Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

   The Walt Disney Studios is adding The Jungle Book to its prestigious Diamond Edition Collection. Released from the Disney vault for the first time in almost seven years, the 1967 motion picture will be available on Blu-ray in the US on February 11th. The collection, complete with memorable tunes, beloved characters, and bonus behind-the-scenes features, is now available for pre-order from Amazon.

   Based on a Rudyard Kipling novel, this song-filled celebration of friendship and adventure was Disney’s 19th animated masterpiece, and this was the final animated feature with Walt Disney’s personal touch. Viewers can experience its lush and colorful world, and jazzy, toe-tapping songs (including I Wan’na Be Like You and the Oscar-nominated classic The Bare Necessities) with the ultimate in high definition and sound clarity.

   The Jungle Book follows Mowgli on a journey with unforgettable characters, including Bagheera, the wise panther, the jazzy King Louie, the hypnotic snake Kaa, and the lovable, happy-go-lucky bear Baloo. Phil Harris, Louie Prima, J. Pat O’Malley, George Sanders, Sterling Holloway, Clint Howard, and Sebastian Cabot were among the talented voices used.

  BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE:

Manny P. here…

    Rita Moreno will be the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild on Saturday. She’s had a versatile career as a singer, dancer, and actress, and one of a few performers to have garnered all four major entertainment awards, which include an Oscar, Tony, Emmy, and Grammy; and only the second Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award.

   She had her first Broadway job — as Angelina in Skydrift — by the time she was 13, which caught the attention of Hollywood talent scouts, and it landed her an MGM contract. She had walk-ons in The Toast of New Orleans, Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation, and Singin’ in the Rain. In 1954, she was featured on the cover of Life Magazine with the caption, Rita Moreno: An Actresses’ Catalog of Sex and Innocence. The star earned a small role in the movie version of The King and I.

   In 1961, Moreno accepted the part of Anita in Robert Wise’s and Jerome Robbins’ film adaptation of Leonard Bernstein’s and Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking musical, West Side Story, which had been played by Chita Rivera on Broadway. Moreno won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. After winning the Oscar, she thought she would be able to perform less stereotypical film types, but was disappointed by the studio system. Rita was cast in Carnal Knowledge in 1968.   RITA MORENO —->

   She made appearances on television, including The Jack Benny Program, The Love Boat, The Rockford Files, The Cosby Show, George Lopez, The Golden Girls, and Miami Vice. Her Broadway credits include The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Gantry, The Ritz (Rita won the 1975 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress), and the female version of The Odd Couple. She received the Sarah Siddons Award for her work in Chicago.

   In 1993, Moreno was invited to perform at Bill Clinton’s presidential inauguration, and later that month, she was asked to perform at the White House. She continues to be active on the stage and screen.

   Congrats to the vivacious Rita Moreno on her latest accolade!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Russell Johnson was a television and cinematic actor best known as Professor Hinkley on the CBS sitcom Gilligan’s Island. Before accepting the assignment, he made producer Sherwood Schwartz promise that when he made scientific statements, they would be accurate. His career spanned over four decades.

   Johnson enrolled at the Actors Lab in Hollywood under the GI Bill. Fellow actor Paul Henreid saw him in a play there, and offered him a chance to play a villain in For Men Only. He became close friends to Audie Murphy, and later appeared in three of his movies; Column South and Tumbleweed in 1953, and Ride Clear of Diablo in 1954. His early roles were in Westerns and science fiction, such as It Came from Outer Space, This Island Earth, Attack of the Crab Monsters, and The Space Children. He also starred in Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki. After Gilligan’s Island, he wasin Three Days of the Condor and MacArthur.      RUSSELL JOHNSON

   Russell had a prolific small screen career with notable recurring and guest-starring roles in The Black Saddle, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Death Valley Days, Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, Ben Casey, 77 Sunset Strip, Lassie, The Invaders, Ironside, The F.B.I., Newhart, Dallas, and on the NBC soap opera Santa Barbara.

   His death leaves Tina Louise and Dawn Wells as the last two surviving original cast members of Gilligan’s Island. The erudite Russell Johnson was 89.

