Dawn: A Charleston Legend

2022, Book, Dawn Langley Simmons, English, USA,

Director: Ron Davis
Release Year: 2022

Synopsis:

"Dawn: A Charleston Legend" (2022) is a poignant documentary directed by Ron Davis that delves into the life of Dawn Langley Pepita Simmons, a figure whose unconventional life story intertwines issues of identity, race, love, and resilience. Born as Gordon Langley Hall on October 16, 1922, in Sussex, England, Simmons spent the first part of her life as a man, only to later transition and embrace her identity as a woman. The film explores her tumultuous journey, capturing the complexities of her relationships, her transformative moments, and the significant milestones that defined her extraordinary life. 

 

Simmons' life began in the rural English countryside, in Sussex, where she was born to Jack Copper, a chauffeur for the famous English author Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson, and Marjorie Hall Ticehurst, another servant. Her early childhood was spent largely under the care of her grandmother, and she later visited Sissinghurst Castle, the home of Sackville-West and Nicolson. In her youth, Simmons met Virginia Woolf, who had a relationship with Sackville-West. This encounter marked the beginning of a life that would echo themes of transformation and self-discovery, themes Woolf explored in her novel "Orlando", a tale about a character who changes gender across centuries. This connection between Woolf's literary work and Simmons' own life is explored in the documentary, reflecting the parallels between fiction and reality. As a young person, Simmons faced a difficult and confusing beginning. She later claimed that she was born intersex, with ambiguous genitalia, leading to her being mistakenly assigned male at birth. However, in the book "Peninsula of Lies" (2004) by author Edward Ball, it is suggested that Simmons was actually born male and struggled with the gender identity imposed on her. The documentary includes insights into how Simmons' own narrative about her intersex status was complicated by external interpretations of her life, especially as she navigated a complex personal and social world. 

 

Simmons' path took a pivotal turn when she emigrated to Canada in 1946, at the age of 24, still living as Gordon Langley Hall. There, she briefly taught on the Ojibway reserve at Lake Nipigon, an experience that would later inspire her bestselling memoir, "Me Papoose Sitter" (1955). Following her time in Canada, Simmons returned to England and became an educator in Croydon, Surrey. She then moved to the United States in 1950, first settling in Missouri, where she worked as the society editor for "The Nevada Daily Mail", before relocating to New York and continuing her journalism career as the society editor of the "Port Chester Daily Item". During this period, Simmons began to write prolifically, producing biographies of notable women, including Princess Margaret, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, and Mary Todd Lincoln. Her biographical works reflected her deep engagement with history and culture, while simultaneously providing her with the financial means to pursue a more personal and transformative journey. 

 

In the 1950s, while living in New York, Simmons developed a close relationship with artist Isabel Whitney, with whom she shared a New York townhouse. Whitney, who became a key figure in Simmons' life, left Simmons a significant inheritance upon her death in 1962, including a house in Charleston, South Carolina, where Simmons would eventually settle. The documentary touches on Simmons' life in Charleston, where she restored a historic home in the city's Ansonborough neighborhood, known for its vibrant queer community. Here, Simmons would come into her own, surrounded by a blend of Southern charm and an eclectic mix of antique furniture, particularly pieces by Thomas Chippendale, which became a passion of hers. Simmons' time in Charleston was marked by her gender transition, which culminated in 1968 when she underwent sex reassignment surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Although Simmons later identified as intersex and suggested that she was wrongfully assigned male at birth, some biographers, like Edward Ball, have challenged these claims, suggesting that she was born male but simply chose to transition later in life. The documentary captures the emotional and physical challenges Simmons faced during this period, as well as the broader societal implications of her transition in a time when transgender issues were far less understood and accepted than they are today. 

 

In 1969, Simmons married John-Paul Simmons, a Black mechanic 20 years her junior. Their interracial marriage was groundbreaking, occurring just two years after the landmark "Loving v. Virginia" decision that invalidated laws against interracial marriage in the United States. The marriage was highly publicized, sparking both fascination and controversy, particularly in the racially segregated South. Their wedding, held in their Charleston home, was attended by only a few guests, including a pastor from the local Shiloh African Methodist Episcopal Church, where Simmons had become the only white member. The documentary also highlights the complexities of Simmons’ relationship with John-Paul, which was fraught with emotional and physical abuse. Their marriage became a reflection of Simmons’ struggles to reconcile her past, her gender identity, and her need for love and acceptance. Despite their challenges, the couple had a daughter, Natasha Margienell Manigault Paul Simmons, born in 1971, a child whom Simmons claimed was born of a previous relationship of John-Paul's but who later believed Simmons to be her true mother. 

 

In the years that followed, Simmons’ life took another series of unexpected turns. After her divorce from John-Paul Simmons in 1982 due to his mental health struggles and abuse, Simmons returned to Charleston, where she continued to write and reflect on her life. The documentary touches on her later years, including her struggle with Parkinson’s disease, and her work in publishing and teaching. She wrote three autobiographies, reflecting on her remarkable life and her experiences of being transgender, intersex, and part of a racially mixed family in the American South. In 1995, Simmons published "Dawn, A Charleston Legend", her final autobiography, which encapsulated her life’s story. The documentary explores how Simmons’ legacy continued to inspire and provoke conversation about gender, race, and identity, as well as her ability to adapt and persevere through adversity. Simmons passed away on September 18, 2000, at the age of 77, leaving behind a complex and lasting legacy. 

 

Simmons’ story has been a subject of interest in popular culture for decades. Her life was featured in Jack Hitt's 1996 episode of "This American Life" and was profiled in a 1998 article in "GQ". The documentary "Dawn: A Charleston Legend" offers a more intimate portrayal, drawing on interviews with Simmons’ daughter and others close to her, shedding light on the multi-faceted nature of her life. Through the lens of Ron Davis' documentary, Simmons is celebrated not only as a legend in Charleston but as a figure who challenged conventional gender roles and fought for her place in a world that was often hostile to her identity. Ultimately, "Dawn: A Charleston Legend" is more than just a recounting of Simmons’ life; it is a meditation on the fluidity of identity, the power of self-determination, and the struggles of navigating love, family, and society's expectations. The documentary provides viewers with a nuanced portrait of a woman who lived life on her own terms, and whose legacy continues to provoke thought and inspire generations.

 

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