Posted on 12/12/2010 1:52:52 PM PST by rightwingintelligentsia
The Jimmy Stewart Museum needs a George Bailey moment.
It needs a community of good-hearted people who revere all that’s good about Hollywood to dance in with baskets of cash to save it from a dreary Pottersville of a future with shuttered windows and sidewalks of scowling strangers.
It needs a Sam Wainwright to wire it a line of credit to ensure future generations of Americans won’t forget about a Yankee Doodle Dandy whose charm and patriotism still resonate.
Hee! Haw!
“It’s touch and go right now,” says museum executive director Timothy Harley. “We need a cash influx to help us get through this challenging time.”
Similar hardships have closed the doors at museums dedicated to other icons whose once-gleaming luminescence has begun to fade with age.
The Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, dedicated to the flamboyant ivory tickler, closed its doors in October after 31 years. And a museum dedicated to Roy Rogers and Dale Evans rode off into the sunset at the end of 2009.
Harley says attendance at the Jimmy Stewart Museum has steadily declined in the past three years in concert with the struggling economy and as Stewart's contemporaries withdraw from bus tour participation.
(Excerpt) Read more at today.msnbc.msn.com ...
Agreed. These stars were big in their day, but they fade from memory. I'd guess that most people under the age of 35 have never even heard of Jimmy Stewart.
2 examples:
A few years ago I worked with this chick that was just out of high school. She had literally never heard of Johnny Carson.
The other day I asked my XO if he was going to see True Grit this month. He is a 27 yr old Lieutenant and he had never heard of True Grit. He was vaguely familiar with John Wayne, but had never heard of any of his movies.
That was the point I was trying to make in my post #5. It seems a lot of these pieces of history that should be remembered are off the beaten path.
In upstate NY, even baseball's Hall of Fame is out in the middle of nowhere. Podunk Town.
It's as if history is telling us, "Remember us, if you care to, but you'll have to work a little bit, if you want to. But if you don't that's your problem."
Hmmm.
When I visited Hawaii years ago, one of the Hawaiian tour guides told us, in his culture, "If you don't tell your children about your past, don't expect them to remember you."
Well, the one thing that Jimmy Stewart has going for his memory is that “Its a Wonderful Life” plays every holiday. I actually don’t like the fact that they’ve reigned in the number of showings on TV to one per year. IAWL is a great American masterpiece. Its also the only movie one that manages to choke me up at the end no matter how many times I see it. Its the scene where his brother makes the toast that does it.
Roy Rogers what a shame I have an idea for Jimmy....there is money the arabs but not our heros???....It is time to stop sending money people who hate and kill us!!!
I saw Jimmy Stewart the last time he was in Indiana thanks to my dad!!!He wa s a true HERO......
Just heard about this thread. Yep, the museum is in trouble. I work just next door, in the courthouse, and used to volunteer at the museum. It’s funny to see visitors get their pic taken with the Jimmy statue outside on the courthouse lawn!
I missed him every time he was here. Last time I had the chance, I was pregnant with my son and too tired! That was 27 years ago. Mr S and our friend went. I missed my chance!
Curious, I strained (no pun intended) to see any rank on the shoulders. The only clue I suppose is the flag. He advanced to the rank of Brigadier General
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.