Any New Ideas for Movies?

[Tumblernotch]

Red Man should've behaved hisself.

 

[Mike Moore]

I think that a movie revolving around the Taos Uprising would be good. A very good example of how history is layered and complicated and which afterwards, both sides come away not looking good. In it, different groups put pressure on people to do what they felt was in their best interest (the church inflaming the local Indians/ Americans to gain control of a new territory), it is set in a still famous and well visited area with a hidden past (Taos, N.M. Go there and find Martyr's Lane and ask about its history), a battle between a group of local Indians and a fair size American army that takes place in their pueblo. The tribe seeks safety in the church (the final scenes of the fight are around the alter after the whites blow a hole in the adobe wall to get in), priests who inflame the natives and then back away to save their skin, a army that comes in after the fact to set things straight the only way they know how, trials, hangings, mobs running around killing people (and these are not white people doing the mobing!), close escapes by some influencial people in the early west, a governor of a territory drug out of his house and killed, and several well known journal writers who are involved and could be who the story revolves around (Ruxton and Garrard). Plus a small fight involving a American who has a mexican wife and kids (with land and a profitable business, which incidently is the whiskey business); he is generous to his wife's family and friends and is betrayed by one after is gets away (The house and out buildings are surrounded by Mexicans who want him to give up his American friends or die) and that person tells where he is hiding, a shoot out much like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid might of done for the only survivers to get away- they run out the back door after dark with powder getting low,firing and dogging a hail of bullets! Only two survivers from this fight. one travels over 100 miles on foot with no coat in the middle winter to get help and tell people, the other to Santa Fe using the back roads to stay clear of the locals. A very important event of our western history that is overlooked. :m2c:

 

[brdurbin]

Okay, all of the suggestions are great. Here's some that echo those and a couple of new ideas. Can you believe there's only that cheesy "The Far Horizons" to commemorate Lewis and Clark on the big screen? Maybe someone could do a mini-series, but only if they want to do it right. How about a movie about John Colter? Sure they rip off some of his adventures in "The Mountain Men" but they could do more with him. The ideas about Boone and Wetzel are great, but Westzel's story could never get made today. What about a Simon Kenton movie? That's Hollywood stuff! It may be the prototype for almost every "boy leaves home for the frontier" ever made. "The Big Sky" is absolutely a great topic. Imagine that movie, in widescreen technicolor, if it actually followed Guthrie's book? Finally, at least for this post -- why has Hollywood ignored one of America's greatest (although little known) heroes, George Rogers Clark ?! This guy helped forge this country and has a tragic tale -- that would be a movie! Okay I have to mention one more -- Tecumseh! Now that's a hero.

 

[Story]

Six years of close calls during the American Revolution can provide enough material to do a whole season of two-hour movies for some cable channel, each from a different P.O.V.
People generally know "we won", but they have no clue how many times it was a near thing, like a hair's length from total failure.
Just off the top of my head, there's serious drama in:
The nighttime evacuation of Long Island
Trenton (maybe from the Hessians' perspective)
Brandywine (Pyle's NATIONMAKERS is a perfect movie poster)

Saratoga
the Wyoming Valley Massacres
King's Mountain
John Paul Jones and the Bon Homme Richard
and Yorktown

 

[flintlockmdj]

I would like to see some of the books by Diana Gabaldon turned into movies. Although they are fiction they are fairly well researched.

 

[rifleshooter2]

I'd have to say the story of the Indian Wars between 1791 and 1795 would be great. Little Turtle, St. Clair, Anthony Wayne and Wilkinson What a cast of characters. The largest defeat of the U.S. Army by the Native Americans then the army rising from the ashes to win the battle of Fallen Timbers

Andy

 

[Slow_Hand]

Christopher Gist comes to mind - an unsung hero it seems, whose contributions are overshaddowed by the more "popular" fight'n frontiersmen, but nonetheless respected by many indians and whites. A setting in the 1750's - from secretly scouting and surveying land for the Ohio Company, meeting with indian tribes to offset the dominance and influence of Pennsylvanian traders for Virginia - to taking Washington into the Ohio Valley to deliver his demands to the french; his and Washington's return (escape?) where he saved Georgie's life twice; then the return and circumstances involved in starting the French and Indian War...to his involvement and accounts as the head scout for Braddock in his defeat, etc, etc......

I think it would be interesting to the history conoseur as well as the layman, to show competing colonies and trade relations with the indians from them using each other to growing distrust and rivalry, to the differing political inticracies, suspicions, decisions and results of indians taking sides in the upcoming war. Just a thought.

 

[deforge1]

I did the knives, cleavers, razors and a few of the other weapons in "Gangs of New York" a few years ago. Well, early last fall I was contacted by the Propmaster I worked with on GONY and he said he was putting together the preliminary groundwork on a proposed movie about Boone and Kenton for one of the studios and was wondering if I would like to throw my hat in. I told him "sure" and haven't heard a word since on the project. Personally I think Hollyweird is a bit gunshy after "The Alamo" But if it goes ahead, you can bet allot of folks won't like it 'cause it will be entertainment, plain and simple, and not a documentary....

