By Ron Sutton

Special to The Pilot

Take a free trip down memory lane courtesy of the SunFlix committee of the Sunrise Theater.

On Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m., there will be a free screening of the film "Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself."

"Plimpton's life work in 'participatory journalism' should certainly appeal to the spirit of Walter Mitty in all of us," says a committee member.

Filmmakers Tom Bean and Luke Poling used a treasure trove of historic images and sound to take viewers on this magic carpet ride with the man who became "whoever he wanted to become."

The film documents Plimpton's unique life from his unsuccessful start at Exeter Preparatory School in 1940 through his 40th reunion with the Detroit Lions in 2003, just a few days before he died.

The audience will accompany him on a host of adventures from his becoming the first editor of The Paris Review, which he helped found in 1953, to actually becoming, at least for a few moments, a trapeze artist, a goalie for the Boston Bruins hockey team, a pitcher in Yankee Stadium, a bass drum player for Leonard Bernstein's New York City Symphony Orchestra, a professional golfer, a boxer, a race car driver and a photographer of African wild animals -and Playboy Bunnies.

Plimpton's friendships with the great celebrities of the era - from Hemingway through Tom Wolfe to Jack and Jackie Kennedy to John Wayne and Woody Allen - are quite astounding in their own right.

The role he played the night Robert Kennedy was assassinated is quite a revelation. He never wrote about what he did that night.

The film is a mixture of black and white and color photography.

The theater is located at 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines.

For information, call (910) 692-8501.

Ron Sutton is a local writer and professor emeri tus of film at American University.