A Séance for Mary Sherman Screening
A Séance for Mary Sherman, a documentary about one of the most puzzling unsolved murders in New Orleans history, will screen on Saturday, September 19 at 5 p.m. at the Broad Theater.
Mary Sherman was a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon, researcher, and teacher who worked with both Tulane Medical School and the Ochsner Foundation Hospital. On July 21, 1964, firefighters responding to a call from her neighbors found Sherman's body under a burning mattress in her apartment on St. Charles Avenue. The murderer was never caught, and a number of conspiracy theories surfaced in the wake of her death, including ties to the JFK assassination.
The film will feature interviews with multiple people who knew and worked with Dr. Sherman. Director Steve Tyler spent a little over two years working on the movie. He stumbled onto the case while researching another true crime figure from New Orleans history, David Ferrie (played by Joe Pesci in Oliver Stone's JFK).
Tyler said he strove for verisimilitude above all else in his film. "While it may seem obvious, the guiding principle in producing a true crime documentary should be a search for the truth and a commitment to honesty," Tyler said.
An earlier screening at the broad on September 13 is already sold
out.
