LR Cultural Touchstone: Jeane M. Hamilton

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Scott

Photo taken for SOIREE

Jeane M. Hamilton is not a native Arkansan. But it was Little Rock and Arkansas’ good fortune that she married a Little Rock native and came here.

Arriving in Little Rock a young wife in 1952, she immediately set about to become involved in her new community as she and her husband James set up a household. In the mid-1950s, the Junior League of Little Rock tapped her to chair the initiative to create a new art museum for Little Rock. The two decades old Museum of Fine Arts was threadbare through years of neglect and unfocused programming and collecting.

Hamilton, along with Junior League President Carrie Remmel Dickinson and Vice President Martha McHaney, approached Winthrop Rockefeller (then a relatively new resident) to lead the fundraising effort for the new museum. He agreed on a few conditions: one was that a base amount had to be raised in Little Rock first, and second that the museum would be for the entire State of Arkansas and not just Little Rock.

Hamilton and her colleagues set about to raise the funds. They raised $645,000 at the same time Little Rock’s business climate was stymied by the aftereffects of the Central High crisis.

Now a lifetime honorary member of the Arkansas Arts Center Board, Hamilton has spent much of her life working on Arkansas Arts Center projects since that visit in 1959. She has served on the Board, chaired committees, chaired special events, served hot dogs, helped kids paint and danced the night away at countless fundraisers. She was on the committee which hired Townsend Wolfe as executive director and chief curator. Jeane has led art tours for the Arts Center to a number of countries over the years.

When she is not at the Arts Center, she is often seen at the Rep, the Symphony or any number of other cultural institutions. While she enjoys seeing old friends at these events, she also loves to see a room full of strangers – because that means that new people have become engaged in the cultural life of Little Rock.

Cleveland County native Johnny Cash is focus of UALR exhibit, concert

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Scott

The Center for Arkansas History and Culture (CAHC) at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has announced plans to premier a new exhibit on Johnny Cash’s relationship with Arkansas. The exhibit, “Johnny Cash: Arkansas Icon,” will open in the Underground Gallery at the Arkansas Studies Institute on October 10, 2014, and run through January 24, 2015. The physical exhibit will be accompanied by a virtual exhibit with educational materials for teachers.

Opening Night

The exhibit opens Friday, Oct. 10, in the Ron Robinson Theatre.

A free concert will be at 7:30 p.m. featuring the W.S. Holland Band, with special guests Jeff Coleman and the Feedersbeginning at 6:45 p.m. Seating is limited.

Johnny Cash: Arkansas Icon

The exhibit explores the musician’s Arkansas connections over the decades, covering his 1930s childhood in Dyess, Arkansas (though he was born in Kingsland in Cleveland County), through his comeback at the turn of the 21st-century. The exhibit places special emphasis on connections between his Arkansas roots and his music from his first performance in Little Rock in 1955 to a 2002 music video. Though Cash’s career took him far from Arkansas, the exhibit argues, he never quite severed his Arkansas roots. This exhibit tells that story through narrative and archival photographs from CAHC’s own collections, as well as others.

According to Colin Woodward, the CAHC archivist who proposed the exhibit and wrote its narrative, “While writing an article about Johnny Cash’s work with Governor Winthrop Rockefeller on prison reform, I began to see the thread of Arkansas in Cash’s music and life. He was such a dynamic artist, who persevered through many personal and professional challenges. He was a great Arkansan, and I wanted to show that through historical research and archival images.”

The exhibit will cover the walls of the unique Underground Gallery and immerse visitors in an artistic representation of Cash’s life in pictures and text. Designed by Bachelor of Fine Arts student Nick Sosnoski under the direction of Tom Clifton, Department of Art Chair, the exhibit makes use of key design elements like variety, unity, and texture on a large scale. The exhibit uses rare images from family albums and other sources and incorporates Cash’s lyrics into the design. According to Sosnoski, “The design is meant to reflect Johnny Cash as a man who never forgot his roots.”

The accompanying virtual exhibit will offer deeper exploration of the topics covered in the physical exhibit. The website will include a media gallery and behind-the-scenes information on the exhibit development. Educational materials, including full lesson plans and PowerPoint presentations, will be available for Arkansas teachers to use with students before and after visiting the exhibit. Stan James, an undergraduate Social Studies Education major, worked on the project and says, “It was really exciting to be able to prepare materials that will teach students important world concepts, and at the same time, expose them to one of Arkansas’ true treasures, Johnny Cash. These materials, along with the exhibit and related events, will guide the students through an exciting journey towards learning about key issues in our state and nation, as well as how celebrities use their influence and talent to further issues that are important to them.”

On opening night, the W. S. Holland Band will perform a free concert in the Ron Robinson Auditorium. Holland spent 40 years performing with Cash’s band, Tennessee 3, and is the only band member to stay with the group until Cash’s retirement in 1997. In his long career, Holland has toured with Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins. The Holland Band performance will start at 7:30, following an opening performance by Jeff Coleman and the Feeders at 6:45. Seating is limited. Also on opening night, Shape Note Singers from Mountain Home, Arkansas, will perform for Second Friday Art Night visitors to the Arkansas Studies Institute.

