'The Express' Premiere Brings Hollywood to Syracuse
9/15/2008 7:40:35 PM | Football
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Streets in Downtown Syracuse are are once again open and the Quad on Syracuse University's campus is back to normal after the city and University hosted movie stars and dignitaries over the weekend for the world premiere of 'The Express' on Friday, Sept. 12 at the historic Landmark Theatre. 'The Express' chronicles the life of Orange legend Ernie Davis, the 1961 Heisman Trophy winner.
Rob Brown, who plays Davis, and Dennis Quaid, who plays head coach Ben Schwartzwalder, took part in the motorcade on Salina Street to the Orange Carpet that led to the Theatre. Other star in attendance included Omar Benson Miller, Darrin dewitt Henson, Nicole Behaire and Charles Dutton.
The staging for the Orange Carpet Show began on Thursday evening. On Friday, members of the cast and production crew took part in a press conference on the Quad along with Syracuse Department of Athletics personnel, Gerhard Schwedes and John Brown from the 1959 national championship team and all-time greats Jim Brown and Floyd Little.
The Orange Carpet Show began at 5 p.m. and included a performance from The Coasters and video clips of how the movie was made. Fans lined the street as the SU Marching Band also performed. At 6 p.m. local politicians, including Onondaga County Commissioner Joanie Mahoney, SU Chancellor and President Dr. Nancy Cantor and director of athletics Dr. Daryl Gross cut a movie reel to officially open the orange carpet.
The procession down the Orange Carpet included Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Art Monk and College Football Hall of Fame honoree Don McPherson as well as broadcaster Bob Costas. Many of the stars of the movie took time to sign autographs for fans that had gathered despite the inclement weather.
Once inside the Theatre, Gross presented the film's director Gary Fleder with a piece of artwork depicting Davis wearing the famous number 44. Fleder then introduced the cast.
The War Memorial was transformed into a football stadium for a Gala following the screening. The SU Marching Band performed as well as the Coasters as clips of Davis and the film were shown on large screens.
'The Express' opens in theaters across the nation on October 10.
