tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5231588353316940332012-01-06T10:46:33.820-05:00A production blog about making the documentary "Hunting Elephants in RI", the story of what happens when elephants and Rhode Islanders meet.taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.comBlogger621100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-63721246004124093282012-01-06T10:40:00.001-05:002012-01-06T10:46:33.832-05:00

OK Guys- this is the year Fanny's story gets told on film! I'm doing fill-in research, writing the script, adding more interviews, begging for more pix, video or visuals (including Slater Park Zoo in the mid-50's and circus pictures from 1958). If you have anything you'd like to show me, please contact me at elephantsinri@gmail.com. Thanks! I found some great information on the results of the "

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-42177570139281136682011-12-26T16:23:00.003-05:002011-12-26T16:28:56.768-05:00

There's some great news this week about Elephants in Rhode Island. We've been working for a long time to get a web presence for Elephants in Rhode Island. True, we have this blog, a facebook page, a twitter feed and our own email address, but somehow, things were falling short without our own website. So- today- after a month or more of intense work, we are delighted to announce that Elephants in

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-83362222207393000682011-11-22T16:37:00.000-05:002011-11-22T16:37:38.073-05:00

Poet Bea Lazarus was a nurse at Pawtucket hospital when she met Fanny. She'd often stop by Slater Park in Pawtucket to visit her friend after work, when the sun was golden and Fanny was at her best. When it was time for the elephant to leave home in 1993, Bea was moved to write a delicate and heartfelt poem to her. She's taped it for us. You can see it at ► 3:41► 3:41 www.youtube.com/watch?v=

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-39904717533927003352011-09-24T11:04:00.000-04:002011-09-24T11:04:53.941-04:00

Thursday was National Elephant Appreciation Day (for those of you who didn't know) and I celebrated by giving a talk about (what else?) Elephants in Rhode Island at the Ashaway Free Library in SW RI. The kind library staff there enthusiastically hostd the talk. They even made a batch of "Elephant Ear" cookies that disappeared from the table in minutes... The RI Council on the Humanities

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-85364361940044121212011-08-17T21:25:00.000-04:002011-08-17T21:25:00.535-04:00

Folks are still in love with Fanny. Even kids who never met her showed up last night at the library to hear stories, see the trailer, and learn more about Pawtucket's Sweetheart who left town almost 20 years ago. One of them is going to be an official fundraiser at her school when it opens this fall. There were 35 people there in all, including some of the original players, like Former Mayor

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-80708040938120770772011-08-15T11:17:00.000-04:002011-08-15T11:17:23.409-04:00

I heard today from David Bottai of the band The Hometown Rockers. They were the ones that wrote and performed Fanny's song that you can hear in the trailer, but there was much more to the song than the clip I had. I am blown away! Because we're going to Pawtucket tomorrow to meet everyone and have had some publicity, people are coming out with the greatest stuff. I can hardly wait! David also

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-63679230491870453082011-08-14T22:06:00.000-04:002011-08-14T22:06:33.899-04:00

We've been working steadily, Producer Gennie and I, to move Fanny along. This Tuesday we'll celebrate her life at Pawtucket Library, and have asked people to bring their stories and pictures of her to be included in the film. I have plenty of tape, and hope to capture as much great stuff as possible. We'll also be filming former Mayor Robert Metivier who was head honcho during the Uproar. It

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-66603492667114376272011-07-07T09:11:00.000-04:002011-07-07T09:11:12.206-04:00

I'm not sure whether to thank my contact in Denmark or not with his links about Baby Roger. They included a trove of newspaper clippings that it astounds me I hadn't found during my year's research on Roger. They chronicle his deteriorating circumstances at the zoo and are ripping my heart out. Although the city was aware of how bad things were, they didn't know what to do with their "Baby" and

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-69775611965770005922011-07-06T08:07:00.000-04:002011-07-06T08:07:51.877-04:00