This project is supported in part by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Additional funding provided by the Arkansas Community Foundation. The Arkansas Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that fosters smart giving to improve communities. The Community Foundation offers tools to help Arkansans protect, grow and direct their charitable dollars as they learn more about community needs. By making grants and sharing knowledge, the Community Foundation supports charitable programs that work for Arkansas and partners to create new initiatives that address the gaps. Contributions to the Community Foundation, its funds and any of its 27 affiliates are fully tax deductible.

The UALR Center for Arkansas History and Culture collects, preserves, and enables access to Arkansas records of enduring value; prepares students and the region for the 21st century through academic leadership and education on archival practices and technologies; and engages the community through outreach, programming, and exhibitions.

For more information on the exhibit or CAHC, contact us atcahc@ualr.edu or 501.320.5780.

Ramifications of Nixon’s Win in 1968 is topic of Clinton School Program today at noon

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Scott

The 1968 general election was pivotal in the future of the U.S. While locally it saw Arkansas voters re-electing GOP Governor Winthrop Rockefeller & Democratic Senator J. William Fulbright while tossing their electoral votes for independent (and segregationist) George Wallace, on the national scale the election of Richard M. Nixon set the tone for a new type of political partisanship. Though the long-reaching outcomes of that election were not really apparent at the time. The narrative in 1968 was more about Nixon’s career redemption, but it was also about the rise of the GOP in the formerly solidly Democratic South.

Michael Nelson, author of Resilient America: Electing Nixon in 1968, Channeling Dissent, and Dividing Government, will discuss his book at the Clinton School today at 12 noon.

Nelson is the Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes College, a Fellow of Southern Methodist University’s Center for Presidential History, and a Senior Fellow at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. He is the author of numerous books, including “How the South Joined the Gambling Nation: The Politics of State Policy Innovation,” with John L. Mason, winner of the 2009 V. O. Key Award for Outstanding Book on Southern Politics from the Southern Political Science Association. His new book, “Resilient America,” explores how urban riots and the Tet Offensive, the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the politics of outrage and race—all pointed to a reordering of party coalitions, of groups and regions, a hardening and widening of an ideological divide—and to the historical importance of the 1968 election as a watershed event.

With all the talk recently about the 40th anniversary of Nixon’s resignation, this talk will present an interesting take on the set-up to Nixon’s first term. In addition, as both the GOP and Democrats have their eyes on Arkansas’ political future, Nelson’s book sets the stage for the seeds being sown of the rise of the two party system in the South.

Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling (501) 683-5239.

ROCKing the TONY AWARDS – Billy Joel and Elton John

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Scott

Joel and John in photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com

BILLY JOEL and ELTON JOHN

Little Rock Connection: Both have performed in Little Rock over the years. In 1995, they played a joint concert at War Memorial Stadium which brought in $1.6 million. An additional Little Rock connection for Joel – who’s birthday is today – is in his song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” there are references to South Pacific (which had a fictional Little Rock heroine), Little Rock resident Winthrop Rockefeller, and the 1957 integration crisis at Little Rock Central High.

Tony Awards Connection: Billy Joel won a Tony Award for his orchestrations of Movin’ Out which featured his songs as a backdrop of dances choreographed by Twyla Tharp. Elton John won a Tony Award for his score to Aida. He has received additional Tony nominations for The Lion King and Billy Elliot for Best Score. He additionally was a producer of Best Play nominee Next Fall.

Little Rock Oscar Quiz Answers

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Scott

Here are the answers to yesterday’s quiz.

1. Which Oscar winner gave future Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen her first break in the movies?
C – Jack Nicholson – for the film Going South

2. In which category was The Hanging Tree (which starred Little Rock native Ben Piazza) nominated for an Oscar?
C – Song – The eponymous title song

3. Which former Little Rock resident won an Honorary Oscar in 1958?
B – Gilbert “Broncho Billy” Anderson

4. The Oscar winning documentary short “Nine from Little Rock” was narrated by which member of the Little Rock Nine?
C – Jefferson Thomas

5. In addition to receiving an Oscar for the live action short “The Accountant,” Ray McKinnon has appeared in several Oscar winning films. In which of these Oscar winners did he NOT appear?
C – Driving Miss Daisy

6. Arkansas actor Rick Dial acted with many heavyweights during his film career. With which of these Oscar winners did he NOT appear?
B – Chris Cooper

7. Twice nominated for an Oscar, Arkansan Melinda Dillon is perhaps best known for appearing in which iconic holiday film?
A – A Christmas Story – as Ralphie’s mom

8. How many Oscar nominees and winners starred in The Firm, which was filmed partially in Arkansas?
D – 7 – Gary Busey, Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Hal Holbrook, Holly Hunter, David Strathairn

9. Little Rock Film Festival honorees Harry and Linda Bloodworth Thomason produced the Arkansas-set TV show “Evening Shade.” Which Oscar nominated actor did NOT appear in that show?
D – Billy Bob Thornton – He appeared in their Hearts Afire sitcom

10. The song “Get Back to Little Rock” is featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary The War Room. Who sang the song in the film?
C – Jason D. Williams

