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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Streetcar Named Desire
Elia Kazan was so impressed with the New Orleans area that he returned the next year to film the Tennessee Williams classic A Streetcar Named Desire. The film starred screen legend Vivien Leigh and newcomer Marlon Brando. A rising star, Brando embodied the role of the “bad boy,” a character style being introduced by a new crop of independent filmmakers.
Written for the screen by Williams, the film told the story of a southern woman whose life takes a downward turn when the family estate dwindles away. The story built to one of the most dynamic and shocking climaxes of its day.
Art director Richard Day, five-time Academy Award winner, was sent from California to New Orleans before the film went into production. According to an article appearing in the Times Picayune on October 28, 1951, Day combined picturesque aspects of various streets and buildings of the Vieux Carre and designed a striking set for the Elysian Fields apartments in which the action of the drama takes place. But, according to the article, it quickly became apparent that the motion picture company would have to do some of its key shooting in New Orleans rather than on a studio sound stage.
Miss Leigh, director Kazan and company encountered traditional New Orleans hospitality when they arrived in the city. Mayor Morrison and the New Orleans Public Service officials even recalled one of the retired streetcars named Desire and put it back into service to be used during the filming of the scenes for the picture at the L&N station at the foot of Canal Street.
Lucinda Ballard, who created the clothes for the original stage production as well as for Leigh, Hunter and other actresses in the film, was a native New Orleanian.
A Streetcar Named Desire won Academy Awards in the following categories: Best Supporting Actor (Karl Malden), Best Actress (Vivien Leigh), Best Supporting Actress (Kim Hunter), and Best Art Direction (black & white).
Poster: Belgian Poster