WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.640 There are movies that dominate the box office, there are 2 00:00:02.680 --> 00:00:05.559 movies that win auscars, and then there are movies that 3 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:07.559 quietly alter nation's memory. 4 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:11.039 Glory wasn't the biggest movie in nineteen eighty nine. It 5 00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:15.119 didn't become a merchandising empire, it didn't spawn sequels. But 6 00:00:15.160 --> 00:00:18.480 more than thirty five years later, if you ask Americans 7 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:22.199 about the fifty fourth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, there's a good 8 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:24.519 chance they're not remembering a history book. 9 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:27.280 They're remembering Matthew Broderick carrying a flag. 10 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:29.960 They're remembering Morgan Freeman's quiet dignity. 11 00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:34.799 They're remembering Denzel Washington staring through tears after being flogged. 12 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:38.600 They're remembering James Horner's music as an all black regimen 13 00:00:38.759 --> 00:00:40.679 marched toward almost certain death. 14 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:43.560 This is the story of a movie that didn't just 15 00:00:43.799 --> 00:00:47.479 entertain people. It taught millions of Americans a chapter of 16 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:50.759 their own history, and in so doing, it became iconic. 17 00:00:51.159 --> 00:00:54.240 This is accidental legends, and today we focus on the 18 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:56.679 nineteen eighty nine classic Glory. 19 00:00:56.960 --> 00:01:03.600 They said it wouldn't last, just leave it on the shells, but. 20 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:06.560 Miss it's from the past to the. 21 00:01:10.280 --> 00:01:13.480 Cental legis craziness. 22 00:01:13.640 --> 00:01:18.480 It guy from me forgot it. 23 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:24.359 So the shots shot. 24 00:01:22.280 --> 00:01:24.319 Sentential legends. 25 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:28.640 True if it shot. 26 00:01:30.599 --> 00:01:31.480 This show. 27 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:39.439 For you, accidental show mad. It is so good to 28 00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:41.760 be back in cul de Sac Studios. I feel like, 29 00:01:42.040 --> 00:01:44.319 even though it's been two weeks, I feel like it's 30 00:01:44.359 --> 00:01:47.000 been almost an eternity since we've been doing this. 31 00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:49.920 It has been a while. I see how you kind 32 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:53.120 of just snuck that in the cul de Sac Studios. 33 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:56.319 Yes, that's our new studio location. A lot of things 34 00:01:56.319 --> 00:01:59.280 have happened in season two. We've gotten better equipment, and 35 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:01.959 I forgot to tell you that we actually have a 36 00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:03.040 new studio built. 37 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:05.040 I haven't seen that or seen the bill on it, 38 00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:07.480 so I'm assuming you're covering that on which is fine. 39 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:07.959 That's good. 40 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:11.159 It's a studio of the mind. Open your mind and 41 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:14.560 just be there. Be in the studio, be the ball mat, 42 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:17.639 be in the studio. But nonetheless, it really is good 43 00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:20.120 to be back. We've had probably a lot of just 44 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:23.039 life happening, you know, between Memorial Day holidays. I've got 45 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:26.960 a lot of birthdays in my family. In April, of course, 46 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:29.639 there was Mother's Day. This is big news. We just 47 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:34.120 helped move my younger son Alex into his first apartment. 48 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:36.919 Jen and I are officially empty nesters. 49 00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:40.639 Welcome to the club, sir. The water is good over here. 50 00:02:40.759 --> 00:02:43.199 You should try it out, get used to it, and 51 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:45.520 then we'll have a status report on that deal. 52 00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:48.360 Well, just so you know, I love my kids and 53 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:50.520 this is a little bit of an adjustment, but it's 54 00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:53.439 a very healthy adjustment, and I'm very excited for what's 55 00:02:53.479 --> 00:02:57.080 next for him and for geninized. Now we're back to work. 56 00:02:57.039 --> 00:03:00.719 And I never get sad, well maybe a little bit sad, 57 00:03:00.759 --> 00:03:03.360 but I mean, when kids do what they're supposed to do. 58 00:03:03.479 --> 00:03:06.680 Kids are supposed to graduate from school, they're supposed to 59 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:09.719 get through the next