Sandburg special on PBS

[LincolnMan]

That was hilarious Roger! I bet were a great teacher.

[RJNorton]

Thanks, Bill - that makes me feel really good. I enjoyed being in the classroom, and there is nothing like seeing the wonderful look of a young student who didn't understand something and then suddenly "gets it!" We have a bunch of great teachers on this forum, and I am sure they will know what I mean. Bill, you are a great teacher through your blog!

[LincolnMan]

Still watching the DVD of The Day Carl Sandburg Died. I know the program is limited to the amount of information that could be included in it-but was hoping for more Sandburg-Lincoln stuff. Also, they mentioned for about one second that Sandburg was in the Spanish-American War. I wish something about his service and what impact it may have had on him was considered.

[Rob Wick]

Bill,

I think the reason they skipped over that part was that he never actually saw combat. He spent his time in Puerto Rico, where the only thing he fought was mosquitoes and the heat. He kept a diary of his time there, but I didn't see it when I went through his papers the last time. I think it had some effect on him, but not as much as one might think.

Best
Rob

[LincolnMan]

I finished watching the documentary last night. While I'm glad to see Sandburg get some media attention, I have to say that for me-I was somewhat underwhelmed. The odd thing is that I really don't know why.

[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

[LincolnMan]

Thanks Rob. I didn't know if it was me or what. It didn't sit quite well with me. Your thoughts are much appreciated. I hope that the upcoming Lincoln movie is good. I hear so many stories like yours where they ignore this or that-or just plain get it wrong. Oh well...

[RJNorton]

Does Tom Goodrich pay full price for hair cuts?

[Rob Wick]

Unfortunately Roger, I never got to meet either Tom (we filmed at the same place, but on different days) so I never got the chance to ask him.

Best
Rob

[Laurie Verge]

Be careful, Tom the Sandman, I think Roger may be picking on you...

I have to agree with Rob on how disheartening it is to work with the media (and not just film makers) who ply you for accurate history and then don't use it or choose to distort it for their purposes. I have probably related my experiences with History Decoded before, but the three "decoders" appeared to be genuinely interested in facts. However, during my interview (which went from about an hour during taping to two minutes after final cuts), everytime I tried to give a documentable answer, the cute, young, female director would scream "Cut!" At one point, she left the room to talk on the phone, and I stated my feelings. The camera man simply said, "Welcome to our world...".

I have enjoyed sharing history with Erik Jendresen, who is guiding the Killing Lincoln film for NatGeo. From the very beginning, he was upfront about wanting accurate and detailed history. I could also tell from the beginning that he had already done a lot of his homework. I now pray that the final result shows this dedication to accuracy. Fair warning, Erik -- If the show turns out anything like the book, I will beat you up after your presentation at the Surratt conference in March! LOL

[RJNorton]

Dedicated to Rob Wick:

Click Here.

[Rob Wick]

Thanks Roger.

I wondered if they would put it on the web. I still plan to buy the DVD, but this is cool as well.

Best
Rob