Oddly, although there’s a couple dozen books in the series, they made only the one movie. The Hornblower miniseries also was not continued and they don’t seem to be making a movie as was proposed. It seems like Naval Fiction sells a lot of books, but isnt so great or the silver screen.
It’s about 60 miles from where I live, but I think The Phenix City Story is overdue for a remake. PC is a small city (30,000 or thereabout) that’s separated by a bridge from Columbus, Georgia (which is much larger). Before it was ever ceded by the Creeks (and it was in the last territories they ceded in the 1830s) it was a haven for outlaws- gangs of horse thieves and escaped slaves and renegade Indians- it was totally the Wild West, except a lot more woods and a few caves to make things really interesting.
There was one scam that operated there: some escaped slaves working with white criminals would convince slaves to leave plantations and agree to be resold, and the gang and the slave would split the money. If you wonder why a slave would do this- think of being in a case where you HATE your current master, figure anything’s better than him, and when you’re resold (new name, new identity that you of course help create- because if you say “I belong to Mister Tom Jenkins in Lowndes County” then the whole thing is for naught) you get part of the money (more than you’ll likely EVER see in your lifetime otherwise) and you just screwed your master out of a very expensive piece of property (you). Since as far as your new master is concerned he bought you legally and your name is Sam, the “reward” posters for a runaway slave named '‘Jake’ are meaningless. An ingenious scheme in a way, plus if you ever decide to run for freedom you have money, which is something you’re going to need living this far south if you have a snowflake’s chance in hell of getting to Canada.
Anyway, gangs before the Civil War, gangs during the Civil War, gangs after the Civil War. When Phenix City is formed (on the site of some little gang towns) it becomes, by the turn of the (19th-20th) century, a very corrupt and potentially deadly little town with lots of brothels and gambling- both illegal. When Alabama becomes a dry state (long before the Prohibition was national) the roughs and good ol’ boys and Swearengen types begin dealing with the organized crime syndicates in Chicago and New Orleans and the mafia slowly moves in and takes over. This little river town (the river’s a very important thing incidentally- five minutes you’re in a large-ish city in another state- and add in a huge military base (Ft. Benning) and some pockets of remaining Creek land and some cavesw only locals know about in the countryside- it’s a jurisdictional and practicality nightmare to pursue anybody, in the highly unlikely event that anybody willpursue them because law enforcement in Russell County is one of the most lucrative jobs in the south due to the corruption.
Anyway, long story short: by 1954 Phenix City is more mafia and mob controlled than Vegas in the number of businesses and amount of property owned. A local citizen/lawyer/judge/legislator, Albert Patterson is elected on his pledge to “clean up Sin City”, and unlike others he actually intends to do so. He’s gunned down by the mob while leaving his office in Phenix City. Turns out to be a mistake as the banner is picked up by his son, John Patterson, who becomes governor on the same plan, and does clean up Phenix City, which was not peaceful or pretty. (Also devastated the local economy.)
Now, this was made into a movie in 1955, considered a film noir classic (though a minor one). It’s David v. Goliath and it’s about a young- and good looking- politician who avenges his father’s death in a deep south state, and it’s a true story. It was a success.
However, there’s a LOT more to the story than was in the movie or than was even known to investigators at the time. The extent of the corruption and payoffs in Phenix City will never be known but a lot of records have come out which show how broad the net was. To complicate matters further, the handsome young clean nosed governor, John Malcom Patterson(who is still alive today- he’s 88) was, in addition to being motivated by filial devotion and the desire to clean up vice and evil in his state, also one of the most virulent and outspoken racists, a near fanatic on the topic of white supremacy even by the standards of 1950s Alabama! (He’s the reason George Wallace went from beign a racial moderate to a bigot- he never could have defeated a demagogue and polemicist like Patterson as a moderate.)
Anyway, there’s several good books on the topic, but I’d love to see a more realistic and up to date film version made. (I’d be interested to see if Governor Patterson raised 8 kinds of hell at it as well; unlike Wallace, Patterson has never apologized for his words and actions during those times.)
G & W - Go Wisely - choose our Gins or Whiskeys!
Didn’t they wind up in Detroit? (I’ve seen the ads in old magazines, as should be obvious.)
The life and times of Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.
Truth be stranger than fiction.
