Sons & Daughters of Thunder

"Thunder" DVD release moved to July

We want to let you know that the DVD release of Sons & Daughters of Thunder will be delayed until July due to a busy screening release schedule of the film during the spring months.  We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.  We will be sure to update you if we are able to ship the DVD sooner than expected.  

Those of you who are to receive the DVD as a "Perk" for your $50 or more contribution to Thunder will receive the DVD in July before it is released to the general public.  

The Thunder DVD will include the feature-length film, filmmakers' commentary alternative audio track, additional scenes, and optional onscreen captions.

We are very grateful to each and every one of you for your generous support, your patience and your faith in us.  This has been a very challenging project for us and we are so pleased to see it coming to a close.  We are very excited about the premiere events in March and the high interest in screenings elsewhere in the country.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions at fourthwallfilms@aol.com.

Thank you again for your kind and generous support of Sons & Daughters of Thunder.  We could not have made it this far without you.  We are deeply, deeply grateful.

With gratitude and warmest regards,

Tammy and Kelly Rundle
Producers, Sons & Daughters of Thunder

Crafting the Lane Rebels' Melody

Part 2

By Jessica Karolczak

After excitedly joining Fourth Wall Films' Sons and Daughters of Thunder production team, accomplished composer William Campbell of St. Ambrose University has begun crafting the film’s melody.

Ever since he was young, Campbell has been able to “hear the music.”

He frequently could copy styles of music, which has greatly aided him during his composing career. The first part of Campbell’s composing process is watching at least part of the film to get a feel for the “world” his music is in. For some films, he then researches the time period and listens to the popular songs of the time.

“At this time, Cincinnati, which is where this film is set, was a bit of a pioneer town,” Campbell said of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 19^th century. “But, the group of people that we’re following were used to refined culture. There wouldn’t have been large orchestras. But, there would have definitely been professional-level piano players and string players.”

Because of this research, Campbell is choosing to create the music using mostly piano with the occasional accompaniment of solo woodwinds and a string quartet. This is to match the film’s “sound palette.” He also focused his research on hymns because director Kelly Rundle and producer Tammy Rundle asked for hymn-like music.

The next step in Campbell’s process is improvising music on the piano using the styles and songs he researched. Sometimes, this involves starting with familiar tunes and then branching off while other times he starts from scratch.

“Sometimes I can just write down that improvisation, and it’s pretty much done,” Campbell said. “Usually, that’s just the beginning of the process. Whether I whittle away what I just wrote or chip away. Think about it like a sculptor with a block of marble. I’ve got more than enough material, and I have to take some away.”

“Or, if I have to change it, it would be like if I was a visual artist,” Campbell continued. “Right now, it would be all greens and browns that I just improvised and really what I need is blue and yellow. The figure or the image is correct, but now the colors need to change.”

This “chipping away” includes changing notes, adjusting chords and potentially revising the tone with different key signatures. This process can take weeks, but Campbell said the amount of time spent on it depends on the deadline. For Thunder, the goal is to have the music finished by the end of May.

Once the songs are completed, Campbell has two ways of recording them: a live studio or a control room. The live studio is his living room, which features a grand piano. In the control room, he creates the songs using digital software.

Directly afterward, he uses a double monitor featuring the scripted music on one screen and the film on the other. He then lines up dramatic moments with specific parts of the music.

Yet, the biggest challenges for Campbell are in the final steps of the process. One obstacle is balancing the music with the film’s dialogue and background sounds. This is to ensure the music is supportive and not dominating.

“This is a challenge I’ve come to really like,” Campbell said. “I treat it as if I’m a duet partner and accompanying them [the actors].”

The other challenge is possible rejection. Occasionally, the music doesn’t fit the directors’ vision or intention for a scene. So, Campbell must adapt to cope with the rejection. This includes using the rejected piece for a different scene, incorporating aspects of the song into a more fitting melody and/or utilizing the song in a future project.

