Did you know that Madison was the subject of a 1944 U.S. Office of War Information short film? It’s just over 10 minutes long and has some great historic footage of the city. The narration of the video goes into great detail about the diversity that makes Madison a picture of the American experience. This documentary shows the eclectic architecture of the downtown district. It also pictures several public officials from 1944, including the Mayor, County Judge, and Prosecutor. Please leave a comment below if you know any of their names.
More About “The Town” Documentary
The Town (1944) An exploration of the European cultural roots of an American small town: Madison, Indiana. Despite their diverse backgrounds, the citizens of Madison have a profound respect for each other’s ways.
Director: Josef von Sternberg
Writer: Joseph Krumgold (writer)
Here is the entry on IMBd for the movie.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
My mother is one of the girls at the pool. Her name was Minerva crozier. She is the blond one.
Thanks for sharing. That must be amazing to see your own family history come alive in that film.
Hello !
I believe that Vincente Minnelli, in 1959, took Madison, Indiana – that he had seen on the documentary of Joseph Von Sternberg -, as a starting point to design the town of Parkman (imagined by writer James Jones) in his film “Some came running” which he turned with Franck Sinatra, Dean Martin and Shirley McLaine. Didn’t he ?
Best regards.
John R. Schmit
(I’m French and I don’t speak very good English, sorry).