Jim Fields

In 2001 Fields found himself swept up in a brewing controversy in Omaha. The aforementioned Indian Hills Theater was sold to Methodist Health Systems, which announced its intention to demolish the theater for a parking lot. A group of Omaha activists formed to save the Indian Hills Theater and Fields was on hand, filming. The preservation fight became a cause célébre, resulting in letters from Hollywood legends pleading for the theater. Such legends included Kirk Douglas, Leonard Maltin, Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Ray Bradbury and Patricia Neal. Despite these pleas and a recommendation for the theater as a city landmark by the City of Omaha's Landmarks Preservation Commission, Methodist Health Systems began demolition of the theater shortly after the theater had been declared a landmark.

James Wallace Fields (born September 1958) is an American film director, producer, playwright and actor. Fields wrote, produced and directed the movies 416, Saving The Indian Hills, Preserve Me A Seat, Plain Living and, most recently Bugeaters, currently in production. Prior to his film work, Fields wrote and directed the musical comedy Little Red and the play Scarlett Fever.

James Wallace Fields was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in September 1958. Fields was educated in the Omaha public schools. Starting in his childhood, Fields took an intense interest in film. An early photograph that appears in Saving The Indian Hills depicts Fields at age 16, standing in front of the Indian Hills Theater, which housed the largest indoor movie screen ever constructed. Designed by the architect Richard L. Crowther, the Cinerama theater was considered his greatest achievement. Its unique curved screen provided a 3-D effect that caused moviegoers to feel themselves immersed in the film—especially wide screen movies such as Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago and Star Wars.

After graduating from the University of Nebraska, Fields wrote the play Little Red about the 'Bugeaters', a 1915 University of Nebraska football team that went on to become the Cornhuskers. Fields himself produced and directed Little Red in Omaha. The success of his first play led Fields to write, produce and direct Scarlett Fever, a dramatic play about a 76-year-old woman who wakes up one day and believes she is Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind. The success of Scarlett Fever led Fields to acquire his first digital video equipment which he used to produce and direct his first feature film: Plain Living.

Fields' latest work is a documentary film about the 1890 University of Nebraska football team, entitled Bugeaters.