Once the music is done, he shares it with the director/editor, who inserts it into the film.

 

"Walnut Hills" - Excerpt from Kelly Rundle on Vimeo.

Reviewing the completed project is rewarding, Campbell said. However, his human nature and perfectionism occasionally send his mind wandering to what he could have done better. Still, he said he usually happy with a lot of his work.

“I do look back and think about how that film project changed me as a person and how the music I contributed was such a big part of my life for that moment,” Campbell said.

For more about Campbell, see part one of this blog called “Accomplished Composer Brings Musical Life to ‘Sons and Daughters of Thunder,'” or visit www.williamcampbellmusic.com.

 

Dillon Home Tours Boom Before "Thunder" Film Event April 18

The Dillon Home Museum is expecting a busy day of tours on Thursday, April 18th,--the big day of the Sons & Daughters of Thunder Sterling premiere.  Several key scenes were filmed in the Dillon Home for the historic docudrama.  Twelve lead actors and nearly 70 extras re-enacted the true events surrounding the first public debates concerning the abolition of slavery at Lane Seminary in 1834 Ohio.  The Dillon Home was the stand-in for the real-life Lyman Beecher house located on Lane Seminary grounds in Cincinnati.

Linda Heckler was the curator of the Dillon Home at the time of filming and was assisted by Kimberly Smith. The two women became honorary production assistants for Thunder, lighting candles, moving furniture, helping the cast and crew in whatever way they could during the winter and spring months of 2014. 

Current Dillon Home curator Erin Thompson assisted the Rundles with pick-up filming in the house in early March of this year and has been busy arranging the special benefit screening of the film in Sterling.

The Thunder production team was  so grateful for the use of the Dillon Home Museum for the film, they decided to do a special Sterling premiere screening event to raise money for the continued preservation of the historic site.  The film will be shown at 6PM on Thursday evening, April 18th at Sterling High School's Centennial Auditorium, 1608 4th Avenue.  The Rundles will be joined by 9 stars from Thunder following the film to take part in a Q&A.  Tickets are $6/pp and can be reserved at www.centennialauditorium.org.  

The website states that "the Dillon Home is a work of Italianate Architecture built in 1858 for Civil War Brigadier General Edward Needles Kirk.  The Kirk’s had plans to raise a large family in the home, but when Edward died from a wound sustained at the Battle of Stone’s River, his wife Eliza returned to Pennsylvania.  The home went through few changes, but several owners, before Washington Dillon purchased it in 1882.

Filled with treasures and virtually un-touched by time, the home is a place you must visit to learn the local history.  Home to P.W. Dillon, President of Northwestern Steel and Wire, the homes’ grandeur is a remarkable sight, as his wife, Crete, was an avid traveler, and collector of eclectic pieces and period furniture. Unique from most historic home museums, The Dillon Home retains all of the original furnishings and belongings, as the estate was conveyed to the Sterling Park District after PW.’s passing in 1980."

The magnificent Dillon Home is open for guided tours Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday (closed Sunday-Monday and Wednesday).  Visit https://www.sterlingparks.org/location/dillon-home-museum/ for touring hours or to arrange your wedding or other special event at the Home.

Thunderous Applause for SAU Alumni

By Jessica Karolczak 
St. Ambrose University

Many St. Ambrose alumni have premiered on big screens across the Midwest.

Alumni Jessica (Denney) Taylor '09, Kimberly Kurtenbach '96, Anthony Stratton '12, and Daniel Rairdin-Hale '04 all partook in the recent debut of Sons & Daughters of Thunder.

This docudrama is based on historical events that influenced young Harriet Beecher-Stowe, the author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin."  This book sparked the beginning of the end of slavery. The docudrama was made by local documentarians Kelly and Tammy Rundle, owners of Fourth Wall Films. The film was based on a play written by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter.

"Thunder's" Kimberly Kurtenbach was the film's Executive Producer, casting director and played "Catharine Beecher".