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   Dave Madden was a staple of 1960’s and 1970s television. He’s best remembered as a cast member of Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, and as the fictional manager of The Partridge Family… Reuben Kincaid. Madden also made guest appearances on Bewitched,  The Love Boat, Happy Days, Fantasy Island, and had a recurring role on Alice.

   Antenna TV will pay special tribute to the funnyman by airing 14 episodes of The Partridge Family on Saturday, beginning at 1p (ET). Dave Madden (right) was 82.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The evening sponsored by the University of Phoenix was everything my wife Laurie and I hoped it would be. It began with a private reception that included finger food and beverages; and a opportunity to network with folks who were thrilled about the prospect of a personal introduction to author and historian David McCullough. After an intimate presentation, I even got the chance to ask a question to our esteemed host.

   The photographs below illustrate how congenial Mr. McCullough is. He was engaging, and insisted on spending 15 minutes autographing copies of his award winning novels brought by the enthralled guests. An unabashed avid reader, he was deeply honored to receive copies of my Forgotten Hollywood Book Series. His lovely wife secured the books on their behalf.

   The group then proceeded to the Fred Kavli Theater in the heart of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza to enjoy David McCullough’s official lecture. At its conclusion, and by all accounts, he received the longest ovation in the history of the Distinguished Speaker’s Series, a true measure of his ability to educate and entertain a large audience.

   All told, it was a special way to start the year…

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   My wife has secured an afternoon and evening with author and historian David McCullough. An on-line student with the University of Phoenix, Laurie has printed up two invites for us to spend treasured time with a great influence on my efforts regarding the Forgotten Hollywood Book Series. This is on the heels of my chance meeting with Doris Kearns Goodwin while at the Miami Book Fair International last November.

   The University of Phoenix Southern California Campus is hosting a private reception for local alumni, faculty, community and business leaders, including Q&A with the award-winning scribe in the Founders Room at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. Then we’ll enjoy a Distinguished Speaker Series address in the Fred Kavli Theater.

   David McCullough is a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize; the National Book Award; and he’s been honored with the country’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He’s acclaimed as a master of the art of narrative history and one of our most gifted living writers. His most recent book, New York Times bestseller, The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, is described as a lively and entertaining panorama and an epic of ideas… history to be savored. 1776 is a classic, while John Adams remains one of the most praised and widely-read American biographies ever written.

   In the Preface of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History, I wrote:

David McCullough, Ken Burns, and Robert Osborne are devoted to the American Experience. They are true inspirations to us all. I dedicate my efforts to them.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Experience the life of a Hollywood icon as the historic Alex Theatre hosts Loretta Young’s 100th Birthday Gala. The event will be held on January 30th, Thursday at 8p.

   A paragon of grace and beauty, the Oscar and Emmy-winning actress stole Clark Gable’s heart, and advanced women’s status in entertainment by becoming the longest-running female host of a prime-time television show with The Loretta Young Show. A leading lady of such films as The Bishop’s Wife, The Farmer’s Daughter, and The Stranger, Young shared the screen with such greats as Cary Grant, David Niven, Orson Welles, and Joseph Cotton.

   Young’s son and daughter will be on hand, along with celebrity friends, to take the audience on a journey through the star’s life. Movie clips, conversations, testimonials, dramatizations, and an exclusive exhibit of Young’s famous dresses and cherished possessions will bring this Hollywood legend to life.

   The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N. Brand Blvd., between and California in Glendale. It opened as a Vaudeville and silent movie theatre, and later, had a long career as a first-run movie and major preview house. The theatre reopened in 1993 as a performing arts and entertainment venue.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The original handwritten manuscript of The Star-Spangled Banner and the flag that inspired the song’s lyrics will be displayed together at the Smithsonian in Washington, the first time the historic pieces are believed to have been shown side-by-side. The manuscript is on display at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore, and the flag has been at the Smithsonian since the early 1900s. They will be together from Flag Day, June 14th, through July 6th. The three-week exhibition starts celebrations, marking 200 years since the song was written on September 14th, 1814.