11. Leo Robin and Jule Styne, who wrote the song “Little Girl from Little Rock” each won Oscars. For which song did Robin win a Best Song Oscar?
D – “Thanks for the Memory”

12. For which song did Styne win a Best Song Oscar?
D – “Three Coins in the Fountain”

13. Prior to receiving four Academy Award nominations, Beasts of the Southern Wild was a hit at the Little Rock Film Festival. Quvenzhané Wallis, the film’s star, made Oscar history by becoming the youngest Best Actress nominee. How old was she?
B – 9

14. The late Bob Ginnaven was a Little Rock adman and actor. In addition to Steel Magnolias, in which Oscar- nominated film, did he also appear with Dolly Parton?
A – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

15. Little Rock native George Newbern (and Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre alum) has twice appeared on film as the son-in-law of which Oscar winning actress?
B – Diane Keaton – Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride II

16. Little Rock Hall graduate, Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre alum and Pulitzer Prize winning writer David Auburn has written three movies. Which of the following Oscar winners has NOT starred in one of his movies?
A – Adrien Brody

17. Which Oscar winner starred in the TV movie Crisis at Central High?
D – Joanne Woodward

18. The Oscar nominated film The Story of Dr. Wassell starred Gary Cooper as World War II hero and Little Rock native Dr. Corydon M. Wassell (who was related to two Little Rock mayors). It was directed by which Oscar winner?
A – Cecil B. DeMille

19. Which Oscar winning actress appeared on stage at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre?
B – Mercedes McCambridge in ‘night, Mother

20. Which film starring former Little Rock resident Dick Powell won 5 Oscars?
A – The Bad and the Beautiful

21. Scenes from A Soldier’s Story were filmed at Lamar Porter Field in Little Rock. Which of the following Oscar winning or nominated actors did not appear in that movie?
B – Morgan Freeman

22. Which movie filmed in Arkansas boasted an Oscar winner and Oscar nominee as well as a future Oscar winner and future Oscar nominee among its cast?
A – Bloody Mama – Shelley Winters, Diane Varsi, Robert DeNiro and Bruce Dern. Robert Walden, who starred in the Arkansas Rep production of Death of a Salesman made his movie debut in this film.

23. Ted Danson, Emmy winning actor and co-owner of Little Rock restaurant South on Main, appeared in which Oscar winning film?
C – Saving Private Ryan

24. In addition to Mary Steenburgen, Central Arkansas-filmed End of the Line boasted several award winning (and future award winning) actors. Which of the following cast members has not, to date, been nominated for an Oscar?
A – Kevin Bacon

25. Oscar nominated Michael Shannon has appeared in each of the movies to date directed by Little Rock native Jeff Nichols. Several other Oscar winners and nominees have appeared in Nichols’ films. Which of the following have not yet appeared in a Jeff Nichols production?
C – Amy Ryan

26. Oscar winner Gregory Peck appeared on the silver screen as which political candidate with a Little Rock connection?
B – Douglas MacArthur

27. Arkansan Jason Moore directed a recent Broadway revival of Steel Magnolias. Which Oscar nominated actress from the 1970s appeared in it?
D – Marsha Mason

28. Arkansas native John Grisham was an early supporter of the Oxford American. Many of his novels have been turned into feature films. In addition to The Firm, which other Grisham-based film, has earned an actor an Oscar nomination?
B – The Client – Susan Sarandon, Best Actress

29. Shortly after appearing in Little Rock for an event around the opening of Robinson Auditorium, Maureen O’Hara filmed which Best Picture Oscar winner?
A – How Green Was My Valley

30. Oscar winner Lisa Blount made a name for herself in An Officer and a Gentleman. Which of her costars won an Oscar for appearing in that film?
B – Louis Gossett, Jr.

31. Carol Channing, who played “Little Girl from Little Rock” Lorelei Lee on stage, received an Oscar nomination for which movie?
D – Thoroughly Modern Millie

32. Which multiple Oscar nominee has been a featured speaker at the Clinton School?
B – John Lithgow

33. South Pacific‘s heroine, Nellie Forbush, is from Little Rock. The film was nominated for three Oscars, receiving a win in one of the categories. In which of the following categories was the film NOT nominated?
B – Film Editing

34. Delight native Glenn Campbell, who recently gave his farewell Little Rock performance at Robinson Center Music Hall, co-starred with which actor who received an Oscar for that performance?
D – John Wayne in True Grit

35. Oscar winner Shirley Jones is appearing with Celebrity Attractions in Central Arkansas next season and has appeared previously with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. For which film did she win her Oscar?
C – Elmer Gantry

36. The Arkansas Rep production of Les Miserables runs from March 5 through April 6. Last year a film version of this classic musical received 8 nominations. How many Oscars did it win?
B – Three

37. The Little Rock Film Festival honored Arkansas native Hal Needham in 2011. He received Scientific and Technical Oscar in 1987 and an Honorary Oscar in 2013. Which of the following Oscar winners did NOT appear in a movie directed by Needham?
B – Jack Lemmon – But his son Chris appeared in Cannonball Run II

