October 13, 2006 - February 11, 2007
Third Floor Bridge
Whether involving Hoosier artists, directors, subjects or locales, many of the most significant films in American movie history hold Indiana ties. From Red Skelton (Vincennes), Carole Lombard (Fort Wayne) and James Dean (Grant County) to Steve McQueen (Beech Grove), Vivica Fox (Indianapolis) and Greg Kinnear (Logansport), Indiana performers have made key contributions to American cinema. Renowned filmmakers like Winchester’s Robert Wise (Sound of Music, West Side Story) and Lafayette’s Sydney Pollack (Out of Africa, Tootsie) have regularly dominated the Hollywood landscape.
Indiana’s influence on the movie industry has often begun long before the cameras started to roll. From Ben Hur by Brookville’s Lew Wallace and The Friendly Persuasion by Jennings County’s Jessamyn West to Hammond native Jean Shepherd’s A Christmas Story, Indiana authors have penned classic novels which were turned into films that are now staples of American popular culture.
In addition to the pantheon of monumental personalities, distinctly Hoosier subjects like the Indy “500” (To Please a Lady, Winning) and amateur basketball (Hoosiers, Blue Chips) have offered fertile ground to Hollywood’s storytellers. Moreover, Bloomington (Breaking Away), South Bend (Rudy), Fort Wayne (The Desperate Hours), Seymour (Rage at Dawn) and several other Indiana communities have provided the setting for compelling Hollywood drama and memorable comedy.
The collection at the museum contains over 40 original movie posters and lobby cards that relate to Indiana’s role in American movie history. Surprisingly, many of these artifacts have never been exhibited at the museum. Beginning on October 13, 2006, that situation will be rectified as most of the compilation will be displayed on the museum’s third floor bridge in the exhibit Indiana Goes to the Movies. Debuting in conjunction with Indy’s popular Heartland Film Festival and running through February 11, 2007, the display will provide a colorful overview of Indiana’s influence in Hollywood and perhaps inspire the next generation of Hoosier filmmakers.