 

[76monza]

Story,

I've always been interested in story lines from the "other" side. Like you said the Hessions or British view points. Though I don't know how well those movies would be received by the general public.

Anyone remember the old movie "Cross of Iron" WWII movie of the Eastern Front but told from the Germans perspective. A small unit of Germans are trying to make their way back to their lines after having been overrun by the russians. In the end it has you siding with the Germans as the good guys. Certainly a different perspective on that war.

Smokeydays

 

[Slow_Hand]

I'd hate to be the devil's advocate, but I think that most of the public wouldn't even know, nor care, about most of the "icons" of america's history.

Not to mention the usual opposition to old-fashioned flag waving patriotism because Hollywood money men fear it will turn off foreign filmgoers. Let's not forget that most of Hollywood's profits are now made outside the United States, many movies only turn a profit when they are released overseas.

Maybe it's just human nature, but I doubt that the Chinese and Europeans will pay money to see americans cheer the Stars and Stripes and brag about the greatness of any of the mentioned historical characters.

(Unless, of course, the film features stars like Clooney, Sheryl Crow, Mike Farrell, Ed Harris, Jessica Lange, Madonna, Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Martin Sheen, Oliver Stone, or Barbra Streisand, and is directed by Michael Moore.)

 

[Tumblernotch]

I've got "Cross of Iron" and it is a Good movie. James Coburn did an excellent job as the crusty old non-com. And yes, you do find yourself siding with the Germans. The same thing happens in "Stalingrad", a German made movie a few years later and of course the classic "Das Boot". Of course, it's easy to side with them when they're fighting Ivan, especially if you have German ancestry.

 

[benvenuto]

hmmm...
Gabriels rebellion
Shay's rebellion
Loyalist families having to leave for exile at end of A.R.
Chief Joseph Brant
Early dutch in the hudson valley

Caught "Eagle's wing" with Sam Waterston and Martin Sheen last night on the boob toob - interesting film!

 

[bnail]

There are so many good stories to choose from. but I would dearly love to see a Rev war film in the style of Gettysburg.

 

[3 stinky dogs]

A movie about this wezel would be good.I lerned about this man Who could reload while on the run from my high school Historey teacher.He told us that he was a babie and woman killer and would always seek and kill all "helpless" native Americans.This dork still teaches today and i am sorey to do it but he is a dork.If you like I can tell you where he teaches so he wont mess up your kids.Now a series set up like "into the west about the Lewis & Clark trip to the west coast would be pretty cool.If they took there time ( about 6 weeks) then it wouldent be such a srinker.And they could get into the lives of the carectors alittle bit.I think they could pull it off to .I noticed that younger kids 15-20 are into our heratage .

 

[Slow_Hand]

I'd say that Wetzel, even in his own time, was admired and despised at the same time. What I have read about him, I'd say he was someone who preferred to live and thrived on the outside of accepted standards of social behavior and morals. Yes, he was a waco in many a sense but also a damn good warrior. But then again, these attributes would also apply to many an indian. I can't imagine that Hollywood or any a good novelist would ever portray Wetzel or eastern woodland indians in the true light. It just wouldn't be politically correct.

On the other hand, I think a movie about Lewis and Clark would always be cool. Too bad though that there was already a release about them a few years ago and it was a comedy at that.

 

[3 stinky dogs]

the times need to be considerd to.Violance was part of evry day life.If you broke your leg in the woods your chances were good that you would be chillen with St Peter in the next couple days.I just hate how Hollywood portrey's erley white settlers as murdering land stealing pigs.I dont buy that for a secound.Sure there were bad men then the same as now but the poor natives had pushed erler tribes out and they took white slaves and slaves from rival tribes as well.If I were Native American I would be offended by the pitty party that the "good whites"in holly wood push on me.

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Greetings 3 Stinky Dogs,

All of you gentlemen are quite probably correct about how Lewis Wetzel would be portrayed by Hollywood, and so it makes me wonder how Hollywood would present the Girty boys?

Maybe Lew Wetzel would get fair treatment if Zane Grey's book, SPIRIT OF THE BORDER was made into a movie or better yet a TV mini series. There should be plenty of adventure and love interest there to satisfy an audience of all ages and gender. Shoot, it even has a religious theme in it.

I remember how James Michner's book, CENTENNIAL, was made into a TV mini series in the 1970s. Like LONESOME DOVE, it was a big hit with the general TV audience

While I find Jed Smith to be a fascinating person, what about a movie of Joseph R. Walker, possibly the greatest Mountain Man of all, but virtually unknown today.

Just some thoughts.

Best regards,

John L. Hinnant

 

[3 stinky dogs]

Ok how about a Historey lesson.Tell me about the Girty boys and what they were up to.I have never herd of them.

 

[musketman]

I still want to see a movie about the 1846 Donnor Party...

 

[3 stinky dogs]

Oh I saw one! years ago.It had that Lady from Family ties in it.I cant think of the name but they did do one.I have been to donner pass.It is VERRY pretty there.It is easey to get a feel of the grade of OH!! ShPOOP they must have experianced.And it is still far form civilazation.Or it was when I was there in 92.The Weather is still a killer there.