stage, whatever that is. It's it's 60 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:13.479 college or trade school or internships or whatever. When they 61 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:16.039 move out and they go to a different place to live, 62 00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:19.599 those are all natural things. That just means that we 63 00:03:19.639 --> 00:03:22.879 did our job. You and gen y'all did your job 64 00:03:22.919 --> 00:03:26.000 with your boys. So guess what they're leaving the nest. 65 00:03:26.199 --> 00:03:29.560 There is no failure to launch on that deal, which 66 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:30.240 good job. 67 00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:34.560 Well, thank you. It is glorious to watch you see 68 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:35.719 what I did say that. 69 00:03:35.719 --> 00:03:38.800 I see at Yeah, yeah, I'm falling. This is accidental 70 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:41.719 legends everybody. Thanks for listening. We want to ask you 71 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:45.919 to like and subscribe on your podcast service. You might 72 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:49.120 be listening to us on Apple, on Spotify, on Spreaker, 73 00:03:49.319 --> 00:03:54.400 on Prime, whatever your podcast service is, please like and subscribe. 74 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:59.240 We drop every week Tuesday at midnight. It might be twelve, 75 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:01.879 it might be two five. Sometimes it might be as 76 00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:05.840 late as twelve thirty. That's generally the time that we launch. 77 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:08.840 And there are no more breaks this year, Derek. We're 78 00:04:08.879 --> 00:04:11.159 going straight through to the end of the year, every 79 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:15.759 single week until our mouths drop off, or our hands 80 00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:19.439 fall off or our computer stop working. Is that about right? 81 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:22.639 No pressure, No pressure at all. So also reach out 82 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:27.199 to us and email us at Accidental legendspod at gmail 83 00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:31.720 dot com. That's two l's, one ending and accidental and 84 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:37.319 one beginning in legends. Accidental Legends pod at gmail dot com. 85 00:04:37.399 --> 00:04:40.199 Send us an email. Hey, if you've got our phone numbers, 86 00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:43.439 use them, lose them, whatever, send us a text. We'd 87 00:04:43.480 --> 00:04:46.240 love to talk to you about your takes and your 88 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:48.360 thoughts on this week's podcast. 89 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:50.399 Before we jump into the movie stuff, I want to 90 00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:53.560 ask you a question when or what was your first 91 00:04:53.600 --> 00:04:55.680 experience with the Civil War. 92 00:04:55.920 --> 00:05:00.560 So this would have been around seventh grade and I 93 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:04.040 had a history teacher and we didn't even really cover 94 00:05:04.199 --> 00:05:07.199 the Civil War that year, but she just kind of 95 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:10.399 gave us teasers for the eighth grade year. But she 96 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:14.639 it was interesting enough to me that I was just 97 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:19.160 really really interested in what is the Civil War is? 98 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:21.279 What is all of this stuff? I knew about the 99 00:05:21.319 --> 00:05:24.319 Revolutionary War, but the Civil War that was a new 100 00:05:24.360 --> 00:05:27.800 thing to this little seventh grader, So I was very 101 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:30.319 interested to find out what it was all about. Yeah, 102 00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:32.759 I think for me it was. It was a very 103 00:05:32.920 --> 00:05:35.920 high level at school. I can tell you I did 104 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:39.360 learn the hard way that the Gettysburg address is not 105 00:05:39.480 --> 00:05:43.120 seventeen thirty three, so it is. I did not get 106 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:46.120 a good grade on that test. But the classes were 107 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:50.000 very high level, North versus South. It was for slavery, 108 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:54.360 they fought. It was the bloodiest war, what on us soil. 109 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:57.639 That's about all I remember. My family never really talked 110 00:05:57.680 --> 00:05:59.680 about it much. You know, my family was all about 111 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:02.959 war war too, because of your grandparents. And I don't 112 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:05.600 even know if my descendants got here before or after 113 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:08.319 the Civil War periods. So I'm just not up on 114 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:11.360 my ancestry dot com. Yeah, That's my long answer is 115 00:06:11.399 --> 00:06:14.240 I just I did not think about it much, and 116 00:06:14.279 --> 00:06:15.879 I don't remember studying it much. 117 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:21.480 It's been a lifelong interest for me. I even took 118 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:25.639 a Civil War class in college. But here's the other thing. 