A set piece would be on July 4th when Shelby draws his men up in parade formation on the banks of the Rio Grande. Five of his officers take the Confederate flag, weigh it down with rocks and wade into the river. Then they gently lower it into the water. Former Confederate officers, officials and soldiers watch from the bluffs on the American side. Mexican soldiers look on from the southern bank. Shelby, in a rare show of emotion, tears off the black ostrich plume from his hat, wades out into the water and throws it into the folds of the flag. Tears run down the cheeks of hardened veterans as the flag disappears beneath the muddy waters. From now on, Shelby’s men will follow his ragged battle-scarred guidon. From then on, this stretch of the Rio Grande will be known as the Grave of the Confederacy.
Month: September 2023
Short Pitch
It is called Antietam
It is in the vein of A Bridge Too Far
It is like All Quiet On The Western Front meets Gettysburg
It follows the common Johnny Reb soldiers of The Army of Northern Virginia
And the common Billy Yank soldiers of the Army of the Potomac
As they fight to survive and win a war for either national independence or national unity.
Problems arise when Johnny Reb’s army is caught spread out and Billy Yank’s army is sent to battle him in head-on, piecemeal attacks.
Now together their individual courage, bravery and humanity will combine to produce dozens of human-interest stories on the Bloodiest Day in American History.
Logline: When 46 hard-fighting Irish-Texan cannoneers face off against an invasion of 15,000, it will result in the only medals issued by the southern Confederacy.
Short Pitch
It is called The Battle of Sabine Pass
It is a war action movie.
In the vein of 300.
It is like Fury meets Glory.
It follows ambitious, jovial Irish officer Dick Dowling
And young runaway drummer boy John Drummond
As they fight to free the Texas coast from Yankee invaders and prejudice against Irish and Catholic immigrants.
Problems arise when most of the Texas army is pulled from the coast and Dowling and his forty-six men find themselves the only ones to stop an invasion of 15,000.
Together their skill, training, dedication to each other and Gaelic love of fighting will result in one of the most lopsided victories of the war.
The idea came to me when I read a paragraph about the battle in The Civil War: Strange & Fascinating Facts by Burke Davis and it grabbed hold of my Irish and Texan descendent soul.
My unique approach is focusing on one unit of artillerymen called The Davis Guard and their struggles with military life, war and bigotry against Catholic Irish.
A set piece would be when Dick Dowling is standing on top of the mud pile called Fort Griffin. He has told the Davis Guard that their officers want them to retreat. “What say you,” says Dowling in a thick Gaelic accent. “No, no!,” reply his men. “Shall we fight,” he ask them. Fight, fight, fight,” they reply in unison. “It’s too hot to walk back to Sabine City,” one jokes. Just then a courier rides up. He carries a small Confederate flag. Dowling grabs the flag, crawling higher on the parapet and waves it toward the approaching gunboats. “Dick Dowling is a dead man before that flag shall come down!”
Target audiences would be men and women 20-70, teenagers, military buffs, action movie fans, history buffs, Civil War reenactors, naval buffs, Navy veterans, service members and their families, Catholics, Irish Americans, Irish people, and of course, Texans.
Audiences would want to see it for its epic stand of fighting Irish against overwhelming odds, its action, adventure, and themes of courage, brotherhood, honor and devotion to duty.
Short Pitch
It is called The Battle of Blair Mountain
It is a historical drama
In the vein of Peterloo
It is like Newsies meets Hatfields & McCoys
It follows educated but aggressive coal miner Frank Keeney
And deliberative, restrained widower Fred Mooney
As they fight for their fellow miners’ justice, human dignity, and constitutional right to unionize.
Problems arise when a sheriff who is a friend of the miners is murdered, a corrupt sheriff begins locking up miners without due process, and an army of 10,000-armed miners marching on Blair Mountain turns into a disorganized mob, the largest civil insurrection since the Civil War.
Together they will use their power of persuasion and patriotism to diffuse a tense situation.
The idea came to me while watching a documentary on The History Channel about hillbillies when I was visiting the Appalachian foothills.
My unique approach would be several different nuanced perspectives as individuals navigate a brutal world set against the beauty of the West Virginia mountains.
A set piece would be when Keeney and Mooney have convinced the marching miners to turn back just 12 miles from Blair Mountain and meet in a ballpark. Guards at the entrances to the park ask for the password. “I come creeping,” reply the miners. Soon, the field, dugouts and bleachers are full of miners, armed to the teeth, seething with anger, ready to hear what their leaders have to say. Keeney and Mooney stand before them in fancy suits, but their faces and hands are worn and haggard like theirs. “Just over that ridge is Chaifn and Logan County,” says Keeney. He points to the south. Then he points to the northeast. “And coming from that way is the US Army.” There are murmurs in the crowd. “Some of ya’ll fought in France,” says Keeney. “The army you fought with defeated the Hun, a professionally trained army. So, you darn well know you can’t fight it here.” There are a few angry retorts from the field. “ Put it plainly,” says Mooney, motioning for Keeney to step back. “They’ve sent the entire U. S. government and Army to stop us. We are patriotic men who will not fight our government. Go home. There are trains coming, promised to take ya there.” There is silence. Some murmuring. Finally, an old black man stands up from the bleachers. A white beard barely hides a R branded into his cheek. “Boys, he’s right,” he softly says. Men continue to speak, drowning him out. A giant, red bearded hillbilly next to him stands up. “Shut up! Pappy here is talking!” The old man smiles. “You ain’t foolin’ no more. This is your daddy talkin’. It’s your real Uncle Sam.” Slowly men stand, begin dispersing. Keeney and Mooney smile, relieved.
Target audiences would be men and women 30-90, history buffs, bluegrass, folk, country and western music fans, citizens of Appalachia, coal miners and their communities and blue-collar workers and their communities.
Audiences would want to see it for its universal themes of standing in the face of adversity, action, adventure, community, fighting for human dignity, liberties, and constitutional rights, the bluegrass soundtrack, honoring the working men and women of America and the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains.