William And Mary Brickell - Founders Of Miami And Fort Lauderdale - Author Beth Brickell’s Book Signing About Two Visionaries Who Helped Shape South Florida’s Industrial Boom

Beth Brickell is an actor, award-winning producer, and writer with numerous stage and screen credits. She is most widely recognized for her 1967–69 leading role on the CBS TV adventure series Gentle Ben, which filmed in Miami also starring Dennis Weaver, Clint Howard and their family pet, a 650-pound black bear named Ben. She’s also appeared in The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Marcus Welby, M.D., Bonanza, Hawaii Five-O, and Fantasy Island. In 1972, she appeared in the feature film The Only Way Home, followed by the 1975 movie The Posse and 1977’s Death Game. She has also engaged in film production and investigative journalism, the latter relating to the 1957 disappearance of Maud Crawford.

Brickell ceased acting in order to become a directing fellow at the American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles, receiving an MFA in 1978. In the 1980’s, she taught for three years at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York and Los Angeles, while also directing. She was writer and producer for the award-winning A Rainy Day (1978) which was broadcast on PBS and Summer’s End (1985) on A&E, Nickelodeon, PBS, and Showtime, which won 16 film industry awards. She also wrote, directed, and produced the lauded 2005 holiday movie Mr. Christmas.

Brickell has served as chair of the steering committee of the Director’s Guild of American Women, was an Emmy Awards panelist, and served on the grants committee for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. She is president of the independent company Luminous Films Inc. with several projects in development.

In addition to “William and Mary Brickell: Founders of Miami and Fort Lauderdale” (2011), Brickell authored “The Disappearance of Maud Crawford” (2013), featuring reprints of her investigative series for the Gazette. She subsequently produced three other books relating to her investigation into Crawford’s disappearance.

For the History Fort Lauderdale breakfast which includes food and beverages, tickets are $50 and guests may RSVP to: bit.ly/FloridaScribesBrickell2026.

For the HistoryMiami fireside chat, guests may visit: historymiami.org/event/builders-of-miami-william-and-mary-brickell/. Members are free; general public tickets are $10.

“William and Mary Brickell: Founders of Miami and Fort Lauderdale” books are $25 each and will be available for purchase separately at each venue or via: www.Amazon.com.

For more information about History Fort Lauderdale, please call: (954) 463-4431. Or visit: https://historyfortlauderdale.org.

About History Fort Lauderdale

Since 1962, History Fort Lauderdale has been committed to preserving our collective heritage, promoting historical literacy, and fostering a sense of pride and stewardship for the vibrant tapestry of our region's history. Through dynamic exhibitions, engaging educational programs, and meaningful community initiatives, it strives to connect individuals of all ages and backgrounds with the stories, artifacts, and experiences that shape our shared past, present, and future. Guests to Fort Lauderdale are invited to explore the city’s rich past that is housed in historic buildings on a lushly landscaped campus - the History Museum of Fort Lauderdale situated in the 1905 New River Inn, the 1907 Pioneer House Museum, the 1899 Ivy Cromartie Schoolhouse Museum and the Hoch Research Library, South Florida’s foremost history center housing print resources and newspapers from 1910 - present plus 400,000 archival photos, 2,500 maps and 5,000 architectural blueprints. History Fort Lauderdale is located at 231 Southwest Second Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312. Museum tickets are available online at HistoryFortLauderdaleTickets. History Fort Lauderdale is a NonProfit agency supported by memberships, grants and charitable contributions.

For more information, call: (954) 463-4431. Or visit us online at: https://historyfortlauderdale.org. Follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ftlhistory - And on Instagram: @ftlhistory. Subscribe to us on YouTube at: www.youtube.com/user/FTLhistory.

About History Miami

HistoryMiami Museum is Miami’s oldest continuously operating cultural institution and a Smithsonian Affiliate. Through exhibitions, programs, research, and collections, the museum safeguards and shares Miami’s stories, connecting people to the past, present, and future of our community. History Miami is located at 101 West Flagler Street, Miami, Florida 33130.

For more information, call: (305) 375-1492. Or visit: https://historymiami.org.