Hoosiers Stats and Facts
The movie wasn’t supposed to be called Hoosiers. Anspaugh and Pizzo told their distributor, Orion, that they would think of a more “accessible” name before the film’s release. Its current title only survived because, after long consideration, no one could come up with anything they liked better.
The final shoot at Hinkle Fieldhouse almost wrecked the production. The crew needed big crowds to fill the place, but on the first three of the four filming nights far too few people showed up. On the fourth night a real game between Broad Ripple High School and Bishop Chatard High School was moved to Hinkle, drawing enough people to film credible crowd scenes. “Had we not had that one wonderful turnout on the fourth night, I shudder to think what we would have done,” Anspaugh said at the time. “It would have been a very strange final game.”
Dennis Hopper improvised because he couldn’t remember his lines. Hopper brought an unpredictability to the role of Shooter that turned out to be an asset, though according to Pizzo it wasn’t entirely intentional. Hopper had difficulty remembering the dialogue as written, so Pizzo and Anspaugh gave him room to substitute words and find his own way through scenes. The result helped transform a character Pizzo originally envisioned as dark and one-dimensional into something far more colorful. Colorful enough to earn Hopper a best supporting actor Oscar nomination.
The crew spent 15 days shooting at Knightstown Elementary School – while the school remained open. Knightstown’s tiny gym was used as Hickory’s home court, with the school’s fourth, fifth and sixth graders enlisted for crowd scenes. Barbers gave buzz cuts and flat tops to anyone who dared to sit in their chairs. “We would have 400 or 500 people around all day long,” school principal Don Schlegel said at the time. “I would tell them they had to be quiet because classes were in session.”
Maris (Jimmy Chitwood) Valainis nailed the game-winning shot at Hinkle on the first take. During rehearsals he missed repeatedly, as witnessed by the crowd in the stands. When he sank the shot on his first “real” try, the onlookers went nuts. Anspaugh did one more take, just to be safe.
Locations, Locations, Locations
The Hoosier Gym – Formerly part of now-defunct Knightstown Elementary School, this nondescript facility is a local landmark, thanks in large part to its use in Hoosiers as the Hickory Huskers’ home court. The immaculately restored court can be rented for $100 per hour, and there are also meeting rooms for other functions.
The Hickory Husker Bus – Remember the rickety school bus the Huskers rode to “away” games? It’s fully restored and regularly participates in parades, fairs and charity events. Yes, you can rent it.
New Richmond – This tiny Montgomery County town of around 300 stood in for most of the exteriors of the town of Hickory, and it still leans into that association. Its highway welcome signs read “Welcome to New Richmond, a.k.a. ‘Hickory.’” The nearby Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County marked Hoosiers’ 40th anniversary with a special exhibit showcasing New Richmond’s movie role.
Hinkle Fieldhouse – The home of the Butler Bulldogs was the setting for the iconic final scenes of Hoosiers — just as it was for the iconic final scenes of the actual 1954 Miracle of Milan, when Bobby Plump sank the basket that earned the team its state championship. To this day visitors post up and shoot from the spot where both Plump and Jimmy Chitwood launched their game winners
Milan ’54 Hoosiers Museum – Not a single frame of Hoosiers was shot in Milan (home of the Milan Indians, whose 1954 state championship inspired the film), but this delightful repository nevertheless displays what the staff describes as “the largest collection of Hoosiers movie props and uniforms known in existence.” Gaze upon everything from the uniforms and Chucks worn by the players to Barbara Hershey’s coat. The gift shop sells a $25 Bobby Plump bobblehead.
Plump’s Last Shot. This Broad Ripple eatery also doesn’t appear in the film, but it offers (in addition to a traditional pork tenderloin sandwich) perhaps the most authentic bit of memorabilia available – the actual, real, 90-year-old Bobby Plump, who typically holds court over lunch hour and is more than happy to talk with fans who stop by. The place is run by Plump’s son, and has been around since 1995.