38. John Corigliano will be featured with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in the 2014-2015 season. For which film did he win an Oscar?
C – The Red Violin

39. In the 1990s, Wildwood Park for the Arts featured several performers who have also been subjects of Oscar winning films. Which of the following Oscar winning or nominated movies is about someone who performed at Wildwood?
A – Coal Miner’s Daughter – Loretta Lynn

40. As a young actor, which future Oscar nominee performed scenes from Shakespeare on the stage of Little Rock Central auditorium as part of a national tour?
C – Hal Holbrook

41. Nominated for tonight’s Oscars for the song from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Bono and The Edge performed in the rain at the opening of the Clinton Presidential Center. For which film were they previously Oscar nominated?
B – Gangs of New York

42. Dave Brubeck performed at Wildwood several times. Which 2013 Oscar winner featured music by Brubeck?
C – Silver Linings Playbook

43. Which Oscar winner appeared in Little Rock for a fundraiser for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre?
A – Julie Andrews

44. Political writer Joe Klein appeared at the third Arkansas Literary Festival. His novel Primary Colors (published with the author name “Anonymous”) was made into an Oscar nominated movie. Which of the following stars of the movie has not won an Oscar?
D – John Travolta

45. Which Little Rock actor has served as an Oscar co-host?
C – Dick Powell – in 1948

46. Which Oscar winner and Oscar host has performed with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra?
D – Liza Minnelli

47. Which Oscar nominated or winning actor, who has been acclaimed for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, appeared at the Clinton School in 2009?
D – Sam Waterston

49. Which writer, whose writings have inspired two Oscar nominated movies, has been featured in Little Rock-based Oxford American?
D – Charles Portis

50. In which movie did Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen NOT appear with back-to-back Oscar winner Jason Robards?
D – Time After Time

51. What happened to Oscar winner Elia Kazan in Little Rock?
C – He was married – to actress Barbara Loden. His son lived in Little Rock at the time.

52. Oscar nominated actor Roy Scheider died in Little Rock. In the 1970s, he received two Oscar nominations. In addition to a nod for The French Connection, for which other film did he receive a nomination?
A – All that Jazz

53. Paris, Ark. native and UCA alum James Bridges was an acclaimed director and screenwriter. In addition to receiving an Oscar nomination for writing The Paper Chase (which earned a Supporting Actor Oscar for John Houseman), for which other project did Bridges receive an Oscar nomination?
B – The China Syndrome

54. Bill Clinton is one-fourth of the way to EGOT status. Which award has he received?
B – Grammy – in 2004 the Spoken Word Album for Children for a version of Peter and the Wolf

55. Brinkley native Louis Jordan’s song “Stone Cold Dead in the Market” appears in which Oscar winning movie?
B – Raging Bull

56. Congressman John Lewis is one of the featured speakers at the 2014 Arkansas Literary Festival. In which Oscar-nominated documentary is Rep. Lewis featured?
A – Eyes on the Prize

57. Mavis Staples, who appeared at Little Rock’s Christ Episcopal Church in 2013, can be heard on the soundtrack of which Oscar-winning film?
B – The Help

58. Arkansas native Tess Harper received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Crimes of the Heart. Which Oscar winning actress did not play one of her cousins in that film?
A – Sally Field

59. Little Rock Film Festival honoree Jay Russell is branching out into theatrical producing. Which Oscar nominated Hitchcock film is the inspiration for his upcoming Broadway production?
B. Rear Window

60. In addition to being married to former Little Rock resident Helen Gurley Brown, David Brown was a movie producer. For which of these Oscar nominated films did he, himself receive an Oscar nomination?
D. The Verdict

61. Which Oscar nominated Documentary Feature was honored at the 2013 Little Rock Film Festival?
B. Dirty Wars

62. Which Oscar winning director helmed The Last Waltz, a documentary which featured Arkansan Levon Helm?
C – Martin Scorsese

63. John Glenn, who was featured guest at the Museum of Discovery during the Clinton Library opening, was also a character in the Oscar winning film The Right Stuff. Which actor portrayed him in that film?
B – Ed Harris

64. The work of which fashion icon, whose dresses often adorn Oscar ceremony attendees, was featured at the Clinton Presidential Center in 2013?
C – Oscar de la Renta

65. Little Rock District Judge Vic Fleming appears in the documentary Wordplay. Another person who is featured is which Oscar host?
D – Jon Stewart

66. Part-time Little Rock resident Judge Reinhold spoofed an Oscar winning Best Picture as part of his appearance as the iconic “close talker” on Seinfeld. Which movie was it?
C – Schindler’s List

67. This summer the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre will present Hamlet. The 1948 version of this movie is, to date, the only filmed version of a Shakespeare play to win Best Picture. Which actor won an Oscar for appearing in this movie?
B – Laurence Olivier

68. Mary Steenburgen starred in the Oscar nominated film Cross Creek, which was a biopic of the author of which novel?
D – The Yearling

69. On which TV show hosted by an Oscar host, did Governor Bill Clinton appear in 1988?
A – Johnny Carson

70. Hot Springs native Alan Ladd is perhaps best remembered for essaying the title role in Shane. The film was nominated for six Oscars and received one. For which category did it win the Oscar?
A – Cinematography, Color

71. Edward Everett Horton starred in the first play to be booked into Robinson Auditorium in April 1940. With a long and varied film career, he appeared in many Oscar nominated and winning films. Which of the following Horton films did NOT win an Oscar?
A – The Front Page

72. Gordon MacRae was the featured performer at the 1963 opening of the Arkansas Arts Center. Which of his films won two Oscars?
C – Oklahoma!