I had an unexpected email from Joachim Endres of the European Elephant group asking for info on all the Alices at RWP Zoo here in Providence. I told him I would go through my info as soon as I returned home. But, in our conversation he was able to give me some dynamite info on Baby Roger that I hadn't tracked down. According to him, the species survival plan studbook shows- Baby Roger (from

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-86257102828368670112011-06-15T09:12:00.000-04:002011-06-15T09:12:54.870-04:00

I've continued research on Fanny's story, and ran across a series of letters by Pawtucket's 12 year olds lobbying to either keep or give away their beloved elephant. Now, I'm a sucker for kiddies reading stuff in movies, just as I am for archival footage (of which I am luck enough to have a bunch for this film). So I'd like to shoot a bunch of kids reading these letters into the camera. No

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-29945247426176950782011-06-12T13:09:00.000-04:002011-06-12T13:09:43.145-04:00

At last! The moment everyone has been waiting for! The trailer for Fanny (Uproar in Pawtucket) is done! You can see it at our indiegogo site (http://igg.me/p/29594?a=3933&i=shlk) or on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDpym4XGQSg Please let your friends, neighbors, and local librarians and barkeepers know about this. Fanny was so special, and since this is the year of the elephant in

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-90558485261168355712011-06-02T09:13:00.000-04:002011-06-02T09:13:19.842-04:00

It's been an exciting month with Genevieve in the producer's seat. Here are the highlights- We now have a facebook page (go to "Uproar in Pawtucket" at facebook and "like" us...). We're on twitter at @uproarpawtucket. And we are live on indiegogo.com ("Uproar in Pawtucket")! This crowdfunding site gives everyone a chance to be part of the project! For contributions from $10 up, you can get any

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-21414531132652156062011-05-10T23:18:00.000-04:002011-05-10T23:18:28.468-04:00

Elephants in Rhode Island, or, specifically, Uproar in Pawtucket, now has a producer! Meet Genevieve Belcher, everyone. She's an amazing woman, who is making some real forward motion possible in the project. For one thing, we now have a single address for all communications. It's elephantsinri@gmail.com. Now why didn't I think of that? Soon, we'll be having a fundraiser through both kickstarter

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-40764300459319573872011-04-26T09:37:00.000-04:002011-04-26T09:37:32.126-04:00

Elephants seem to be on a lot of people's minds these days. Water for Elephants has opened wide, and, more to the point, The Ballad of Baby Roger has been scheduled for broadcast on RI PBS (WSBE) at 7PM on June 18th. Hooray! Yesterday I received an invitation from the Ashaway, RI Public Library to be their guest speaker for "National Elephant Appreciation Day" on September 22 this year. Of course

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-38493699149773236522011-03-03T13:37:00.000-05:002011-03-03T13:37:28.601-05:00

Two articles in came out in the local press today bringing the elephants' stories to a wider audience. It shows how differently the same material can be covered. I was thrilled with the South County Independent's survey of Roger and the whole project. I was delighted to meet the writer briefly at the actual premiere, and he did a bang up job of getting the word out to his audience. Read the

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-44136162884859404532011-02-28T09:08:00.000-05:002011-02-28T09:08:42.085-05:00

Well, I've begun serious work on Fanny's story and ran across her facebook page last night! According to Joy Frisch Lewis, who started the page, "My niece (who is 38) and I had been talking about Fanny and trips to Slater Park, so I decided to do it [start the page]." Rght now I'm trying to contact several of the posters to see if we can talk about their memories of Fanny. Check it out at http:

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-90866808260909524722011-02-25T14:59:00.001-05:002011-02-25T15:02:55.841-05:00

Premiere Day went off without a hitch. The Museum was stuffed (forgive the pun) and we went into a second showing of Roger for an overflow crowd. I was honored to see that even the elephant manager from the zoo, Jen Warmbold, was there! Unfortunately, I didn't know she was in the audience until after the show was over. If I'd known, I would have called her up to field questions from the crowd.

