Sandburg special on PBS

[Rob Wick]

Bill,

I understand what you mean. I think part of the problem is if a person has studied something for a long time, and then sees how another person interprets it, you are bound to question not only their interpretation but even your own. It's important to remember that this is just one filmmaker's interpretation of what he considers to be important where Sandburg is concerned. If I was making the film, I would have done it differently, and he would have looked at it and wondered if we were talking about the same person.

When I appeared in The Hunt For Lincoln's Assassin, I thought to myself "Great. Conger's story is finally going to be told, and not only do I get to be part of the one to tell it, I get to be on national television." Well, when I watched it for the first time, my jaw dropped. Not only did they completely ignore my guidance on the script where Conger was concerned, they also only gave me one quote that was directly about Conger. The only solace I took was that my good friend Steve Miller had the Conger quotes, although Steve has done more for Boston Corbett and the 16th New York. They also had Conger working directly with Edwin Stanton, which is fantasy. I told them that, and they ignored me. I was there to provide "window dressing" (although my window is very cracked and needs a great deal of cleaning), in the guise of an "expert" that makes the filmmaker's story appear credible. It wasn't about my knowledge, but fitting into the story they wanted to tell.

Just as an aside, forum members Tom Turner and Sandman (Tom Goodrich) were also both in the film. I know Betty and Laurie have also been on other programs, and I imagine they would echo some of the same comments I've made.

Best
Rob