![]() People come to my office, and they say, ‘This is a museum.’ This is my pantheon.”Īs he talked, audio clips from Lee’s films - the molasses-smooth jazz of “Mo’ Better Blues” the vocal alarm clock of Samuel L. Said Lee, “This is really a very, very small part of all the stuff I have. The items from his extensive personal collection had been previously housed at his production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, in Brooklyn. There’s an original Playbill from the 1943-44 Broadway production of “Othello” signed by its star, Paul Robeson, the first Black actor to play the role in a major production, and an original poster from the 1959 film version of “Porgy and Bess” signed by stars Sidney Poitier and Brock Peters. The installation is filled with rare posters, film stills and lobby cards signed to Lee by a who’s who of elite directors, including Akira Kurosawa, Billy Wilder, Jean-Luc Godard, Lina Wertmüller, Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. I’ve been lucky enough to be friends with some of them.” These are people who touched me, inspired me. “You know what this is about? This is about love. Sitting down briefly, Lee gazed around the room. ![]() For Lee, the gallery serves as a tribute to the moviemakers, athletes, musicians, writers and political icons who have changed the world and helped him form his vision. The rutted road to the Academy Museum’s long-awaited premiere was marked by behind-the-scenes infighting, financial woes, ousted leaders and a racial reckoning.įar beyond an examination of Lee’s provocative, often controversial projects, the gallery is an eye-filling, emotional journey into the mind of an artist, one that spans decades - reaching back before the days when Lee first picked up a film camera. Inside the dramatic journey and what’s at risk Movies Hollywood finally has its movie museum. “I’m happy and honored that this exhibition is here for the opening of the museum.” Visitors will be able to trace Lee’s career through props and memorabilia dating back to his 1983 award-winning student film “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads,” moving through his features (“Malcolm X,” “Do the Right Thing,” “School Daze,” “Jungle Fever,” “Bamboozled” and his most recent, “Da 5 Bloods”), documentaries (“4 Little Girls”) and his two Oscars - one honorary and one for his adapted screenplay for “BlacKkKlansman”). The huge photos - both signed by the legendary athletes - were just a few of the items featured in the gallery. ![]() ![]() The writer-director-producer, who ranks among the most prominent and influential filmmakers of modern cinema, was in town last Friday to preview the gallery focused on him, his heroes and his inspirations, which will be a centerpiece of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ new museum dedicated to the craft and art of film. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. ![]()
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