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-1665691516591997182011-02-20T22:57:00.000-05:002011-02-20T22:57:09.630-05:00

Tomorrow is Roger's premiere at the Museum of Natural History in Providence. This is all very exciting for me and for the others who are involved. Because the actors all worked for credits, this is my chance to give back to them by making them all stars! (I wish I had a red carpet for them!) The Ballad of Baby Roger is now available on DVD at Amazon.com, right alongside of "The Ballad of Easy

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-19766107148575187492011-01-25T15:53:00.000-05:002011-01-25T15:53:27.253-05:00

Best news in the world for The Ballad of Baby Roger! Everything has been finished, the premiere is ready to happen, RI International Film Festival has accepted the application to consider it for their festival, the duplicates are being made, I will get the preview copy of the disc from the video on demand source that will make it possible to buy Roger from the web, the RI Film Collaborative gave

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-70402432337336854982010-12-26T20:11:00.000-05:002010-12-26T20:11:02.527-05:00

We I have now nailed in the final arrangements for Roger's premiere. It will definitely be at 1PM on Monday, President's Day, at the Museum of Natural History at Roger Williams Park. I'm very excited about this and hope to see everyone there. In the meantime, I'm doing the final tweaks on the film itself(the music, at last, arrived...) and will be sending a disc to the duplicators ASAP. One of

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-70880468170887152552010-12-22T17:38:00.000-05:002010-12-22T17:38:08.675-05:00

Everything has been going swimmingly these days. We've got the date for the grand premiere scheduled at the Roger Williams Park Museum. It's February 21st, President's Day, and what a great way to celebrate it will be. Still waiting for the final music to come through, though I do have a plan B if necessary. The composer PROMISES me I'll have the score by the end of the year. And speaking of

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-70109308406619753522010-12-11T09:43:00.003-05:002010-12-11T09:59:42.217-05:00

The final cut of Roger is finished, and even has a workable score on it, though the final version of the music is still at the composer's... I am delighted. It's gotten good reviews from those who've seen it, including the members of the RI Film Collaborative up in Pawtucket, who made a few tweaking suggestions, but agreed it was pretty decent.RI PBS has expressed interest in seeing it for

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-39709115515545942732010-11-17T14:15:00.003-05:002010-11-17T14:26:51.289-05:00

So Roger's rough cut is done and out at the composer's for scoring! What a relief, and how much fun it's been getting the last few pieces nailed in place and the details under control. Two amazing actors came into the project in one week, and I'm happy to have them both, though one has a talking part, and one not, they're both equally important.Still some fine tuning to do, but essentially, if I

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-69881148589647003272010-10-20T20:49:00.002-04:002010-10-20T21:00:08.795-04:00

I've been working a lot on Roger these days, and even have a rough cut of part of the film done that I've submitted to some of my most trusted advisors for comments. Because of the fact that a real mover and shaker has taken an interest in the film, I expect it to be done and ready to go quite soon! True, I got behind and then got involved in teaching, but now I'm really ready for the final

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-56534413918996251752010-06-30T14:51:00.003-04:002010-06-30T15:07:07.433-04:00

After days of scrolling through the Providence Journal on microfilm, I finally located the final news item about Roger in the May 26, 1903 issue. The small headline in the middle of page 3 read "Baby Roger has Gone" and described his departure by train to Yonkers where he was going to stay at an animal dealer's place. My heart cracked. "He was loaded on a freight car at the siding at the park and

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-51152216986354456142010-06-25T13:59:00.004-04:002010-06-25T14:26:36.098-04:00

I was hunting down more info on the adorable Roger, and came across two major discoveries- 1) It was not a Projo reporter who suggested that the kiddies raise the needed dough to ransom the pachyderm prince. It was a concerned citizen by the name of Mrs. WHT, who wrote to the paper-It has occurred to me that the school children might raise the amount needed. Could some responsible person be