<— Francis Scott Key was a 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet when he wrote the song’s words during the War of 1812. Key watched as the British bombarded Baltimore’s Fort McHenry for more than 24 hours. When he saw the fort’s flag flying on the morning after the bombardment, a signal that US troops had withstood the enemy, he was inspired to write a poem originally called Defense of Fort McHenry. It was set to music and later renamed, becoming the country’s national anthem in 1931. Key’s original manuscript, written with quill and ink, has a surprise for viewers who know the song. His poem is actually four stanzas, though the first stanza is the only one that’s traditionally sung.

   Folks may be more familiar with the flag, as millions visit each year to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The flag has been at Smithsonian for more than a century after being given to the institution by the family of Major George Armistead. He was the commander of Fort McHenry and the man who commissioned the banner with 15 stripes and stars, representing the number of states in the Union at the time. Except for a period during World War II, when it was housed in Virginia for safekeeping, the flag hasn’t traveled outside of Washington since coming to the Smithsonian.

   Key’s manuscript has traveled slightly more often since being purchased for the historical society in the 1950s. In 2011, it was taken by armored vehicle, with a police escort, to the state’s capital in Annapolis and to Fort McHenry. And in 2013, the museum brought it to Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick, Maryland., where Key is buried.

   Oh say can you see… It will be a worthwhile visit!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Larry D. Mann, best known as Yukon Cornelius in the stop motion animation Christmas favorite Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, has died. Prior to acting, he started as a disk jockey on CHUM 1050 radio in Toronto in 1949. His cinematic career spanned four decades, and appeared in more than twenty movies. He also had dozens of credits in television. Producer Norman Jewison considered him to be a versatile character actor.         LARRY D. MANN —–>

   Mann had minor roles in Robin and the Seven Hoods, The Quick and the Dead, The Singing Nun, Spencer’s Mountain, There was a Crooked Man, In the Heat of the Night, Oklahoma Crude, and The Sting. He shared screen-time with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Falk, Edward G. Robinson, Bing Crosby, Henry Fonda, Maureen O’Hara, Donald Crisp, Debbie Reynolds, Rod Steiger, Sidney Poitier, Kirk Douglas, George C. Scott, Faye Dunaway, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, and Robert Shaw.

   He guest-starred on the small-screen in Ben Casey, The Wonderful World of Disney, Gunsmoke, My Favorite Martian, The Green Hornet, Bewitched, Get Smart, Bonanza, The Big Valley, Green Acres, Hogan’s Heroes, Mannix, Dragnet, It Takes a Thief, The Mod Squad, Night Gallery, Ironside, Baretta, Hill Street Blues,The Dukes of Hazzard, Quincy M.E., and Columbo.

   He excelled in children’s programming with a recurring part on Howdy Doody for five years. And, his voice was used in animated classics, such as Return to Oz, The New Adventures of Pinocchio, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Pink Panther and Friends, and The All-New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show. His legacy was cemented on the annual yuletide event that starred Burl Ives. And, Rudolph has faithfully aired every winter since 1964, making this the longest running Christmas television special in history, and one of only four 1960s seasonal fare still telecast; the others were How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Frosty the Snowman. The family-fav has been shown on CBS affiliates since 1972, with the network unveiling a high-definition, digitally remastered version of the program in 2005.

   Larry D. Mann was 91.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   For 20 years, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) host Robert Osborne has introduced thousands of films and interviewed hundreds of stars, including several longer in-depth interviews with Hollywood legends in his continuing series of specials, Private Screenings. On Monday, TCM is going to turn the tables on Osborne as the interviewer becomes the interviewee in a brand new special Private Screenings: Robert Osborne. He will be interviewed for this special by his friend and former co-host of The Essentials… Alec Baldwin (below with Osborne).

   Robert Osborne has served as TCM’s host since the network’s launch on April 14th, 1994. He’s a man whose fascinating stories, historical knowledge, and a sheer love of the subject have made his name synonymous with classic film. But the story of Osborne’s own life is one that could be a motion picture itself. It’s a story of a small town boy from Colfax, Washington, who at a young age, fell in love with film, moved to Hollywood to give acting a try. He then became a writer, columnist, critic, and the official biographer of Oscar, thanks to a series of books he’s written on the Academy Awards. Osborne created an industry for himself as the keeper of the flame for classic film at a time when nostalgia for Hollywood didn’t even exist. Then along came Turner Classic Movies with a custom-made job for his passion.

