Indiana Broadcast History Archive

Steve Martin in Terre Haute

Station

Aired

1979-11-28

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WTHI-TV
Team coverage of Steve Martin's five hour visit to the city. Reporters Ken Walker and Karen Rariden

After a national tour, Steve Martin described Terre Haute as "Nowhere USA" in an interview in Playboy. The city invited him to visit for a tongue-in-cheek tour of the town.
He landed at Hulman Field and was promoting his new movie "The Jerk." Terre Haute Mayor Bill Brighton met him at the airport.
Martin was given a bouquet of dead flowers and a tour of the city in a junk car. He was taken to a manure plant, a car wash, the Shuffle Inn, and a few other places
A Chicago chef was brought down to make a lobster meal for Martin at the Shuffle Inn.
A few Playboy Bunnies were also on the trip.
At the end of his visit, Martin apologized to Terre Haute and said the most boring city was really Abilene. He also announced that he was moving the world premiere of "The Jerk" from Hollywood to Terre Haute