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-14473841631699255472010-06-15T09:26:00.001-04:002010-06-16T10:34:02.742-04:00

It's been an eventful two months, Roger-wise, and I think the estimated date of premiere at the end of September is pretty realistic. Here's what's happened on the project since the last posting.I auditioned a lot of really talented kiddos to read the poems throughout the film. Since the original reading, though, I've found a few more pieces I want to include in the film and need to have some

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-152409553832054022010-04-10T19:53:00.002-04:002010-04-10T20:01:45.076-04:00

I received a check the other day from my Hawaii-based supporter- Ron Schaeffer. It was big, and it was a real kick in the pants to get going (once again) on the stalled project. That, and the fact that someone at the gym called out "Go get the elephants" today as I was walking out the door. They'd seen the interview I did on local TV and are now eager to hear all of the elephant progress.So with

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-30681051713203221622010-03-02T09:30:00.003-05:002010-03-02T09:42:13.721-05:00

More news from my newly-involved friends. Bob Wilhelm sent me the link to a souvenir booklet from Narragansett that had a picture of Roger taking his first swim! It also ponied up with quite a bit of info on the Roger Williams Park Zoo menagerie at the time of the young prince's reign. This is too good. Who knows how much more stuff is out there?Focusing on just one of the stories to begin with

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-10268406455217374502010-03-01T14:13:00.004-05:002010-03-01T14:31:26.371-05:00

Today has been a bonanza, Baby Roger-wise.First I ran across a reference in a jeweler's catalogue to a "Baby Roger Commemorative Spoons" that were being sold in 1893. I'm on the hunt for one of these dandies and could use all the help I could get. Tried ebay, and then emailed Robert M. Wilhelm, the head of a spoon collector's organization (you knew there had to be one!) to see if he could help me

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-52355799348601000802010-02-04T21:09:00.002-05:002010-02-04T21:14:07.490-05:00

Reached the archival footage funds goal this week with checks from Greta Kessler and Ricky LaBrie. It knocks me over the top, and I can send off for the much awaited footage any time now. The only problem is that since they sent me the money privately, I'll need to post it under my own name on the kickstarter site in order to show that I reached the goal so kickstarter will release the

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-50557562971649468132010-01-19T10:21:00.002-05:002010-01-19T10:32:49.568-05:00

This morning I started perusing the notes from the script meeting I had early last month with my mentor/producer up in Boston. I instantly got jazzed again and am going a-hunting for more visuals today. I began assembling footage as a new project on my desktop editor this weekend, and seeing the elephant and kiddies and pix was enough to energize me a lot. I will be shooting another pint-sized

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-65178570443725506452010-01-14T14:32:00.002-05:002010-01-14T14:49:13.722-05:00

The interview that we taped on NCTV (channel 18,RI Cox cable station) is in the can and will be airing in Rhode Island soon. I saw it yesterday and though I wished I looked a little jazzier, I was pleased. I made a couple of gaffs, but that's to be expected on a program without notes, so I hope I'll be forgiven for those. I will also post dates and times as soon as I get them from the station

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-59442793902614247222010-01-10T17:18:00.002-05:002010-01-10T17:22:38.824-05:00

Moving right along on the Roger project, I shot the first of the children reading one of the poems written to that lucky elephant. The camera loved this kid! She was ultimately photogenic and will do really well in the picture. She read well, and we'll get her up to speed the next time when we shoot for real- in costumes!I feel the energy really flowing these days and continue hunting down what I

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-79003604881898553162010-01-08T12:33:00.002-05:002010-01-08T12:37:35.124-05:00

I just learned about a great new microfunding site that could help bring the elephants to life! It's called kickstarter.com and they make it possible for people to sign on to independent projects that need some cash infusion.So the Elephants now have a funding home. Check it out at: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/862186635/elephants-in-rhode-island-needs-archival-footageAnd feel free to

