CivilWarTalk Throwback Thursday, 2-21-19

James N.

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Thirty years ago today, February 21, 1989 the crew of Glory began a week in another of Savannah, Georgia's "suburbs" called Rose Dhu Island Park where we filmed the Battle of Johnson's Island. After two glorious early Spring days, the night of the 22-23 turned bitterly cold and for the first time in three years - or so we were told - it SNOWED! I have never understood how it was the set crew removed the snow from several acres over which we had been filming, but as the photo above shows it was all gone by the time we arrived. Marching at my right is First Sergeant Robert "Bob" Johnson, an actual twenty-five-year veteran of the United States Army who had only recently retired and come to help us with the Background Company seen here. Below, an enlargement of the photo, the only one I have showing this particular event during the production; for additional information, please see: https://www.civilwartalk.com/threads/twenty-five-years-ago-my-brush-with-glory.95319/post-807607

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Anyone else having (preferably) old Civil War-related photos, mementoes, or memorabilia from vacation trips, reenactments, or what-have-you to share with readers is welcome and encouraged to do so in this weekly feature!
 
Just how much snow was on the ground? You know before the crews worked their black magic.
It wasn't very deep but covered everything generally - not just a few flakes or drifts in fence lines, etc. like we often have around here in Northeast Texas. What was much worse, however was the COLD - I found myself spending too much time in the toilet trailers because of the warmth! These were the kinds of trailers often seen on construction or other temporary sites that consisted of about four separate toilet compartments, each having their own outside door - but they were blissfully HEATED. More often, on most locations we had simple outdoor porta-johns like those in reenactments!
 
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Heck we ain't had snow like that in a while! Last few times it actually stuck it covered everything for the past couple of years lol.

I didn't think it could be to much for them to so adequately clear it from view and it not being apparent in the film, as you'd never know it. Heck now I'm gonna have to get a hold of some of the special effects guys I've worked with to know how they may have done it in 89.
 
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Thirty years ago today, February 21, 1989 the crew of Glory began a week in another of Savannah, Georgia's "suburbs" called Rose Dhu Island Park where we filmed the Battle of Johnson's Island. After two glorious early Spring days, the night of the 22-23 turned bitterly cold and for the first time in three years - or so we were told - it SNOWED! I have never understood how it was the set crew removed the snow from several acres over which we had been filming, but as the photo above shows it was all gone by the time we arrived. Marching at my right is First Sergeant Robert "Bob" Johnson, an actual twenty-five-year veteran of the United States Army who had only recently retired and come to help us with the Background Company seen here. Below, an enlargement of the photo, the only one I have showing this particular event during the production; for additional information, please see: https://www.civilwartalk.com/threads/twenty-five-years-ago-my-brush-with-glory.95319/post-807607

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Anyone else having (preferably) old Civil War-related photos, mementoes, or memorabilia from vacation trips, reenactments, or what-have-you to share with readers is welcome and encouraged to do so in this weekly feature!
I read your “Brush with Glory” post. Amazing and awesome that you posted all of that for us to see, as well all the details and stories of the production and behind the scenes.

I had probably watched the movie a dozen times before becoming a member here. Then the first time I saw your avatar with Morgan Freeman, I thought “I’ll be ......! I remember him from Glory.” My memory immediately went back to the scene with you and the rest of the 54th marching out of Darian with the town on fire.

I also noticed you worked on Last of the Mohicans, another great movie which I have seen probably 20 times. I saw the photos you posted while working on that film, but I cannot recall for the life of me of any scenes that were in. No disrespect intended.

