Sons & Daughters of Thunder

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!

~ ~ ~

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.

~ ~ ~

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!

Our history: Famous slavery debates come to life

Jeff Suess, Cincinnati Enquirer

A film about the Lane Theological Seminary debates, a seminal moment in U.S. history that happened in Cincinnati, gets its local premiere this weekend.

“Sons & Daughters of Thunder,” by Emmy-nominated filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle, depicts the student-led debates held at the Walnut Hills campus in 1834 that denounced slavery and gave voice to the abolitionist movement.

The film will be shown at Garfield Theatre on Saturday, March 23, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., both followed by a talk with the filmmakers. The event is sponsored by Cincinnati World Cinema and the Harriet Beecher Stowe House.

Lyman Beecher (Janos Horvath), Theodore Weld (Thomas Alan Taylor) and Harriet Beecher Stowe (Jessica Taylor) in front of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Cinncinatti during filming for Sons & Daughters of Thunder.

A few scenes were filmed at the historic house where the Beecher family lived at 2950 Gilbert Ave. in Walnut Hills.

“It is the last remaining structure on what was Lane Seminary grounds,” said film producer Tammy Rundle. “It was a remarkable experience to film in the location where these important events took place.”

READ MORE HERE!

Sons & Daughters of Thunder is based on the critically-acclaimed play by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter, and 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 (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 (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 is produced by Kent Hawley and Fourth Wall Films, owned by Emmy® nominated filmmakers Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle, a film and video production company specializing in historical documentaries for public television broadcast and DVD home video.  

Kimberly Kurtenbach is the Executive Producer on the film and also stars as Catharine Beecher. Kurtenbach also served as Casting Director on the project. Thunder was shot by award-winning Director of Photography Kevin Railsback. Award-winning filmmaker Chris Ryder handled sound and visual effects. Emily Busha was the film’s costume designer, circa 1834.  William Campbell is the film score composer.  Tyson Danner served as Assistant Director, with Olivia Ketron and Melinda Carriker serving as Production Assistants. 

The cast includes Thomas Alan Taylor, Jessica Taylor, Janos Horvath, Mark Winn, Tom Walljasper, Mike Kennedy, Don Denton, Mike Schulz, Tristan Tapscott, Anthony Stratton, Justin Marxen, Jaylen Marks, Pat Flaherty, Daniel Rairdin-Hale, Lora Adams, Joseph Maubach, Tim Stompanato, David Furness, Travis Shepherd, Mikeal Burgin, Lisa Kahn, David Juehring, Don Hazen and David Shropshire. Over fifty extras took part in Thunder.

Sons & Daughters of Thunder is dedicated to Kent Hawley & Earlene Hawley.

Partial funding for the film was provided by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, and through the Quad City Arts with a grant provided by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, and John Deere. The fiscal sponsors for the film project are The Shell Rock Historical Society, and The Moline Foundation. 

PRE-ORDER the Sons & Daughters of Thunder DVD (release date December 2019) and SAVE! Click HERE!

'Sons & Daughters of Thunder' Premieres Saturday at Downtown's Cincy World Cinema

Harriet Beecher (Jessica Taylor) and Theodore Weld (Thomas Alan Taylor)

By MACKENZIE MANLEY
CityBeat

A new film — Sons & Daughters of Thunder — from Mid-America Emmy-nominated filmmakers Tammy and Kelly Rundle of Fourth Wall Films will premiere this weekend at Cincinnati World Cinema's Garfield Theatre.

Set in Cincinnati in 1834, the 85-minute flick retells the true story of the anti-slavery debates that unfolded in the Lane Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian college that operated from 1829 to 1932 in Walnut Hills.

Led by Theodore Weld — an abolitionist played by actor Thomas Alan Taylor — they were the first public debates to tackle ending slavery in the country. But they also sparked backlash; seminary officials placed a gag order on the student body who, subsequently, held a protest in the name of freedom of speech. 

The event caused the dismissal of a professor and the leaving of 40 students and a trustee. 

Read the rest HERE!

Sons & Daughters of Thunder is based on the critically-acclaimed play by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter, and 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 (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 (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 is produced by Kent Hawley and Fourth Wall Films, owned by Emmy® nominated filmmakers Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle, a film and video production company specializing in historical documentaries for public television broadcast and DVD home video.  

Kimberly Kurtenbach is the Executive Producer on the film and also stars as Catharine Beecher. Kurtenbach also served as Casting Director on the project. Thunder was shot by award-winning Director of Photography Kevin Railsback. Award-winning filmmaker Chris Ryder handled sound and visual effects. Emily Busha was the film’s costume designer, circa 1834.  William Campbell is the film score composer.  Tyson Danner served as Assistant Director, with Olivia Ketron and Melinda Carriker serving as Production Assistants. 