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-56074096959725322122010-01-07T18:13:00.004-05:002010-01-07T19:03:49.985-05:00

After a too-long absence I'm back on track with the doc. It's been a fascinating time and I'm eager to make real progress again so that soon the stories will be playing in a theater near you!Since the last post on this blog, I've-1) given talks around the state about the project, 2) located more historic footage that's related to the Roger the Baby Elephant Story, 3) written a rough draft of

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-78676692290423657812009-08-07T19:54:00.004-04:002009-08-07T20:19:22.366-04:00

A lot has happened since the last post, culminating in an 8 hour visit to Roger Williams Park Zoo. We had such amazing cooperation from the zoo staff that I was truly humbled. These folks took a lot of time out of their work day to answer questions, and show us around. And I could ask basically anything that I wanted to. I tried to include questions that I thought the general concerned public

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-28799891108033323252009-07-15T10:47:00.002-04:002009-07-15T10:57:02.394-04:00

It was off to Chepachet again for a chat on camera with Edna Kent, Glocester's Town Historian. I stopped at the Town cemetery on the way and located one of the shooter's graves with no problem at all. I wasn't at all surprised that Albert Eddy's impressive grave didn't mention a thing about his role in the historic elephant killing. I intend to go back to hunt the rest of the gang down, though

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-85639454204747137762009-06-29T14:51:00.003-04:002009-06-29T14:59:16.000-04:00

It's really hard to think of condensing this project into a 2.5 minute trailer. What is the film's essence? How can I convey it in a flash?If you were in the theater watching trailers before the latest Indie Blockbuster, what could I show you that would make you put this movie on your "definitely to do" list? How could I fan your flame so that you couldn't wait to tell all of your friends about

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-2291756904140756282009-06-20T12:36:00.004-04:002009-06-22T12:09:30.006-04:00

OK. I have been avoiding any real confrontation with circus elephants. I, after all, am not a tough activist. I generally melt in the face of adversity. And I collapse in the face of animal misuse. But the Cole Bros. Circus came to town, and they had elephants.Like a sleepwalker, I drove into the parking lot where the big top was begin set up and asked if they did, indeed, have elephants in their

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-59381260823354658942009-06-19T09:14:00.006-04:002009-06-24T11:04:44.474-04:00

After a trip to Spain and several other diversions, I came back full force last week, with my faithful camera guy Ray, to shoot a couple of players in the "Fanny in Pawtucket" story.Bill Mulholland was the head of the zoo during the Fanny imbroglio. Aaron Wishnevsky was one of Fanny's greatest fans and was active in getting her into the Black Beauty Ranch instead of a theme park/sanctuary in

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-61930481279538118132009-05-19T10:06:00.004-04:002009-05-22T12:12:45.883-04:00

So I presented my findings so far to the Glocester Historical Society in Chepachet last night. There were over a dozen people present and I was delighted at their interest in what I have dug up so far. The presentation, in spite of some early techno panic, went off really well.The big hit of the evening, of course, was the world premiere of the digital version of the Baby Roger movie. For the

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-73044060022604587992009-04-27T09:47:00.002-04:002009-04-27T10:16:08.672-04:00

So much has happened to this project this month that I've lost track of time.I located some actual footage of Providence's "Baby Roger"! It was taken in 1900 by a Long Island filmmaker who worked with DW Griffith early in his career. Anyway,after a daylong hunt, and some extremeley good luck in finding a friendly archivist at UCLA, I located the only existing copy of this film at the Library of

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-75611630405735010442009-04-08T11:43:00.003-04:002009-04-08T11:51:07.210-04:00

Well, momentum is picking up on the elephants this Spring. I talked today with Bill George, program director of local radio in RI. We discussed this doc and put out a call for participation on air.The interview will be aired on three stations at three times-93.3FM Sunday, April 12 at 7AM94.1FM Sunday at 7.30AM101.5FM Sunday at 7.30AMClearchannel doesn't podcast these programs, so it won't be

