Lynn stood next to...
Sally goes for the third Oscar...
Clairee and Ouser make up on Ouser's bench in a garden thats located right next door to the Eatonton house. You can see it briefly as Clairee approaches...
Not the bench, but a bench that rests there today...
Location: Truvy's West
Address: 746 Front Street, Natchitoches, LA
Location: The Easter Egg Hunt
Address: near 760 Front Street, Natchitoches, LA
Annelle and Sammy stroll pass the The Roque House, which is seen again when M'Lynn and Drum are at the prize table...
Locations Visited: March 2018
