Overby Center program on iconic Whiskey Speech by Soggy Sweat will be March 25

By Overby Center staff

The Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics will present a program on Soggy Sweat’s iconic Whiskey Speech on Wednesday, March 25. The program will feature a screening of a documentary film on the speech followed by a discussion of the historical context and importance of the speech. Cosponsors for the event are the University of Mississippi School of Law, the Mississippi Judicial College, and the Lafayette County Bar Association.

When Prohibition was still in effect in Mississippi and the issue of liquor a major point of political and social discussion, Judge Noah S. “Soggy” Sweat first delivered the speech at the King Edward Hotel in Jackson, Miss., in 1952. The speech is known for the extraordinary rhetorical and theatrical approaches in which Sweat came down on both sides of the issue. The film explores the historical, political, economic, religious, personal, and linguistic dynamics of the speech.

Mississippi judge, law professor and legislator Noah S. “Soggy” Sweat, author of the Whiskey Speech.

The working title of the film is “When You Say Whiskey: Soggy Sweat, Storytelling & the Whiskey Speech.” It is produced and directed by David Crews, a member of the Overby Center Board of Trustees. Crews will participate in the program along with Charles Overby, chairman of the Overby Center.

Lewis Rule of Ruleville, Miss., holds a bottle of Perry Martin whiskey during World War II. Perry Martin ran a still on an island in the Mississippi River and produced prized whiskey that was run all the way to Chicago. Photo courtesy of the Rule and Burdine Family.

The film will explore Sweat’s life and accomplishments. He had a wide-ranging career including service in World War II, state legislator, district attorney, judge, and law school professor. The speech was delivered numerous times over the years, including on the floor of the Mississippi legislature. Sweat had the speech copyrighted. It was delivered on an episode of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and misattributed to a Kansas legislator. The following night Carson corrected the mistake and gave full credit to Sweat, noting that he had the wonderful name

Crews has conducted more than 50 interviews including with novelist John Grisham, musician Marty Stuart, journalist Curtis Wilkie, several of Sweat’s friends, and Emory University historian Joe Crespino. Stuart wrote the country classic, “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’ Anymore.” 

Film director David Crews interviews country music legend Marty Stuart.

Crews has recorded several extraordinary orators recreating the speech, and portions of it are woven into the film. Matthew Graves is editor of the film, and Claire Shelmire Crews is director of photography. The final version of the film will run approximately 57 minutes.  The film is supported in part by the Mississippi Humanities Council under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Crews has produced four films that have been broadcast by PBS affiliates including “Unrivaled,” which tells the story of Sewanee’s legendary 1899 football that went undefeated; “The Toughest Job,” which chronicles the career of Mississippi Gov. William Winter and won a regional Emmy Award for Best Historical Documentary; “Force of Nature” about a businessman and conservationist; and “Eudora,” which documents the remarkable life and work of writer Eudora Welty.