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By Rosemary Pollock
Living Scriptures Video Series Gets Attention at Film Sites
CASSVILLE, WISCONSIN -- Three-time Oscar winner Jack Nicholson may
have to wait for his chance to film a new movie while history is
being recorded by Heber J. Grant, Lorenzo Snow and Harold B. Lee. The
prophets will be filming first, as the historical site of the Stuhr
Museum in Grand Island, Nebraska is going Hollywood. The drama, part
of a 14-episode series being filmed by "The Living Scriptures,"
follows the lives of the prophets of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.
Trek West Inc., which produces historical films, will oversee the
production of the biographical sketches that will be re-enacted using
many of the original sites. Historic Site Director, Allen Schroeder,
said an entourage of about 30 will be on hand for the filming, along
with 25 local extras.
"Filming will take place at select locations that represent the true
look and feel of the area," Schroeder said. "That is where Stonefield
comes into the picture." Stonefield represents the estate of Nelson
Dewey, Wisconsin's first governor who farmed 2,000 acres below the
Mississippi River bluffs during the mid-1800s. In 1953, the area
surrounding Dewey's home was designated a historical site and the
home is now the State Agricultural Museum.
The farming village and agricultural museum will officially open to
the public May 26 to September 30. An open house, with free admission
to Stonefield and the adjacent Nelson Dewey State Park will be held
on June 3, long after Hollywood has gone.
"We were happy to be able to accommodate them," he said. "They seemed
very professional and upbeat when I met them, and the project should
be a good use of our space." Stuhr Executive Director, Fred Goss,
conducted negotiations with Trek-West in mid-February.
Dan Thomas, associate producer of the series said, "What we were
looking for was a place that had a certain look and feel. Stuhr had
it." We've been filming all year, but we had to be creative with our
schedules."
Bishop Michael McCain and his wife, Kasey got a call from the people
at Trek-West asking for extras to work in the film. "I think about
everybody except one person said they could do it," Kasey said.
"We're from Nebraska, we're not from Los Angeles," Bishop McCain
added.
Kasey McCain noted that a scene, which may only be worth two or three
minutes of dialogue, took 45 minutes to an hour to shoot. "I'll
probably never see myself on film" joked Kiri McClellan, an aspiring
actress and student at Westridge Middle School.
Ben Goates of Salt Lake City is portraying his grandfather, Harold B.
Lee, during his life from the age of 17 to 24. When the company
leaves Nebraska, he believes the schedule calls for filming in
Wisconsin and Missouri and some filming will be done in Europe in
early summer and in Hawaii in late summer. Goates, a high school
senior, is not upset at getting a little time away from school.
The Living Scriptures will market and distribute the film through a
wide distribution of videos available by direct purchase or through
religious book stores. Kasey McCain was proud of her involvement in
the events being portrayed in the series. She noted that some of her
ancestors had been involved and she saw it as a "recreation of what
they did for me."
Sources:
Company picks Stonefield site for filming
Dubuque IA Telegraph Herald 30Apr01 A2
By Terry Morgan
North of Cassville: Video series explores the lives of prophets for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Docudrama films at Stuhr Museum
Hastings NE KHAS TV5 26Apr01 A2
Filming of religious docudrama to begin at Stuhr
Grand Island NE Independent 24Apr01 A2
By Mike Bockoven: The Independent
Filming at Stuhr Museum 04/26/01
Grand Island NE Independent 26Apr01 A2
By Harold Reutter: The Independent
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