Thursday, March 6, 2008

THE MARCH OF THE PEABODY DUCKS

The only good image of the ducks coming out where you can actually see all of them.
Our Little Glamour Queen...doesn't she look glamorous in her leopard?

Natalie waiting to see the Peabody Ducks.

Of course, she wasn't waiting alone. Notice the black and white images. I despise red-eye and I can't seem to always avoid it with our point and shoot camera thus black and white images!


To those who are not aware of the Peabody Duck tradition. I first saw them in 1992 on our first gin trip to Memphis when Randy first became head ginner in Tallulah. Most the time we take the annual trip as a (paid by the co.) get-a-way for me and Randy, but over the years we have taken the kids to see them too. This was Natalie's first trip. There's a long story about the history of the ducks...something about the Peabody being a hunting lodge. Some hunters that had too much to "drink" had come back from a duck hunting trip and they brought there live (yes, live) decoy ducks into the lobby and they swam in the water fountain thus the tradition of the Peabody Ducks began. Every day around 11:00 the duck master goes to the top floor to "Duck's Penthouse apartment" and escorts them to the elevator. The duck master leads them out of the elevator to march onto the red carpet laid out just for them to the water fountain. At 5:00 in the afternoon he will escort them back to the elevator to go back up to their place for the rest of the evening (until they come back again the next day).


The next image is the elevator opening up with the duck master and the ducks as they are coming down. I added the closer image of this at the top of this post. It is a cropped closer version. I cropped hoping you could actually see the ducks. This image shows the crowd looking. This is the general set up. I circled the duck master and the ducks to draw your attention to them because in that particular image---as you can see it would be easy to overlook. I was hoping to get an image of them as they walked by with Natalie sitting on the floor in the background. Cari had the camera and even if I had it and it had been my good camera, it still probably would not have gone my way. These were some fast ducks. Some new information that I learned this time when they gave the brief history on the duck march is that the ducks are changed out every 3 mos...well actually retired. And he said that these ducks were pretty new...they had only been at the Peabody for a few weeks and that they were unpredictable. One thing for sure...they were the fastest Peabody Ducks that I had ever seen!
So when your best laid plans don't work out and they usually don't, take photos of your little one watching the ducks in the water. We still didn't get any great shots, but I think what we have are good enough to help Natalie remember her duck experience.
Natalie watching the ducks with Daddy...
The ducks swimming by quickly...
Natalie was very upset because she wanted to pet them. I wasn't sure of what the "duck policy" was so I told her that they would bite. And I think really would have...at least the boy duck would. We got so tickled watching them. The Mallard kept biting at the girls. Natalie said, "that boy duck is mean!" He's either mean or just flirting. I guess I am just not that familiar with "normal" duck behavior.
'DUCK WATCHING'

We enjoyed introducing Natalie to the Peabody Duck tradition. It is always so neat introducing something new to her. I love that childlike wonder!

~~~Natalie's Mimi



1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hi!

Perhaps you or one of your readers may have a lead on this? :

Film director appeals to Memphis residents for personal
footage of the Peabody Ducks

June XX, 2008. New York, NY. DIRECTOR Michael Meredith is in search of old home movies
of children and their families watching the duck march at The Peabody Memphis, to be included
in the feature film THE OPEN ROAD, starring Jeff Bridges, Mary Steenbergen, and Kate Mara,
as well as Memphis native Justin Timberlake. The public is invited to submit any type of
footage from 1975 or earlier to the post-production offices of the film. The owner of the selected
footage will receive a special thanks credit in the film as well as a complimentary weekend hotel
stay with Sunday brunch, courtesy of The Peabody Memphis.

The film centers on a young man (Justin Timberlake) trying to reconnect with his father, a
legendary athlete (Jeff Bridges), as he struggles to get him home to his ailing mother’s (Mary
Steenburgen) bedside. The chosen footage will represent home video of the family as they watch
the historic Duck March at The Peabody Memphis. Director Michael Meredith (THREE DAYS
OF RAIN) shot scenes on location at The Peabody Memphis, as well as in various locations in
Louisiana and Texas.

The production team appealed to the hotel archives for such footage, but "The Peabody was
closed between 1975 and 1981, and as a result, most of the hotel’s archival footage disappeared,"
explained Kelly Earnest, Director of Public Relations at The Peabody Memphis.

Director Meredith hopes that Memphis residents may have the footage that he seeks: "I'm
looking for an actual home movie— not a polished Hollywood version of the old duck march,
but the duck march the way it really was. I'd like to use the footage as a flashback of sorts in the
memory of Carlton Garrett, the main character in the film" conveyed Meredith.

Individuals who have relevant footage should contact the post-production offices of The Open
Road at (646) 216-4265 or theopenroadfootage@gmail.com.