Executive Producer Kim Kurtenbach also served as the casting director and played Catharine Beecher, the sister of Beecher-Stowe.  Jessica Taylor played Harriet Beecher-Stowe, and shared the spotlight with her husband Tom Taylor who portrayed Theodore Weld, an outspoken abolitionist of the time who greatly impacted Beecher-Stowe's view of slavery. Anthony Stratton played James Thome, a fiery abolitionist and friend of Weld's, and Rairdin-Hale played Professor Calvin Stowe, Beecher-Stowe's admirer and future husband.

Jessica Taylor as Harriet Beecher and Daniel Rairdin-Hale as Calvin Stowe.

"I think I wanted the role because I was fascinated with Harriet Beecher-Stowe, and she was small and brunette so I could do that!" Jessica Taylor said. "The experience surpassed what I could've imagined. To see everyone in their costumes in the element was amazing. It was a very unifying production."

The casting took place about five years ago, but the Rundles began work on the project five years earlier. The cast immediately faced some challenges when Kurtenbach was diagnosed with cancer, and Jessica Taylor became pregnant. Despite those hiccups, the show continued without any consideration of recasting.

"The Rundles did a fantastic job of bringing artists together," Jessica Taylor said. "The Rundles are tremendously kind, supportive, and hard-working. The working environment was stellar."

Filming took place in a variety of historical locations: the Dillon Home Museum in Sterling, Ill.; the Harriet Beecher-Stowe House in Cincinnati, Ohio;  the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford, Conn.; and the Jenny Lind Chapel in Andover, Ill.

The film debuted at the Putnam Museum and Science Center on March 16. Since then, the film has traveled to the Garfield Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Beecher-Stowe lived 18 years of her life, and where the Lane Theological Seminary Debates took place.  A benefit screening also took place at Augustana Lutheran Church in Andover, Ill.  Soon, one will be held in Sterling, Ill., as thanks for the use of the Dillon Home.

The Taylors and Janos Horvath attended the premiere at the Garfield Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio March 23rd.  Both showings sold out.

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"It was a big family reunion at the Putnam," Jessica Taylor said about seeing the work come to fruition. "I have grown so much as an artist, so it's interesting to look back and see what I did differently."

"I would concur that the nostalgia was heightened a bit because of the time between the filming and producing," Tom Taylor said. "There were memories on set during certain scenes that I had forgotten until I saw them."

Thomas Alan Taylor as Theodore Weld and Anthony Stratton as James Thome.

So far, the reception of the film has been very encouraging.  Most premieres have sold out, and many audience members have already pre-ordered the DVD.  The film will screen at film festivals starting this summer and other venues and art theaters throughout the country, and broadcasts will follow early in 2020.

"We're as excited that they're enjoying it as they are to have us here," (Denney) Taylor said while at the Andover screening. "It's been surreal."

The film will continue to traverse the Midwest and beyond in hopes of reinvigorating a forgotten history.

For more information about the docudrama, visit lanerebelsmovie.com. For information about Fourth Wall Films' other documentaries about Midwestern history, visit their website.

Preorder the Sons & Daughters of Thunder DVD and save $6! Click HERE!

Stars Will Come Out for Sterling Movie Premiere

Filming during Sons & Daughters of Thunder in April 2014 at the Dillon Home Museum.

By Todd McKenna
Sauk Valley Media

There may not be a red carpet, but that won't stop the stars from showing up for a movie premiere right here in Sterling.

The biggest star of them all – at least for local folks – will be the Dillon Home. It's featured prominently in "Sons & Daughters of Thunder," which is being shown at 6 p.m. Thursday in Sterling High School's Centennial Auditorium.

Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films in Moline made the movie, which is based on the play of the same name. It tells the true story of the 1834 Lane Theological Seminary anti-slavery debates in Cincinnati.

Former Dillon Home curator Linda Heckler (center first row) became part of the production family during filming.