   As TCM expanded, so have his duties. In addition to his hosting gig, he co-hosts The Essentials weekly showcase with Drew Barrymore. And, he serves as the official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival held each Spring, and the TCM Classic Cruise in December. In recognition of his contributions to classic film, Osborne received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006, and a special award from the National Board of Review in 2008.

   Baldwin and Osborne’s conversation begins with his early days tracking the movies playing in New York, and compiling the background information into a hefty notebook he affectionately calls Blackie. Viewers will not only get to see Blackie on camera for the first time, but also enjoy clips from Osborne’s early days as an actor in commercials, as well as in the daytime drama The Young Marrieds, and the pilot for The Beverly Hillbillies. In addition, Osborne is featured in several clips from The Dinah Shore Show, which frequently had him on to converse about the Oscars, and The Morning Program on CBS, for which he did movie and theater reviews.

    The special is packed with great stories from Osborne’s life and career, which has included influential encounters with several notable figures: Jane Darwell, who suggested he move to Hollywood after working with him in a regional theater production; Lucille Ball, who put him under contract at Desilu, and later encouraged him to go into journalism; Natalie Wood, who helped him work out the questions for his first interview; Olivia de Havilland, who asked him to escort her to the American Film Institute’s tribute to Bette Davis, and whom he continues to talk nearly every Sunday; and Dorothy Lamour, who introduced Osborne to the executives who eventually launched Turner Classic Movies. He also chats about the Private Screenings interviews he has conducted since the franchise launched in September 1995, including stars, such as Betty Hutton, Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell, and Mickey Rooney.

   One of the memorable aspects of Private Screenings: Robert Osborne is a collection of personal, heartfelt testimonies from the many actors and other film personalities who have known and worked with him. Tributes are given by Robert Wagner, Chita Rivera, Jane Powell, Joel Grey, Diane Baker, Arlene Dahl, Eva Marie Saint, Barbara Rush, Liza Minnelli, Mariette Hartley, and Tina & Nancy Sinatra.

   It’s slated to premiere on Monday, January, 6th, at 8p (ET/PT), followed by a night of four films hand-picked by Osborne.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   For the fifth straight year, here’s my ballot for this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. I thought 2013 a solid year of cinema. And, several folks and movies in most of the categories should be considered for the specific awards. Let me explain:

   OUTSTANDING MALE:  Bruce Dern (Nebraska)

   All FIVE nominees are solid. Matthew McConaughey is a very close second choice for a fine job in Dallas Buyer’s Club. And, Tom Hanks and Forest Whitaker provide their best work in years. Plus, who is this Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)… He’ll be a certain nominee again. I’m mildly surprised Christian Bale was overlooked for American Hustle. Bruce Dern is THE man!

   OUTSTANDING FEMALE:  Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

   The weakest category field by far. Judy Dench is my second choice for Philomena, but she has been better in other films. Sandra Bullock wins in essentially a two-person film. Sort of like Sleuth in outer space. The buzz is on Emma Thompson; but, I’m not feeling Saving Mr. Banks. And, the plot of Blue Jasmine has been essentially done by Woody Allen a dozen times, and performed better by Diane Keaton and Dianne Wiest.

   OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING MALE:  Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)

Manny P. here…

   The Harry Ransom Center at University of Texas at Austin is raising $50,000 over 75 days for the exhibit The Making of Gone With The Wind (September 9th, 2014 – January 4th, 2015). This Hollywood classic premiered in 1939, and will mark its 75th anniversary in 2014.

   Producer David O. Selznick’s epic Gone With The Wind was embroiled in controversy before a single frame was shot. Based on the 1936 best-selling novel by Margaret Mitchell, the motion picture’s depictions of race, violence, and cultural identity in the South during the Civil War and Reconstruction continue to both compel and trouble audiences around the world.

   The exhibition will reveal surprising new stories about the making of this quintessential film from Hollywood’s Golden Age and illustrate why it remains influential and controversial 75 years after it was released. The exhibition will include over 300 original items from Selznick’s archive housed at the Ransom Center, including behind-the-scenes photographs, production records, storyboards, correspondence, audition footage, and fan mail. The exhibition will also feature many of the gowns worn by Vivien Leigh as the beautiful and ambitious Scarlett O’Hara. These recently conserved costumes will be displayed together for the first time in more than 25 years.

