VANGUARD PRODUCTIONS Presents THEY ALSO SERVED STARS WHO ANSWERED THEIR COUNTRY’S CALL TO DUTY A TELEVISION SERIES PROPOSAL VANGUARD PRODUCTIONS 12111 Beatrice St., Culver City CA 90230 Tel 310-306-4910 Fax 310-306-4910 [email protected] Confidential Property of Vanguard Productions Registered 662204 There were millions of men and women who selflessly answered their country’s call to duty, but only a few went on to achieve fame and fortune in the movies after their tour of duty. THEY ALSO SERVED focuses on their experiences in the military and how it shaped them as individuals. THE CONCEPT THEY ALSO SERVED is a 30-minute weekly series based on the book of the same title by Scott Baron. THEY ALSO SERVED is a fascinating look at the great movies stars and celebrities of past and present whom answered their country’s call to duty. We follow the celebrities into foxholes, sea battles, and air strikes to reveal little known aspects of their lives and their time in the military. There are many interesting stories, facts, and anecdotes that will be told for the first time on camera by the actual celebrities, or by friends and family through archival footage and research. While there are countless stories of awe-inspiring courage heroism, there is also humor, humility and amazing never before known facts. All will be covered to give the viewer a glimpse into the life of their favorite celebrity, which has never been seen before, their time serving in the military for their country. THE FORMAT Each episode will begin with the host (Roger Moore) introducing the show and the guest or guest to be interviewed. The host will also set up the clips, reenactments, and the celebrities segments covered in the retrospective portion of the show. Each week three celebrity’s biography will be presented, concluding with a wrap-up by the host. The host may also present fascinating anecdotes and bits of trivia about a certain war, battle, or topic featured in that episode. The setting will be a Movie Sound Stage with various film equipment and paraphernalia such as a Mitchell Camera, freznel lights, microphone booms, c-stands, dollies, etc. A featured celebrity segment will be built around an on-camera interview supplemented by photographs and stock footage of battles, and events, etc. as appropriate. For the retrospective portion of the show each segment will be built around interviews with family and friends, as wells as photographs, stock footage and possible re-enactments. THE TONE Respect for the men and women who have served. The series is not a forum for the political agendas of those interviewed. It is neither anti-war nor pro-war. The intent is to bring history alive through the experiences of those who have been touched in other walks of life. 1 THE AUDIENCE THEY ALSO SERVED appeals to anyone with an interest in “war and the military,” the “movies,” “celebrities,” and “history.” It will also appeal to those who have an interest in the more personal aspects of the lives of famous personalities or in obscure historical facts and anecdotes. In short, the show has the broadest possible appeal. A SMALL SAMPLE OF STARS FOR POSSIBLE INTERVIEWS: Charlton Heston Mr. Heston was involved in some of the most hazardous flight missions of the war, including “Operation Wedlock,” a massive deception to convince Japan that America and Canada were preparing an attack. He was preparing for “Operation Downfall,” the invasion of mainland Japan, when the war ended. Michael Caine Mr. Caine served in the British Army and was shipped to Korea in 1952. He remembered mass attacks by the Chinese in which only one in four soldiers had riffles and they would retrieve weapons from fallen comrades as the attacks moved forward. Caine contracted malaria while in Korea and continued to suffer the effects of the disease long after his discharge. Clint Eastwood Mr. Eastwood was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1951, during the Korean conflict, He was sent to Ft. Ord in California for basic training. Instead of shipping him off to Korea the Army took advantage of Eastwood’s talents as a competitive swimmer and assigned him duty as a swimming instructor at Ft. Ord. His swimming abilities paid off once when he was traveling in a torpedo bomber and it developed engine trouble and had to ditch in the ocean off of San Francisco. Eastwood had to swim over a mile through the treacherous current to make it back to shore. Sean Connery In 1947 at the age of seventeen, Sean Connery enlisted in the Royal Navy for a twelve year hitch (seven active, five reserve) hoping for glamour and girls. He was trained at the gunnery school at Butlaw Camp Rosyth, Scotland and after a brief