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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 24 2007
Status: offline
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 Posted - November 04 2007 : 11:31:20 AM
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I would like to invite all readers of this site to "visit" this page with the first 2 installments of my memoirs of working on the movie back in '91:
http://www.mohicanpress.com/jim_neels_mohicanland.html
Rich has done a great job transcribing my account; so great in fact, that I must take the blame for any typos or factual errors! ( I hope there aren't TOO many! )
I have also submitted upwards of 75 photos; please look for them to be added in the near future. I hope you enjoy my humble efforts; and thanks to new member Doug Garnett who scanned the photos for me!
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Kirachi
Colonial Settler
United Kingdom
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 04 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - November 04 2007 : 1:34:19 PM
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Oh great stuff James and thanks to richfed too!
I can't wait to read all this tomorrow |
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caitlin
Bumppos Tavern Patron
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 17 2002
Status: offline
Donating Member |
Posted - November 04 2007 : 2:05:18 PM
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It's been great reading so far! 
Thank you so much Mr. Neel for your time and additions to this great site! I know that everyone here in Mohicanland appreciates it! 
Caitlin |
Jack McCall: "Should we shake hands or something, relieve the atmosphere. I mean how stupid do you think I am?"
Wild Bill Hickok: "I don't know, I just met you."
"A nation with no regard to it's past will have little future worth remembering."
A.Lincoln
"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize that they were the big things"
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susank2
Colonial Settler
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
August 25 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - November 04 2007 : 6:09:46 PM
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I LOVE reading new 1st person accounts! Thanks so much for doing this  . Thanks to you too Rich  |
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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 24 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - November 04 2007 : 6:13:52 PM
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| I have just completed "Part III - How Mistakes Are Made", and posted it to Rich. Hopefully you'll soon be able to view this latest installment! I also hope you like it so far; any questions are most welcome. |
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susank2
Colonial Settler
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
August 25 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - November 05 2007 : 11:10:44 AM
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Ok, James...you asked for it!!! Questions?? I have a TON of questions.
What I want to know about are the principal actors. What were they like in real life? Who was nice? Who was an ass? Who kept messing up their lines? Who was the womanizer? Stuff like that...juicy stuff! |
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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 24 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - November 05 2007 : 12:37:20 PM
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I hate to disappoint, but if you've read my account so far, you will see that due in part to the compartmentalization of things, we were fairly isolated into our own groups. That's the main reason I have so few photos of most of the cast. As "military core", we were primarally around Stephen Waddington ( "Heyward" )and Maurice Roeves ( "Col. Munro" ); both of whom were just "regular guys" at the training camp and on set.
I can't remember any specifics, but others said Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeline Stowe were always polite; Jodhi May, quiet and shy. I can't remember ANY negatives said about any of the cast members!
As for "messing up their lines", dialog was recorded more or less in private; we were there to shoot the "master" shots, which are the very large, sprawling scenes involving maybe hundreds of extras. I was personally a part of only one scene involving dialog, that between Magua and Montcalm in the French headquarters tent. Though it took typically long to film, I don't remember it being due to the actors.
Of course, I only saw them ON SET; we did NOT "hang out" together, so had no opportunity to observe them otherwise. I DID see Maurice Roeves having a very "good time", during the "wrap" party held at an Asheville club or pub, arm around some girl or other! But nothing "scandalous", as I am aware. Sorry!
