The Great Sacrifice of President Jefferson Davis (2007)
From Dixiepedia: The PC-Free Encyclopedia
The Great Sacrifice of President Jefferson Davis is a dramatic two hour motion picture about the life of President Jefferson Davis. It is a 2007 Confederate Pictures release, and stars Jim Bazo as Davis, accomplished stage performer Chip Addison as young Jefferson Davis, Dave Palmer as General Robert E. Lee, and Tony Daniels as General Ulysses S. Grant. Lisa Kuhnley stars as Varina Jefferson Davis, and some of the film is from her historical account of the life of her husband. Dr. John Kuhnley stars as President Andrew Johnson. His talented daughter, Lisa Kuhnley, stars as Mrs. Varina Jefferson Davis throughout the film, except when the second unit filmed on location in Ontario, Canada, when Jim Bazo's real-life wife, Kim Bazo, portrayed Varina Davis, as a stand-in for Ms. Kuhnley.
The majority of the film script is taken from letters, speeches, and diaries.
'The Great Sacrifice of President Jefferson Davis is the first and only film in history about the life of this American president. The idea for the project was conceived in March of 2005, at Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Virginia, during the two day event entitled The Trial of Abraham Lincoln, which is available from Liberty University on DVD. At this event, Jim Bazo portrayed President Davis, and Fritz Klein (from Springfield, Illinois) portrayed Abraham Lincoln. The premise for the event was simple; Lincoln has been captured, and is now being tried for war crimes against humanity, as well as against the newly-formed Confederate nation. The event was extremely well researched, and portrayed.
At this event, during breaks in the trial sequence, the idea was developed, and plans were ultimately made to begin filming this work. Originally entitled The Capture and Arrest of President Jefferson Davis, the film expanded, and became the basic outline of the man's life. The film was shot on location in the United States, and in Canada, and contains battle footages from many events, including five Cedar Creek events, beginning with the 145th First Manassas event, the 145th Shiloh event in Michie, Tennessee, two years of fighting at the New Market battlefield, both of the 145th Antietam events held in Maryland, and in Loudon Heights, Virginia, and includes shots of the actual lay of the land from the national monuments... and scenes from other notable battlefields. The reason this is done is to give an idea of the enormity of the conflict, and the reenactors at these events all wear the clothing from those particular battles and fly battle-appropriate flags from that battle's time period. The battle scenes begin at First Manassas, and continue on through to Appomattox, where a depiction of The Surrender is also dramatized.
This is the first film about Jefferson Davis, but it should in no wise be the last. His list of accomplishments, trials and tribulations, afflictions, achievements, and dedication to the original dream of the founding fathers is legend. It has been estimated that it might take as many as three full eight-hour miniseries' worth of filmed scenes to depict the three stages of his life; American Patriot, Confederate President, and Tragic Hero. If this seems a bit much for one man, consider that Hudson Strode, in his definitive 1958 trilogy of President Davis' life, used those three actual titles (in his 500+ pages per title) to illustrate his three volume set. The film uses this series of texts, as well as the 1958 book by Isbel Ross, entitled The First Lady of the Confederacy in which we get a full third person account of the conversation Varina Davis had with Andrew Johnson, converted to a first person script.
Elisabeth Ashleigh, the musical talent in the film, is Elizabeth Ashleigh Chidester. It was she who wrote, composed, produced, and even played the instruments on the soundtrack of THE GREAT SACRIFICE OF PRESIDENT JEFFERSON DAVIS. She gave us her album, 03:00 HOURS (pronounced Oh -Three Hundred Hours), as the official soundtrack to the film. We are indebted to this wonderfully-talented young lady for her contribution to the work, and we hope to work with her again on future films. Her songs seem to blend with the picture, as though they had been written for the film. Elizabeth also played a role in AVENEL THE MOTION PICTURE, and is also a marvelously-talented actress, as well. Her CD Soundtrack of the film can be ordered from EAC Records at (540) 296-0680
A young former Mississippi State Senator Jefferson Davis - as he gets word that he has been appointed the president of the Confederate Southern states...
How close does Chip Addison come to looking like the actual young Jefferson Davis?
You decide!
Or, the elderly Varina Jefferson Davis - compared to our 'aged' Lisa Kuhnley, in the role?
Lee (Dave Palmer) is shown visiting the White House, and later, at the Surrender at Appomattox (filmed in Appomattox, at the Babcock House, four miles from the McLean House. Grant is played by Tony Daniels). Davis is shown in his actual pew at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Bazo is also an Episcopalian in real life..).
Chip Addison stars as Davis - until Davis is appointed president- and then Jim Bazo assumes the role on location at the Confederate White House in Richmond. In September of 2006, Confederate Pictures was invited to film an actual Davis speech given by Jim Bazo ( as Davis) at the White House, and this speech is in the film.
Davis at Fortress Monroe, casemate #2...
... and President Johnson agonizing over what to do; if he keeps Davis prisoner, he'll have to try him, and it will be proven that the Secession was not an act of Treason, and the North will 'lose' the war... but if he turns him loose, he all but admits to the wrong of the Northern invasion, anyway... thus, his dilemma!
Davis meeting with Captain Jerome B. Titlowe, Company K 3rd Pennsylvania Artillery, (played by George Roland Wills) who was one of his jailors, and who helped in the shackling of Davis at the behest of General Miles... Titlowe was also a friend of Davis, as time went on, and Varina writes that he saved her husband's life by his kind treatment towards him, and his help in getting him into Carroll Hall for the duration of his illegal detention by the US Government. When General Miles told Varina she could stay with the local prostitutes, while visiting her husband, Titlowe arranged for her to stay in a casemate with the officers' wives.
...and Davis writing by candlelight in Carroll Hall, after his release from the dungeon casemate.
TO BE CONTINUED...
