I wrote recently about how movie backdrops can do wonders for tourism – think The Third Man (Vienna), Don’t Look Now (Venice) and any number of Woody Allen films (New York).
Now, Washington DC is looking for a boost in visitor numbers with the release of the Night At The Museum sequel. This one has the subtitle Battle of The Smithsonian and it’s set in that prestigious museum and research centre, based primarily in DC.
Like its predecessor from three years ago – that one was set in New York’s Museum of Natural History - the action of the film follows night guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) whose job is hampered by the exhibits coming to life after dark.
And there are many exhibits to keep an eye on at the Smithsonian, with more than 136 million items in its collections. These include the Lockheed Vega plane belonging to aviator Amelia Earhart (played in the film by Amy Adams). You might also catch Teddy Roosevelt, Al Capone, Custer, Ivan The Terrible and Attila The Hun.
There’s general agreement in Washington that the release of the movie is good news for the city. “Often times we hear that parents have a civic duty to bring their families to D.C. for a vacation,” said Victoria Isley of the tourism bureau Destination DC. “But we believe Night at the Museum 2 will really help kids inspire visits themselves.”
by Andy Moreton
If you’re keen to visit the Smithsonian and everything else DC has to offer, take a look at the Luxique selection of luxury hotels in Washington DC, including the Four Seasons in Georgetown.
Some movies will always be inextricably linked with the city in which they were set and none more so than The Third Man, starring Orson Welles as Harry Lime.
It’s the 60th anniversary of the classic film noir that gave moviegoers a beguiling picture of post-war Vienna set against a haunting soundtrack of zither music. And even this long after The Third Man came out, there’s quite a little industry surrounding the film in the Austrian capital.
There is, for instance, a whole website devoted to it (www.thethirdman.net), in which the world’s leading expert on the film’s locations, Dr Brigitte Timmermann, offers the complete background to the making of the movie.
Dr Timmermann has also organised a tour of the locations. She says that, although the scars of the war have long disappeared, most of the sites have remained surprisingly unchanged.
“On this exciting tour, follow us through the cobbled lanes and hidden courtyards of old Vienna that inspired the author, Graham Greene. See the places where Harry Lime lived, appeared, disappeared and eventually died. Learn the fascinating story of how one of the all-time great films was made and what Vienna was like in the days of Allied occupation, Cold War espionage and the black market.”
Vienna Walks also plots the film’s locations, even down to the underworld of the city’s sewers, immortalised in the pursuit of Harry Lime. In addition, there’s a Third Man museum and the chance to see the film again with regular screenings at the Burg Kino on Opernring.
by Andy Moreton
Luxique’s Top Destination Vienna guide calls the Austrian capital ‘a truly inspiring destination’ and we can help you book the best luxury hotels in Vienna, including three on the Condé Nast Traveller Gold List, the Sacher, the Altstadt and the Grand.
