BREAKING MOVIE/TV NEWS

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Pitt Picks Prairies To Shoot "Jesse James" ...



August 31, 2005
Oscar nominee Sam Shepard will star opposite Brad Pitt as 'Frank James' in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" currently shooting.

The Warner Bros. movie tells the story of how Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) joined forces with killer Jesse James (Pitt).

Australian Andrew "Chopper" Dominick directs.

Pitt's production company Plan B is producing.

Shepard is noted as a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright/screenwriter and Oscar nominated for his performance in 1983's "The Right Stuff."
August 28, 2005
Thousands of wanna-be background performers answered an extras casting call August 28 at the Winnipeg, Manitoba Convention Centre, for Brad Pitt's upcoming western feature "The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford".

Only 250 BG will be chosen.

Those who waited in line had their pictures taken, filled out a resume and were measured for circa 1880's costumes.

The producers were looking for 'natural-looking' people of all sizes and ages.

Most of the film is being shot in Alberta, with five days of shooting scheduled for Winnipeg's historic 'Exchange District' in late October.
August 22, 2005
Brad "Fight Club" Pitt as outlaw 'Jesse James' and Mary Louise "Red Dragon" Parker as wife 'Zee (Mimms) James' star in the "THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES", now shooting in the Calgary, Alberta area.

Casey Affleck plays 'Robert Ford', noted as the man who shot Jesse James.

Director Andrew Dominik is expected to announce casting for the remainder of the 'James Gang' shortly.
June 24, 2005
According to Warner Bros., Brad Pitt will play Old West outlaw 'Jesse James' in "THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD", now being studio fast-tracked for a Calgary, Alberta start, either late August or early September.

Pitt as co-producer, was instrumental in bringing the production to Calgary, apparently enamoured with the locale when he filmed "Legends of the Fall" in 1993.

Ridley "Gladiator" Scott and his brother Tony "Top Gun" Scott will produce alongside Pitt.

Locations will reportedly be split between Alberta's Heritage Park and Fort Edmonton Park.

HISTORICAL JESSE JAMES

January 10, 1843 - (Alexander) 'Frank' James born.
September 5, 1847 - 'Jesse' Woodson James born.
August 18, 1850 - Jesse's father dies of food poisoning in a Placerville, California mining camp after deserting his family for the 'Gold Rush'.
September 25, 1855 - Jeese's mother marries her third husband Dr. Reuben Samuel after her second husband, Ben Simms is killed in a horse accident.
May 4, 1861 - Frank James joins the Confederate Army at 18. He eventually joins (William Clark) 'Quantrill's Raiders'.
1863 - Frank James and Quantrill's gang, loot and burn a Kansas town, killing 200 unarmed men.
1864 - Jesse James joins "Bloody" Bill Anderson's guerilla forces.
September 20, 1864 - In Centralia, Missouri, Jesse James, Anderson and his gang rob the passengers of a train. Twenty-four unarmed Union soldiers going home on leave, are taken off the train and shot. Union Cavalry chase after the gang with more Federal officers killed during the attempt.
April, 1865 - Jesse James is shot in the chest by Union soldiers.
February 13, 1866 - Frank James, Cole and Jim Younger rob the Clay County Savings Bank in Liberty, MO. of $72,000, killing a young boy.
1866-7 - Author John Newman Edward writes glorifying articles about Jesse James for the 'Dime Novels'.
March 20, 1868 - The Jesse James gang rob the Southern Deposit Bank in Russellville, Kentucky of $14,000.
1869 - The James & Younger gang rob the Davies County Savings Bank, Gallatin, MO., stealing $700. They kill an unarmed cashier, John W. Sheets.
June 3, 1871 - The Gang rob the Ocobock Brothers Bank in Coryton, Iowa of $6,000.
April 29, 1872 - In Columbia, Kentucky , the Gang rob a bank of $6,000. They kill an unarmed cashier, R.A.C. Martin.
September 26, 1872 - The James Brothers rob the cashier at the Kansas City Fair of $8,000.
May 27, 1873 - The James and Younger gang rob $4,000 from the Savings Association in Genevieve, MO.
July 21, 1873 - Near Adair, Iowa, the Gang wreck a train, killing Engineer John Rafferty and stealing $3,000 from the passengers and express car of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific RR.
January 15, 1874 - The Gang rob a stagecoach of cash and jewellery near Hot Springs, Arkansas.
January 31, 1874 - Jesse robs the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern RR train at Gads Hill, MO of $10,000.
April 24, 1874 - Jesse James marries Zee Mimms, in Centerville, MO.
June 1874 - Frank James marries Annie Ralston in Omaha, Nebraska.
January 26, 1875 - Pinkerton Security men toss a bomb into a farm house, killing Jesse's step-brother Archie Peyton Samuel and severely wounding Jesse's mother.
August 31, 1875 - Jesse Edwards James is born to Zee and Jesse.
September 6, 1875 - The James & Younger gang rob a bank of $20,000 in Huntington, VA.
July 7, 1876 - The James & Younger gang rob a Missouri-Pacific train of $17,000.
September 7, 1876 - In their attempt to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota, a cashier named Heyman refuses to open the safe and is murdered by Jesse.
Vigilante townsfolk go after the gang, killing Charley Pitts and Bill Chadwell. Cole, Jim and Bob Younger are wounded. Frank and Jesse escape to Missouri, through Iowa. The Younger brothers are captured two weeks later.
February 6, 1878 - Robert James is born to Frank and wife Annie.
October 8, 1879 - The Chicago, Alton & St. Louis train at Glendale, MO is robbed of $40,000.
February 1881 - 'B. J. Woodson' alias Frank James, rents a house for $8 a month on Fatherland Street in Nashville, Tenn.
March 11, 1881 - The James brothers are recognized after $5,200 is taken from a bank paymaster in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
July 15, 1881 - The James brothers hit the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad train near Winston, MO. for $700.
During the robbery, Frank murders Frank McMillan and conductor William Westfall.
September 7, 1881 - The gang's last train robbery at Blue Cut, near Glendale, MO. nets $3,000 in cash and jewelry from the passengers.
December 24, 1881 - 'Tom Howard' alias Jesse James and his family rent a house on Lafayette Street in St. Joseph, MO.
Tenants Robert 'Bob' and Charles 'Charley' Ford live under the same roof with the 'Howards' for most of the winter months.
April 3, 1882 - Bob and Charley enter the home of the Howards.
At approx. 8:27am, while Jesse is hammering a nail into the wall, Bob shoots Jesse from behind and below the right ear.
The force at close range slams Jesse's body against the wall, killing him instantly.