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"We are Marshall" Movie

Movie inspires teen to attend Marshall

Published Oct. 12, 2008 HUNTINGTON -- California native Julie Mello was so impressed by the movie "We Are Marshall" that she wound up enrolling at Marshall University. Her story doesn't stop there, though.

Movie inspires journey to MU

Published Nov. 18, 2008 HUNTINGTON -- Daniel and Madge Slay finally got to pay their respects to people they didn't know. The two did so 38 years after the fact. To top it off, it took a movie to inspire the two to drive in from Missouri for the special occasion.

'We Are Marshall' exhibit unveiled at Marshall Hall of Fame Café

Published Jan. 7, 2009 HUNTINGTON -- The Nov. 14, 1970 plane crash and the making of the "We Are Marshall" movie are two events etched in the minds of people forever. On Tuesday, Marshall University officials unveiled an exhibit at the Marshall Hall of Fame Café, 857 Third Ave., to serve as a visible reflection on two of Huntington's most historic times.

Q&A: 'We Are Marshall' fact vs. fiction

Published Jan. 10, 2007 HUNTINGTON -- Lively conversations have been happening on The Herald-Dispatch forums, and plenty of e-mails have poured in asking questions about what really happened in the true story of "We Are Marshall."

Writer of letter to filmmakers reveals himself

Published Nov. 19, 2007 HUNTINGTON -- In the hundreds of stories that grew out of Hollywood invading Huntington to film "We Are Marshall," perhaps none was more intriguing than that of "the letter."

Dawson: Movie helped me cope with emotions

Published Nov. 12, 2007 HUNTINGTON -- Red Dawson clearly is not a doctor. So why was the construction business owner and former football coach asked to speak to a room full of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals about post-traumatic stress disorder?

Linden family welcomed by Herd fans

Published Nov. 4, 2007 ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hundreds of Marshall University fans offered a collective "thank you" to the Linden family Saturday afternoon. Yes, Eric and Pat Linden wore Central Florida garb to the UCF-Thundering Herd football Homecoming clash, but they were more than welcome among the Green and White. Congratulations and gratitude were directed toward the Lindens, parents of "We Are Marshall" movie screenwriter Jamie Linden.

Lengyel says 'We Are Marshall' sends right message

Published Dec. 22, 2006 PHOENIX (AP) -- Thirty-six years later, Jack Lengyel vividly recalls the overwhelming sadness that surrounded him when he arrived at Marshall. He had come as the new football coach to help revive a program torn to pieces by one of the worst sports disasters in U.S. history -- the loss of 75 people in a plane crash on the outskirts of town.

Auto dealer supplies cars for the stars

Published April 9, 2006 HUNTINGTON -- Supplying cars to the stars -- that is Allan Thacker's role in "We Are Marshall." If you see Matthew McConaughey driving around the Tri-State in a shiny new ride, it is probably one of the nearly 25 vehicles Thacker helped supply to the movie's key cast and filmmakers.

Flower shop prepares for movie scene

Published April 6, 2006 HUNTINGTON -- Myrtle and Scott Archer were there nearly 36 years ago, and they're there now. Walking into their business, Archer's Flowers, feels like stepping through those decades and beyond. Family mementos and photographs cover the walls, and a hardwood-case flower cooler from 1928 is affectionately referred to as "kind of like a member of the family," by Scott Archer.

Dawson, Lengyel approve of portrayals

Published April 5, 2006 HUNTINGTON -- Actor Matthew McConaughey approaches a 6-foot-9 basketball center, sizes him up and asks the giant if would like to play football for Marshall. At a distance, Jack Lengyel, the man McConaughey is playing in the movie "We Are Marshall," nods his head to show his approval.

Patton suits up for movie

Published April 5, 2006 HUNTINGTON -- Mark Patton thought he said farewell to college basketball March 8 when Marshall lost to Tulane in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament. Or so he thought.

Marker placed at site of 1970 plane crash

Published Dec. 12, 2006 KENOVA-- Sue Stephens said she can remember driving to Kenova to get a soft drink on the night of the tragic 1970 Marshall plane crash. "I was coming up on the hill (on old U.S. 52/Route 75), and then a piece of the plane hit my car," she said, recalling the cold, rainy night.

Young Herd team members say film accurate, emotional

Published Dec. 13, 2006 HUNTINGTON -- Tim Collins' eyes said it all. Collins, a Young Thundering Herd player in 1971, still had red eyes that glistened after seeing a special showing of "We Are Marshall" on Tuesday afternoon for the Young Thundering Herd and family members at Marquee Cinemas.