   Turner Classic Movies is a premier sponsor. Your support will provide funds for additional docent-led tours, published exhibition catalog, outreach, complementary programming, and presentations. Here’s a link to make a donation:

http://norman.hrc.utexas.edu/forms/gwtwForm.cfm

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Juanita Moore was a longtime film, television, and stage actress. She was the fifth African American to be nominated for an Academy Award in any category, and the third in the Supporting Actress category at a time when only one had won an Oscar. Her most famous role was as Annie Johnson in the 1959 movie Imitation of Life, a 1959 tearjerker that starred Lana Turner, and was based on a Fannie Hurst novel and a remake of a 1934 film.

   Born in Los Angeles in 1914, Moore was a chorus girl at the Cotton Club before becoming a film extra while working in theater. She made her cinematic debut in Pinky. Among her other films were The Girl Can’t Help It and The Singing Nun. She had guest-starring roles on television shows, including Adam-12, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Dragnet, Marcus Welby M.D., ER, and Judging Amy.  JUANITA MOORE  ->

   Moore also had an active career in the theater, starting at Los Angeles’ Ebony Showcase Theatre in the early 1950s, a leading black-run theater. She also was a founding member of the celebrated Cambridge Players, with other performers, such as Esther Rolle and Helen Martin. She appeared on Broadway in 1965 in James Baldwin’s play The Amen Corner, and in London in a production of Raisin in the Sun.

   Juanita Moore was 99.

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   Angela Lansbury was one of more than 1,000 people who were recognized by Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year’s Honors List. She has been made a Dame of the British Empire. The twice-yearly royal honors reward hundreds of people for services to their community or national life.  DAME ANGELA LANSBURY  –>

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   Santa Catalina has been the location for the filming of over 500 motion pictures, television programs, documentaries, and commercials over the past 90 years. Beginning as early as 1911, and continuing through the Silent Film era and the introduction of sound to cinema, the Island served as location for more than 225 films.

   Throughout its history, the Island has been transformed into the coast of North Africa, Tahiti, and even the American frontier. It’s been called the lost continent of Atlantis, and the home of a famous mechanical shark… Jaws. In short, Santa Catalina Island holds a unique place in the history of motion picture productions as Hollywood’s exotic backlot.

   During the 16 years of silent film production, many notable directors and actors frequented the Island and produced many classic films, such as Ten Commandments, Ben Hur, Treasure Island, Old Ironsides, and The Black Pirate. D.W. Griffith was one of the first directors on the Island. His feature Man’s Genesis was filmed in 1912. Many of the large studios followed Griffith’s lead and began utilizing the Island as the backdrop of their films. Universal, Lasky Film Corporation, Fox, Paramount, Metro-Goldwyn, and United Artists were among the many companies.

   Another interesting and lasting impression of this unique history was the introduction of the North American Bison to the Island. Many believe that the bison were brought to the Island for the production of The Vanishing American, the movie version of Zane Grey’s classic novel, released by the Lasky Film Corporation in 1925. Perhaps the Island scenes ended up on the cutting room floor. However, a herd of the bison has been roaming the hills of Catalina since December of 1924.

   Sound to motion pictures ushered in a new era of production for Hollywood and Catalina Island. It continued to be a prime location for many of Hollywood’s best filmmakers. One of the first talkies filmed was Condemned starring Ronald Colman. The following years witnessed Island of Lost Souls, Rain, Treasure Island, Captain Blood, Mutiny on the Bounty, and Captain’s Courageous being shot on the Island. The amount of motion pictures during this period introduced several screen favorites to the immense charms of Catalina.

   Many famous actors and celebrities were spotted on the Island and off the coast in their palatial yachts. Each week, Harry Grattan, proprietor of the St. Catherine’s Hotel gift shop, would report his celebrity sightings. Charlie Chaplin, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Betty Grable, Norma Shearer, Irving Thalberg, Richard Arlen, and Johnny Weissmuller were all steady visitors.

