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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Tightrope
Clint Eastwood toned down his tough-guy image in the 1984 film Tightrope, filmed on location in New Orleans. In an interview, the acting veteran said the detective he plays in the film "is not as superheroic as some guys I've played. He's a more vulnerable and self-destructive type.”
Tightrope represented the directorial debut of writer Richard Tuggle. He had previously written Escape from Alcatraz (1979) for Clint Eastwood. According to an interview with Tuggle, he wrote Tightrope "on spec" for Eastwood, but was doubtful whether the actor would consider portraying a character involved in “kinky” sex. Tuggle sold the screenplay on condition he would also direct. Although Tuggle is credited as director, film critic David Denby mentioned in an New Yorker article that Eastwood reportedly took over directorial duties after finding Tuggle “too slow or indecisive.”
Tightrope follows Eastwood as a just divorced detective in New Orleans, consoling himself with booze and sex with hookers. He gets his kicks by handcuffing women before having sex with them. Then he gets assigned to a case where a mad slasher is killing prostitutes including some of the women Eastwood has handcuffed. In the course of his investigation, he meets a woman karate instructor who teaches women how to fight off rapists, and whose strength allows the cop to learn how to let a woman touch him freely.
The principal photography began on October 17 and was completed on December 3, 1983. Filming took place entirely on location in New Orleans, LA. Many of the scenes were shot in the historic French Quarter, which was undergoing renovation for the 1984 World’s Fair, Bourbon Street, Dixie Brewery, Piazza d'Italia, Riverwalk, Superdome and Jo Ellen Smith Hospital. Thirty one local actors landed speaking parts and the film featured over one hundred extras.
Tightrope premiered at Lakeside Theater on August 16 with proceeds from the premiere benefitting the Louisiana Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund per Eastwood's request.
Poster: Italian 2 Fogli