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| Joined: | Tue Feb 26th, 2008 |
| Location: | Oxford, United Kingdom |
| Posts: | 142 |
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well researched book was released last year that studies this event in far greater detail. It is called Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor by Russell S. Bonds.
I read that fascinating book, so I rented the DVD of Fess Parker's movie from Netflix and could hardly bare to watch it because of Parker's really bad acting and the way the story was "Disneyfied" for family viewing. It is as if Disney made a family version of the Battle of Antietam. Just one example, in the movie nobody was captured, held in dungeon-like conditions, hung and then rehung because they didn't die the first time.
Well, as a big Buster Keaton fan I've watched his version of the story several times - once in a large theatre with a live pianist. The line 'if you lose this war, don't blame me' cracks the audience up every time.
I'll have to read the Bonds book now.