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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Swamp Women
The first feature-length film shot on location in Mandeville and Bayou Lacombe was Swamp Women in 1956. The movie follows three women prisoners, accomplices in a diamond robbery, and a policewoman who learns the gems are buried in a secluded spot in a Louisiana bayou. The policewoman engineers a fake prison escape so the girls can lead her to recovery of the diamonds.
“Danger and death were just a slip away for the stars and technicians who made up the location unit for the filming of the Woolner Brothers romantic adventure-thriller Swamp Women.” This according to the press materials released with the film. “Twenty-one harrowing days were spent in Louisiana’s Bayou Lacombe, one of the most beautiful and treacherous of all the famed bayous. Its stark wonders and scenic beauty had never before been recorded on motion picture film. While cameras recorded the story action, twelve-foot alligators floated lazily in the vicinity; poisonous deadly snakes slithered through the muck and growth of jungle brush and foliage.”
As noted in the screen credits and in news items, the picture was filmed entirely on location in New Orleans and the Louisiana Bayou country. Because the film was shot in October, 1955, scenes of an actual Mardi Gras parade, which did not include any of the film's actors and appeared to be stock footage, were most likely not shot specifically for the film.
Headed by stars Marie Windsor, Carole Matthews, Beverly Garland, Jill Jarmyn and Touch Connors, the troupe headquartered at Mandeville, Louisiana. Swamp Women was directed by award winner Roger Corman, most known for his popular “B” grade movies. The film was produced by Bernard and Lawrence Woolner, successful theatre exhibitors in New Orleans. The Woolners went on to produce a number of films, including the sci-fi classic Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.
The following written acknowledgment appears at the end of the film: “For their cooperation in the filming of this picture, the producers wish to thank: Mayor De Lesseps Morrison of New Orleans, Police Chief John Dayries of New Orleans, Governor Robert Kennon of Louisiana."
Poster: U.S. Half Sheet