Statewide Iowa — Iowans are remembering legendary TV and movie producer Norman Lear, who died this week at age 101. Back in 1969, Lear took over the town of Greenfield, Iowa, for filming “Cold Turkey,” which featured a list of stars, including Dick Van Dyke and Jean Stapleton. Lear returned to Iowa in 2014, and in a Radio Iowa interview, recalled how “Cold Turkey” came out the same year his show, “All in the Family” premiered on CBS. The ground-breaking sitcom dealt with controversial issues previously ignored in comedies.
Lear wrote, directed and produced some of the most popular television shows of the 1970s, including “Maude,” “Good Times” and “The Jeffersons.” Lear said his experiences in Iowa stuck with him and influenced his daily life — which he credits in his many successes.
“Cold Turkey” was filmed primarily in Greenfield, but also used locations in Winterset, Orient and Des Moines. The movie tells the story of a small town — fictional Eagle Rock, Iowa — that takes up the challenge for all its residents to quit smoking for one month to win a $25 million prize. Lear, recalling the summer of ’69, remembers how Iowans adopted Van Dyke and how everyone in the cast enjoyed meeting the locals.
Lear had a photo from that summer in Iowa that he keeps framed in his home.
The native of Connecticut has a home in Vermont, but Lear was named an “Honorary Iowan” in 1999 when he returned to Greenfield with Van Dyke and others to celebrate the 30th anniversary of “Cold Turkey.” Lear was in Iowa in 2014 as a special guest at the “Celebrate Iowa Gala” at the State Historical Museum in Des Moines.
Photo from normanlear.com