All the asses I saw were at the very top of the crew: Michael Mann and Michael Waxman, and our own Dale Dye. All other crew members I have any memory of were unfailingly nice; or at the very least, professional. |
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Obediah
Mohicanland Statesman
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
August 16 2006
Status: offline
Donating Member |
Posted - November 05 2007 : 2:00:20 PM
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| Ah yes, Dale Dye. I know a lot more about him than I care to. |
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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 24 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - November 05 2007 : 8:15:58 PM
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| Obediah, you might want to skip Part IV, which I just finished today and posted to Rich. It's subtitled "The Ass in the Lion's Skin". |
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Light of the Moon
Mohicanland Statesman
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
December 18 2004
Status: offline
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Posted - November 07 2007 : 2:20:10 PM
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| Wow! What an experience. Can't wait to read more!! BTW, JamesN. Do you by chance remember the huron warrior who is seen standing just behind Wes Studi? He wears a long dangling ear ring. |
I live in my own little world - but that's okay, they know me here! |
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Kyfrontiersman
Colonial Militia
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 18 2004
Status: offline
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Posted - November 07 2007 : 7:24:17 PM
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Folks, Dale Dye is a man who's been there and done it as a Navy
Seal. He's one of the ones who made it back & made a good living
from his training. I knew several Seals well, and that's why I
changed my mind about going through Seal training  |
http://rumpingproductions.org/
"Kentucke, situated on the fertile banks of the great Ohio, rising
from obscurity to shine with splendor, equal to any other of the
stars of the American hemisphere." ...... John Filson |
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Hawkeye_Joe
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
July 31 2003
Status: offline
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Posted - November 07 2007 : 7:57:46 PM
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Great reading James, I can understand your frustration with the movie makers. Working on "The Patriot" we did not have to deal with CAPTAIN Dye, thank God, but we had the wardrobe mistress who had won the Oscar for "Titanic". She decided that the uniforms of Tavington's men should be red with green facings instead of the historically correct all green (hence "Green Dragoons")of the British Legion. What she said went (so the poor movie going public could tell that they were British troops)....also the British artillery wore redcoats as well for the same reason. Another thing that CAPTAIN Dye did that was all Vietnam was to have the forward scouts of the 60th walking "point" into the ambush with muskets facing outward,(the men on the right carrying their muskets facing to the right, left-handed, and the ones on the left with theirs pointed left). No British soldier carried or fired his musket left-handed. He did the same thing in "Saving Private Ryan", both times it was wrong! In "Band of Brothers" he introduced a language of hand signals that I'm not even sure if they were even used in Nam, maybe a SWAT team but certainly not in WWII.
Can't wait to read more.. |
HAWK
"The scum of every nation gravitates to the frontier."
Benjamin Franklin 1750
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for
lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
Benjamin Franklin 1759
The existence of flamethrowers is proof that someone, somewhere, said to himself, "I want to set those people over there on fire, but I don't feel like walking over there to do it."
"Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented immigrant" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist."
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Hawkeye_Joe
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
July 31 2003
Status: offline
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Posted - November 07 2007 : 8:08:12 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Kyfrontiersman
Folks, Dale Dye is a man who's been there and done it as a Navy
Seal. He's one of the ones who made it back & made a good living
from his training. I knew several Seals well, and that's why I
changed my mind about going through Seal training
Mike, Dale was not a SEAL, he spend 13 years as an enlisted Marine in NAM. He was a Marine Combat Correspondent in Nam in 64/65 and 67/70. He rose to Master Sgt. and was sent to OCS and became a Warrant Officer in 76, he later converted this commision to Captain. He was in 31 major combat operations and received the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts.
I'm not belittling his military service at all, but he was not a SEAL. I know several SEALS as well, one from the 1st SEAL team who does this stuff like we do and he's one awesome shot. |
HAWK
"The scum of every nation gravitates to the frontier."
Benjamin Franklin 1750
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for
lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
Benjamin Franklin 1759
The existence of flamethrowers is proof that someone, somewhere, said to himself, "I want to set those people over there on fire, but I don't feel like walking over there to do it."
"Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented immigrant" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist."
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RedFraggle
Mohicanite
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 13 2006
Status: offline
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Posted - November 07 2007 : 9:53:45 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Light of the Moon
Wow! What an experience. Can't wait to read more!! BTW, JamesN. Do you by chance remember the huron warrior who is seen standing just behind Wes Studi? He wears a long dangling ear ring.
