READING, Pa. — For filmmaker Ann Goodman, Stoneman Willie was never just a local legend. It began as a childhood memory, a story her mother told her.
“She’d go to see him in the funeral home with her friends or by herself,” Goodman said. “And they’d tell her his nails are growing, his hair is growing. And it fascinated me, of course.”
What she didn’t know then was that memory would follow her, long after her mother passed away.
“I said, ‘I’m going to do a documentary.’ And I thought, did my mom just give me those words?” she said.
Stoneman Willie, whose real name was later confirmed to be James Murphy, died in the late 1800s. With no known family to claim him, his body remained at Auman’s Funeral Home for more than a century. The embalming process used at the time unintentionally preserved him, turning his story into one of the most talked-about pieces of Reading history.
But for Goodman, this film is not about mystery or spectacle. It’s about dignity.
“I wanted him to be a historical remembrance, a celebration of his life, a celebration of the history of Reading, and the fact that he’s a human being,” she said.
On Friday night, every seat inside the GoggleWorks Boscov Theater will be filled for the premiere.
“This movie has novelty, it has community appeal,” said Levi Landis, Executive Director of GoggleWorks Center for the Arts. “We know that because it’s sold out and it’s going to look great on the big screen.”
Goodman didn’t make the documentary alone. She partnered with 69 News’ Tom Rader, who helped shape the final film.
“Tom was all over it,” Goodman said. “I’m so thankful for him. It’s become a real partnership.”