In writing about the movie folks from Older Than America I noticed that Fond du Lac Follies made a factual error in the last issue. I don't know how this got by the FdL Follies fact checker but the names of the director and the producer of the movie were spelled wrong. Here is the correction: The director of the movie is Georgina Lightning, the producer is Christine Walker. My apologies to those movie folk. Apparently FdL Follies needs a new fact checker.

I have come to calling anyone associated with the movie The Hollywoods. Yup, the Hollywoods.

We have been in almost daily contact with the Hollywoods. We also run into them at the Black Bear Hotel and Casino since that is where they are staying while here on the Rez. There must be 30 or 40 of them Hollywoods running around.

On the first official day of shooting one of the Hollywoods called and asked if I would come and say a few words before they got started. I replied that I would be honored to do that.

I got there and it looked just like a movie set, they had a camera set up on little railroad tracks, they had lights and filters for the lights, they had big trucks parked all over the street, they had a sound system, microphones and had cables snaking around. There must have been 25 Hollywoods standing around behind the camera. For a little while there I became one of them Hollywoods.

I asked Bobby Darrin, whose name is Dan Hutchinson, what was happening with the scene. He explained that Wes Studi would arrive and get out of his car and walk up and talk with Glen Gould. What? Wes Studi was in this movie too? I have long been a fan of his work and now I would be able to see him act in person.

Wes Studi came up and shook my hand and thanked me for my words and said he liked my books also. I shook back and told him how I admired his work.

I watched for a while then left before the acting and shooting was done. I came home and told my wife I had just met Wes Studi. She said who? I took her to the internets and showed her his film biography and picture. She said she wasn't really a movie person.

That evening we met with the Hollywoods at the Black Bear Casino. Wes came into the Lady Slipper and joined our table. Ray Earley and I began trading stories with Wes, the Vietnam Vet.

Ray, Wes, Pat and I, and a bunch of Hollywoods went to a quieter place to continue our visiting. Wes said people like Pat would keep him humble, she asked why he went to Vietnam? He said he wanted to see if he could handle it, being in a war. Ray and I learned he was in the Army and was a RTO in the Delta. Our visit was just good.

One of the Hollywoods Bobby Darrin, whose name is Dan Hutchinson, showed up to build a sweat lodge in the back yard. My son Matthew, godson Zac, helped assemble the poles, the poles that were cut by my son Jim. There is a scene in the movie that will use a sweat lodge and they will shoot it here. Here at the World Headquarters of the Fond du Lac Follies.

The Hollywoods will also shoot part of the movie by the fire pit in the yard. The fire pit we use for boiling maple sap and parching wild rice. It seems only natural for that fire pit to be in the movie.

The story for that scene is Adam Beach comes up to the fire where Ray, Patricia and I are sitting while telling stories. Adam Beach? I haven't even met him yet.

Older than America has really touched my family, friends. My son Matthew, daughter Jackie are in it, Ezigaa, my son Aaron, will be in one of the boarding school scenes. My friend Ray, wife Pat, and I will all have face time on the big screen.

I wonder if Georgina or Christine could rewrite the script to include that silver '64 Corvette, izhinikaazo Rez Car, in the movie? For that I would take it out of winter storage and even let someone else drive it. Well, maybe not that far.

I think there will be more Older Than America stories in the next version of the Fond du Lac Follies. Adam Beach?

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In the real world we are saddened because two young men from this Reservation died in a horrible car crash here in Sawyer. We grieve with the familes of Harold Knowlen and Morris Lamarch

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The views expressed in this column belong to the writer alone. They are not meant to represent this website, the Rez, Christine or Georgina, or even my wife Patricia. Comments and movie passes can be sent to FdL Follies, PO Box 16, Sawyer, MN 55780-0016 email northrup@cpinternet,com.

Relevant Links:
Jim Northrup - http://www.jimnorthrup.org.

Related Stories:
Fond du Lac Follies: Column by Jim Northrup (10/24)