The Blue and The Grey

[hippiearcher]

Good morning my fellow forum members. After years of reading this forum, and gaining very sage advice from it, it gives me great pleasure to say hello. Like many, I first became aware of The N-SSA when I casually bought The Guns and Ammo complete guided to Blackpowder, which I still have it's tattered remaims. In this same magazine, I learned first hand about the common types of Civil War carbines. They are still my favorite small arms of this period. Last night after another forcast of dismal television, I decided to take a trip down memory lane, and watch "The Blue and The Grey" on dvd. Not a stellar acting job by any, but, interesting. I remember how much anticipated it was by me when advertised in 1982. In the series, of course, there are many guns used. Mostly from what I can see, Springfields and Enfields, which would be about right historically. The most interesting to me, was the gun used by Jonas Steele (Stacy Keach). He had a Spencer, which if it was original, looked to be in fantastic condition. I got a quick glimpse of "Mr. Spencer" loading the cartridges in the butt stock and I could see they were centerfire, so at least it must have had the conversion if original. Can anyone shed any light of it?

[Des]

The original Spencers were rimfire self contained cartridges. Original Spencers are used in our organization but have had another breech block installed converting them to centerfire. This allows the cartridge to be reloaded and reused. There also are some reproduction Spencers that come centerfire and are chambered for 45 Schofield, 45 Colt, and 56-50. The latter is close to the original cartridge but centerfire.

[hippiearcher]

Thanks for the information. Being a newbie, I enjoy hearing the advice and information from forum members. As far as the Spencer used in
the mini series, it looked like it had the centerfire conversion. And I assume no company made a reproduction Spencer in 1982, so I'm thinking
original with replaced breech block, shooting blank rounds.



Bob

[Southron Sr.]

For what it is worth, RIMFIRE Spencer cartridges remained in porduction by (I Think) UMC up to sometimes in the 1930's when it was finally discontinued. Of course, Steel's Spencer in the "Blue and Gray" movie had the centerfire conversion breech block installed.

The movie company recruited a lot of re-enactors to play the role of "troops" in the movie. A friend of mine spent his vacation out in Mississippi playing a Confederate soldier in the background of several scenes.

[hippiearcher]

Kinda neat, wish I could have gotten a gig like that. Did he have to provide his own equipment and uniform,
or was that provided to him?

Bob

[Southron Sr.]

I was in the 1979 CBS Movie of the Week, "The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd" starring Dennis Weaver and myself. (Funny, they forgot to put my name in the credits, but I digress...) Anyway, they paid Dennis Weaver $25,000.00 per week and me $25.00 per day while the movie was being shot..

They hired a group of Yankee re-enactors to play the Union soldiers. The re-enactors came fully equipped with their own uniforms and musekts. In one scene that called for a Yankee to bash a poor Confederate (me!) with a musket butt-the movie company gave the Re-enactor a RUBBER musket for the scene. Unfortunately, the Re-enactor was a "Method Actor" and when he hit me HARD with the rubber musket butt...It really HURT!

Ah! The trials of being a glamerous Hollywood movie star!!

[Blair]

Southeron Sr.

I too was in that film as one of the malcontent POW's at Ft. Jefferson
The Yanks Guards that brought all their own gear were paid the same as those of us who were supplied with our POW clothing.
About 1/3 rd what an extra would have been paid in Cal. And the film Co. would have supplied those extras, Yankee guards or not, with everything.
If it was found out that you were a Union member (SAG), they would have had to pay you 150.00 a day plus room and board along with all your equipment.
Guild members (if known) would not have been allowed to work.
I have to say, with the misuse and abuse, it was a fun experience.

[Muley Gil]

I was one of the skirmishers that was in David Wolper's TV production back in 1971 or 1972. Part of Elmer Venskoskie's (now Jackie's) farm was rented and a bunch of us got $35 for running throught the woods with our muskets. Later, I drove down to Appomattox Court House and got paid $50 for 3 hours marching up and down a dirt road.

One of the funnest moments was when a dead Yankee was needed. One of us was picked and he laid down in a nice, green pasture. Wolper's make-up man decided the Yank was too clean and needed some natural "dirt" on his face. The make-up looked around and then picked up some "dirt"-which just so happened to be a dried cow plop. As he approached his subject, the young man opened his eyes and informed the Hollywood type that he wasn't ABOUT to rub that on his face. Hollywood wanted to know "WHY?" When told what he was actually holding, he dropped the cow plop like it was a coiled rattler!!!!

[Southron Sr.]

In "The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd" the movie company required us Extras to be at a motel in downtown Savannah every morning at 4:30 A.M. to ride a chartered bus out to Fort Pulaski, about 20 miles away.

One morning, on the bus ride out to the fort, one of the Assistant Directors from California stood up and addressed us, telling us that we were playing the role of "Unreconstructed Rebel prisoners" and how we should "act" unrepentant.

Getting into "the role" several of us broke out into that Old Time Favorite song in the South-"I'm a Good Ole Rebel" which went something like this:

" I am a REBEL SIR, and that is what I am, and for your land of Liberty,
I do not give a damn...
I marched with Bobby Lee for nigh on four years there about,
And starved at Point Look Out,
I caught the Rheumatism, a camping in the snow,
But I killed me a passel of Yankees, and would LOVE to kill some more..."

Anyway, that song literally freaked out the Assistant Director from Hollywood! He had this terrified look in his eyes-like he was suddenly in a cage with wild animals that might attack him.

That was the last we EVER heard from him about "acting like" Unreconstructed Rebels!!!

Eh...Eh...Eh...

[John Holland]

Well said, Southron, well said indeed!

JDH

[Southron Sr.]

In the mid-1870's when Reconstruction ended and federal troops were withdrawn from the South, Southerners realized that "Them Yankees weren't so bad after all." Matter of fact, we had grown rather attached to them. To make matters REALLY BAD was that when the federal troops were withdrawn, their military payrolls went with them! OOPS! So, if you wonder why the South has more military bases per square mile than any other section of the nation; now you know.

Matter of fact, Southerners are so attached to Yankees now, we built an entire state to attract them down here on a regular basis: Florida!

All My Best
Southron