73. Which Oscar nominee appeared in Little Rock in conjunction with Ballet Arkansas?
B – Mikhail Barishnikov

74. The main branch of the Central Arkansas Library System has the names of authors inscribed around the top, one of which is Harper Lee. Not only was her To Kill a Mockingbird turned into an Oscar winning movie, an actress received an Oscar nomination for portraying Lee in a film. Which actress?
C – Catherine Keener

75. Charles S. Dutton recently appeared at Philander Smith College’s Bless the Mic series. In which Oscar nominated sci-fi film was he a performer?
B – Alien 3

76. Little Rock Catholic High grad Gil Gerard appeared in which Oscar nominated 1970s disaster film?
C – Airport 77

77. With which two time Oscar winner who was the daughter of an Oscar winner did Ben Piazza twice share the stage?
B – Jane Fonda

78. Little Rock native Frank Bonner guest starred on a variety show hosted by which Oscar winner?
A – George Burns

79. Which Little Rock museum recently hosted an exhibit on Gone with the Wind?
C – Historic Arkansas Museum

80. Which Oscar nominated actress was featured in the Disney Channel movie The Ernest Green Story?
B – Ruby Dee

81. Bruno, which starred Joey Lauren Adams was feature film directorial debut of which Oscar winning performer?
C – Shirley MacLaine

82. Which cast member from the 2000 Best Picture winner had previously acted on local Little Rock stages?
B. Wes Bentley appeared in American Beauty

83. James Earl Jones has appeared in Central Arkansas several times including with the Arkansas Symphony and at UCA. For which movie did he receive an Oscar nomination?
D. The Great White Hope

84. Which multiple Oscar nominated performer was appointed to head a federal agency by President Clinton?
A. Jane Alexander – served as head of the National Endowment for the Arts during his first term.

85. Oscar nominated film So This Is Washington focused on which Arkansas duo?
C. Lum and Abner

86. Ben Piazza’s final feature film appearance was a Darryl F. Zanuck in the film Guilty by Suspicion. Zanuck was a recipient of the Irving Thalberg Award. Which of the following is true about Zanuck?
A – First Thalberg Award recipient
B – Only three time Thalberg Award recipient
C – Only Thalberg recipient to also be the father of a Thalberg recipient
D – Last person to receive a Thalberg who was a previous recipient
All of these are true

Culture Vulture Quiz – The Rock and Oscar

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Scott

The Oscars are tonight. In honor of that, here is a Culture Vulture Quiz to explore the connection between the Oscars and Little Rock (with a few other Arkansas connected films thrown in). In honor of the 86th Oscars, here are 86 questions; hopefully it won’t take as long to complete as it will to watch the entire ceremony tonight.

To get more in the mood for movies, be sure and visit the Old State House Museum for their Lights! Camera! Arkansas! exhibit and visit screenings at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater.

Answers will be published tomorrow. Email your guesses to lrculturevulture@aol.com.

1. Which Oscar winner gave future Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen her first break in the movies?
A – Woody Allen
B – James Cagney
C – Jack Nicholson
D – Jason Robards

2. In which category was The Hanging Tree (which starred Little Rock native Ben Piazza) nominated for an Oscar?
A – Cinematography (Color)
B – Film Editing
C – Song
D – Sound

3. Which former Little Rock resident won an Honorary Oscar in 1958?
A – Julie Adams
B – Gilbert “Broncho Billy” Anderson
C – Jay C. Flippen
D – Dick Powell

4. The Oscar winning documentary short “Nine from Little Rock” was narrated by which member of the Little Rock Nine?
A – Minnijean Brown
B – Ernest Green
C – Jefferson Thomas
D – Carlotta Walls

6. Arkansas actor Rick Dial acted with many heavyweights during his film career. With which of these Oscar winners did he NOT appear?
A – Michael Caine
B – Chris Cooper
C – Robert Duvall
D – Timothy Hutton

7. Twice nominated for an Oscar, Arkansan Melinda Dillon is perhaps best known for appearing in which iconic holiday film?
A – A Christmas Story
B – Elf
C – Home Alone
D – It’s a Wonderful Life

8. How many Oscar nominees and winners starred in The Firm, which was filmed partially in Arkansas?
A – 1
B – 4
C – 5
D – 7

9. Little Rock Film Festival honorees Harry and Linda Bloodworth Thomason produced the Arkansas-set TV show “Evening Shade.” Which Oscar nominated actor did NOT appear in that show?
A – Charles Durning
B – Hal Holbrook
C – Burt Reynolds
D – Billy Bob Thornton