119 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:29.480 My miner in college was history. There was a part 120 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:32.199 of me that wanted to be a history professor because 121 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:35.279 all of the teachers that made huge impacts on me, 122 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:38.800 for the most part, were history teachers going later in 123 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:43.560 high school and into my earlier college years. So hey, 124 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:46.920 history professor sounded good to me because I loved the 125 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:51.160 storytelling aspect to all of that, and I think Glory 126 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:52.959 hits on some of that. We're going to get into 127 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:55.800 that later. Where did you see it? If you saw 128 00:06:55.839 --> 00:06:57.600 it at all, this is going to be a shock 129 00:06:57.680 --> 00:06:59.839 to you. I do not remember where I first saw it. 130 00:07:00.120 --> 00:07:04.120 I remember all the infantry of the fifty fourth. They're 131 00:07:04.199 --> 00:07:08.959 singing and testifying and praying, and they're clapping their hands 132 00:07:08.959 --> 00:07:12.199 and saying, oh, my lord, Lord Lord. That has been 133 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:17.160 something that I have quoted and sung for probably the 134 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:21.160 since nineteen eighty nine. I mean, it's that familiar to me. 135 00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:23.360 I remember when I saw it. The first time I 136 00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:26.160 saw it was two days ago, and let me kind 137 00:07:26.199 --> 00:07:28.680 of explain that. You know, this came out in nineteen 138 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:32.120 eighty nine. I was senior in high school, and to 139 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:34.920 be quite frank, I was doing senior stuff and the 140 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:37.480 only movies I was really interested in were the big 141 00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:40.759 franchise things. You had Indiana Jones coming out that year, 142 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:43.439 you had the first Batman movie. There was a lot 143 00:07:43.480 --> 00:07:47.040 of exciting, big time films that were coming out, and 144 00:07:47.079 --> 00:07:49.759 to be honest, I was not into dramas at that age. 145 00:07:49.800 --> 00:07:52.839 So I remember the trailer. I remember seeing the poster 146 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:55.720 for Glory, and I just kind of went just because 147 00:07:55.720 --> 00:07:57.720 it just looked like a drama. I'd rather go see 148 00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:00.680 the new Batman. I gotta check that out. Now go 149 00:08:00.759 --> 00:08:04.600 a little forward. My older son, Sean, when he was 150 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:07.399 in high school, he came home and told me about 151 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:10.399 this movie. Have you seen Glory? And I go, I 152 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:12.800 think I've heard the name. He goes, It's one of 153 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:15.399 my favorite movies. It is so good historically. You have 154 00:08:15.560 --> 00:08:16.759 got to see this and. 155 00:08:16.759 --> 00:08:19.839 Yet again, wow, okay Sean, Yeah, he. 156 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:22.120 Saw it like again and again, or I think he 157 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:24.639 rented the DVD back then and would watch it, and 158 00:08:24.680 --> 00:08:27.000 I said, okay, I'll watch it, so it's always been 159 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:31.480 on my list, but not until we started this topic 160 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:34.039 when you said I want to do Glory, and I go, well, 161 00:08:34.120 --> 00:08:35.600 this gives me an opportunity. 162 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:39.360 It's kind of funny because I just happened to catch Glory. 163 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:41.919 I think on some streaming service. Was it Prime? 164 00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:44.200 I rented it on Prime a couple of days ago, 165 00:08:44.279 --> 00:08:47.440 so I don't know. I think it's on MGM Plus 166 00:08:47.559 --> 00:08:49.559 and I said, nah, I'll just rent it, and that's fine. 167 00:08:49.639 --> 00:08:52.480 Maybe I caught it on one of our seven thousand 168 00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:57.039 streaming platforms. But I thought, huh, Glory, I wonder if 169 00:08:57.080 --> 00:08:59.159 that's an accidental legend. So I started doing a little 170 00:08:59.159 --> 00:09:02.279 bit of research and lo and behold, we were onto something. 