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-16144881168223635902009-03-30T10:06:00.002-04:002009-03-30T10:18:16.368-04:00

It's springtime and zoo time in Rhode Island, so I've moved south from Pawtucket and have begun digging into the history of Roger Williams Park Zoo (where the hopefully fertile Alice awaits another chance at motherhood). Larry, god bless him, furnished me with a lead to the most heartwarming story yet, pachyderm wise. In 1893, the children of Providence presented a baby elephant to the zoo. It

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-27522964456548230062009-03-17T16:24:00.003-04:002009-03-17T16:54:33.429-04:00

I got an email yesterday from a fellow named Larry in North Scituate, not far from Chepachet, that knocked my sox off. It seems that he's devoted a considerable chunk of time researching a piece of family history with his sister, and it all has to do with elephants.One of the most famous elephants in modern western history was called Jumbo, a mammoth star of the British Empire who won the hearts

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-72996828055735220662009-03-01T10:31:00.002-05:002009-03-01T10:38:15.649-05:00

I spent a lot of time going through my Pawtucket research the other day and thinking about how this movie is going to look when it's done and on the screen at the Academy Awards. Now, I must see about 100 docs a year, and I'm always fascinated at how many ways there are to tell a story on screen. I have (of course) my preferences as to watching them, but just as I feel I have the structure nailed

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-19174258134151392912009-02-24T09:37:00.003-05:002009-02-24T09:53:21.154-05:00

So I sent out press releases to several newspapers around the state describing the project and asking for people to participate by letting me know their stories. I hadn't realized that the Projo instantly posted the entire release on its blog site. http://newsblog.projo.com/2009/02/documentary-mak.html But when I suddenly got several emails and comments I was delighted. Googled my name with the

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-38447262763647313592009-02-21T12:10:00.005-05:002009-02-23T15:23:33.914-05:00

I binged on Pawtucket this week. I kept thinking of those files, those stacks of folders, just waiting to be mined by the right person- who happens to be- me. Although I had appointments here on the island or nearby every day, by Wednesday I exploded, rented a hotel room up north and headed for Pawtucket Public Library.The files were no disappointment. Though I got a little weary of reading what

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-7396564439747528192009-02-14T16:31:00.002-05:002009-02-14T16:43:09.801-05:00

There's something pretty satisfying about being presented with stacks of primary source folders on a subject, and that's what I faced earlier today up in Pawtucket. The Fanny files from both the Library and Historical Society there were waiting for me to mine them. I only had a couple of hours to go through them today, but I can hardly wait to retun next week for more digging.There were a couple

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-87079368591980762112009-02-07T10:14:00.004-05:002009-02-07T11:41:49.434-05:00

Big news in elephant world this week, as my friend Sue on the island was quick to point out. According to the New York Times, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Animal Welfare Institute and the Fund for Animals have brought Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus to Federal District Court for "engaging in a number of practices they call cruel, including

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-3979198214688108872009-02-02T20:49:00.003-05:002009-02-02T21:43:53.974-05:00

Paydirt. As I was photocopying the info I'd gathered on Bette's demise in Chepachet for the Historical Society, I ran across the names of the five defendants who were found guilty of the murder. I immediately emailed Andrew Smith up at Judicial Records with the info so he could locate anything of value from the courts. I'm waiting for his answer about the process that sealed the fates of Fenner

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-54928338094447385582009-01-23T17:32:00.002-05:002009-01-23T17:51:31.181-05:00

A short trip to DC during inauguration yielded far more than chilblains and cheesy Obama trinkets. I talked with my sister-in-law, an experienced historical researcher of local records, about my troubles finding court records of the 1826/27 trial in Chepachet, which resulted in the conviction of five and the assessing of a fine on them of $1500for the loss of Bette the Trained Elephant.

