BATON ROUGE, La. (BRProud) — One of Apple’s newest movies Greyhound, starring and written by Tom Hanks, has become the largest opening-weekend release ever for Apple TV+, according to Deadline. Long before the film’s headlining success however, the World War II drama was creating quite the buzz on the streets of Louisiana’s capital city.
Nestled along the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge is the only surviving U.S. destroyer ship still in her WWII configuration and thus, the USS Kidd provided the ideal setting for Hanks’ film, which was set along the water in the winter of 1942.
Greyhound is inspired by C.S. Forester’s 1955 novel, The Good Shepherd and tells the story of Naval Commander Ernest Krause’s first venture leading a merchant convoy across the Atlantic Ocean.
Look past the primary narrative of the film and viewers may be intrigued by a secondary storyline -one that shows what was a cold, wet and sometimes nauseating journey for U.S. Navy sailors riding the sea for days. And for anyone intrigued by the ship’s small quarters, a firsthand look at Greyhound’s setting is still possible today by signing up for a self-guided tour on the USS Kidd.
Coinciding with the film’s streaming debut, the USS Kidd Veterans Museum also has a temporary small-scale exhibit of items from Greyhound, including one of Hanks’ costumes.
When she isn’t starring in Hollywood productions, the Kidd serves as a National Historic Landmark and reminder of the high price of freedom, all the while anchored along the banks of the second-longest river in North America.
And while Greyhound has shone a light on the courage of service members while in the face of the enemy, the Kidd is a reminder of the high price of freedom.
Beyond the tour and exhibit, visitors will find a Memorial Wall, etched with the names of Louisianans who have died while serving. Museum staff encourage guests to make rubbings of the names, take them home and research them in an effort to keep their memory alive.
The Greyhound exhibit is included with the price of regular admission and will be on display through September 7.