Hollywood News Now: See a replica of Hollywood’s ‘Lulubelle’ at this Jackson County museum

JACKSON, MI – A replica of an old Hollywood U.S. Army tank can now be spotted inside a Jackson County museum.

Michigan's Military Heritage Museum, 311 N. Wisner St., has received a replica of "Lulubelle," an M3 Lee Tank featured in the 1943 action war film "Sahara." It was produced by Parma resident James Romans, 93, after his retirement in the 1990s and recently donated to the museum, board treasurer Dennis Skupinski said.

Romans was an avid fan of the original film, which was remade in 1995, and decided to make a replica of the famous tank. Though nearly completely made of wood, the replica tank is full scale, Skupinski said.

"Until you get up real close and almost hit it, you'd think it was a real tank," he said.

Only two units of the U.S. Army ever used the Lee Tank and only for a brief time during World War II, Skupinski said. One was used in North Africa, as depicted in "Sahara," and the other on Makin Island in the South Pacific.

The movie "Sahara" follows the fall of Tobruk in 1942, during the Allied retreat in the Libyan desert. A U.S. tank, Lulubelle, picks-up a group of survivors before they face advancing Germans and a lack of water.

Lulubelle holds a significant place in Hollywood history, long before the Millennium Falcon in "Star Wars" or K.I.T.T in "Knightrider," Skupinski said, adding the tank was one of the first inanimate characters on the silver screen.

"They did something with a tank which is unusual. They sort of personified it," Skupinski said. "(The characters) had to treat Lulubelle nice to get it to run."

The replica is about 18 feet long, almost nine feet wide and 15 feet tall. Michigan's Military Heritage Museum is thankful for the gift and hopes it adds to the list of attractions the museum offers, Skupinski said.

"When people come in, they can see not only what the uniforms are like for people that served in the military, but also some of the vehicles that they're using," he said.

The replica Lulubelle tank can be viewed at the museum during its regular hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

More information can be found on its website.

Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free "3@3 Jackson" daily newsletter.