What happens when a Sharon journalist discovers that a famous movie has a significant connection to his own house? He digs a little and turns his finding into a story.
Join the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon, Conn., on Zoom for a discussion with Jürgen Kalwa on Sunday, May 2, at 4 p.m.
When Kalwa, a German journalist, author and longtime resident of Sharon, learned of a direct connection between his house on West Cornwall Road and the famous biopic “Patton,” he had to find out if there was more to the story. Ladislas Fargo wrote the book “Ordeal and Triumph,” which served as the basis of the film, in Kalwa’s house. “Patton” won seven Oscars exactly 50 years ago, including the best actor award, which George C. Scott famously rejected.
Kalwa, a correspondent for German Public Radio (Deutschlandfunk) and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, reports on sports, arts, leisure and social issues. He just completed a long-format radio piece on his Patton story and will recount how he stumbled onto this tale and the interviews he conducted to piece it together. This is Kalwa’s tribute to a general who was instrumental in liberating his home country from the Nazis in 1945 and to a film that gained a special place in Hollywood history.
Why did it take 25 years to bring “Patton’s” story to the screen? Why was the film so successful and how did it become such a classic war movie? Find out on May 2 at 4 p.m. with this free, virtual event. Registration is required; to receive the Zoom link, RSVP at www.hotchkisslibraryofsharon.org/event/patton.




Classic styles, bold colors, and creative concerts make up the “Imaginary Concerts” line at Peggy Mercury.Provided
Shirts from Peggy Mercury’s first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts,” hang on display.Provided