171 00:09:02.440 --> 00:09:05.200 And I enjoyed the movie enough, and I thought it 172 00:09:05.320 --> 00:09:08.240 was more nineties. I thought it was early nineties, and 173 00:09:08.279 --> 00:09:10.600 then I found out, nope, it is nineteen eighty nine. 174 00:09:10.759 --> 00:09:14.080 Square slap dab in the middle of Michael Keaton's Batman 175 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:17.440 coming out, the Last Crusade coming out, And it feels 176 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:20.000 late to me. But it's like you said, lead the 177 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:23.039 Weapon two even was coming out in eighty nine. I 178 00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:25.159 thought that was more like eighty seven, But you know, 179 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:27.039 don't count me on trivia. 180 00:09:27.159 --> 00:09:27.840 No, I get it. 181 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:32.720 So this concept of black Civil War troops, did you 182 00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:36.200 know anything about that? I had never heard of the 183 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:39.639 concept early on. When I first started seeing it, it 184 00:09:39.799 --> 00:09:45.360 was definitely my first exposure to Hey, there were black 185 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:50.399 infantry regimens fighting for the Union, obviously not fighting for 186 00:09:50.440 --> 00:09:54.080 the Confederacy, but fighting for the Union. They existed, and 187 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:57.679 they had a significant impact on the course of the war. 188 00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:01.039 No, I had no idea. I didn't really get into, 189 00:10:01.480 --> 00:10:04.159 I guess, deeper dives of history until I got into college, 190 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:07.559 and the history I enjoy is more of the what 191 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:10.919 I call micro history stories, like well, there was a 192 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:14.200 movie a while back with Gary Oldman about Winston Churchill, 193 00:10:14.440 --> 00:10:16.480 and it wasn't about his whole life, it was about 194 00:10:16.600 --> 00:10:20.240 one week. Dunkirk's another one. I really love the stories 195 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:23.080 that just really zooms in and says, this is a 196 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:26.120 moment with real people and real things happening. It's not 197 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:30.360 just dates and places, because that just always bored me. 198 00:10:30.679 --> 00:10:32.759 So Heartbreak ridges that way too. Yes. 199 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:35.120 Yeah, So in a way, I'm kind of glad I 200 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:37.720 saw it now instead of then, because I think it 201 00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:40.960 definitely hits better as an adult for me than it 202 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:44.039 would have. As eighteen year old dark, I would have 203 00:10:44.080 --> 00:10:46.159 probably no question. Yeah, I don't think it would have 204 00:10:46.200 --> 00:10:48.080 impacted me at all. At eighteen, I would have just 205 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:50.360 walked out the theater going, that was cool. Okay, that 206 00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:52.480 was great. I mean it wasn't cool, but you know 207 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:54.720 what I mean, you just kind of go, huh, I'm eighteen, 208 00:10:54.919 --> 00:10:56.960 and when are we going to go see the Last Crusade? 209 00:10:57.159 --> 00:10:59.960 You know, right, well, when we were you know, eight, 210 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:03.399 I mean eighty nine. I was, I think I was sixteen, 211 00:11:03.559 --> 00:11:06.399 and I didn't know who Denzel Washington was. I didn't 212 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:09.519 know who Morgan Freeman was. I didn't know I barely 213 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:12.919 knew that, you know, Wesley from The Princess Bride was 214 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:15.519 in this. I definitely knew Ferris Bueller was in it. 215 00:11:15.799 --> 00:11:21.960 But the scope of the cast and the real meaning underneath, 216 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.879 I mean, listen, I was just trying to get girls 217 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:27.679 and comb my mullet and get the zits off of 218 00:11:27.720 --> 00:11:32.480 my face. I could not grasp the significance of the 219 00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:35.559 very first because the fifty fourth was the very first 220 00:11:35.879 --> 00:11:37.399 black infantry regimen. 221 00:11:37.559 --> 00:11:39.559 And to be fair in your comment about the casting, 222 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:42.759 I'm sure you'll get into this later, but you had 223 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:46.399 no reason to know who any of these people were yet, 224 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:50.720 except maybe Matthew Broderick, and except for maybe Wesley from 225 00:11:50.759 --> 00:11:53.480 The Princess Bride. I always forget his name, but I'm 226 00:11:53.480 --> 00:11:56.519 sure that'll come, you know, later on down in the discussion. 227 00:11:56.519 --> 00:11:58.480 But now there's no harm, no foul on not knowing 228 00:11:58.559 --> 00:11:59.840 who these people were yet. 229 00:12:00.039 --> 00:12:02.200 So do you think civil war movies have always been 230 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:04.759 a tough sell? I mean, you're the movie guy. In 231 00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:10.960 the scope of movie making, there's just I can't think 232 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:12.600 of a ton of civil war movies. 