from WWW.Algona.com

Algona film project: take three

Tietz hopes third time is the charm for stalled project
By Nathan Countryman, Assistant editor
Published: Thursday, August 11, 2011 10:03 AM CDT

ALGONA — Wendol Jarvis, former manager of the Iowa Film Office, and screenwriter, producer and director Don Thompson visited the Camp Algona P.O.W. Museum on Thursday, Aug. 4.

The duo were visiting the museum to see if a stalled film project can proceed on the Camp Algona P.O.W. that was established during World War II.


The film project originally was being promoted by Larry Webster and Media Majik. The film was to be based off of Don Tietz’s 2007 biographical novel, One American Dreamer, written by Alice C. Bateman.


In 2010 Tietz sued Webster and this year won a judgement default after Webster refused to appear for trial conference calls.


After suing Webster, Tietz brought in a new executive producer, Raw Leiba, director Robert Stock and screenwriters Liz Finn-Arnold and Sandra Longo, but the project stalled.


Jarvis is working with the film on behalf of Gov. Terry Branstad on a volunteer basis to try and reestablish a film office in Iowa following the film scandal.


“I’m originally from Iowa, and am good friends with Don Thompson and Don Tietz,” Jarvis said. “Right now we’re doing research in order to help us find what the story would be of the museum and work on developing a screenplay. The screenplay would be the first baby step towards the filmmaking process.”


Jarvis created the Iowa Film Office in 1984 and left the position in 2002 after budget cuts forced him to lay off two assistants.


Jarvis is originally from Centerville and has ties with the Algona area. His wife is originally from the Emmetsburg area.


According to Jarvis, the soonest filming could begin on any project would be in 2012.


“It is real important that we understand what the story is and how we can relate that to what was happening during World War II.


Jarvis brought on director, producer and screenwriter Don Thompson to give Don Tietz and Jarvis advice on how the project should proceed.


Thompson has worked on numerous films, including “Blood on the Mountain,” “Life Flight,” and “Paradise Trail.”


“I’ve been interested in film since I was a kid,” Thompson said. “I went to Hollywood and got a position at Paramount Pictures and moved out there.”


Thompson worked on several made for television movies.


When he hasn’t worked on films, Thompson has also worked as a radio broadcaster, since the age of 15, including a stint of 15 years at WHO Radio.


“When I wasn’t doing movies, I was working in radio,” Thompson said.


Currently he has a Sunday morning music and memories show, “The Musical Clock Show,” in which he plays Christian music, as well as the hits from the 1940s and 1950s and a spiritual message.


Thompson is originally from New York.


“Wendol called me up on the phone, and because we had worked together on several films I worked on that filmed in Iowa, we became good friends,” Thompson said. “He told me about this project, and it was something I never had come across before.”


Thompson remembers during World War II that P.O.W. Camps were in existence, as he saw them in New York. He didn’t realize, however, that the Midwest ever had any.


Thompson also finds a draw for the story, because of the human element.


“Anything about the military or bringing honor to our military is something I like to do with my projects,” Thompson said.


Thompson has also found there have been fewer decent movies released in the past 20 years.


“I haven’t been to a movie in the past 20 years,” Thompson said. “There aren’t as many family films in existence anymore. I remember when I was younger, my family would go to see Tarzan or the Durango Kid films on Sunday afternoons at the cineplex.”


Thompson said writing the screenplay could take months and additional research trips to Algona and the museum to find the angle needed to best portray the story on screen.