     JOHN WAYNE   JOHNNY WEISSMULLER  HUMPHREY BOGART

   The onset of World War II changed life on the Island and in Hollywood significantly. Avalon was closed to tourism and the use of the Island for filming was suspended. After World War II, the film industry’s use of Catalina Island slowly re-emerged. Memorable productions have been filmed at the location over the last fifty years, including The Glass Bottom Boat, Chinatown, Rosemary’s Baby, Apollo 13, Waterworld, MacArthur, and Amistad. Most recently, aerial shots of the Island were featured in Disney’s Pearl Harbor. And, Natalie Wood infamously drowned off its coast.

   Santa Catalina awaits the next cast and crew that will add another production to the already long list of memorable movies filmed on her shores.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P.  here…

    The Loft Cinema is a nonprofit dedicated to creating community through motion pictures, honoring the vision of filmmakers, celebrating ideas, and promoting the appreciation of the art of film. It’s been a mission-driven, membership-supported arts organization since November 2002, serving the greater Tucson area and all of Southern Arizona.

   To start 2014… Suspense! Excitement! Blondes! All through the month of January, The Loft celebrates the films of Alfred Hitchcock and the women who made them classics! Gentlemen truly prefer blondes. Hitch certainly did, and throughout his career, The Master of Suspense obsessively explored and exploited the mysterious appeal of such fair-haired beauties as Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, and Tippi Hedren, just to name a few. They were daring and beautiful. They were sophisticated, smart, cool, and dangerous. And most importantly, they were blondes… Hitchcock Blondes.

~ REBECCA – January 4th, Saturday, 7p

~ STAGE FRIGHT – January 9th, Thursday, 7p

~ REAR WINDOW – January 11th, Saturday, 7p

~ THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH – January 16th, Thursday, 7p

~ MARNIE – January 23rd, Thursday, 7p

~ VERTIGO – January 25th, Saturday, 7p

   If you live in the Tucson area, begin the new year with the grand master… Alfred Hitchcock and his movies.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

   The Jimmy Stewart Museum, located in Indiana, Pennsylvania (his hometown) highlights its namesake’s accomplishments in film, radio and television. His roles as military hero, civic leader, family man, and world citizen are also woven into displays, film presentations and gallery talks. There’s even a room dedicated to his family’s long and colorful history in Western Pennsylvania. A daguerreotype of his great grand-dad in a Civil War uniform, baby photos of Jimmy, and his dad’s old desk from the family hardware store are all on display.

   You can view Stewart’s motion picture clips and career retrospectives in an intimate, 1930′s vintage movie theatre. Plush with navy velvet drapes and wine colored seats, the theatre features the best of the old and new. The state-of-the-art sound and projection system was donated by Universal Studios of Hollywood.

   Jimmy Stewart aficionados have transformed the third floor of the Indiana Public Library into a museum, capturing the quiet magic and small town charm that catapulted the star to enduring fame. From the museum’s windows, visitors can glimpse the family hardware store site, the bronze statue dedicated to Jimmy on his 75th birthday, and courthouse clock immortalized by Life Magazine’s famous back-from-World War II photo.

   Displays are chock full of original movie posters and photos beginning from the 1930s. Awards and citations from Hollywood, film critics, the Boy Scouts, and other organizations fill walls and cases. Jimmy has personally selected favorite momentos of his career to display, such as a Winchester commemorative rifle, and a propeller blade autographed by the cast and crew of Flight of the Phoenix. All of this adds a personal touch to this one-of-a-kind museum….

   The Jimmy Stewart Museum is a non-profit educational organization [501(c)(3)] charity, and a member of the American Association of Museums. Its operations are funded through admissions, contributions, and membership society programs. All memberships offer the following benefits:

• Unlimited free admission
• Invitation to all member events
• Advance notice on celebrity events and priority in lines  
• 10% discount on museum store purchases

   All proceeds from the membership program and museum store not used to cover related costs subsidize the museum’s displays, film theater, educational programs, information service and web site. In fact, the museum depends entirely on these programs, admission fees and private contributions to continue its operations and services for the public. Your participation helps us keep the legend and the legacy of James M. Stewart alive. And, all members receive a Jimmy Stewart Museum tote bag.

   Here’s a link to make a needed contribution:

http://jimmy.org/membership/

Until next time>                               “never forget”