The cast includes Thomas Alan Taylor, Jessica Taylor, Janos Horvath, Mark Winn, Tom Walljasper, Mike Kennedy, Don Denton, Mike Schulz, Tristan Tapscott, Anthony Stratton, Justin Marxen, Jaylen Marks, Pat Flaherty, Daniel Rairdin-Hale, Lora Adams, Joseph Maubach, Tim Stompanato, David Furness, Travis Shepherd, Mikeal Burgin, Lisa Kahn, David Juehring, Don Hazen and David Shropshire. Over fifty extras took part in Thunder.

Sons & Daughters of Thunder is dedicated to Kent Hawley & Earlene Hawley.

Partial funding for the film was provided by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, and through the Quad City Arts with a grant provided by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, and John Deere. The fiscal sponsors for the film project are The Shell Rock Historical Society, and The Moline Foundation. 

PRE-ORDER the Sons & Daughters of Thunder DVD (release date December 2019) and SAVE! Click HERE!

A Special Thank You to the Media from the Makers of "Thunder"

Our deep gratitude to the media for all of the coverage of the upcoming premiere of Sons & Daughters of Thunder and the nearly forgotten true story of the 1834 Cincinnati, Ohio Lane Theological Seminary anti-slavery debates--the first to publicly discuss the end of slavery in America. 

Our Saturday, March 16 6:30PM premiere event at the Putnam Giant Screen sold out after the story by Entertainment editor Jonathan Turner ran in the Dispatch/Argus and the Quad City Times. He was quick to put out the word that a Sunday, March 17, 3PM Encore Screening was added by the Putnam Museum (advance tickets at Putnam.org/calendar). 

Jonathan's interview with Tom Taylor (Theodore Weld in the film) and Jess Taylor, who portrays a young 23-year-old Harriet Beecher, touched on what playing the parts of historic 'heroes' meant to them and captured the interest of the reader:

“I felt such a sense of responsibility to portray her,” Jessica Taylor said Thursday, noting they filmed in 2014 at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Cincinnati, the only remaining building from the seminary grounds, where Harriet's father, Lyman Beecher, was president.

“There was such weight to what we were doing,” she said. “To be in the place where it actually happened — I was in awe of it.  She's funny; she wrote satire. She was breaking some rules as a woman at that time.”

Tom Taylor said it was an honor to play a figure that “had that kind of influence, shapes the world around them, to spend time digging into his work, dangers that he faced. He was quite an exciting character.

"It's easy for him to get overlooked because it was the beginning of and not the end of it,” he said.

Jonathan Turner has covered Sons & Daughters of Thunder's progress over the years, from inception to completion, and we are so VERY grateful to him for his excellent, in-depth and accurate coverage of our work!  Read the rest of Jonathan Turner's story HERE!

Thank you to the River Cities Reader for the wonderful preview on Thunder! Check it out HERE!

 

Our first radio interview was a blast!  Thanks to Tazz Hines and WQUD-FM 107.7 for having us on the show to talk "Thunder"!  Tazz appears in the film as a Lane Rebel extra! Listen to the one-hour chat HERE!

 

Thanks to Radio Iowa's Matt Kelley for doing an interview with director Kelly Rundle about the project. The piece aired on 70 radio stations throughout Iowa.

 

A big thank you to Talk of Iowa's host Charity Nebbe and Iowa Public Radio for having us on along with Chris DeSimio, historian and former president of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Cincinnati. It was an excellent program and you can here the 30-minute discussion HERE!

 

We are always so grateful to be on Paula Sands Live! to talk to Paula about our work. She is always very kind to us and it was great fun to share Thunder with her and KWQC-TV6 viewers.  We also got a chance to show off Emily Busha's work--she was the project's fabulous costume designer!  View the PSL segment HERE! 

 

Our gratitude to Mike Mickle, Terry Fillmer and WHBF-TV4 for having director/editor Kelly Rundle on the 4pm news to talk about Thunder and the many local stars involved in the film project and the historic sites featured in the docudrama. You can see the 5-minute spot HERE!

 

And finally our thanks to Lora Adams for always programming our 'stuff' on WQPT, and kindly promoting our events on Out and About!  A special thanks to Jim Mertens and "The Cities" for having us on from time to time and helping us make our local audience aware of our work.  We are forever grateful to our local PBS station, WQPT-QC PBS! 

~ ~ ~

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.  

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!

 

'Props' for the "Thunder" Props Masters

Just a small sampling of props used in Sons & Daughters of Thunder that will be on display during the premiere.

It takes a lot of people to make a movie.  It takes even more people to make an historical film.  From the director of photography, sound director, assistant director and gaffer to the costume designer, hair/make-up personnel and the props master, the smallest details need complete attention. 

