Description
From the stories of our classic theaters to tales of industry and intrigue featuring the savvy and tough entrepreneurs of movie entertainment, this first-ever history of cinema in the Twin Cities reveals the influence of Hollywood on the lives and imaginations of Minnesotans—and that of Minnesotans on the film industry today.
Filled with photos of the dazzling marquees and great theaters of yesterday and today, historian Dave Kenney's highly readable account offers rich histories of some of the grandest theaters ever constructed. Featured are movie palaces like the Minnesota in downtown Minneapolis, with its well-synchronized phalanx of ushers and cavernous yet elegant interior, and the Cooper in St. Louis Park, with its films projected larger-than-life in 70 mm Cinerama.
Yet behind many of these cinemas' electrifying facades are the impresarios and business leaders who took the risks and made the fortunes, like nationally known theater mogul and Hollywood producer Ted Mann, who transformed Minnesota moviegoing in the fifties and sixties, and porn king Ferris Alexander, whose unconventional business activities resulted in the preservation of many now treasured historical monuments. Then there are the people of the Twin Cities, who have seen and tested some of the biggest movies of all time.
About the Author: Dave Kenney is a freelance writer specializing in Minnesota history. After earning degrees from St. Olaf College and the University of Missouri-Columbia, he established a career in television news--first as a reporter in Asheville, North Carolina and Norfolk, Virginia, and then as a senior writer for CNN in Atlanta. In 1997, Kenney moved back to Minnesota to begin a new career as a writer of books and magazine articles. His articles on state and regional history have appeared in Minnesota Monthly, Mpls-St. Paul, Minnesota Medicine, and Minnesota Law & Politics. His books for Minnesota Historical Society Press include Northern Lights; Minnesota Goes to War; Twin Cities Album; and Twin Cities Picture Show. He also has chronicled the histories of several significant Minnesota institutions including Gustavus Adolphus College, the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, the Minnesota Telecom Alliance, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Northern Star Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He is a two-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award. Dave Kenney is married to Nancy Lebens, an editor with Minnesota Public Radio. They have two daughters.
