A new exhibition opened at the State Historical Museum of Iowa today celebrating movies, movie stars and movie-making in Iowa.
"Hollywood in the Heartland" celebrates Iowa film-stars like Donna Reed, John Wayne, Cloris Leachman and Jean Seberg, among others.
Actress Jean Seberg from Marshalltown, Iowa.
And features Hollywood films made in the state, including "Field of Dreams" starring Kevin Costner, "Bridges of Madison County" starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep.
Independent films also get a spotlight and include several documentaries produced by Emmy® nominated filmmakers Kelly & Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films. Clips from their Emmy-nominated "Country School: One Room - One Nation", their award-winning documentary "Lost Nation: The Ioway", and their soon-to-be-released "Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg" are among those featured in the display.
The Dispatch-Argus highlights the new exibit in a story by journalist Jonathan Turner:
"Des Moines is 1,689 miles from Hollywood, but Iowa's prolific, enduring impact on the silver screen will be on display in the state capital in a new, free exhibit starting today.
"Hollywood in the Heartland" opens Friday, June 27th at the State Historical Museum of Iowa, 600 E. Locust St., Des Moines. It will be kicked off at 10 a.m. with a talk from Ottumwa native Tom Arnold, a writer, producer, actor and comedian. Mr. Arnold has been in more than 120 film and television projects including "True Lies," "Nine Months," and Mike Myers' new documentary, "Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon."
"'Hollywood in the Heartland' explores our legacy with the silver screen from the late 1800s to today's movies and filmmaking, and I invite all Iowans to visit the State Historical Museum to see this blockbuster exhibit," Gov. Terry Branstad said in a recent release.
"This exhibit not only showcases our past, it also points us to the future where new movie and media production technologies are generating more opportunities for creativity, growth and expansion," Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds said.
"Hollywood in the Heartland" is a 6,400-square-foot exhibit that shows how Iowa and Iowans have been portrayed on film, uncovers the beauty of Iowa's historic theaters and their role in communities, and the people who have made an impression on-screen and behind the scenes. The exhibit includes photos tracing Iowa's stage and screen heritage -- including Davenport's Adler Theatre (1931), Capitol Theatre (1920), and the former Burtis Opera House (1867).
A collection of video clips, called "Iowa Film Today," will show quality productions based on Iowa topics being done today and includes parts of the Moline-based Tammy & Kelly Rundle's Fourth Wall Films documentaries: the Emmy® nominated "Country School: One Room - One Nation", the award-winning "Lost Nation: The Ioway", and their new film "Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg" (co-produced with partner Garry McGee of McMarr, Ltd).
The exhibit also has a graphics re-print of their "Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg" (a bio-pic on the internationally renowned Marshalltown native) as part of the "Iowa Film Today" section.
The "Hollywood in the Heartland" exhibit will be on display from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, for the next two years. For more information, visit iowahistory.org or call 515-281-5111.