When Lyman Beecher needed a pocket watch and bifocals during a pivotal scene in which abolitionist Theodore Weld and his supporters requested the historic anti-slavery debates at Lane Seminary, it was props masters Melinda Carriker and Sandy Freel who made sure actor Janos Horvath had a key-wound watch on a chain and bifocals on his nose.

Actor Janos Horvath poses in the original Lyman Beecher study at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Set in 1834, with scenes dipping into the 1850s and 1880s, finding period-correct props for Sons & Daughters of Thunder kept Production Assistant Melinda Carriker on her toes. Fortunately, she had Sandy Freel's vast collection of antiques (which would make any Hollywood props master salivate) to draw from.

"We knew the project was going to be challenging, and Melinda is someone we have relied on heavily for our documentary projects Lost Nation: The Ioway 1, 2 & 3 and Country School: One Room - One Nation, and Good Earth: Awakening the Silent City" said producer Tammy Rundle.  "We took a lot of creative license with Thunder, and it was not easy to make a period piece on a tight budget.   But we had no doubt that Melinda would be up for the challenge of finding the correct props for the film, and that Sandy Freel would be an incredible resource.  They were a fantastic team."

Costume designer Emily Busha attends to final details on actress Jess Taylor's dress.

When Harriet Beecher, played by actress Jess Taylor, needed that extra special little piece of jewelry on her dress collar, Freel produced a human hairwork brooch.  "Mourning jewelry" reflected the lives and times of the people who wore them.  For hundreds of years, especially during the Victorian age, jewelry often times integrated human hair into brooches, rings and watch chains, which were then worn as a souvenir to remember a loved one.  Harriet might have worn a mourning brooch in which to remember her deceased mother, Roxanna Beecher.

Production assistant/props master Melinda Carriker shows actress Kim Furness (Catharine Beecher) how to light the whale oil/lard lamp.

One of the most interesting requests for Carriker was an 1830s whale-oil/lard lamp to be lit during a scene in the Lyman Beecher home.  

Carriker's list of 'finds' grew over the seven months of production on Thunder, including period pens, books, bibles, letters, jewelry, handbills, satchels and lanterns.

"Many times you watch a film and you do not realize all that went into making it as close to "right" as is possible.  We were very fortunate to have a cast and crew on this project that were committed to making it the best that they could," said director Kelly Rundle.  "It is the little things that make the difference--right down to that key-wound watch in Lyman Beecher's hand, when he takes note of the changing time."

Melinda Carriker and Lora Adams prepare Jessica Taylor (Harriet Beecher) for the Goodbye scene. Jess sits on an 1848 handmade coverlet donated by prop master Sandy Freel to the production.

Sandy Freel presented Kelly & Tammy Rundle with the gift of the key-wound watch and the 1848 coverlet (Harriet Beecher sits on it during the goodbye scene) used in Sons & Daughters of Thunder. The items will be on display for the public to enjoy during screenings.  We are deeply grateful for this beautiful gifts that will always mean so much to us.

Sons & Daughters of Thunder premieres Saturday, March 16, 6:30P (SOLD OUT) and Sunday, March 17 at 3PM at the Putnam Giant Screen in Davenport, Iowa.  Advance tickets are STRONGLY recommended at Putnam.org/calendar. The film will also have a Cincinnati premiere at the Garfield Theatre, March 23 at 4PM or 7PM.  Reserve tickets at http://www.cincyworldcinema.org/Thunder2019.php.

March 16 "Thunder" Premiere Sells Out! March 17 Screening Added at Putnam

Thomas Alan Taylor as Theodore Weld in Sons & Daughters of Thunder.

The Saturday, March 16 premiere of Sons & Daughters of Thunder at the Putnam Museum's Giant Screen in Davenport, Iowa is SOLD OUT.  An encore showing will take place at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 17th with a "Talkback" with the filmmakers and others following the film.

Advance ticket sales are STRONGLY recommended at Putnam.org/calendar!

Jalen Marks as James Bradley in Sons & Daughters of Thunder.

The film will premiere in Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday, March 23 at 4pm and again at 7pm at the Garfield Theatre, 719 Race Street.  A panel discussion will follow the film with the filmmakers and several of the film's stars.  

Advance ticket sales are STRONGLY recommended at CincyWorldCinema.org!

Final Shooting for "Thunder" in Sterling and Andover Completed

As final tweaking is made on the film, we returned to the Dillon Home Museum in Sterling, Illinois--the stand-in for Lane President Lyman Beecher's home in Cincinnati; and the Jenny Lind Chapel--the stand-in Lane Theological Seminary Chapel where the debates were held.

