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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Pelican Brief
The Pelican Brief was one of the most financially successful films of 1993. It was based on the best-seller written by John Grisham. An October 23, 1991 Daily Variety article announced that Alan J. Pakula would write, direct, and produce a film adaptation of The Pelican Brief, John Grisham’s upcoming novel set to be published by Doubleday in spring 1992. After initially contracting with Carolco for the film rights, Pakula ultimately signed with Warner Brothers who optioned the film rights for $1.75 million.
The Pelican Brief starred Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Sam Shepherd, John Herd, Robert Culp, Stanley Tucci and Hume Cronym. It was directed by Pakula, who also wrote the screenplay.
The Pelican Brief gets its name from the film’s plot. Two Supreme Court justices have been assassinated. One lone Tulane law student has stumbled upon the truth and wrote a brief which holds the solution to the murders. An investigative journalist wants her story. Everybody else wants her dead.
Filming in New Orleans locations began in May of 1993 and included an apartment in the French Quarter, which doubled as “Thomas Callahan’s” apartment; Tulane University Jones Hall Room 102, Igors on St. Charles, French Quarter, the Spanish Plaza, the interior of Antoine’s restaurant on St. Louis Avenue; Bourbon Street, where a crowd scene called for over 1,000 extras; and, the warehouse district, where Thomas Callahan’s car explosion was filmed. After four weeks in New Orleans, production moved to Washington, D.C.
Julia Roberts had concluded a yearlong “retreat from the film business” by signing a deal to star as “Darby Shaw.” After she signed off on the script, she attended law classes at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, where filming took place, in preparation for the role.
The Pelican Brief was a commercial success, taking in a domestic box-office gross of $100 million.
Poster: UK Mini Quad