233 00:12:12.759 --> 00:12:14.759 No, I can't either. I mean, the only one I 234 00:12:14.840 --> 00:12:17.679 can think off the top of my head is Dances 235 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:21.360 with Wolves, and that's just grazing the Civil War. That's 236 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:24.200 not even a civil war movie. You know, it could be. 237 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:27.120 I've got to I think about a couple of things 238 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:30.960 that can hamper it. Number one, especially now you've got 239 00:12:31.159 --> 00:12:34.240 a lack of global appeal. You know, Hollywood's trying to 240 00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:37.320 market movies for the whole world, not just the US, 241 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:40.679 and I would guess that civil war movies it's kind 242 00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:43.799 of a domestic subject, but it may be difficult to 243 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:46.840 market worldwide. You know another thing, I think see that 244 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:49.279 you know another thing, I think about is a lot 245 00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:52.679 of these kind of historical period films, they tend to 246 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:57.440 require a meticulous amount of costuming and physical set design. 247 00:12:58.120 --> 00:13:00.679 The budgets can get a little high. Yeah, maybe a 248 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:03.960 little different now with CGI, But I mean in nineteen 249 00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:06.159 eighty nine, you're building all of these things. I mean, 250 00:13:06.200 --> 00:13:08.799 all those people you see out there in the field. 251 00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:12.200 Every single costume had to be made, every single actor 252 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:14.759 had to be paid. So that could be a little 253 00:13:14.759 --> 00:13:18.120 bit of a downside too, maybe some politics involved. I 254 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:21.399 don't really recall the eighties being much of a polarizing 255 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:25.440 politics situation like it is today, So you know that 256 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:27.360 may not even have an issue with it, But at 257 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:29.559 least the first two points I think for sure. 258 00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:32.279 Yeah, I can see that. And I don't believe we're 259 00:13:32.279 --> 00:13:33.960 going to talk about this. This is just kind of 260 00:13:33.960 --> 00:13:36.440 something I'm pulling off the general research that I was doing. 261 00:13:36.759 --> 00:13:41.759 But I believe the movie starts with Antietam. Is that correct? 262 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:45.000 Am I remembering that right? Yes, the Battle of Antietam. 263 00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:48.440 But it wasn't filmed that Antietam. It was filmed in Gettysburg, 264 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:53.559 So all of that geography that you see is Gettysburg. 265 00:13:53.720 --> 00:13:56.399 Just kind of a little interesting, useless tidbit. That's why 266 00:13:56.399 --> 00:13:58.279 I didn't make it into the show notes. 267 00:13:58.519 --> 00:14:01.960 Just one more thing I was thinking of is there's always, 268 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:06.039 especially at this time, an originality problem. Movies that are 269 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:10.559 nonfranchise original stories. It's a bet. And right at this point, 270 00:14:10.840 --> 00:14:14.159 they're investing everything into Batman. You've got, like you said, 271 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:17.799 Leath the Weapon two Indiana Jones. That's like the third one. 272 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:21.000 You know, the Last Crusade is coming out years earlier, 273 00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:25.440 you had Ghostbusters two Star Trek five. Original projects are 274 00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:29.360 always risky, which is a shame because think about it, Matt. 275 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:33.559 Right now we're seeing a continued diminishing of margin for 276 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:38.480 Hollywood projects. All we're seeing right now is sequels, prequels, sidebars, 277 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:41.159 spin offs, and when you look at the box office numbers, 278 00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:44.440 it's just getting smaller and smaller. I really think Hollywood 279 00:14:44.440 --> 00:14:46.519 should think about originality. 280 00:14:46.039 --> 00:14:46.960 And think about it. 281 00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:50.159 You're and I show right here it's based on originality. 282 00:14:50.200 --> 00:14:52.840 It's that originality that create legends. 283 00:14:52.919 --> 00:14:56.000 I agree with that. And can I just give you 284 00:14:56.080 --> 00:14:57.399 a little pet peeve? 285 00:14:57.600 --> 00:14:58.200 Yeah, hit me. 286 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:01.759 The Hollywood pet peeve for me is the remake. So 287 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:05.120 you're telling me that we do not have enough creativity 288 00:15:05.159 --> 00:15:08.759 in our bones. We do not have enough creative writers, 289 00:15:08.919 --> 00:15:13.360 creative thinkers that we can come up with new ideas. 