Sunday, October 6, 1 – 5 p.m.
Putnam Museum & Science Center, 1717 West 12th Street, Davenport IA
In an October 6 event presented by the Quad Cities' Truth First Film Alliance, the life of Rock Island's most notorious gangster will be explored when Davenport's Putnam Museum & Science Center hosts Fact vs Fiction and 'Road to Perdition,' an afternoon-long deep dive into the history of John Looney complete with period music, historical artifacts, and a screening of Sam Mendes' Oscar-winning film.
John Patrick Looney (1865–1942) was a lawyer and newspaper publisher who, early in the 20th century, established a powerful crime syndicate in the city of Rock Island, Illinois. Looney's criminal empire included gambling, prostitution, extortion, and bootlegging during Prohibition. He also published the Rock Island News, a scandalous newspaper used to blackmail local politicians and rivals. His influence and ruthless methods made him a feared figure in the Quad Cities area, and led to Muscatine's Max Allan Collins writing the Road to Perdition graphic novels, a book series that employed Looney and other gangsters of the era as inspiration.
With the afternoon dedicated to exploring Looney's history and legacy, the Fact vs Fiction and 'Road to Perdition,' program takes place on October 6, a date that has historical significance in Looney’s life. On that date in 1922, John Looney and his 20-year-old son Connor were sitting in their car in Rock Island when two vehicles pulled up and opened fire. John ran into the nearby Sherman Hotel to return fire, but Connor was killed in the vehicle. Twenty days later, all stills, speakeasies, and brothels under Looney's control were closed down, and his house was raided. Later, Looney was indicted for murder and theft, but fled to Ottawa, Illinois and then to New Mexico, where he was apprehended in November of 1924. He was convicted in 1925 and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
The Fact vs Fiction and 'Road to Perdition' event will begin at 1 p.m. with a 1920s jazz performance by the Josh Duffee Trio, with 1922 Velie and 1928 Nash Police Pursuit Vehicle antique cars on display along with historical artifacts from the Putnam’s collection. A looped slide preshow by artist/photographer Bruce Walters will acquaint viewers with local John Looney historic sites while they wait for the film to begin, and at 2 p.m., director Sam Mendes' 2002 film version of Road to Perdition will be shown on the museum's Giant Screen, the movie a box-office hit starring Tom Hanks, Jude Law, Daniel Craig, and Oscar nominee Paul Newman. Mendes' film was also nominated for five additional Academy Awards, winning a posthumous Oscar for cinematographer Conrad Hall.
Immediately following the film screening, Truth First Film Alliance’s Travis Shepherd will moderate a discussion and Q&A with original Road to Perdition author Max Allan Collins and Roger Ruthhart, the latter the co-author of Citadel of Sin, a non-fiction account of Looney's gangster saga. Along with the Figge Truth First Film Alliance, this special program is being co-sponsored by the Bix Jazz Society and the NW Illinois Film Office. Truth First Film Alliance, Inc. is a on-profit organization that supports and encourages the production and exhibition of documentary films, and narrative films based on true stories, through public presentations and educational programs in the Quad Cities region. For more information, visit TruthFirstFilmAlliance.org.
Admission to the Fact vs Fiction and 'Road to Perdition' event is free, though online reservations are required, and the Road to Perdition film is rated R. For more information on the day and to reserve, call (563)324-1933 and visit Putnam.org.