The debates were the first to publicly discuss the end of slavery in America, and Harriett Beecher Stowe's involvement in them led her to write "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

The Rundles are excited to be coming back to Sterling and show off the finished film, which was shot about 5 years ago.

"We'll both be there, and nine or 10 of the actors will be coming as well," Kelly said. "Jessica Taylor, who plays Harriett Beecher, and her husband, Tom, who plays Theodore Weld, are among those coming."

He expects some of the memories from the time they spent filming at the home will come flooding back.

"We were lucky to find something so perfect and so close," Kelly said. "(Former Dillon Home curator) Linda Heckler couldn't have been more helpful. The house looks terrific in the film."

Many of the interior scenes, and a few of the outside shots, were filmed there; it represents Beecher's original home in Cincinnati.

Some exterior shots also were filmed in Cincinnati, where "Sons & Daughters" already has been show. It also was shown in the Quad Cities.

"So far the screenings have been very good and the audiences are enjoying it," Kelly said. "We've had sold-out showings."

Tickets to see the show locally cos

"It's a great way to say thank you for everything they did for us. It was such a great experience to work here," Kelly said.

The filmmakers and the cast will give a short talk before the screening, and "afterwards, there will be a chance to chat and reminisce."

See the movie

Tickets to see "Sons & Daughters of Thunder," which will be shown at 6 p.m. Thursday April 18 in Sterling High School's Centennial Auditorium, cost is $5 in advance and at the door.  Go to www.centennialauditorium.org or call the box office at 815-622-3248.

The Centennial box office, 1608 Fourth Ave., is open from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

 

Read the rest of the article HERE!

 

Preorder the Sons & Daughters of Thunder DVD and save $6! Click HERE!

 

 

"Thunder Funder" IndieGoGo Campaign Underway! Add Your Name to the Credits

We are reaching out to our friends and supporters regarding our first narrative film Sons & Daughters of Thunder. We are so pleased to report that it is going over wonderfully well at our initial audience screenings! 

We are raising final funds (another Thunder Funder) for the film's music score (composed by William Campbell who did the music for the Oscar-nominated "Lifeboat") and sound before submitting it to film festivals and broadcast consideration.

We are hopeful that we can get a number of Thunder fans and supporters to kick in $25 or more to reach our modest goal of $2,000.  We have less than 25 days via our Indiegogo campaign and appreciate ALL support!

To find out more about this based-on-a-true-story film about the beginning of the end of slavery in America, visit LaneRebelsMovie.com.

Visit the link below, check out the awesome perks (screen credit, DVDs, posters, movie props and more), and how easy it is to contribute!  

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sons-daughters-of-thunder-docudrama-film

Do share the campaign with those you think would be interested and spread the word! We are very grateful for your wonderful support and help on this special project!

Film's Stars will appear in Sterling for Benefit Screening April 18

Thunder actors Don Denton and Justin Marxen will attend the Sterling Benefit Event April 18.

Nearly one dozen of the stars who appear in the new Fourth Wall Films' docudrama, Sons & Daughters of Thunder, will attend the special Sterling, Illinois benefit screening Thursday, April 18th at 6pm at Centennial Auditorium at Sterling High School, 1608 4th Avenue, and take part in Q&A after the movie. Tickets are $6/pp and can be reserved at www.centennialauditorium.org.  Proceeds benefit the preservation of the Dillon Home Museum.

Jessica Taylor (as Harriet Beecher) and Chris Ryder (visual effects) will attend the Sterling event.

The Dillon Home Museum in Sterling, Illinois served as one of the key locations for the movie, with numerous scenes filmed inside and outside the historic site.  Principal  photography for Sons & Daughters of Thunder took place in Illinois, Ohio and Connecticut.

Thomas Alan Taylor (Theodore Weld) and Tristan Tapscott (Henry Thompson) will appear at the Sterling event.

