Louisiana Movie Poster Museum
Welcome to the the Louisiana Movie Poster Virtual Museum. Since 1895 more than 3,000 movies have been made in or about Louisiana. These posters advertised a few of them. We have hundreds to add, so check back with us as we grow.
Ed and Susan Poole, renowned movie poster experts and authorities on Louisiana film history, curated this initial exhibit. It is based on the Backdrop Louisiana! exhibit that premiered in Slidell, Louisiana in January, 2020 and we’re looking forward to a post-pandemic tour. A smidgen of their knowledge can be found at Learn About Movie Posters, known worldwide as LAMP. Visit Hollywood on the Bayou for a deeper dive into Louisiana film history.
This museum is funded in part by grants from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and the New Orleans Entertainment Coalition.
Take a Tour – We love your stories!
Click on a poster to view larger image. Then click “i”. Post your story in Comments. We love to hear about films you remember and your experiences. It’s a highlight of our live exhibits that we hope to recreate in the virtual museum.
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Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras in November? This could only be possible in the realm of motion pictures.
On November 14 1958, the city of New Orleans sponsored a brief “mini Mardi Gras celebration” in honor of the world premiere of the 1958 carnival-themed movie Mardi Gras. Many of the scenes from the motion picture, which takes place in New Orleans and at the Virginia Military Institute, were filmed in New Orleans during the 1958 carnival season.
Most of the stars of the picture, along with other dignitaries and officials, attended the event. Some watched the parade which featured floats from the 1959 Krewe of Carrollton Parade. Others road in the parade, throwing typical Mardi Gras favors. The parade also included motorcycle escorts and flambeaux carriers. After the festivities, the film was shown at the Saenger Theater.
Based on a story by Curtis Harrington with a screenplay by Winston Miller and Hal Kanter, Mardi Gras is the tale of a group of Virginia Military Institute cadets who come to New Orleans to find romance during Mardi Gras.
The film stars Pat Boone, Gary Crosby, Tommy Sands and Richard Sargent as the cadets and Sheree North and Barrie Chase as their love interests. The VMI band which marched in an actual Mardi Gras parade earlier in the year was also featured in the film.
Director Jerry Wald sent down Joe Parker from Hollywood to direct three camera crews taking shots of the Rex parade on Mardi Gras 1958. They also shot other parades during the Carnival season as well as scenes at the St. Louis cathedral, Jackson Square, Bourbon and Royal Streets and other French Quarter locales.
According to local news reports, "Mardi Gras exudes a happiness that is decidedly a departure from the type of films usually dreamed up for New Orleans, and the hundreds of thousands who lined Canal Street for last year's Rex parade, both natives and foreigners, are going to have fun trying to find themselves in the massive crowd shots."
Poster: U.S. Three Sheet