{image1}In 1997, Jim Muraco finished his first documentary, "The Man in the Red Vest," featuring interviews with former Gov. Lee Sherman Dreyfus, his son, grandkids, wife and campaign managers.
"Then I found a book at a Goodwill store that listed celebrities from each state, and Wisconsin was full of them," says Muraco, who was born and raised in Milwaukee.
He wrote to a few of the celebrities listed and immediately got a call from Daniel J. Travanti, a two-time best actor Emmy winner for the '80s police drama, "Hill Street Blues." Muraco drove to Travanti's home in Lake Forest, Ill. and spoke with him about his childhood, his early acting ambition and his love of the UW system.
Muraco was able to use Travanti's name to line up interviews with Al Jarreau, Jackie Mason, director Jim Abrahams ("Naked Gun" and "Airplane" movies) and others. He also recruited the BoDeans, Dave Fitzpatrick and the UW Marching Band to provide the music. Milwaukee actor and writer Robert Richard Jorge ("Coven," "American Movie") narrates the film.
The 84-minute video took third at the Burlington Cookie & Culture Fest, and debuted at the Black Point Film Fest in Lake Geneva in April of 2004.
"Wisconsin Born & Bred" offers a range of emotions and insights.
"The video is sad when Marquette dean of communications, Mike Price, shares his memories of Chris Farley. It's funny when Jackie Mason and Frank Caliendo explain their childhoods here, and inspirational when Al Jarreau, Jim Abrahams and Mark Borchardt offer advice to aspiring entertainers," says Muraco.
Muraco is working on a new documentary, "Infamous Wisconsin," highlighting the crimes and trials such as Lawrencia Bembenek, Jeffrey Dahmer and Mark Chmura that brought infamy to Wisconsin.
The next airings of "Wisconsin Born & Bred" will be statewide on Wisconsin Public Television on Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. and at the Wildwood Film Festival in Appleton on March 4 at 6 p.m. It also runs 24 hours a day on Time Warner's Wisconsin On Demand, channel 1111.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