You're shameless, Light!  |
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Irishgirl
Council of Elders
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
February 14 2006
Status: offline
Donating Member |
Posted - November 07 2007 : 10:09:55 PM
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| Yeah, she'll be asking for his phone number next...heehee. |
IG |
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Kyfrontiersman
Colonial Militia
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 18 2004
Status: offline
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Posted - November 08 2007 : 09:57:39 AM
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Joe,
Thanks for that info. Was going on an article I read about him once.
(LOL) Goes to show, don't trust the media. Should'a known better, right?
Mike |
http://rumpingproductions.org/
"Kentucke, situated on the fertile banks of the great Ohio, rising
from obscurity to shine with splendor, equal to any other of the
stars of the American hemisphere." ...... John Filson |
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Light of the Moon
Mohicanland Statesman
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
December 18 2004
Status: offline
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Posted - November 09 2007 : 1:18:09 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Irishgirl
Yeah, she'll be asking for his phone number next...heehee.
Shush! You're blowing my cover !!
And yes, I am shameless, those NA men in war attire do it to me everytime !!! |
I live in my own little world - but that's okay, they know me here! |
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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 24 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - November 10 2007 : 1:15:10 PM
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I'll try to juggle the twin threads this has evolved into -
First, Light, if you will now read Part V ( which was just posted TODAY! ); you will again see that pretty much the ONLY time we were around anyone other than the other reenactors was during the filming of the fort or battle scenes. The Indians similarly stayed to themselves, too. Eric Hurley's experience as "Soldier I", always with the same opponent who eventually became his good friend is I think a little unusual. As I said, it tended to be "Us vs. Them"; "Them" being ANYBODY who wasn't "Us"! So, sorry, I have NO idea who ANY of the Indians were now.
Second, I have also heard that The Good CAPTAIN was only a correspondent. As to his medals, etc. I'd want to actually SEE documentation to PROVE his actual service and honors. He did NOT talk about any of this, except in the most general terms; which could be interpreted as either modesty OR allowing you to believe more than was justified. It should always be remembered that this is only a BUSINESS to him; and that he has NO special knowledge of or interest in this or any other historical period, PERIOD.
This was well-demonstrated near the beginning at the training camp when he attempted to talk to us on the French and Indian War. Prior to this he knew nothing of Bland's or any other period drill for flintlock muskets; and I think I've shown he also knew nothing about black-powder artillery. The ONLY important thing was to always take all credit for himself in the eyes of Mann and any other prospective employers.
Briefly, I'll comment that the decision to have the "point" men had to be forced on Mann, who just wanted the troops moving "blind" in the woods; at that they picked the two SMALLEST of our core for the job - the English brothers. And I'm sure if correct GREEN dragoon uniforms had been used in "Patriot", it would've "confused the audience" too; and so was probably a decision by Gibson, who certainly could've done otherwise! |
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blackfootblood
Devoted Tribal Member
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 22 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - November 10 2007 : 1:41:47 PM
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| I so far have kept up with your story. I have to say, thank you very much for sharing your experience and tales with us. It's much appreciated. |
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain!"
"Live well, love much, laugh often!" |
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Light of the Moon
Mohicanland Statesman
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
December 18 2004
Status: offline
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Posted - November 15 2007 : 12:57:54 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by James N.
First, Light, if you will now read Part V ( which was just posted TODAY! ); you will again see that pretty much the ONLY time we were around anyone other than the other reenactors was during the filming of the fort or battle scenes. The Indians similarly stayed to themselves, too. Eric Hurley's experience as "Soldier I", always with the same opponent who eventually became his good friend is I think a little unusual. As I said, it tended to be "Us vs. Them"; "Them" being ANYBODY who wasn't "Us"! So, sorry, I have NO idea who ANY of the Indians were now.
NOOOOOO !!!!!! I was so close to knowing!!!!!
That's okay, JamesN. Just had to ask. BTW I read the latest and greatest installment and really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing! It is really cool getting an insider's view on LOTM. So rarely do we get such a treat!
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My Adventures in Mohicanland