“We are very happy to return to Sterling to showcase Sons & Daughters of Thunder in Sterling, and raise funds for the preservation of the historic Dillon Home Museum,” said director Kelly Rundle. "Curators Linda Heckler and Erin Thompson, the Dillon family and the Sterling Parks District were so supportive and helpful while filming the movie. We are happy to say 'thank you' with this benefit event.

Actors Mike Kennedy and Tom Walljasper will appear at the Sterling Benefit Screening of Thunder.

"The film is resonating with audiences and people are moved by the story and the exceptional performances by the actors--many of them from the Quad Cities region," said producer Tammy Rundle.  "Sterling became our home-away-from-home for several months during filming, and the film's stars have fond memories of their experiences at the Dillon Home. We are happy so many of them want to take part in the benefit program."

Reserve your tickets at www.centennialauditorium.org.

Actor Travis Shepherd (far left front) will appear at the Sterling event.

Based on the critically-acclaimed play by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter, Sons & Daughters of Thunder tells the true story of the 1834 Cincinnati, Ohio Lane Theological Seminary anti-slavery debates. The controversial meetings, led by abolitionist and firebrand Theodore Weld (played by actor Thomas Alan Taylor), were the first to publicly discuss the end of slavery in America. The meetings angered Cincinnati residents and Lane Seminary officials, who promptly slapped a gag order on the entire student body.  This action was followed by a freedom of speech protest and mass exodus of Lane students to Oberlin College.

A young Harriet Beecher’s (played by actress Jessica Taylor) exposure to the debates and Weld's continuing work to free the slaves sparked a flame that led her to write her magnum opus Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Sons & Daughters of Thunder was partially funded by a grant from the Quad City Arts, the Illinois Arts Council, with support from the Friends of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation, and the Bix Biederbecke Inn. The Moline Foundation and the Shell Rock Community Historical Society served as the fiscal sponsors on the film project.

The Rundles are the producers of multiple award-winning historical documentaries and the Mid-America Emmy® nominated documentaries Good Earth: Awakening the Silent City, Country School: One Room – One Nation and Letters Home to Hero Street.

Preorder the Sons & Daughters of Thunder DVD and save $6! Click HERE!

 

"Thunder" and Film's Stars will come to Sterling for Special Benefit Screening

A special Dillon Home Museum benefit screening of Sons & Daughters of Thunder, a new film by Mid-America Emmy® nominated filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films, will be held on Thursday, April 18 at 6:00 p.m. at Centennial Auditorium at Sterling High School, 1608 4th Avenue, Sterling, Illinois.  Tickets are $6/pp and can be reserved at www.centennialauditorium.org.  Proceeds benefit the preservation of the Dillon Home Museum.

Based on the critically-acclaimed play by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter, Sons & Daughters of Thunder tells the true story of the 1834 Cincinnati, Ohio Lane Theological Seminary anti-slavery debates. The controversial meetings, led by abolitionist and firebrand Theodore Weld (played by actor Thomas Alan Taylor), were the first to publicly discuss the end of slavery in America. The meetings angered Cincinnati residents and Lane Seminary officials, who promptly slapped a gag order on the entire student body.  This action was followed by a freedom of speech protest and mass exodus of Lane students to Oberlin College.

A young Harriet Beecher’s (played by actress Jessica Taylor) exposure to the debates and Weld's continuing work to free the slaves sparked a flame that led her to write her magnum opus Uncle Tom's Cabin.

The Dillon Home Museum in Sterling, Illinois served as one of the key locations for the movie, with numerous scenes filmed inside and outside the historic site.  Principal  photography for Sons & Daughters of Thunder took place in Illinois, Ohio and Connecticut.

“It is exciting to return to Sterling to showcase Sons & Daughters of Thunder in Sterling, 185 years after the nation’s first public debates regarding the abolition of slavery,” said director Kelly Rundle. 

Former curator Linda Heckler poses with Thunder cast members.

