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Charlton Park is location
for Civil War movie
By
HELEN MURRAY
Staff Writer
Charlton Park, located between Hastings and Nashville, will soon be seen
"on the silver screen."
 Parts
of the historic village are being used for the set of a new Civil War movie
"Kill The Messenger." The historical action drama is set in July
1863 during the Battle of Buffington Island, Ohio.
The film follows the journey of a young
Confederate spy named Daniel Gibbons, according to a press release.
He gets caught up in a web of lies and intrigue while attempting to deliver a
secret dispatch in Ohio. Gibbons is disguised as a Union soldier and
enlists the help of a northern photographer named Benjamin Harris.
Together they must deliver the secret letter to their informants. During
the adventure, Gibbons and Harris are pursued by a treacherous turncoat Union
lieutenant who will stop at nothing to intercept the secret message and sell the
information to the highest bidder - North or South.
Filming was primarily done on weekends in June and July. Some filming may
also be done at Charlton Park's Civil War re-enactment July 20 and 21.
Extras came dressed in authentic period
clothes. The ladies had long skirts and the men wore long-sleeved
shirts. One small girl wore a white bonnet. There were a few Union
soldiers wearing authentic uniforms and carrying firearms and ammunition.
The clothing may have been right for the
period, but the actors were definitely over-dressed by 2002c standards for a hot
summer day. There was plenty of bottled water for the actors.
There was one horse, "Roi,"
owned by James Goodwin of Kalamazoo. Goodwin said Roi was 25 years old and
part Arabian and part quarter horse. Periodically throughout the day,
Goodwin would lead the horse to water, but Roi would not drink - proving the old
saying. Goodwin figured the Arabian strain had something to do with it.
The tedious work of the filmmaking was
apparent as scenes were taped and re-taped at many different angles.
Between scenes the actors slipped back
into the 21st century, snacking on cellophane wrapped treats and sipping from
plastic bottles. They also got out their cell phones to arrange for
accommodations for the night. The "new fangled" food was quickly
hidden when the action resumed.
One scene that required several takes had
the extras walking in front of the village stores as if they were out
shopping. They were told to stop and chat, gesture and look at
merchandise.
While this activity was going on, Daniel
Gibbons could be seen sneaking into town between the town hall and the
seamstress shop.
Tim Richardardson and Michael Kouroubetes
are the o-writers, directors and producers. Richardson said they chose
Charlton Park because it provides an authentic looking 19th century village and
there are many neat buildings. Richardson works full-time at Indiana
University South Bend and has worked on small budget films in the Indiana area
for 10 years.
For more information about the making of
the film, or investing in the film, visit the website at
www.killthemessengerfilm.com.
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