10. The song “Get Back to Little Rock” is featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary The War Room. Who sang the song in the film?
A – The Groan Ups
B – The Philander Smith Gospel Choir
C – Jason D. Williams
D – Lucinda Williams

11. Leo Robin and Jule Styne, who wrote the song “Little Girl from Little Rock” each won Oscars. For which song did Robin win a Best Song Oscar?
A – “Beyond the Blue Horizon”
B – “Blue Hawaii”
C – “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”
D – “Thanks for the Memory”

12. For which song did Styne win a Best Song Oscar?
A – “I Fall in Love Too Easily”
B – “It’s Magic”
C – “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
D – “Three Coins in the Fountain”

15. Little Rock native George Newbern (and Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre alum) has twice appeared on film as the son-in-law of which Oscar winning actress?
A – Goldie Hawn
B – Diane Keaton
C – Barbra Streisand
D – Dianne Wiest

17. Which Oscar winner starred in the TV movie Crisis at Central High?
A – Jessica Lange
B – Vanessa Redgrave
C – Jessica Tandy
D – Joanne Woodward

19. Which Oscar winning actress appeared on stage at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre?
A – Kathy Bates
B – Mercedes McCambridge
C – Sissy Spacek
D – Hilary Swank

20. Which film starring former Little Rock resident Dick Powell won 5 Oscars?
A – The Bad and the Beautiful
B – 42nd Street
C – Golddiggers of 1933
D – A Midsummer Night’s Dream

21. Scenes from A Soldier’s Story were filmed at Lamar Porter Field in Little Rock. Which of the following Oscar winning or nominated actors did not appear in that movie?
A – Adolph Caesar
B – Morgan Freeman
C – Howard E. Rollins Jr.
D – Denzel Washington

22. Which movie filmed in Arkansas boasted an Oscar winner and Oscar nominee as well as a future Oscar winner and future Oscar nominee among its cast?
A – Bloody Mama
B – Shotgun Stories
C – White Lightning
D – The White River Kid

23. Ted Danson, Emmy winning actor and co-owner of Little Rock restaurant South on Main, appeared in which Oscar winning film?
A – Black Hawk Down
B – The Hurt Looker
C – Saving Private Ryan
D – Zero Dark Thirty

26. Oscar winner Gregory Peck appeared on the silver screen as which political candidate with a Little Rock connection?
A – Orval Faubus
B – Douglas MacArthur
C – Joseph Taylor Robinson
D – Winthrop Rockefeller

27. Arkansan Jason Moore directed a recent Broadway revival of Steel Magnolias. Which Oscar nominated actress from the 1970s appeared in it?
A – Jill Clayburgh
B – Melinda Dillon
C – Barbara Harris
D – Marsha Mason

28. Arkansas native John Grisham was an early supporter of the Oxford American. Many of his novels have been turned into feature films. In addition to The Firm, which other Grisham-based film, has earned an actor an Oscar nomination?
A – The Chamber
B – The Client
C – The Pelican Brief
D – A Time to Kill

Mayor J V Satterfield escorting actress Maureen O’Hara at the Movie Ball (photo from Arkansas Democrat)

29. Shortly after appearing in Little Rock for an event around the opening of Robinson Auditorium, Maureen O’Hara filmed which Best Picture Oscar winner?
A – How Green Was My Valley
B – The Lost Weekend
C – Mrs. Miniver
D – Rebecca

30. Oscar winner Lisa Blount made a name for herself in An Officer and a Gentleman. Which of her costars won an Oscar for appearing in that film?
A – Richard Gere
B – Louis Gossett, Jr.
C – Robert Loggia
D – Debra Winger

31. Carol Channing, who played “Little Girl from Little Rock” Lorelei Lee on stage, received an Oscar nomination for which movie?
A – Hello, Dolly!
B – Mame
C – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
D – Thoroughly Modern Millie

32. Which multiple Oscar nominee has been a featured speaker at the Clinton School?
A – Ed Harris
B – John Lithgow
C – Sigourney Weaver
D – Debra Winger

36. The Arkansas Rep production of Les Miserables runs from March 5 through April 6. Last year a film version of this classic musical received 8 nominations. How many Oscars did it win?
A – Zero
B – Three
C – Five
D – Seven

37. The Little Rock Film Festival honored Arkansas native Hal Needham in 2011. He received Scientific and Technical Oscar in 1987 and an Honorary Oscar in 2013. Which of the following Oscar winners did NOT appear in a movie directed by Needham?
A – Sally Field
B – Jack Lemmon
C – Shirley MacLaine
D – Frank Sinatra

38. John Corigliano will be featured with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in the 2014-2015 season. For which film did he win an Oscar?
A – Altered States
B – Amadeus
C – The Red Violin
D – Reds

40. As a young actor, which future Oscar nominee performed scenes from Shakespeare on the stage of Little Rock Central auditorium as part of a national tour?
A – Alan Alda
B – Ed Harris
C – Hal Holbrook
D – Ian McKellen

42. Dave Brubeck performed at Wildwood several times. Which 2013 Oscar winner featured music by Brubeck?
A – Argo
B – Django Unchained
C – Silver Linings Playbook
D – Zero Dark Thirty

