Downtown Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Modern Movie~Making In Memphis

Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 8, 2018

1. Modern Movie Making In Memphis Marker (front)

Inscription.
Front
On this South Main Street corner in 1988 the modern wave of Memphis movie making was born, in great measure through the efforts of the Memphis & Shelby County Film Commissioner Linn Sitler and Shelby County Government official Alonzo Woods. Until Mystery Train, Memphis had not hosted a nationally-distributed feature film since King Vidor's Hallelujah!, which had been based in the city in 1928 to shoot much of its principal photography here. An independent feature, Mystery Train later won producer/director Jim Jarmusch a major award at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.
(Continued on other side)

Rear
(Continued from other side)
The Mystery Train film was immediately followed in Memphis by Orion Pictures Great Balls of Fire!, which told the life story of Sun Studio legend, Jerry Lee Lewis. Later Memphis-based filmmaking included such notable and diverse features as The Firm, 21 Grams, Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Forty Shades of Blue (directed by Memphian Ira Sachs), Academy Award winners Hustle & Flow (directed By Memphian Craig Brewer), and Walk the Line, the life story of yet another Sun Studio legend, Johnny Cash. The Commission's on-going efforts

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to recruit and develop the film and television industries continue into the 21st century.

Erected by the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission and the Shelby County Historical Commission.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1988.

Location. 35° 7.965′ N, 90° 3.528′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is in Downtown Memphis. Marker is at the intersection of G.E. Patterson Avenue and South Main Street, on the right when traveling east on G.E. Patterson Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 540 South Main Street, Memphis TN 38103, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Arcade Restaurant (here, next to this marker); Welcome To The National Civil Rights Museum (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Site of First Memphis Telephone (about 600 feet away); 1866 Memphis Massacre (about 600 feet away); The Lorraine Motel (about 700 feet away); Here, on April 4, 1968 … / … Today, a Place of Remembrance (about 700 feet away); The Blues Foundation (approx. 0.2 miles away); WLOK Radio Station (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Memphis.

Modern Movie~Making In Memphis Marker (rear) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 8, 2018

2. Modern Movie~Making In Memphis Marker (rear)

Modern Movie~Making In Memphis Marker at the Arcade Restaurant. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 8, 2018

3. Modern Movie~Making In Memphis Marker at the Arcade Restaurant.

Corner where movie-making in Memphis started.

View from marker towards Main Street. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, April 8, 2018

4. View from marker towards Main Street.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 14, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 396 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 14, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.