I’ve been to the museum in Cahokia, IL. The problem is, beyond what can be inferred from buried artifacts, nobody knows anything about the Mound Builders – what they called themselves, what language they spoke, what were their gods or legends, what if any Indian nations now existing are descended from them, nor what happened to their civilization (if so it can be called), which had vanished before Columbus landed. They apparently had no written language – at any rate, no trace of their writing has been found.
OTOH, in Hollywood terms that’s not a problem but an opportunity. (Like with the Roanoke Colony, mentioned above.)
IIRC, the U.S. first offered to purchase all that territory from Mexico at the exact same price and Mexico said no; war ensued.
The political sitrep changed considerably during that time, of course. In fact, the sitrep in 1846 made it impossible for Mexico to agree, even if they had wanted to. It was far too chaotic.
I thought Master and Commander did quite well- world wide $212 million and 2 Oscars came of it. Also, there’s that little Pirate movie you might have heard of, something about Black Pearls?
Love to see a special treatment of The Purple Gang, and its heyday by the Master, Martin Scorsese. Yonnie Licavoli, was quite the Character
New England’s history is weird. Not in the “my, that’s strange” sense, but the “weird and haunted shores” one. There are literally dozens of things in books like Passing Strange or Weird New England that might make excellent movies. “The Presence” on Mount Washington, for example, would make good horror movie fodder. Or that robot they tried to bring to life a couple of centuries ago. Or Norumbega, the lost city of gold. Or the talking bears that natives told settlers about. There’s all sorts of bizarre stuff to chose from!
Most of the interesting stuff in Australian history has already been filmed (with varying degress of competency), but in NZ there are a couple of events that might make reasonable films that (AFAIK) haven’t been done yet:
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The Maori Wars (they’re sort of tangential to the movie Utu, but an actual, non-revisionist War Movie set in this period would be quite interesting, I think)
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Richard Pearse; Arguably the first person to manage controlled, powered, heavier than air flight. I can see a really Worthy biopic about his attempts to build a plane, get it flying, then the realisation and disappointment that he was never going to get credit for his achievements.
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Not really a film, but a Deadwood- style Miniseries could fairly easily be made about Kororareka, which was, well, the Mos Eisley Spaceport of the South Pacific in the early years of the 19th Century.
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I also reckon a good Political Thriller could be made about the Treaty of Waitangi without too much effort, too.
The British-or-otherwise-non-American equivalent is Campbell Country. The distinction between them illustrates the difference between the Old and New Worlds as fantasy settings. From the latter link:
Pirates are not Naval Fiction.
But although certainly Master and Commander did not do badly, they never made another despite sequel fever and something like 20 books.
wiki : "*Sequel Outlook
Over five years after the movie’s 2003 release, there are currently no announced plans for a sequel to be made by movie-rights holder 20th Century Fox, despite the remaining 20 books available in the Aubrey-Maturin series written by Patrick O’Brian.
Director Peter Weir, asked in 2005 if he would do a sequel, stated he thought it “most unlikely”, and after disclaiming internet rumors to the contrary, stated “I think that while it did well… ish at the box office, it didn’t generate that monstrous, rapid income that provokes a sequel.”[4]
In 2007 the film was listed on a list of “13 Failed Attempts To Start Film Franchises” by the media website www.avclub.com , noting that “… the Aubrey-Maturin novels remain untapped cinematic ground.”[5]
Although Russell Crowe is not under contract for another film, he is reportedly interested in making one. Most of the rest of the cast is reported to be under contract for two more films; a common procedure for movie studios when signing up for a film, whether a sequel is made or not, in order to ensure much of the original cast comes back.[6]*"
Deniro would make a great Yonnie Licavoli, both youngand old. DeNiro’s a bit of a song bird, from what I hear. Ironically. Needs a challenge. This could be his soul role.
I don’t cqre how you have to do it or fit it in, but Lonnie’s story should include a cameo role or appearence by Jamie Farr.
Jamie Farr… America’s most recognized transvestite.
Ripley’s Believe it or not! Did a great period recreation on the subject of Norton I, but that was back in the 80s when Jack Palace was the host.
That show was great, but unfortunately not on DVD.
I would love to see the book of the community, the Popol Vuh, of the Maya turned into a movie; it would be like Apocalypto raised to the level of the Lord of the Rings.