43. Which Oscar winner appeared in Little Rock for a fundraiser for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre?
A – Julie Andrews
B – Holly Hunter
C – Kevin Kline
D – Gregory Peck

45. Which Little Rock actor has served as an Oscar co-host?
A – Gil Gerard
B – Ben Piazza
C – Dick Powell
D – Mary Steenburgen

46. Which Oscar winner and Oscar host has performed with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra?
A – Whoopi Goldberg
B – Goldie Hawn
C – Shirley MacLaine
D – Liza Minnelli

47. Which Oscar nominated or winning actor, who has been acclaimed for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, appeared at the Clinton School in 2009?
A – Daniel Day-Lewis
B – Hal Holbrook
C – Gregory Peck
D – Sam Waterston

48. The works of former Little Rock resident and acclaimed composer William Grant Still have been featured in many movies. Which Oscar winning screwball comedy featured the music of Still?
A – The Awful Truth
B – It Happened One Night
C – The Philadelphia Story
D – You Can’t Take It with You

49. Which writer, whose writings have inspired two Oscar nominated movies, has been featured in Little Rock-based Oxford American?
A – Dee Brown
B – James Goldman
C – William Goldman
D – Charles Portis

50. In which movie did Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen NOT appear with back-to-back Oscar winner Jason Robards?
A – Melvin and Howard
B – Parenthood
C – Philadelphia
D – Time After Time

51. What happened to Oscar winner Elia Kazan in Little Rock?
A – He was born
B – He graduated from college
C – He was married
D – He became a father

54. Bill Clinton is one-fourth of the way to EGOT status. Which award has he received?
A – Emmy
B – Grammy
C – Oscar
D – Tony

55. Brinkley native Louis Jordan’s song “Stone Cold Dead in the Market” appears in which Oscar winning movie?
A – Apocalypse Now
B – Raging Bull
C – Rocky
D – 10

56. Congressman John Lewis is one of the featured speakers at the 2014 Arkansas Literary Festival. In which Oscar-nominated documentary is Rep. Lewis featured?
A – Eyes on the Prize
B – An Inconvenient Truth
C – Paradise Lost 3
D – The War Room

57. Mavis Staples, who appeared at Little Rock’s Christ Episcopal Church in 2013, can be heard on the soundtrack of which Oscar-winning film?
A – The Color Purple
B – The Help
C – Saturday Night Fever
D – Shaft

58. Arkansas native Tess Harper received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Crimes of the Heart. Which Oscar winning actress did not play one of her cousins in that film?
A – Sally Field
B – Diane Keaton
C – Jessica Lange
D – Sissy Spacek

61. Which Oscar nominated Documentary Feature was honored at the 2013 Little Rock Film Festival?
A. The Act of Killing
B. Dirty Wars
C. The Square
D. 20 Feet from Stardom

62. Which Oscar winning director helmed The Last Waltz, a documentary which featured Arkansan Levon Helm?
A – William Friedkin
B – George Lucas
C – Martin Scorsese
D – Steven Spielberg

64. The work of which fashion icon, whose dresses often adorn Oscar ceremony attendees, was featured at the Clinton Presidential Center in 2013?
A – Christian Dior
B – Alexander McQueen
C – Oscar de la Renta
D – Valentino

65. Little Rock District Judge Vic Fleming appears in the documentary Wordplay. Another person who is featured is which Oscar host?
A – David Letterman
B – Steve Martin
C – Chris Rock
D – Jon Stewart

66. Part-time Little Rock resident Judge Reinhold spoofed an Oscar winning Best Picture as part of his appearance as the iconic “close talker” on Seinfeld. Which movie was it?
A – Braveheart
B – Dances with Wolves
C – Schindler’s List
D – Unforgiven

68. Mary Steenburgen starred in the Oscar nominated film Cross Creek, which was a biopic of the author of which novel?
A – The Exact and Very Strange Truth
B – Old Yeller
C – To Kill a Mockingbird
D – The Yearling

69. On which TV show hosted by an Oscar host, did Governor Bill Clinton appear in 1988?
A – Johnny Carson
B – Chevy Chase
C – Ellen Degeneres
D – Bob Hope

72. Gordon MacRae was the featured performer at the 1963 opening of the Arkansas Arts Center. Which of his films won two Oscars?
A – Carousel
B – Look for the Silver Lining
C – Oklahoma!
D – The West Point Story

73. Which Oscar nominee appeared in Little Rock in conjunction with Ballet Arkansas?
A – Fred Astaire
B – Mikhail Barishnikov
C – Leslie Browne
D – Natalie Portman

75. Charles S. Dutton recently appeared at Philander Smith College’s Bless the Mic series. In which Oscar nominated sci-fi film was he a performer?
A – Alien
B – Alien 3
C – Terminator
D – Terminator 2: Judgment Day

76. Little Rock Catholic High grad Gil Gerard appeared in which Oscar nominated 1970s disaster film?
A – Airport
B – Airport 75
C – Airport 77
D – Concorde: Airport 79

