Prince of the Devils

[John McGillivray]

Adam Beach hopes to bring justice to Canadian hero
Chris Wattie, CTV.ca News
Date: Saturday Feb. 13, 2010 7:30 AM ET
Just the thought of playing Canadian aboriginal war hero Tommy Prince in an upcoming film is enough to bring tears to the eyes of actor Adam Beach.
An emotional Beach, the Manitoba-born star of Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers" and of HBO television's Big Love, had to pause to regain his composure at a recent news conference announcing the launch of "Tommy Prince: Prince of the Devils."
"I'm going to be bringing forth a hero that I hope a 16-year-old will recognize and actually step up and say, 'I want to be a hero also,'" said the 37-year-old First Nations actor. "So that's where all this flooding of emotion comes."
The film, to be produced by B.C.-based Bay Film Studios, will focus on Prince's experiences fighting in the Second World War with the First Special Service Force, the legendary "Devil's Brigade," one of the most successful commando forces in military history.
Flanked by members of Prince's family and Manitoba aboriginal leaders, Beach said it was an honour to be asked to portray the war hero, the most decorated soldier in Canadian history and one of his boyhood idols.
"It's like I get to play a Captain America," he said. "I hope that I can put my heart and soul into someone that needs to be seen in that hero quality."
Beach hopes the movie will help fight negative stereotypes of aboriginals.
"History has created a timeline for our people that shows defeat, struggle, famine, residential schools -- it's left us with generations that are picking up the pieces," he said. "I want to introduce the timeline that has not stopped, that has not changed. That's our culture and traditions."
Prince, born on Manitoba's Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, was a hero of both the Second World War and the Korean War.
He was decorated by King George VI at Buckingham Palace with both the Military Medal and, on behalf of U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Silver Star with ribbon.
He died in 1977 at the age of 62 and is buried in Winnipeg.
The Canadian military has signed on to help ensure the film's action scenes are accurate, and Prince's remaining family members have given the film their blessing as well.
Robin Webb, the film's screenwriter and designated director, said the impetus for the project was his anger at a 1998 documentary on Prince which focused largely on the years after he left the army and fell into alcoholism and poverty in Winnipeg.
He saw the dramatic feature as a corrective to the stereotype, as well as a celebration of Prince's astonishing bravery and heroism and found a willing star in Beach.
Shooting is to begin this year on the feature film, which will have a budget of at least $11 million, with a theatrical release planned for 2011.
"I can't make the movie much bigger, because you have to work the movie backward -- you have to know how much you can get for it," Webb explained. "And I don't want to do a movie and wind up not making its money at the box office. So I don't think I'll go over $15 million, by the time it's finished."
Webb stressed that the movie will focus on the wartime heroism that earned Prince nine medals and other accolades, and not on his later civilian life, during which he was troubled by alcoholism, poverty and illness.
"There was more to the man than just being an alcoholic, as the media has come out to make him," said Tommy Prince, Jr., a son of the celebrated soldier. "He'd be honoured with Mr. Beach playing this role -- and he'd say, ‘Hey, carry on, dude.' And that we will."
Webb said he wants Prince's human side to come out in the film, while Beach added he wants to highlight the soldier's strength and courage.
"You're going to see a human being. You're going to see a war hero like you've never seen before," Beach said. "What we want to do is celebrate his heroics, and show him as that youthful man who was taking any challenges."
The character Beach played in "Flags of Our Fathers," Ira Hayes, shared some common experience with Prince. Both were celebrated as Second World War heroes. Hayes was one of the American soldiers who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi in the Battle of Iwo Jima, and the photograph of that minor event served to galvanize the U.S. in the latter years of the war. Hayes was subsequently celebrated as a hero, though he felt his accolades were undeserved.
Prince, on the other hand, so prized his military experience that he re-enlisted to fight in Korea after being honourably discharged following the Second World War.
"I think Tommy Prince has his own unique story, just being Canadian and what that says about being one of the most decorated soldiers in history," Beach said.
Webb says the shooting of the film may begin in the late summer, depending on Beach's commitment to appearing in the upcoming superhero film The Green Lantern.
While the Prince film will shoot in Winnipeg "for the beginning and end of Prince's story," it may also shoot in British Columbia, the United Kingdom, Italy and France.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...b=TopStoriesV2

http://en.video.canoe.tv/video/showb...es/66182092001

[Wpns 421]

This will be a real eye opener, I have often heard of his heroism during the Korean War and naturally the post war tragedy of his life. This is the first I have heard of his being a member of the Devil's brigade. Most definitely a must see and must have video to add to the collection. The choice of actor to portrait Prince is excellent.

[guyvapeur]

I thought I would add a side note to this thread. My father served overseas during the Second World War. He spoke highly of the native soldiers that he went into battle with. I recall him telling the story of one of his native buddies being singled out for raids. He cheerfully volunteered for such duty because he was free to use whatever means he had to get the mission done. Dad would recall how this soldier would come back from raids with solid information on enemy positions. As I recall the story told to me, the native soldier would leave for a raid armed with a revolver and knife. That was it.

There is another short story that comes to mind. I served in Northern Alberta in the early 1970`s. On my first November 11th day parade, I was surprised to see one of our local native men standing in the honor guard of the Legion. I had come to know this man as one of the many local drunks. On this day however, he was wearing the blue blazer and medals. I was then informed that this man was the most decorated soldier within that Legion`s area. It is then that I realized why some of the senior police officers I worked with offered this man rides home when they picked him up in the gutter.

Just thinking out loud and putting to print what comes to mind when I read stories about Tommy Prince and other native warriors

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

I understand perfectly, Guy. Our society as a whole has done badly by confining them to Reserves, throwing money at them by the wheelbarrow-load and treating them as second-class citizens. Nothing has changed.

Adam Beach is a damned good actor who is proud to have this role, and he'll do a bloody good job at it if the writing and directing is up to snuff! I frankly can't wait to see this when it's released next year.

[Mk1rceme]

Glad to see that there is a positive outlook on MLU for this upcoming movie. I have seen so many posts on other forums nitpicking the choice of Beach to portray Tommy and for the mistrust that proper research will be done to accurately put his experiences on film. But, like it or not, this kind of film will always bring out the teeth-gnashers in full force...every little detail will be scrutinized.

Dale

[Wpns 421]

Yes I really love these self acclaimed experts, seems that a lot of people become experts on everything when they post on the internet. When I listen to the film critics telling me how bad a movie is I make sure to go and see it and usually end up liking it.
If you remember the movie Paschendale, it was also criticized , for having too much romance.!!!! In most movies today, the ammunition budget for the movie is bigger than the Cdn military ammo budget. More bang less facts.
We need to have our heros immortalized, Canadians as a whole know very little of their heros and movies will educate them.
Today I read the story of the last Cdn WWI vet had died at 109, the family was offered a state funeral but it was refused, probably on request of the veteran. If I read the article right he joined at 15 and was sent to a young soldier batalion because of his age and never fought. How many people knew we still had a WWI veteran? Very few they were all busy playing video games.

Gilles
Arte et Marte