290 00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:17.080 We have to take an old idea, an old movie, 291 00:15:17.480 --> 00:15:21.240 dust it off and make it brand new. And we're 292 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:25.320 gonna change the character arc. We're gonna change this, we're 293 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:29.720 gonna change that. And it's not huge things, but taken 294 00:15:29.799 --> 00:15:34.240 all together, it's noticeable. And that has always been aggravating 295 00:15:34.240 --> 00:15:36.159 to me. Come up with the new thing. Let's do 296 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:40.919 something new. You get paid big bucks to write new things, 297 00:15:41.080 --> 00:15:42.399 not adapt old things. 298 00:15:42.600 --> 00:15:46.440 Right, Well, this movie is certainly an original film. It's 299 00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:49.519 an original story, and it opened my eyes of a 300 00:15:49.639 --> 00:15:52.039 part of history I didn't know about. So why don't 301 00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:53.679 you kind of set us up and tell me a 302 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:56.000 little bit about how this movie came to be. 303 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:01.679 It's actually a cool story because Glory almost didn't exist 304 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:04.120 because no one knew about it. No one knew that 305 00:16:04.279 --> 00:16:10.000 the fifty fourth existed. Producer Freddie Fields screenwriter Kevin Jarr 306 00:16:10.360 --> 00:16:14.399 were in Boston on completely unrelated business and they came 307 00:16:14.440 --> 00:16:21.000 across the Magnificent I'm told Augustus Saint Gauden's Memorial to 308 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:25.919 Colonel Robert Shaw and the fifty fourth Massachusetts, and apparently 309 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:28.399 it's breathtaking. I've seen pictures of it, but you know, 310 00:16:28.840 --> 00:16:32.840 until you get to a spot, you missed the gravitas 311 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:37.320 of what's happening in that place. But the bronze soldiers 312 00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:43.080 marched behind Shaw on horseback alongside, or the inscriptions describing 313 00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:48.840 their sacrifices, the prejudice they endured, their legacy. Supposedly, if 314 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:53.480 you look at the monument closely, it basically outlines the 315 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:55.679 movie as it happened. I don't know if you caught 316 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:59.120 that in your research, but according to the story, both 317 00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:02.840 men were just astonished. They had no idea. They said, 318 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:04.880 we didn't know black soldiers fought in the Civil War. 319 00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:08.680 How have we never heard of this? And so they 320 00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:13.400 stumbled across one of America's great history stories by accident, 321 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:16.160 and it became one of the most important historical films 322 00:17:16.279 --> 00:17:16.839 ever made. 323 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:19.519 You know, I just want to point out something. When 324 00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:22.079 I was watching this movie, Why did we not know? 325 00:17:22.200 --> 00:17:23.880 I'm gonna say wee because I didn't either. Why do 326 00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:24.759 we not know this? 327 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:25.160 Well? 328 00:17:25.160 --> 00:17:27.359 I think it's because the history books at that time 329 00:17:27.799 --> 00:17:30.160 just didn't print it. Like I said before, it was 330 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:33.000 just the overview you had Lincoln, you had, Grant you 331 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:35.960 had generally, that's about it. That's about all I remember. 332 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:38.400 It's good now that over the decades we've kind of 333 00:17:38.400 --> 00:17:41.160 tried to write that. You know, we have black history 334 00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:44.240 mine for Latin America History Awareness Month and things like that. 335 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:46.799 But and I'm not trying to get too political here, 336 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:49.279 but I'm watching this movie and I thought to myself, 337 00:17:49.480 --> 00:17:52.960 this isn't black history, this is history. Yes, this is 338 00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:56.079 where we need to go. How about we integrate these 339 00:17:56.119 --> 00:17:59.240 stories in the history books. It's great to talk about Lincoln, 340 00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:01.440 but I think it's really good to talk about this too, 341 00:18:01.559 --> 00:18:05.759 and not label it something that just American history, because 342 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:07.400 it's important for itself. 