SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – On Thursday, Oct. 1, people from across the country will pay tribute to a longtime “treasure” in our community, Sioux City photographer and filmmaker George Lindblade.
At 7 p.m., a documentary of his illustrious career kicks off the weekend’s Sioux City International Film Festival at the Orpheum Theatre.
The documentary is titled “Cutting Edge.”
What started out to be a personal video to tell the life story of Sioux City’s George Lindblade turned into a two-year labor of love by people he has worked with and influenced.
“And then we decided to blow this up big and interviewed people in Los Angeles, Hollywood, New York City who worked with George 50-some years ago when they were young adults,” Jim Kiertzner said.
Sioux City native Jim Kiertzner started in local television as a teen, later spending years in Detroit. He’s done much of the legwork to tell Lindblade’s story.
“My mother liked to take pictures. She had a Brownie camera. And people always flocked to her to look at her pictures. And I thought well, that’s my opportunity. I can be the most popular guy on the block if I take pictures,” said Lindblade.
“He is a rock star with the firefighters because he has been documenting them since he was seven years old,” according to Kiertzner.
Lindblade would also inspire his young co-workers like a teenage Ron Clements, who’d later become an animator and filmmaker for such movies as “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin.”
“He encouraged me. And I desperately needed that at that time,” said Clements.
Former Sioux City co-worker John Behring has directed 150 episodes of prime-time television programs.
“He was a grounded, creative force of nature,” according to Behring.
And Lindblade used that creativity to give an early, memorable boost to a fledgling Gateway 2000 computer company.
“Yeah, he was a photographer. But he created an environment of creativity. He always thought bigger than Sioux City,” says Gateway computer founder Ted Waitt.
George’s talents weren’t just limited to Siouxland. He shot segments for ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
“He said the people in New York couldn’t figure out how these cowboys back in the Midwest were shooting such great segments,” added Kiertzner.
And a chance meeting while living in California led to a stint as Frank Sinatra’s personal photographer, giving George rare access to Sinatra’s life and family.
And he’s spent years documenting Sioux City history from the renovation of the historic Orpheum Theatre to the neighborhood once known as the South Bottoms and the rebirth of a decaying, dangerous Lower Fourth Street into a popular historic district.
“Even if you don’t know George or what he’s done over all of these decades… it will be entertaining and it will be informative,” adds Kiertzner.
The October 1 showing of “Cutting Edge” is free and open to the public at the Sioux City Orpheum Theatre.
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