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Author Topic: Movie Museum in Owasso Michigan John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 12-17-2002 06:33 AM                        This was posted by Tom Martin, of the Hollywood Dream Factory, on the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) list-serve: ______________________________________________________________________ Mopo- If you like strange but true stories READ ON.... about ten years ago maybe longer i received a letter inviting me to a Museum in OWASSO, Michigan...... A HOLLYWOOD Museum....- Owasso... Yes Folks I am not a sci-fi writer.... Ok like a lemming I drove up to OWASSO.... and met a 70s-80s man named -"DON Schneider" Now when I got there and saw a treasure trove of Movie stuff,, I said excuse me, but I think Im not in Toledo anymore.. ... yes I was in OWASSO... . now if you've never been to "OWASSO" it makes Toledo Look Like New york or Los angeles...its a cross between "Mayberry" and maybe River city ?? Anyway,, the museum is a transplant from Hollywood,, seems Schneider is one of the last of the original hollywood museum founders from the 60s , 70s in Hollywood.. along. the stars , Debbie Reynolds.. and others etc..... If you have followed the saga no person was ever really able to unite a group to have a true Museum so the material is scattered across the USA much from the early auctions,,, where you could buy a costume from GWTW for like 10.00 .... I met John Lebold - years back..( a large costume collector) who was Debbies assistant and he told me he filled those big laundry carts for 50 cents a costume back in 1970....... amazing???? Well any ways... I go in this CHURCH,,, yes a big stone Church in Owasso!!! ( thats what the museum is built in)and here's MOUNTAINS of stuff......!! so what did I do??? did I try to weasel all the stuff i could so I could ebay it? did I tell them it was all crap???? no I sat for hours at a all night Diner with Don Talking Movie memories and all the history.... till we couldn't sit up even with pitchers of coffee!! surprising huh? wow was that some magicical memeories... Don is truly one of the visionarys of saveing all this stuff.. He lives like a Tibetan monk,,,, Don is a real archivist in that he is completely dedicated to the project.. its his life... well this man has followed a dream to all ends... he has single handed motivated volunteers in OWASSO to help repair leaky roofs, and organize the Mountains of stuff... there are Rooms that LOOK like furnishings that the salvation army would heave... but then when he says that was a chair from " maltese Falcon" or a table from Citizen Kane.. You freeze at the roughness and intimacy and how fragile Movie history is,,,THE STUFF HAS NO TAGS!!! so many items will be lost or thrown away as this Don is the only steward,,, It would take Hollywood historians years to document by looking at production stills... But here I was surrounded by treasures in Owasso, Michigan..... quite frankly i thought it would die a miserable death or that Don would die... sorry Don ... You looked tired... But here it is 2002 and he's still going.... he sends out flyers that he taps out on a manual typewriter!! The place has equipment, theater Organs, and lots of cool stuff, props, costumes.... It would be any movie Buffs Dream and its in OWASSO, Michigan...... Today I received the MOVIE MUSEUMS newsletter.... and Don is asking for help as the Museum' is a 501-c3 I believe check to make sure... He asks for 5- 12.00 donations.... call or write Don at The MOVIE MUSEUM 408 N. Water street OWOSSO, Michigan 48867 PHONE 1-989-725-7621 Don has great classic Hollywood Stories ,, he was in Film Production In LA. and knows many of the early people.... Please help Don continue to Save Hollywood artifacts,,, You can help by sending him a donation today! Pop a buck or more in a envelope and help a dream stay alive!! Or if you close donate some labor at the Museum...In Owasso= OR make a visit!! you will be amazed.! Keep the MOVIE MUSEUM ALIVE!!! Send your help Today! MERRY Christmas You will make a differance! so there ya go can you believe it??........ Its like 50 miles from me........ Best,,Tom http://www.hollywooddreamfactory.com/MovieMuseum0.htm ____________________________________________________________________ Does anyone know of Don Schneider and his museum in Owasso Michigan?  |  IP: Logged Bob Brown Expert Film Handler Posts: 146 From: Grand Rapids, MI Registered: Apr 2002 posted 12-18-2002 09:39 PM                        John.... I grew up in OWASSO. No it is spelled OWOSSO, I moved away in 1986 I knew of no museum there then. I could contact some friends there to check on any details you need answers on.  |  IP: Logged William Hooper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1879 From: Mobile, AL USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-20-2002 07:05 AM                        quote: The place has equipment, theater Organs, Theatre organ hobbyist owner: Crazy Theatre organ parts reseller: Crook Frequency: 19 in 20  |  IP: Logged Bob Maar (Maar stands for Maartini) Posts: 28608 From: New York City & Newport, RI Registered: Feb 2001 posted 12-20-2002 07:44 AM                        John, A beautiful story. Don sound like he may be the original "Movie Man". I will make it a point to visit next time I am in Michigan. P.S. My check is in the mail.  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 02-15-2015 12:59 PM                 It has been 4440 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged Alexandra Stinson Film Handler Posts: 3 From: Owosso, MI USA Registered: Feb 2015 posted 02-15-2015 12:59 PM                     Hello, I came across this site while looking for more information about Don Schneider and the Movie Museum. I am trying to find the person who wrote this article? Any help is appreciated.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 02-15-2015 01:59 PM                        Tom Martin posted a lot of long, rambling messages on the AMIA list back in the early '00s, similar in tone to the one John Pytlak quoted above. Responses from respected figures in that biz questioning the factual accuracy of a lot of his claims led me to the conclusion that at the very least, they would need to be checked against other evidence before being considered reliable. Looking at Google Street View (which I don't think existed in 2002), I see that the address given in his posting is [url=https://www.google.com/maps?q=408+N+Water+St,+Owosso,+MI&hl=en&ll=43.000746,-84.173307&spn=0.000804,0.002045&sll=34.057163,-117.318854&sspn=0.121312,0.261784&oq=408+n+WATER+st+owosso&hnear=408+N+Water+St,+Owosso,+Michigan+48867-2254&t=h&z=20&iwl oc=A&layer=c&cbll=43.000746,-84.173307&panoid=jQGOh_PHAaTF_orB1D-MXA&cbp=12,53.13,,0,0.06]a private residence[/url] in the middle of a residential neighborhood, with no indication on the exterior of the building that it is a museum open to the public. Admittedly it could have been 13 years ago, but I'd still be inclined to take this story with a grain of salt. Given that you're based in Owosso, why not simply visit this place, ring the doorbell and ask if the occupier knows anything about a movie museum?  |  IP: Logged Alexandra Stinson Film Handler Posts: 3 From: Owosso, MI USA Registered: Feb 2015 posted 02-15-2015 03:16 PM                     Thank you for your response. We actually have been helping clean the movie museum out since Don Schneider passed away, this past October. I unfortunately never got the opportunity to meet him. I was doing research on the internet trying to find out more information about his museum and the museum that actually was open to the public in California, and the items we have come across inside the Owosso Movie Museum. After reading this post it saddens me because Tom is right, everything is not tagged to where it came from.. I wish I could contact him to learn more about his conversation with Don.  |  IP: Logged Alexandra Stinson Film Handler Posts: 3 From: Owosso, MI USA Registered: Feb 2015 posted 02-24-2015 06:30 PM                     The local news station came out today... http://www.abc12.com/story/28191981/local-film-buffs-massive-movie-collection-on-sale  |  IP: Logged

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