St. Louis' Quasi-Impressive Film Resume

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As if our town's googly eyes for Clooney don't give it away, St. Louisans are far from accustomed to the notion that a movie star could be behind them in line at their next Starbucks run. Sure, Bill caused quite a stir downtown a few years back, but let's forget that for a bit...the rest of the world was quick to do so. Though the Gateway City falls somewhat short of being a mecca for major film production, we've hosted more than our share of lesser-known films, the type you'll have to dig for at Blockbuster. "There was a major flurry of local shooting activity over the past few years." says Cliff Froehlich, Executive Director of Cinema St. Louis, a group dedicated to keeping the STL on the big screen. "Probably the best reason to shoot in St. Louis is the metro area's great versatility. It can easily double for a wide range of locales and periods." Here, in no particular order, are a few films with significant St. Louis ties:

White Palace, 1990 - This romantic drama brought James Spader and Susan Sarandon to our town to play an unlikely couple brought together by tragedy. Spader plays Max Baron, a high-power ad executive who falls for salt-of-the-Earth waitress Nora Baker (Sarandon) while mourning the untimely death of his wife. Director Luis Mandoki shot most of the film here, at various locations in Dogtown and the White Knight diner at 18th and Olive.

The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery, 1959 - Bad boy icon Steve McQueen stars in this thriller that depicts the failed 1953 robbery of the Southwest Bank on Kingshighway. Shot almost entirely on location, several members of the St. Louis Police Department played themselves in the film, with directors Charles Guggenheim and John Stix insisting on painstaking measures to nearly duplicate the actual robbery attempt.

Steel City, 2006 - Webster alum Brian Jun shot this drama in Alton, taking over half the town in the process. Ugly Betty actress America Ferrera lends the star power in this tale of a family ripped apart by a car accident, only to be reunited through the revelation of a family secret. The film won over crtics at Sundance and has gone on to produce respectable DVD sales.

Escape from New York, 1981 - Sci-fi golden boy John Carpenter shot most of this action flick in St. Louis, recognizing our city's desolate downtown as the perfect setting to double for a crime-ridden New York city. The film stars Kurt Russell as a fugitive charged with the task of recovering the President of the Unites States after he's taken hostage by convicts. Filming locations include a then-abandoned Union Station, the Fox Theater, and the Chain of Rocks Bridge, which Carpenter bought from the city for $1, then sold it back for the same same price after filming

The above titles are only four in a list that also includes Larger than Life, The Big Brass Ring, the well-received Chuck Berry doc Hail! Hail! Rock n' Roll, and many others. That said, though we've hosted a respectable amount of independent films, St. Louisans may want to enjoy Clooney while he's here, because the almighty dollar may keep Hollywood away for a while. "The entire tax credit for this year was devoted to Up in the Air." says Froehlich, "so until Missouri puts more money in the pot...there's no imminent production ready to move in once (the film) finishes."