- Jim Fields
Infobox Person
name = James Wallace Fields
image_size =
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birth_date =
birth_place =Omaha, Nebraska , U.S.
death_date =
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occupation = Director, Producer, Playwright, Actor
spouse =
parents =
children =James Wallace Fields is an American
film director , producer,playwright and actor. Fields wrote, produced and directed the movies "416", "Saving The Indian Hills", "Preserve Me A Seat", "Plain Living" and, most recently "Bugeaters",cite web|accessdate=2007-03-08
url=http://www.apartment101films.com/bug/bug.html
title=Bugeaters
publisher=Apartment 101 Films] currently in production. Prior to his film work, Fields wrote and directed the musical comedy "Little Red" and the play "Scarlett Fever".Fields is a nationally known independent filmmaker who has championed issues of concern to the Midwest and of film lovers in general. He is the owner of the independent film production company Apartment 101 Films. [cite web|title=Apartment 101 Films|url=http://www.apartment101films.com/|accessdate=2007-03-03]
Early life
James Wallace Fields was born in
Omaha ,Nebraska , in September 1958. Fields was educated in the Omaha public schools. Starting in his childhood, Fields took an intense interest in film. An early photograph that appears in "Saving The Indian Hills" [cite web|title= Saving The Indian Hills|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0378712/business|accessdate=2007-03-03] depicts Fields at age 16, standing in front of the "Indian Hills Theater ", [cite web|title=Indian Hills Theater|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Hills_Theater|accessdate=2007-03-03] which housed the largest indoor movie screen ever constructed. Designed by the architect "Richard L. Crowther ", the "Cinerama " theater was considered his greatest achievement. Its unique curved screen provided a 3-D effect that caused moviegoers to feel themselves immersed in the film--especially wide screen movies such as "Lawrence of Arabia ", "Dr. Zhivago " and "Star Wars ".Early career
After graduating from the University of Nebraska, Fields wrote the play "
Little Red " about the 'Bugeaters', a 1915 University of Nebraska football team that went on to become the Cornhuskers. Fields himself produced and directed "Little Red " in Omaha. The success of his first play led Fields to write, produce and direct "Scarlett Fever ", a dramatic play about a 76-year-old woman who wakes up one day and believes she is Scarlett O'Hara from "Gone with the Wind".The success of "Scarlett Fever " led Fields to acquire his first digital video equipment which he used to produce and direct his first feature film: "Plain Living". [cite web|title=Plain Living|url=http://press.creighton.edu/110201/entertainment.html|accessdate=2007-03-03]"Saving The Indian Hills"
In 2001 Fields found himself swept up in a brewing controversy in Omaha. The aforementioned "
Indian Hills Theater " [cite web|title = Indian Hills Theater|url = http://www.in70mm.com/newsletter/2001/65/indian/hills.htm | accessdate = 2007-03-03] was sold to Methodist Health Systems, [cite web| title = Methodist Health Systems| url = http://www.bestcare.org/| accessdate = 2007-03-03] which announced its intention to demolish the theater for a parking lot. A group of Omaha activists formed to save the "Indian Hills Theater " [cite web|title=Indian Hills Theater|url=http://www.citypages.com/movies/detail.asp?MID=5023|accessdate=2007-03-03] and Fields was on hand, filming. The preservation fight became a cause célébre, resulting in letters from Hollywood legends pleading for the theater. Such legends included "Kirk Douglas ", "Leonard Maltin ", "Charlton Heston ", "Janet Leigh ", "Ray Bradbury " and "Patricia Neal ". Despite these pleas and a recommendation for the theater as a city landmark by the City of Omaha's Landmarks Preservation Commission, [cite web|title=City of Omaha's Landmarks Preservation Commission|url=http://www.ci.omaha.ne.us/landmarks/Default.htm|accessdate=2007-03-03] Methodist Health Systems began demolition of the theater shortly after the theater had been declared a landmark."416"
The movie "416" is named after Initiative 416, a Nebraska law that allegedly protected marriage from attempts by gay activists to enshrine gay marriage. Fields takes a balanced approach to the issue as he plays the initiative's Christian backers against gay and lesbian Nebraskans who oppose the measure, which passed with support from 71% of Nebraska voters. "416" [cite web|title=416|url=http://www.citypages.com/movies/detail.asp?MID=6089|accessdate=2007-03-03] purported to give an objective view of the issue but most reviewers suggested the film was highly critical of the religious right.
"Preserve Me A Seat"
Although the activists did not succeed in saving the theater, Fields captured their tumultuous efforts on film and this resulted in two films: "
Saving The Indian Hills " and footage that later became the core of "Preserve Me A Seat ". [cite web|title=Preserve Me A Seat (2006)|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0852991/|accessdate=2007-03-03|work=IMDb] The later film enlarges the focus of "Saving The Indian Hills " to the entire United States. [cite web |title=Preserve Me A Seat |url=http://cinematreasures.org/news/14921_0_1_0_C/|accessdate=2007-03-03] It presents the story of the "Indian Hills Theater Preservation Society ", the Omaha group that formed to save the theater, in context with the companion stories of similar groups that formed in other cities with the intention of saving their own theater palaces from the wrecking ball. Because of the controversy surrounding its "Indian Hills Theater " elements, the film's premier faced long delays while litigation [cite web|url=http://omahacityweekly.com/article.php?id=1269|accessdate=2007-03-03
title=Indian Summer - Documentary held up in court to finally premiere this month
author=Jim Minge|work=Omaha City Weekly|date=July 2006] got resolved. The world premiere occurred in Grand Island, Nebraska. After the feature a lively panel discussion occurred featuring the film-makers and theater developer, Paul Warshauer. The common thread of the theater preservation efforts within "Preserve Me A Seat " is their lack of success. This film has seen wide distribution at film festivals across the country."Bugeaters"
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