“The Dillon Home Museum was the perfect location for the film project, serving as the home for Harriet Beecher and her family while living in Cincinnati, Ohio,” said producer Tammy Rundle. “We are very grateful to former Dillon Home curator Linda Heckler, who worked tirelessly to make the house a ‘star’ in the film and kept everything moving smoothly during production.  We also express our sincere gratitude to Pete Dillon, the Sterling Park District, and curator Erin Thompson for allowing us to film in the beautiful Dillon Home.”

Sons & Daughters of Thunder is slated for national release in April 2019 with screenings in independent theaters and film festivals. It will be released nationally on DVD in late July, followed by broadcasts on PBS stations.  For more information about Sons & Daughters of Thunder, visit www.LaneRebelsMovie.com.

Dillon Home curator Erin Thompson lights candles for filming.

Sons & Daughters of Thunder was partially funded by a grant from the Quad City Arts, the Illinois Arts Council, with support from the Friends of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation, and the Bix Biederbecke Inn. The Moline Foundation and the Shell Rock Community Historical Society served as the fiscal sponsors on the film project.

The Rundles are the producers of multiple award-winning historical documentaries and the Mid-America Emmy® nominated documentaries Good Earth: Awakening the Silent City, Country School: One Room – One Nation and Letters Home to Hero Street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preorder the Sons & Daughters of Thunder DVD and save $6! Click HERE!

Andover Hosts Benefit Screening of “Sons & Daughters of Thunder” March 30th

Filming for Sons & Daughters of Thunder took place in the Jenny Lind Chapel.

A special benefit screen of Sons & Daughters of Thunder, a new film by Mid-America Emmy® nominated filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films, will be held on Saturday March 30 at the Augustana Lutheran Church, 628 6th Street in Andover, Illinois.  A pre-show reception will be held from 6:30 p.m. until 7:15 p.m.   The film will screen at 7:30 p.m. in the main sanctuary.  The event includes a lobby display of costumes and props, and a Talkback with the filmmakers and several stars following the film.  A free-will offering is asked to attend the event and benefits the preservation of the Jenny Lind Chapel.

In the early 19^th Century, Christianity was at a crossroads.  Fellows in the faith took up sides for or against the South’s peculiar institution based on their interpretation of the scriptures.  In 1834, if polite discussion about abolishing slavery were considered inappropriate among Americans in Northern states, then eighteen days of public student-sponsored debates on the divisive subject at Lane Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio were scandalous.

Numerous extras from Andover took part in the film for the debate scenes.

Organized by Theodore Weld (portrayed by actor Thomas Alan Taylor), one of the architects of the abolitionist movement, the shocking oratory sparked intense controversy and awakened a young Harriet Beecher Stowe (played by actress Jessica Taylor) to the horrors of slavery.

When school trustees slapped a gag order on the "Lane Rebels," most of the students left the school in collective protest.  Inspired by the debates and her first-hand observations of slavery across the Ohio River, Harriet’s novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was described by President Abraham Lincoln as the book that started the Civil War.

Thomas Alan Taylor stars as abolitionist Theodore Weld in the film.

Sons & Daughters of Thunder is based on the play by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter, and tells the unforgettable true story of the beginning of the end of slavery in America.  The film features an original score by William Campbell, the composer behind the Academy Award-nominated documentary “Lifeboat”.

The film is available to PRE-ORDER on DVD by clicking HERE. The DVDs will ship in late July.

“It is exciting to return to Andover for this very special screening event,” said director Kelly Rundle. “The community of Andover was so kind to us while we were filming in the Jenny Lind Chapel for Thunder and really rolled out the red carpet to the cast and crew. We are happy to present the finished film for the 185th anniversary of the nation’s first public debates regarding the abolition of slavery, and to help raise funds for the beautiful Jenny Lind Chapel."

The producers note that the film is not for young children, and the film’s detailed discussions of slavery might suggest a PG-13 rating.

