ISHPEMING - From her seat beside a series large posters of the stars of "Anatomy of a Murder," Gloria Gagliardi surveyed the former Roosevelt Bar, watching groups of people sharing their own memories of the film's stars, director and of local author John Voelker.

"Everybody was so thrilled. Everybody was out wanting to see them. And I was too," she said with a smile.

Gagliardi had more of a chance to meet the stars than most people in Ishpeming in 1959, as her brother-in-law Anthony "Gigs" Gagliardi owned the Roosevelt then, and developed a friendship with Voelker and the stars, who signed The Wall in the bar's basement one night after filming.

Gagliardi said she worked in the restaurant located in the basement and had strong memories of the stars.

"When Eve Arden signed it and a couple of others, I was there," she said. "One night was Duke Ellington's wife's birthday and he called her from downstairs."

Many other people joined Gagliardi Wednesday afternoon to share and record their memories of the stars.

"I'm hoping people will take the time to write their memories in the scrapbooks," said Stacey Willey, co-owner of Globe Printing located nextdoor to the Roosevelt, which now owns the Roosevelt. "It's just an informal social gathering."

Willey provided a series of lined notebooks, printed with various images of The Wall and "Anatomy," for people to record their memories.

Each page is printed with the words "I remember in 1959 when Anatomy was filmed..."

Cookie Holmgren and her husband Lu were young when the stars came to town, but they still had plenty of things to write.

Cookie said she was part of a Girl Scout troop that met in the Ishpeming United Presbyterian Church, located near the Mather Inn where the stars were staying.

"We went out of the church to see the stars coming and going," she said. "Just being up close and personal, someone patting me on the head as they went past."

Lu, who was a bit older, also remembered seeing the stars around town.

"I was a junior in high school and would walk back and forth to school and on the way home we'd stop at the library to watch the filming going on on Barnum Street," he said. "You'd see them almost on a daily basis if you wanted."

In particular, Lu said he remembered climbing up Pilot's Knob, near Lake Bancroft, to watch the filming of Jimmy Stewart leaving town in a car.

For young people at the time, the filming caused a lot of excitement.

"Everybody was anxious to see where they were going to be," Cookie said.

Willey said she worked with Paul Bonetti, owner of Congress Pizza, another location for a collection of "Anatomy" memorabilia, to develop the idea to host a party for people to write down and share their memories.

Bonetti said a similar idea was used during the 40th anniversary of the film, when Globe Printing put together a scrapbook with pictures and memories written by area residents.

"We wanted them for the record for future generations," Bonetti said. "This time, let's bring everyone together."

Willey added that sharing and recording the memories is important mainly for future generations.

"This is why we're really doing it. These kids have no idea. It was like the Jonas Brothers coming to town," she said.

Even 50 years ago, the memory of the filming remains strong in the area, still bringing smiles to people's faces.

"They were really nice people, easy to get along with," Gagliardi said.