FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – History Fort Lauderdale, proud steward of our community’s past by making our heritage accessible and engaging to residents and visitors, will present, “Where the Boys Are,” an exclusive 60th anniversary film photo exhibition at The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale. Opening on Wednesday, December 3, this free retrospective will feature 40 curated historical and never-before-seen oversized images chronicling the making of and local star-studded premiere (December 28, 1960) of the landmark film that cemented the City of Fort Lauderdale as a worldwide Spring Break destination. The walk-through exhibit will be available for the public to view near Swarovski until January 3, 2021.
“We’re delighted to partner with The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale to celebrate Where the Boys Are, an iconic film that launched a golden era of global tourism recognition and economic prosperity,” said Patricia Zeiler, executive director of History Fort Lauderdale. “This exhibit is special not only because of its timeliness and behind-the-scenes photos, but because it features many local residents as extras in the film who contributed to making our great city an extraordinary cultural asset.”
Visitors to The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale will delight in seeing the making of Where the Boys Are, the 1960 American CinemaScope comedy directed by Henry Levin, via a variety of slice-of-life and candid on-set images enlarged for detail. These include captures of local resident and actress Connie Francis (who sang the film’s memorable title theme), as well as stars Dolores Hart, Paula Prentiss, George Hamilton, Yvette Mimieux, Jim Hutton, and Frank Gorshin. Some photos were captured on the actual site of The Galleria, then an open-air shopping center called the Sunrise Center. Many photos feature local South Florida extras and regional film crew who were called-upon to star and work on the film.
“The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale is the perfect backdrop to showcase these memorable images that have been ingrained into pop culture on the silver screen,” said Melissa Milroy, senior marketing manager of The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale. “As a historic property that hosted stars of the film, The Galleria is coming full circle with this exhibition. We invite residents and visitors to visit and reminisce about this cherished moment in time.”
In compliance with local and state health guidelines, visitors to History Fort Lauderdale’s “Where the Boys Are” 60th anniversary exhibition at The Galleria, will be required to wear a mask and practice safe social distancing of six feet apart.
For more information about History Fort Lauderdale, please call (954) 463-4431 or visit historyfortlauderdale.org. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/ftlhistory and on Instagram @ftlhistory and subscribe to us on YouTube at youtube.com/user/FTLhistory.
For additional upcoming virtual events and information about The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale, please visit facebook.com/GalleriaFtLauderdale. Patrons may also call (954) 564-1036 or visit www.galleriamall-fl.com