tour of duty with an Aircraft unit; he was assigned as an able seaman aboard the HMS Formidable. He boxed on the boxing team and was discharged just after three years for medical reasons due to a stomach ulcer. James Garner Mr. Garner saw action in Korea; he was wounded twice and narrowly escaped being taken prisoner. Garner was separated from his unit behind enemy lines with one other South Korean soldier. In order to make it past the Chinese troops, Garner raised his hands over his head and pretended to be the South Korean’s prisoner. The Chinese assumed the South Korean Soldier was a North Korean soldier and let them pass. 2 Oliver Stone Mr. Stone saw heavy action in Vietnam and was wounded twice, once while rescuing two platoons that were pinned down during an ambush behind enemy lines. On News Years Day 1968, the Fire Base he was stationed at was attacked by two full regiments, resulting in 500 dead. Stone received a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. Lord Richard Attenborough Lord Attenborough enlisted in the Royal Air Force (RAF) in June 1943. In 1944, while assigned as an airman second class, he was taken out of pilot’s training and transferred to the RAF film unit at Pinewood. He took a leading role in the morale-raising movie “Journey Together" (1945), with Edward G. Robinson. Upon completing the film, Attenborough requested assignment to an operational unit, and he finished the war flying air reconnaissance missions over Germany. Mel Brooks Although not the model of a warrior at 115 pounds, Mel Brooks was highly regarded by his comrades for his quick wit and entertaining stories. On one occasion after the battle at Bastogne, Brooks responded to the German propaganda being broadcasted by loudspeakers by setting up his own loudspeaker and belting out an Al Jolson imitation of “Toot Toot Tootsie.” Peter O’Toole Mr. O’Toole was drafted into compulsory conscripted National Service in 1952. He joined the Royal Navy and served a two-year tour. During his first year he served in a submarine flotilla. While with the flotilla he went to sea on the flotilla’s depot ship. He remembers these cruises in the North Atlantic with great fondness, writing in his autobiography, “There had been times of stillness, times of friendship, times of thoughtfulness, vigorous times, uncertain times, hilarious times, and times of wonder and great beauty. In addition to his normal naval duties ashore, he marched as a bass drummer and played rugby. Mickey Rooney Louis Meyer, head of MGM, was not eager to lose Mickey Rooney, his top star at the height of his popularity so he continually requested and received extensions from the draft board arguing that the Andy Hardy movies were necessary to the war efforts and moral. Finally, by the end of 1942 Meyer and the studio lawyers got Rooney classified as a 4-F exempting him form military service due to high blood pressure. By the beginning of 1943 Rooney was so uncomfortable being out of uniform that he requested that the draft board review his case and allow him to service his country. After reviewing his case the draft board reclassified him and he was inducted into the Army in 1944. Later he became part of the “Jeep Show” during WWII and he performed several performances under fire. 3 Glenn Ford Mr. Ford served as a sergeant and photographic specialist in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was discharged on December 7, 1944. On December 30, 1958 Ford re-enlisted in the naval reserves and was commissioned as a lieutenant commander. By 1968 Ford was promoted to Captain and volunteered for active duty in a forward combat area in Vietnam. He lead combat camera teams filming Marine Corps documentaries in the Mekong Delta. He was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal, and decorated with the Vietnamese Legion of Merit First Class. Kirk Douglas Mr. Douglas served in the U.S. Navy aboard a #1139 Patrol Craft, which was a 175-foot sub chaser. On February 24, 1944 while en route from California to Hawaii a depth charge prematurely discharged. Douglas was wounded and suffered internal injuries. He was hospitalized at Balboa Hospital in San Diego and received a medical discharge on July 27, 1944. Eddie Albert Mr. Albert served as a seaman from September 9, 1942 to January 31, 1943. He was given a direct commission as a lieutenant (j.g.) and attended officer training school at Cornell University. After graduating, Albert was assigned to the U.S.S. Sheridan (APA- 51) an attack transport ship. During the assault on Tarawa Island in the South Pacific Albert was involved in rescuing over 150 trapped and wounded marines while under fire from Japanese machine guns and snipers.