Respectfully,
Kyle
 
View attachment 293428

Thirty years ago today, February 21, 1989 the crew of Glory began a week in another of Savannah, Georgia's "suburbs" called Rose Dhu Island Park where we filmed the Battle of Johnson's Island. After two glorious early Spring days, the night of the 22-23 turned bitterly cold and for the first time in three years - or so we were told - it SNOWED! I have never understood how it was the set crew removed the snow from several acres over which we had been filming, but as the photo above shows it was all gone by the time we arrived. Marching at my right is First Sergeant Robert "Bob" Johnson, an actual twenty-five-year veteran of the United States Army who had only recently retired and come to help us with the Background Company seen here. Below, an enlargement of the photo, the only one I have showing this particular event during the production; for additional information, please see: https://www.civilwartalk.com/threads/twenty-five-years-ago-my-brush-with-glory.95319/post-807607

View attachment 293429

Anyone else having (preferably) old Civil War-related photos, mementoes, or memorabilia from vacation trips, reenactments, or what-have-you to share with readers is welcome and encouraged to do so in this weekly feature!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
 
View attachment 293428

Thirty years ago today, February 21, 1989 the crew of Glory began a week in another of Savannah, Georgia's "suburbs" called Rose Dhu Island Park where we filmed the Battle of Johnson's Island. After two glorious early Spring days, the night of the 22-23 turned bitterly cold and for the first time in three years - or so we were told - it SNOWED! I have never understood how it was the set crew removed the snow from several acres over which we had been filming, but as the photo above shows it was all gone by the time we arrived. Marching at my right is First Sergeant Robert "Bob" Johnson, an actual twenty-five-year veteran of the United States Army who had only recently retired and come to help us with the Background Company seen here. Below, an enlargement of the photo, the only one I have showing this particular event during the production; for additional information, please see: https://www.civilwartalk.com/threads/twenty-five-years-ago-my-brush-with-glory.95319/post-807607

View attachment 293429

Anyone else having (preferably) old Civil War-related photos, mementoes, or memorabilia from vacation trips, reenactments, or what-have-you to share with readers is welcome and encouraged to do so in this weekly feature!
cool photo and definitely remember seeing you in the film!
 
I have the movie recorded and I watched it again on Monday night. :D
Oddly enough, when I finally bought a (used!) Blu-Ray player last year I also bought or ordered copies of both Glory and Mohicans but still haven't actually watched either of them! I suppose it's mainly from having watched them so many times in the past in the theater, on VHS, and finally DVD.
 
… I also noticed you worked on Last of the Mohicans, another great movie which I have seen probably 20 times. I saw the photos you posted while working on that film, but I cannot recall for the life of me of any scenes that were in. No disrespect intended.

Respectfully,
Kyle
None taken, Kyle; thank you for your enthusiasm! As for Mohicans, although interesting and something I'm overall glad I worked on, it was scarcely as personally fulfilling as Glory. Of course a large part of that was undoubtedly because of having been left, as they say, on the cutting room floor! In case you missed the link to my account of working on it on a Mohicans fansite where I fully vent my disappointment: http://www.mohicanpress.com/jim_neels_mohicanland.html Below is a screen capture of one of the only TWO scenes where I appear - though I was in MANY more - at far right well-hidden in shadows inside Gen. Montcalm's tent during a scene between the late Patrice Chreau as Montcalm and Wes Studi as Magua:

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Morgan Freeman plays golf at the Ole Miss Golf Course, is easily approachable and appreciates his fans. A remarkable and gracious man.
Regards
David
As I noted in my thread, Morgan was the favorite of the regular principal actors on the set because of the qualities you mention. The only other one that came close (and in ways surpassed him) was John Finn who played Sgt. Mulcahy, and that because he tended to hang around with US between takes!

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As I noted in my thread, Morgan was the favorite of the regular principal actors on the set because of the qualities you mention. The only other one that came close (and in ways surpassed him) was John Finn who played Sgt. Mulcahy, and that because he tended to hang around with US between takes!

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He's still in character in that pic. I love his final scene in the movie where he watches them go past in the parade march. He knows they're ready and what they are marching off to do.
 
Could you imagine the shock the confederates had to see those troops hop out of an 89' Astro Van! If that didn't make them take off running, who knows what would!
I actually seem to remember that we usually rode in rented school buses or ones built along the same lines! That was from the downtown Savannah wardrobe warehouse where we met with our "soldiers" to wherever the day's shooting location was scheduled to be. Since it wasn't far from our lodging in the Howard Johnson Motel Joe Covais and I usually walked in our reenacting Union officer uniforms over to the warehouse district.
 
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