Anatomy of a Murder turns 50

The bestselling novel, Anatomy of a Murder, written by John D. Voelker (under the pen name Robert Traver) and published in 1958 is celebrating 50 years of being in print. Events will take place in Ishpeming, Marquette, and Lansing to mark this historic novel's 50th Anniversary. About a year ago I built a page about the actual murder the book and movie are based on that includes movie clips and other trivia bits about Anatomy of a Murder.

Upcoming Events Include -

Things kickoff September 18 at 7pm in the Carnegie Public Library, Ishpeming, Michigan.

Kick-off event will include the unveiling of the Voelker Collection web exhibit by the Central Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan University Archives about the writing of Anatomy of a Murder. Activities will also include refreshments at the library and a self-guided walking tour of Voelker sites in Ishpeming.

The film "Anatomy of a Murder" will be shown September 19 at 7pm at the Marquette County Courthouse where the courtroom scenes were shot.

For a full list of events visit the 50th Anniversary page.

Bonus! Watch a courtroom scene from the movie. One of (if not THE) best court dramas ever filmed.

New page about Anatomy of a Murder

I created a new page at Squidoo that gives some background on the actual murder that the book and movie were based on. You will also find information on the area that the movie was filmed (in Michigan's U.P. at Big Bay, Ishpeming, and Marquette) back in 1959. I tossed in videos of the movie trailer and links to learn more about the cast as well as some photos from the movie and area in which it was filmed. Here it is the link - www.squidoo.com/anatomy-of-a-murder

Marquette celebrates new Jimmy Stewart stamp

Anyone familiar with the Academy Award nominated film, Anatomy of a Murder, knows that it was filmed in the U.P. The movie is based on a true story that was turned into a novel written by former Michigan Supreme Court justice, John Voelker. Courtroom scenes for the movie were filmed in the Marquette courthouse and the other scenes in the movie were shot on location around the Marquette area of the U.P.

The movie starred Jimmy Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Arthur O'Connell, Eve Arden, and a young looking George C. Scott. Anyway, the postal service is honoring Jimmy Stewart with a stamp and some of the locals who were extras in the film gathered at the Marquette courthouse for a stamp dedication ceremony last Friday.

© 2007 USPS

Joan Hanson was one of the extras in the film and wrote of her experiences in a book titled, "Anatomy of "Anatomy" The Making of a Movie." Numerous photographs of the filming sites, notes from the actors, and her personal accounts of her view of the actors and the filming process in Michigan's U.P. are quite charming and interesting. I read her book while staying at the Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast.

Incidentally, Big Bay is the setting for where the actual murder took place. Scenes for the movie were filmed at the Thunder Bay Inn (once owned by Henry Ford) which is still open as well as the scene of the actual murder, the Lumberjack Tavern.

Here is a clip of the film's premiere in Detroit at the United Artists theater -

If video player does not appear, click here to view the video.

Marquette history museum to feature Yoopers exhibit

Coming this April to the Marquette County Historical Museum is an exhibit dedicated to those wonderful souls who call Michigan's Upper Peninsula home and are affectionately referred to as 'Yoopers.' The exhibit will be called "Anatomy of a Yooper." This appears to be a play on the popular novel "An Anatomy of a Murder" written by Marquette resident Robert Traver and also made into a great film starring James Stewart. Robert Traver is the pen name for John Voelker a former Michigan Supreme Court justice. Local residents are being asked to submit stories, photos, or artifacts that help show that 'Yooper' spirit. Directly from the museum's website is this further explanation of what they are looking for:

Unique words and phrases, ethnic customs, coping with the weather, excellent work ethic, unique foods and ways of preparing them, camps and camping, ingenuity with recycling items to make useful things such as Finnish rag rugs and snowshoes, coping with bug season and anything else that makes Yoopers stand apart from the rest.

This sounds like a fun and entertaining exhibit. I wish Marquette wasn't so far away as this is something that will be quite interesting and I would like to see it.

Read the article in The Mining Journal.