DP Kevin Railsback (with camera) waits as the actors are prepared for the next scene in the Jenny Lind Chapel.

In addition to the Jenny Lind Chapel, principal photography for the film took place at several other historic sites in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas, including the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, Augustana College’s House on the Hill, and the Dillon Home Museum in Sterling, Illinois.  Filming also took place at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Cincinnati, Ohio, the only remaining structure on what was Lane Seminary grounds, and at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

Executive producer/casting director and actress Kimberly Kurtenbach as Catharine Beecher.

Kimberly Kurtenbach is the Executive Producer on the film and also stars as Catharine Beecher. Kurtenbach also served as casting director on the project, and the Quad Citians cast in this true story included Janos Horvath, Tom Walljasper, Mike Kennedy, Don Denton, Mike Schulz, Tristan Tapscott, Justin Marxen, Jaylen Marks, Pat Flaherty, Joe Maubach, Lora Adams and others. The film also stars Mark Winn and Anthony Stratton from Los Angeles. Over fifty extras took part in crowd scenes during several parts of the film, many of them from Andover.

The film was shot by award-winning director of photography Kevin Railsback. Chris Ryder handled sound and visual effects. Emily Busha was the film’s costume designer, circa 1834. 

Sons & Daughters of Thunder is dedicated to co-producer Kent Hawley, who passed away in 2017, and his wife Earlene Hawley.

Costume designer Emily Busha prepares actress Jess Taylor (Harriet Beecher) for the chapel scene.

Sons & Daughters of Thunder is slated for national release in May 2019 with screenings in independent theaters and film festivals to follow. The film will also be released on DVD, followed by broadcasts and online streaming.  For more information about Sons & Daughters of Thunder, visit www.LaneRebelsMovie.com.

Sons & Daughters of Thunder was partially funded by a grant from the Quad City Arts, provided by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Hubbell-Waterman Foundation and John Deere; and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. The Moline Foundation and the Shell Rock Community Historical Society served as the fiscal sponsors for the project.

The Jenny Lind Chapel peeks through the gravestones. A number of Cholera victims are buried in the cemetery--an epidemic that impacted many in Cincinnati during the time of the historic debates.

The Rundles are the producers of the Mid-America Emmy® nominated documentaries Good Earth: Awakening the Silent City, Country School: One Room – One Nation, Letters Home to Hero Street, and River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6. Other award-winning productions include Villisca: Living with a Mystery, Lost Nation: The Ioway (series), The Barn Raisers, and The Amish Incident.

New 'Thunder' film brings history thrillingly to life

"Sons & Daughters of Thunder" features Q-C actors Tom Walljasper, left, Mike Schulz (as Asa Mahan) and Tristan Tapscott.

FILM REVIEW

By Jonathan Turner
Entertainment Editor, Dispatch/Argus

As a 1986 graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio, I've admired the fact that the private, liberal-arts school (founded in 1833) was one of the first to admit women and African-Americans. But I never knew its first president — Asa Mahan, a Congregational minister — was among the little-known “Lane rebels,” who left Cincinnati's Lane Theological Seminary after the school sought to crush their call for slavery's abolition.

This fascinating, inspiring slice of influential U.S. history is told with characteristic grace, intelligence and emotional power by Moline-based Fourth Wall Films in its first narrative docudrama, “Sons & Daughters of Thunder.” The stirring 85-minute film premiered last weekend at the Putnam Giant Screen Theater, attended by 432 people in two screenings, each followed by a talk with filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle, and key cast members.

Seeing the beautiful finished product, and hearing from those involved, it clearly was a labor of love. It's been about a 10-year process, since the Rundles first heard about the 1970s play of the same name by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter. It chronicles the beginning of the end of slavery in America with the first public debates on slavery, in 1834 — 29 years before President Lincoln issued his landmark Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves.

Read the rest of Jonathan Turner's film review HERE!

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Sons & Daughters of Thunder is based on the critically-acclaimed play by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter.

