GPurvis
Reenactors
Fri Jun 22 19:10:33 2001


I know nothing of this, received it in e-mail. Maybe a party involved in this activity can check it out. George

NOTE: This is just an FYI for reenactors and not for
publication. Please go to http://www.almshouse.com for
more info.See you on the silver screen!
Tom

Recruitment Starting for Reenactors for
"Gods and Generals"

There's no pay,and standards of appearance are going to be stricter than they were for "Gettysburg", but if you're a Civil War reenactor who would like
to be in Ron Maxwell's production of "Gods and Generals" it's time to get your resume together.

Shooting is scheduled to start Aug. 28 near Hagerstown, Maryland, according to historian Dennis Frye, who is serving as associate producer for the film. Maxwell has said he will donate up to $1 million to the cause of buying Civil War battlefields, with the exact amount determined by the number of reenactors who volunteer for the movie.

Those interested must submit an application and
a full-length 4-by-6-inch color picture of themselves
dressed in period clothing, said Frye, who has been hired to recruit and coordinate both military and civilian re-enactors. An encampment will be provided and food will be free, but Frye warned that work days will be long and frustrations frequent.

"Gods and Generals" is based on the novel by
Jeff Shaara which covers the prelude to, and early
days of, the Civil War. Several actors will be returning to play the same roles they played in "Gettysburg", which was based on the novel "The Killer Angels" by Shaara's father, Michael.

Jeff Daniels will again portray Joshua "Don't
Call Me Lawrence" Chamberlain, with C. Thomas Howell
playing his brother Tom Chamberlain, while Kevin Conway will play the beloved but entirely fictitious Buster Kilrain. Not yet announced are the actors who will play either Gen. Robert E. Lee (Martin Sheen in "Gettysburg") orThomas "Stonewall" Jackson (not seen in "Gettysburg" since Jackson was dead by that time.)

Frye told the Associated Press that he will
match re-enactors with the needs of the film and
schedule them. Most of the major battle scenes will be filmed over weekends to accommodate as many re-enactors as possible. He added that he will be more selective, unlike "Gettysburg" which used just about any reenactor who showed up during filming.

That movie has been criticized by some for
inattention to detail and showing soldiers as being
somewhat better-fed than was actually the case.

"We want the re-enactor to celebrate and
commemorate this epic moment in American history,"
Frye said. "We want them to make history by saving history, both on the screen and on the ground," he said.