Chamberlain's Inspirational Speech to the mutineers - Gettysburg scene

It's June 30, 1863, near Union Mills, Maryland. The motion-picture 'Gettysburg' was released in theatres in November '93. The following summer it was broadcast on TNT, breaking all Cable-TV audience records. Over the decades since, millions have seen the movie who were yet unborn when we were filming on the hallowed ground of the battlefield the summer of '92. At four hours and fifteen minutes, 'Gettysburg' has the dubious distinction of being the longest 'talkie' in American movie history. There are longer movies from the 'silent' era. When the movie was in its first weeks of theatrical release, although it could only be projected twice a day, matinee and early evening, it reported the Highest Per Screen Box Office on the Industry charts. No one expected this. It defied all conventional wisdom. What it a revealed - was that audiences did not have short attention spans. They had then, and have now, short attention spans for boring or shallow or pandering entertainment. By now we know that one of the most beloved moments in the film is Chamberlain's exhortation to the 2nd Maine Volunteers. I cannot tell you how many times I was advised to shorten this speech. Over and over I was told, over the span of a decade by countless studio executives, that no one would sit through this speech. That is - until Ted Turner entered the equation - and he said, "Ron, its your film. You are the screen-writer and director. You make the movie you want to make." Later, in meetings during post-production, Turner would announce, just so no executives would be confused, "This movie will not be a frame longer or a frame shorter than my director wants it to be." Thanks to Ted Turner and a magnificent portrayal by Jeff Daniels, Chamberlain's speech to the 2nd Maine Volunteers lives in cinema and Gettysburg history. For more details about how this speech was nearly undermined during production, see my interview with Garry Adelman of the American Battlefield Trust here at my youtube channel. You can find it at the menu above, under Playlists; Interviews; titled 'How the role of Chamberlain was cast.' 'Gettysburg' theatrical version or the Director's Cut is available in Home Video DVD/Blu-Ray or instant streaming at Amazon Prime and other retailers online. #gettysburg #americanhistory #gettysburgbattlefield #chamberlain #joshuachamberlain #hancock