It tells the true story of the 1834 Cincinnati, Ohio Lane Theological Seminary anti-slavery debates.  The controversial meetings, led by abolitionist and firebrand Theodore Weld (played by acclaimed stage actor Thomas Alan Taylor), were the first to publicly discuss the end of slavery in America.  The meetings angered Cincinnati residents and Lane Seminary officials, who promptly slapped a gag order on the entire student body.  This action was followed by a freedom of speech protest and mass exodus of Lane students to Oberlin College.  A young Harriet Beecher’s (played by acclaimed stage actress Jess Denney) exposure to the debates and Weld's continuing work to free the slaves sparked a flame that led her to write her magnum opus Uncle Tom's Cabin.  

Sons & Daughters of Thunder is co-produced by Kent Hawley, and by Fourth Wall Films, owned by Emmy® nominated filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle, a film and video production company specializing in historical documentaries for public television broadcast and DVD home video.  

The fiscal sponsors for the film project are The Shell Rock Historical Society, and The Moline Foundation.  If you are interested in contributing to the film project and receiving screen credit, please click here: SUPPORT THUNDER!

"Thunder" Cincinnati Premiere Screenings: 4pm SOLD OUT, 7PM Filling Up!

Thunder director Kelly Rundle and actor Jaylen Marks as former slave and abolitionist James Bradley.

We are looking at another SELL OUT!  The Saturday, March 23rd Cincinnati premiere of Sons & Daughters of Thunder at the Garfield Theatre, 719 Race Street in Cincinnati is gaining steam.  The 4 p.m. screening is SOLD OUT, and the 7 p.m. event is filling up.  Advance tickets are STRONGLY recommended at CincyWorldCinema.org.

Jessica Taylor (Harriet Beecher) and Thomas Alan Taylor (Theodore Weld) filming in the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Cincinnati.

A special "Talk Back" with Emmy-nominated filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films, and the film's stars Thomas Alan Taylor (Theodore Weld), Jessica Taylor (Harriet Beecher), Janos Horvath (Lyman Beecher) and Jaylen Marks (James Bradley).  Some of the props and costumes used in the film will be on display.

Janos Horvath as Lyman Beecher in Lyman's study at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Cincinnati.

WCPO-TV9's local morning show Cincy Lifestyle will feature a segment on Thunder on Friday, March 22 at 10 a.m.  Christina Hartlieb, Director of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, will be on the program to talk about the premiere event, former slave and Lane Rebel James Bradley, and share clips from the film.

Some filming took place in the historic Harriet Beecher Stowe House, the last remaining original structure on what was Lane Theological Seminary grounds where the film's story takes place.

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Did you know...

Sons & Daughters of Thunder is based on the critically-acclaimed play by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter.

It tells the true story of the 1834 Cincinnati, Ohio Lane Theological Seminary anti-slavery debates.  The controversial meetings, led by abolitionist and firebrand Theodore Weld (played by acclaimed stage actor Thomas Alan Taylor), were the first to publicly discuss the end of slavery in America.  The meetings angered Cincinnati residents and Lane Seminary officials, who promptly slapped a gag order on the entire student body.  This action was followed by a freedom of speech protest and mass exodus of Lane students to Oberlin College.  A young Harriet Beecher’s (played by acclaimed stage actress Jess Denney) exposure to the debates and Weld's continuing work to free the slaves sparked a flame that led her to write her magnum opus Uncle Tom's Cabin.  

Sons & Daughters of Thunder is co-produced by Kent Hawley, and by Fourth Wall Films, owned by Emmy® nominated filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle, a film and video production company specializing in historical documentaries for public television broadcast and DVD home video.  

To pre-order the DVD, click HERE!

The fiscal sponsors for the film project are The Shell Rock Historical Society, and The Moline Foundation.  If you are interested in contributing to the film project and receiving screen credit, please click here: SUPPORT THUNDER!