77. With which two time Oscar winner who was the daughter of an Oscar winner did Ben Piazza twice share the stage?
A – Mia Farrow
B – Jane Fonda
C – Liza Minnelli
D – Sigourney Weaver

78. Little Rock native Frank Bonner guest starred on a variety show hosted by which Oscar winner?
A – George Burns
B – Red Buttons
C – Goldie Hawn
D – Cloris Leachman

79. Which Little Rock museum recently hosted an exhibit on Gone with the Wind?
A – Arkansas Arts Center
B – Clinton Presidential Center
C – Historic Arkansas Museum
D – MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History

80. Which Oscar nominated actress was featured in the Disney Channel movie The Ernest Green Story?
A – Diahann Carroll
B – Ruby Dee
C – Cicely Tyson
D – Alfre Woodard

81. Bruno, which starred Joey Lauren Adams was the feature film directorial debut of which Oscar winning performer?
A – Shirley Jones
B – Shirley Knight
C – Shirley MacLaine
D – Shirley Temple

82. Which cast member from the 2000 Best Picture winner had previously acted on local Little Rock stages?
A. Joey Lauren Adams
B. Wes Bentley
C. Matt Besser
D. George Newbern

83. James Earl Jones has appeared in Central Arkansas several times including with the Arkansas Symphony and at UCA. For which movie did he receive an Oscar nomination?
A. Coming to America
B. Conan the Barbarian
C. The Empire Strikes Back
D. The Great White Hope

84. Which multiple Oscar nominated performer was appointed to head a federal agency by President Clinton?
A. Jane Alexander
B. Jane Fonda
C. Peter Fonda
D. Jon Voight

85. Oscar nominated film So This Is Washington focused on which Arkansas duo?
A. Thaddeus and Hattie Caraway
B. Bill and Hillary Clinton
C. Lum and Abner
D. Wilbur Mills and Fanne Fox

Little Rock Look Back: Mayor Pratt Remmel

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Scott

On October 26, 1915, future Little Rock Mayor Pratt Cates Remmel was born. He was one of five children of Augustus Caleb and Ellen Lucy Remmel. His father died when he was five, leaving his mother to raise five children by herself. After graduating from high school in 1933, he received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia in 1937. During World War II, he held the rank of Lieutenant in the US Navy.

The Remmel family had long been involved in politics. A great-uncle had been the GOP nominee for governor and senator as well as serving on the GOP national committee. Remmel’s father had been the state GOP chair and his mother was the Arkansas Republican national committeewoman for nearly three decades. In 1938, shortly after returning from college, Remmel ran for the Little Rock City Council but did not win. In 1940, he became chairman of the Pulaski County Republican Executive Committee. For the next several decades, he held various leadership posts in the GOP at the county, state and national level.

Remmel made his second bid for public office in 1951 when he challenged incumbent LR Mayor Sam Wassell, who was seeking a third term. Wassell shared the often held belief at the time that the GOP could not win any races in Arkansas because of the aftereffects of Reconstruction. Remmel ran a vigorous campaign and won by a 2-to-1 margin becoming Little Rock’s first Republican mayor since Reconstruction. In 1953, he sought a second two year term and was re-elected. Though he had worked to build the GOP in Arkansas, he did not emphasize party affiliation in this campaign. He stressed he had been “fair to all and partial to none.” This campaign included a rally which was aired live on six LR radio stations at the same time, a first for Arkansas. He won by over 3,000 votes this time over alderman Aubrey Kerr.

The Mayor (r) presenting Key to Little Rock to Key Club International President

Remmel had been mentioned as a potential candidate for US Senate or Congress in 1954. Instead, he ran for governor and was defeated by Orval Faubus in his first race for the office. Remmel did receive more votes for governor than any GOP candidate had since reconstruction. He is credited with laying the groundwork for the future successful campaigns of Winthrop Rockefeller.

A month before the election in 1955, Remmel announced he would seek a 3rd term as Mayor. While later admitting he should have stuck with the customary two terms, he also said he ran to give voters an alternative to the Democratic nominee Woodrow Mann. Mann, like Remmel, was in the insurance business; Remmel considered Mann to have a questionable reputation. Several statewide Democratic leaders campaigned for Mann, who beat Remmel by 1,128 votes, one of Little Rock’s closest mayoral elections.

As Mayor, Remmel served in leadership positions with the US Conference of Mayors and the Arkansas Municipal League. It was during his tenure as mayor that the land which is now Rebsamen Golf Course was given to the City.

After he left office, Remmel returned to business interests and staying active in civic affairs. He was an active leader of First United Methodist Church and Gideons International. He was a Mason, a Shriner, a member of the American Legion, and the American Red Cross. Remmel served on the Arkansas River Basin Commission and chairman of the Arkansas Waterways Commission. In 1996, he was posthumously inducted into the Arkansas River Hall of Fame.

Married for many years to Catherine Couch, the couple had three children, Pratt Jr., Cathie and Rebecca. Lake Catherine in Arkansas is named for his wife. Remmel Park and Pratt Remmel Road in Little Rock are named for Mayor Remmel.

Mayor Remmel died on May 14, 1991. He and Catherine (who died in 2006) are buried in Oakland Cemetery.

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