343 00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:11.680 I agree with that completely, because in the political climate 344 00:18:11.799 --> 00:18:14.839 and the social climate that we live in, all you 345 00:18:14.920 --> 00:18:17.079 have to do is show me a picture. All you 346 00:18:17.160 --> 00:18:20.119 have to do is show me Denzel Washington getting flogged, 347 00:18:20.359 --> 00:18:22.480 and I get it. You don't have to make any 348 00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:26.240 kind of commentary. I'm almost crawling out of my skin 349 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:27.240 watching it. 350 00:18:27.480 --> 00:18:28.480 Yeah, when we get to the. 351 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:34.440 Cruciating, absolutely, it was utterly excruciating to watch for me. 352 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:36.559 Always has been, always has been. 353 00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:38.279 Yeah, it's a tough one. 354 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:41.119 Yeah, Glory does a great job of just kind of 355 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:44.039 laying it out there. Here it is. You can take 356 00:18:44.079 --> 00:18:47.160 it or you can leave it, but it still happened here. 357 00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:50.000 The facts are as they're presented, it as they happened. 358 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:54.200 The fifty fourth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was one of the 359 00:18:54.200 --> 00:18:57.960 first official African American units in the Union Army during 360 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:02.720 the Civil War. Composed of enlisted men led by white officers, 361 00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:08.079 the regimen made history through its heroic, though devastating assault 362 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:12.119 on Fort Wagner, South Carolina in eighteen sixty three. Let 363 00:19:12.119 --> 00:19:14.599 me stop there for a minute, So the actual date 364 00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:19.640 of this battle is going to be July eighteenth, eighteen 365 00:19:19.720 --> 00:19:25.599 sixty three. This episode will drop on July fourteenth, twenty 366 00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:29.480 twenty six, one hundred and sixty three years to. 367 00:19:29.559 --> 00:19:32.240 The week wow of the battle. 368 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:35.599 That's why I believe in the last podcast we were 369 00:19:35.640 --> 00:19:38.160 discussing that we were going to do Devil in the Bottle. 370 00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:40.400 That's why we kind of shifted gears. 371 00:19:40.680 --> 00:19:42.680 I was thinking that, and then I got the notes 372 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:45.200 from this and I go, well, well, okay, but yes, 373 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:47.920 that's right. This is not a country song. 374 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:51.079 Okay, Yeah, Matt's just having a little ADHD moment. He 375 00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:52.920 forgot he said devil in the bottle. He did not, 376 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:55.880 in fact forget he said devil in the bottle. But 377 00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:58.119 I did look up the date, and I was thinking 378 00:19:58.119 --> 00:20:02.960 it was it was like lay, like early fall. But nope, 379 00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:07.200 July eighteenth, eighteen sixty three. So here's some key facts 380 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:11.359 about the fifty fourth mass It was authorized by Massachusetts 381 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:15.279 Governor John A. Andrew following the Emancipation Proclamation in eighteen 382 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:19.440 sixty three, so the Union recruited free black men from 383 00:20:19.480 --> 00:20:23.319 across the North and even Canada. It was commanded by 384 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:28.279 twenty five year old abolitionist Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, and 385 00:20:28.359 --> 00:20:32.079 the assault on Fort Wagner obviously July eighteenth, eighteen sixty three. 386 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:36.319 The fifty fourth led a direct uphill charge against a 387 00:20:36.359 --> 00:20:41.599 heavily fortified Confederate battery in Wagner, South Carolina. The regiment 388 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:46.079 suffered nearly fifty percent casualties, including the death of Colonel Shaw. 389 00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:51.839 So its impact and legacy is their extraordinary bravery and 390 00:20:51.880 --> 00:20:56.440 the discipline dispelled the racist doubts about African American soldiers 391 00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:59.000 fighting in the Civil War. So their actions paved the 392 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:02.599 way for the listment of over get this one hundred 393 00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:07.759 and eighty thousand black soldiers fundamentally shifting the course of 394 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:11.319 the war. This was the spark, right, So the North 395 00:21:11.480 --> 00:21:16.359 already had the population advantage over the South. They already 396 00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:20.599 had the bigger military, the better supplied military. But then 397 00:21:20.680 --> 00:21:23.920 you take all of that that was the White side, 398 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:27.599 if you will, then you add almost two hundred thousand 399 00:21:27.640 --> 00:21:31.240 black troops on top of that. Talk about stem the tide, 400 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:33.200 Stem the tide. 401 00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:36.279