Bill's story had tremendous impact

The story of Bill Sackter and Bill's Coffeeshop continues to have an impact,
especially around the Midwest. Whenever I am introduced as connected to Bill's Coffeeshop, people ask me how the coffeeshop is doing and then tell me a story. It could be a story about Bill, a story about the coffeeshop, or a story about one of the Bill movies.

Recently, for example, I met a woman who had been a volunteer at Faribault state hospital more than 30 years ago. That's the Minnesota hospital where Bill had lived for nearly half a century. She had known the story of Bill, and had seen the movie. But she did not know that the hospital where she had volunteered was the one where Bill had lived.

I remember once meeting a man who was delighted to discover that Mickey Rooney had played Bill in the two movies, "Bill" and "Bill on his own." In his late 70s, the man had been a great fan of Rooney's early movies. "I grew up in an orphanage and loved watching his movies," he told me. He also knew the story of Bill, though he had not seen the movies. He was thrilled to learn that the lives of Rooney and Bill Sackter had converged twice.

Occasionally, people have assumed I am Bill. I have even been introduced as Bill. I chuckle at that, and point out that if he were still alive, Bill would now be in his 90s.

All of this is an astonishing legacy for a man who died more than 20 years ago (1983). Who would have guessed that Bill Sackter's story and Bill's coffeeshop would have had such an influence.

This legacy will be explored in a forthcoming documentary, scheduled to be released later this year. "Bill Sackter: A Special Spirit" includes recently discovered film footage of Bill, plus a look at the coffeeshop today and interviews with people who knew Bill. Look for more details in the fall on the film's premiere.