We spent several weekends over a seven month period filming with our Thunder cast and crew in these two historic locations.  They became like a second home to some of us.  We will always be grateful for the kindness and support the curators of these beautiful sites showed us, and the red-carpet welcome the communities in which they stand extended to each of us.  We are looking forward to returning to Sterling and Andover for special screenings of the film.  More on that to come!

The Dillon Home Museum ~ Sterling, Illinois

Dillon Home Museum curator Erin Thompson lights candles for our cut-away shots.

Director Kelly Rundle films close-ups of the lit candles for the party scene in Thunder.

Erin adjusts the time on the late 1700s Grandfather clock which Kelly will insert in a scene in the film.

Producer Tammy Rundle and curator Erin Thompson.  Erin is organizing a special benefit screening of Thunder in April.  Details will be posted in the weeks ahead.

The Jenny Lind Chapel ~ Andover, Illinois

Tammy records ambient sound in the Jenny Lind Chapel for Thunder.

Kelly captures close-up shots of several props in the chapel.

Filming the small cemetery on the Jenny Lind Chapel grounds. A number of cholera victims are buried in this sacred place.

Thunder director Kelly Rundle and Jenny Lind Chapel operating committee member Ron Peterson.  Ron is organizing a special benefit screening of the film for later in March. More information coming soon!

We are pleased that Dillon Home curator Erin Thompson, former curator Linda Heckler and members of the Dillon family, as well as Jenny Lind Chapel's Ron Peterson and his wife Eilene will attend the premiere Saturday, March 16th. 

The Saturday premiere screening has sold out.

A Sunday, March 17th, 3 p.m. encore screening of Sons & Daughters of Thunder has been added by the Putnam Museum.  Advance tickets are strongly recommended at Putnam.org/calendar.

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!

 

 

Accomplished Composer Brings 'Musical Life' to "Sons and Daughters of Thunder"

"Lifeboat" composer Bill Campbell on the red carpet at the 2019 Academy Awards.  Campbell is composing the soundtrack for "Sons & Daughters of Thunder".

Part 1
By Jessica Karolczak

As Sons and Daughters of Thunder comes to fruition, Fourth Wall Films has enlisted help to bring 'musical life' to the film.  William “Bill” Campbell has joined the team to compose the film’s soundtrack.

Most recently, Campbell’s composing earned him a trip to the Oscars.  He created the soundtrack for the Oscar-nominated documentary Lifeboat. The documentary was directed by Skye Fitzgerald and examines the mass immigration crisis of refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from the northern coast of Africa.  Campbell has worked with Fitzgerald since college.

“If you are part of the Oscar nominations list, you’ve basically won,” Campbell said. “I have to stress how important it is that it was all Skye. I’m not diminishing my work, but he really is an amazing man, and I’m very proud to be associated with what he does.”

Music has always been a part of Campbell’s life. He began playing piano when he was six and started writing simple music pieces around age 11. In high school, he music directed for musicals and wrote music for his church. One of his original songs was even sung at his high school graduation.

“Some people are drawn to draw. They are captured by light and the way it lands on things, and they turn that fascination into something they discipline themselves about and keep going with,” Campbell said. “I was given time, and my parents bought a piano and provided me with lessons. I was one of the kids that actually practiced and wanted to explore more at the piano. I always wondered why composers made certain choices rather than others.”

After high school, he studied music and wrote for some student-produced films at the University of Arizona. He pursued his master’s degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music before getting his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. Throughout his education he took advantage of any opportunities to hone his skills. He wrote music for theatre and dance, including a play soundtrack that he created using film techniques. He would watch and time the play while making notes about the actors’ movements. Then, he put together a small ensemble to pre-record the music. Now, he is Chair of the Music Department and a music professor at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. He continues to compose professionally on the side.

Campbell was drawn to Sons and Daughters of Thunder after hearing about the film’s topic. He jumped at the idea of creating piano-based music with some hymn-like elements. He is even exploring the idea of directly incorporating hymns into the soundtrack.

“This is right up my wheelhouse, so it makes sense for me to do it,” Campbell said. “I want to be associated with something that is trying to show people a period in history that we need to not forget about, and I think that the Rundles are going to do a good job with the film.”

"We are very excited to work with Bill on the Sons & Daughters of Thunder soundtrack," said producer Tammy Rundle.  "Thunder is a labor of love for us and Bill is extremely talented and such perfect fit with us and the project.  "Even though we are premiering the film this month, Bill's work on the soundtrack will continue until we release the film later in May/early June."

Visit WilliamCampbellMusic.com for more information about the composer's music.

Sons and Daughters of Thunder premieres on the Putnam Giant Screen on March 16 and 17th.  Advanced tickets are recommended at Putnam.org/calendar.  Stay tuned for more information on Campbell’s composing process.

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!