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-64135152585856081422009-01-18T10:53:00.002-05:002009-01-18T11:16:34.041-05:00

I spent the frigid cold AM tucked up snugly in the RI Historical Society's Library watching TV. I'd made an appointment to see some tapes from WJAR's archives- 50'rolls of on-the-spot news dating back to the 1950's. Of course I'd only chosen 4 out of the 50K plus reels in the collection, but they all (the index assured me) dealt with elephants and the circus. It was a dislocating experience,

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-59046722582401137762009-01-14T16:17:00.003-05:002009-01-16T14:35:34.478-05:00

Thank god the weather was clear and the roads were dry for the spin up to Chepachet to talk with the local historian, Edna Kent. We were meeting at her house for a confab to see how we could mutually benefit each other and the village of Chepachet, township of Glocester, and state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations with whatever information we had. Edna Kent is a charmer. She's devoted

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-42194113551947781112009-01-12T15:42:00.003-05:002009-01-12T16:09:57.352-05:00

It's always tempting when making a documentary to grab the camera and run, shooting everything and everyone in your rolodex so you end up with a lot of footage in a short time. It gives you the feeling that you're making progress. It yields footage. It revs up your editing engine. But this, after all, is Rhode Island in winter and there's ice on the ground, the sun is not to be trusted and

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-15643292359101942062009-01-07T14:36:00.002-05:002009-01-07T15:38:53.838-05:00

After a brief hiatus for the holidays, I'm back on the project at hand...I received a call (several, actually) from an actor in Chicago whose agent, he said, had sent him the info on the project from NEFilm.com. He was a real mover, this one, and strove to assure me that he had whatever it took to be in my movie. He was missing a prime ingredient, though. Tact. During the course of a five minute

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-16299986567795951652008-12-22T21:59:00.002-05:002008-12-22T22:40:45.153-05:00

I was astonished to learn from the zoo public relations officer that no one had contacted them about the hottest elephant story to hit the wires in quite some time. Not a single news source inquired at elephant headquarters for a quote, a view, or even a comment, on the article that ran this month in Science magazine and then was picked up by the worldwide press that zoo elephants don't live as

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-60277642496690887822008-12-15T11:59:00.002-05:002008-12-15T12:11:37.861-05:00

The one thing that strikes me every time I talk to anyone about this project is their obvious passion about protecting elephants. The most unlikely suspects jump when I say- "Elephants in Rhode Island".Take today for example. I ran across a reference to a former student (now professional cinematographer) from RISD who had done a student film project on Pawtucket's Fanny the Elephant. Frustrated

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-28946855168234112632008-12-08T17:07:00.004-05:002008-12-08T17:25:31.001-05:00

I talked to RI Representative Raymond Gallison today. He wrote and sponsored two bills in the legislature "Relating to Cruelty to Animals". It was a revelation.The first bill, in 2005 aimed to ban animal circuses in the state because of their dreadful record of cruelty to their charges- specifically elephants. Gallison said he was spurred to present the bills because he had worked at the Civic

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-51364860818570083952008-12-03T09:10:00.004-05:002008-12-03T09:28:29.518-05:00

So the RI Council on the Humanities has given the nod to a research grant for Elephants! I'm really energized, because this means that others see the value behind the project and it's not just my own personal quirk that keeps it going. So after a month of holding my breath, I now feel ready to plunge into the world of elephants, their keepers and those who love them.I have to admit, though, that

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-523158835331694033.post-39444035894412532392008-10-06T11:26:00.004-04:002008-10-06T12:02:31.488-04:00

This doc was born in idle curiosity and grew out of an article (page 13 http://www.rhodeislandhld.com/magazine/oct08.pdf) I wrote for Rhode Island Home, Living and Design Magazine which, though a real estate promotion magazine, covers a fascinating range of topics.I had heard about the murder of Bette, the Learned Elephant in Chepachet, which is in northern RI, in 1826, some time ago. Though

taphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470451680339395845noreply@blogger.com0