Frances Glessner Lee in the Boston Globe

If you haven't yet, read this great article about the great Frances Glessner Lee! THere's a mention Murder in a Nutshell: The Frances Glessner Lee Story. 

And yes we will have a preview/fine cut screening at The Rocks in October 2024. 

Watch preview here! 

The Story of the Not-so-Missing Nutshell

We are deep in the throes of editing Murder in a Nutshell: The Frances Glessner Lee Documentary -- getting ready for the screening in October 2024. 

Above is a still from the section about the missing Nutshell. When we were working on Of Dolls & Murder, Jerry D (if you don't know who Jerry D is, watch the movie) told me about the destroyed Nutshell and the missing one. I figured that as a documentary filmmaker it was up to me to try to find it. 

It eventually led me to a Nutshell I had never seen before. Not in archival photos and not in person. It was in an issue of Popular Mechanics magazine from the 1950s. It was an amazing find. At least that is how it felt. But I still had no idea what happened to the missing Nutshell.  Until later on when I spotted it in a photo on a website for the Bethlehem Heritage Center in NH. (Near Frances' former estate at the Rocks)

Turns out the Nutshell wasn't missing at all. No one thought to ask anyone at the Rocks. So there it sat, overlooked for decades. 

I was the first person to tell Clare Brown (She works at both The Rocks and the Heritage Center) that the Nutshell hiding in plain sight at the Bethlehem Heritage Center was considered missing. That was news to her. All she knew was that she found it in "the old tool barn" at the Rocks and literally had no idea what it was or much about Frances Glessner Lee at the time. (Side note: Clare's grandfather worked for Frances.)

This Nutshell wound up getting cleaned up and carefully sent to London for a Welcome Trust exhibit before it safely making it home. 

Interesting lesson:  Things that are consider missing, maybe never were. We just never asked the right people. 

Side lesson: Don't assume others that came before you (even detectives) did their homework. 

 

Oct 2024: Murder in a Nutshell: The Frances Glessner Lee Story documentary screening

We are still hammering out the details but we've set a date, Oct 19, 2024. for a screening of Murder in a Nutshell: The Frances Glessner Lee Story documentary film. We are so excited to finally share this documentary with you! 

Editing Murder in a Nutshell: The Frances Glessner Lee Story documentary

We spent a very productive session this past week working on the fine cut of Murder in a Nutshell: The Frances Glessner Lee Story documentary. I love how this is coming together. 

One the left side of the monitor is the interior of the Glessner House Museum and on the right is a photo of Frances Glessner (R) with her dog and Violetta Scharff (L), Frances' paid companion. 

Someone recently asked me if the Glessner House was haunted. We filmed there twice and spent a day researching their files, so I had plenty of opportunity to be scared but nothing scary happened. The energy in the museum seemed light. 

However, many people do say it is haunted. What about you? Have you been there? Did you experience anything paranormal? 

While filming Of Dolls & Murder we did experience quite a few unexplained events, like camera and car batteries dying when they were fully charged/new. Strange. I've also had my computer battery drain on another filming project at a Polish museum. 

Murder in a Nutshell: The Frances Glessner Lee Story Documentary update

 

We are working hard on the fine cut edit for Murder in a Nutshell: The Frances Glessner Lee Story. Currently we are re-editing the section on the unfinished Nutshells. I took this photo of one of the unfinished Nutshells at the Rocks Estate. Someone found it at antique shop and recognized that it was a Nutshell and donated it to the Rocks. Unfortunately, I do believe it burned up in the horrible fire a few years ago. Luckily we got photos and footage of it when we did. 

I just heard from my contact from the Rocks - it did not burn up! 

I wonder what Frances Glessner Lee had it store for this one? 

Reminds me of something from David Lynch 

1966 Mattel Baby Secret Doll Commercial

Adorably terrifying. 

All dolls have secrets apparently - some more than others. 

Anyone know what this one was going on about? 

Celebrating Frances Glessner Lee's Birthday March 25, 2024

What a great way to celebrate the anniversary of Frances Glessner Lee's Birthday in her hometown of Chicago, Illinois in her childhood home, the Glessner House

The Patron Saint of Forensic Science 

Frances Glessner as a child

Frances Glessner Lee making dollhouse crime scenes

Glessner House Museum

Frances Glessner Lee's Childhood Home

Frances Glessner Lee and the Nutshell Studies New Documentary

Exciting news! My filmmaking partners on Of Dolls & Murder and I are back at it - created a brand new cut of Murder in a Nutshell. I keep saying, "We're not the same people we were when we started this film project. We're not the same filmmakers we were. We're better." 

But I wouldn't be me if I wasn't lamenting something. Over the years, I've never been able to track down any footage or audio recordings of Frances Glessner Lee. I know it's out there somewhere. 

Someone who knew her told me that she had a soft spoken voice. Interesting. 

Frances wasn't always associated with miniature crime scenes...

Horrifying and Questionable Vintage Valentines

People who appreciate Of Dolls & Murder also appreciate horrifying and questionable vintage Valentines. Enjoy! 

Also, your filmmaking pals, Susan Marks, John Dehn and Matt Ehling are in the throes re-editing the Of Dolls & Murder follow up film, Murder in a Nutshells: The Frances Glessner Lee Story. It's really happening.

Happy Valentines! Hope it's creepy.