IU students (from left) Pat Pell, Alice Rosengard, Kevin Kline, Lolly Harris and Candy Tolles hammed it up during a rehearsal of The Barker which was performed in 1966 aboard IU’s Showboat Majestic, a riverboat which, at the time of Kline’s performances (he graduated from IU in 1970) was moored in Jeffersonville. This photo is from the 1967 Arbutus.

Indiana history buffs have hopes that a new Hollywood movie on Cole Porter’s life will spark new interest in the Hoosier composer’s musical legacy.

"He is an important cultural icon of the 20th century, born and raised in Indiana. His life is a fascinating story. The movie prompted me to go out for a biography, to learn more about his life," said Steve Cox, a part-time IUPUI history professor and a vice president at the Indiana Historical Society.

Cox was one of the first movie-goers to watchDe-Lovely during the film’s first public American screening, held in June at the Indianapolis-based Indiana Historical Society. Actor Kevin Kline, who studied acting at IU Bloomington in the 1960s, portrays the Peru native in De-Lovely, giving the film yet another tie to the Hoosier state.

Cox believes De-Lovely has the capacity to introduce Porter’s music to new fans, especially since the movie features contemporary pop stars like Natalie Cole, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello and Alanis Morrisette crooning Porter tunes.

"As musicians, they all appreciate who Cole Porter was. I think it is pretty clever to have contemporary artists perform in the movie," said Cox. "A lot of people that come from Indiana are overlooked. I think the older generation knew he was from here, but the younger generation doesn’t know about him."

The movie downplays Porter’s childhood years in Indiana, instead focusing on his relationship with wife Linda (portrayed by actress Ashley Judd). Cox describes the movie as a "charming musical."

Cox was equally intrigued by how the film explores Porter’s romantic relationships with men, despite Porter’s devotion to wife Linda.

"De-Lovely deals squarely with his homosexuality, or bisexuality. Linda and Cole loved each other, and the movie shows it as true love. Cole was gay. She understood. I think the movie does a good job of showing that," said Cox. "The movie also gives you a sense that there is a different level of sophistication with his music than we have today. But with Cole Porter the sophistication also came with his lifestyle. The movie is a very interesting portrayal of the man. Kevin Kline was excellent. He was the right person," said Cox.