A night to remember: The Huntington premiere

Published Dec. 13, 2006 HUNTINGTON -- The light bulbs had been replaced. Everything had been polished and cleaned, and it looked like it may have been in the 1930s. An organist in the orchestra pit was playing.

Movie premieres in Hollywood

Published Dec. 15, 2006 HOLLYWOOD -- Back in April the movie industry went to Huntington and got the ball rolling on "We Are Marshall." On Thursday night, the stars of the Warner Bros. Pictures film and officials from Marshall University were in Hollywood for the traditional red carpet walk and premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theater, a Los Angeles landmark where visitors are drawn to the famous forecourt with the hands and footprints of movie stars set in cement.

Oliver proud of MU movie

Published Dec. 17, 2006 HOLLYWOOD -- Reggie Oliver was in the mix of stars for the Hollywood premiere of "We Are Marshall." Oliver was right there front and center Thursday night at Grauman's Chinese Theater in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, sharing the spotlight with lead actors Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Fox. Oliver isn't in the movie, but his character is played by Arlen Escarpeta.

Following crash, Lengyel helped community heal

Published Dec. 21, 2006 What could he do? The questioned gnawed at Jack Lengyel's soul. A news crawl at the bottom of his television screen reported a plane crash involving the Marshall University football team and Lengyel felt a powerful pull to do something.

Marshall gear growing in popularity

Published Dec. 22, 2006 HUNTINGTON -- Cory Richardson's love for Marshall dates way back to his childhood. Now, as Christmas quickly approaches, Richardson is busy shopping for anything and everything green and white for his young family.

Lengyel relives '71 rebuilding effort

Published Dec. 23, 2006 HUNTINGTON -- It was a solemn day in 1971, sometime before Marshall University's football team traveled to Morehead State to start a new chapter in the school's football history.

Herd jersey to be returned to player's mother

Published Dec. 26, 2006 CINCINNATI -- After 36 years, a practice jersey of Marshall University crash victim Jack Repasy finally will be in his mother's hands in Amberley Village, Ohio. A West Virginia kindergarten teacher, who was a freshman at Marshall in Huntington at the time of the 1970 crash, somehow obtained the white-and-green No. 82 jersey from her Phi Mu sorority.

'Ebert and Roeper' show gives mixed Marshall review

Published Dec. 30, 2006 The word is out on "We Are Marshall" from one of the most respected critical film sources in America. The film received a mixed rating on the sydicated "Ebert and Roeper" TV show on an episode airing this week. While guest critic Anne Thompson of "The Hollywood Reporter" gave the film a thumbs down, Richard Roeper gave the movie an enthusiastic thumbs up.

The effect of 'We Are Marshall' difficult to pin down

Marshall University's rise from the ashes of a 1970 plane crash that killed most of its football team, half the coaching staff and several prominent members of the Huntington community had never caught the attention of Hollywood.

Movie helps families grieve

Published Jan. 4, 2007 HUNTINGTON -- The 1960s were a busy decade for Katherine and Brian O'Connor. They married in 1962, had two children in the following four years, and Brian finished his Ph.D. at University of Denver in Colorado before taking a job at Marshall University as the dean of Admissions in 1969.

Life marches on: Stepdad comes to terms with 'We are Marshall' while daughter not ready to see it

Published Dec. 26, 2007 HUNTINGTON -- Hysen Selman has seen the movie "We Are Marshall." Patty Smith, Selman's granddaughter who has ties to Marshall and Thundering Herd football, hasn't seen it.

Movie moment: WVU plays key role in retelling Marshall story

Published Sept. 7, 2007 MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia University played a key role in helping Marshall University rebuild its football program after a plane crash took the lives of 75 football players, coaches and community members in 1970, a report on the West Virginia University Library's site, www.libraries.wvu.edu, said.

Movie inspires journey to MU

Published Nov. 18, 2008 HUNTINGTON -- Daniel and Madge Slay finally got to pay their respects to people they didn't know. The two did so 38 years after the fact. To top it off, it took a movie to inspire the two to drive in from Missouri for the special occasion.

'We are Marshall' DVD flying off store shelves

Published Sept. 19, 2007 HUNTINGTON -- The DVD release of "We Are Marshall" was on display everywhere Tuesday, and there were plenty of people snapping up copies of their very own. "There were actually people waiting when we got here this morning to open up," said Hillary Chaney, an employee with Best Buy at the Huntington Mall.