Set between December 1941 to August 1945, the 1988 and 1989 TV mini-series 'War And Remembrance' hired some 46,000 employees. On screen, besides the 358 speaking parts, there were 30,310 extras and 1,149 bit players from Europe and 11,410 extras and 1,108 bit players from the U.S. In all, crew members spoke some "9,000-odd languages" coming from countries Turkey, Morocco, Poland, (the former) Yugoslavia, Finland, Australia, Italy, France, Egypt, New Zealand, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, Algeria, Canada, Austria and the U.S.
After some reportedly very delicate negotiations, the Polish Government granted Dan Curtis permission to film in Auschwitz starting in January 1986. Dan Curtis disclosed, "I used to be a salesman and I decided I'd better start selling because these guys were looking at me like I was the biggest thief that ever lived. I told them, 'Forget all this East West stuff. The two of us together can make something that will never be forgotten.'
"I thought we had it nailed. Two weeks later it was down the tube." Dan's persistence paid off, "I strongly believed that if it would be humanly possible we had to be there (in Auschwitz) because I knew that when the audience sat down to look at this ('War And Remembrance'), it would bring to it a reality that no set could possible begin to do."
"I thought we had it nailed. Two weeks later it was down the tube." Dan's persistence paid off, "I strongly believed that if it would be humanly possible we had to be there (in Auschwitz) because I knew that when the audience sat down to look at this ('War And Remembrance'), it would bring to it a reality that no set could possible begin to do."
Jane Seymour replaced Ali MacGraw in 'War And Remembrance' remembered, "We were shooting in Auschwitz in late February (1986) at minus 26 degrees and for the sake of authenticity, and it was entirely my own fault, I wore just the shift that the prisoners wore and I was barefoot in wooden clogs, in snowdrifts, with a bare head. And we were working sometimes 16 and 17-hour days. I got a cold which developed into bronchitis and eventually into walking pneumonia."
In France, 'War And Remembrance' was filmed in Paris and Lourdes; in Italy - Rome and Sienna; London and Cambridge in England; Berchtesgaden in Germany; Zaqreb in Croatia; Vienna in Austria; Switzerland; the U.S., Montreal in Canada substituted for Russia and throughout Poland. Dan Curtis told the 'Associated Press', "How could I do the Holocaust without it being a pale imitation? The thing that bothered me the most was dealing with the Holocaust material. I didn't know how to begin.
"Where do you go to re-create it? How do you do it? If you do it, it has to be done in such a way that it won’t be an insult to 11 million people who died. I felt it had to be told right because so many people don’t believe it ever happened. I wanted to do it on the spot where it happened. It would add an incredible element. The place became an enormous star. It’s overpowering and frightening. It had an effect on us, on everyone. I’ll tell you who it really affected – the German crew. This is not a Holocaust story. Thank God we have other elements."
'The Washington Post' reported the American Broadcasting Company stood to lose close to $20 million on the epic TV mini-series understood to cost "in excess of $110 million" because of the 30 hours running time and allowing Herman Wouk "extensive control over the content and placement of commercials and promotional announcements."
It was also made known "economy-conscious networks are not likely to create again." Thomas Murphy of ABC conceded, "It would be with difficulty that we would undertake another big mini-series. In my opinion, most of them will be 3 to 4 hours in the future." In 'War And Remembrance', Michael Woods replaced Ben Murphy as Robert Mitchum's on-screen son.
Back in 1983, Ben Murphy could be seen in the movie 'Uncommon Valor' which was filmed on location in Salt Lake City before the screening of the monster hit, 'The Winds of War'. At the time, Ben Murphy told Howard Pearson, "I did see the highlights of the Salt Lake area, but most of the time we spent in the vicinity of the Newhouse Hotel, where all the film ('Uncommon Valor') was made."
Ben mentioned, "I got acquainted with Cache Valley during 2 glorious summers on the Logan festival (Festival of the American West). I think you have some of the most alluring mountain backgrounds in the country up there. I got out in the hills and walked all over. I believe I know the Cache Valley area as well as the natives." However during the filming of 'Uncommon Valor', "Actually, I spent most of my time in the mobile home-dressing room because I had to be available on call for most of the shooting.
"I spent most of the time writing my journal. I try to devote at least an hour a day to making the entries. It is difficult to get that much time while shooting a picture, especially one as demanding as 'Uncommon Valor'. I had to spend a lot of time preparing for shots and situations where I was in peril. I was 80 days behind time in some of my entries. I had to work from memory. Some of my notes I had to write into formal entries. I hope my notes furnish some basis as to how a picture is made.
"I have been doing this journal keeping through other productions like 'The Chisholms' and I kept extensive journals during 'Winds of War'. I had a field day then, with shooting on several locations and with people like Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen, Ali MacGraw and Jan-Michael Vincent on the sets. I started in 1975. I found that my life, like that of most actors, is made up of 14-hour days and 2-hour days. I sometimes work a few minutes from home and other times thousands of miles and many hours. On a day-to-day basis, my life becomes a jumble. I find keeping a journal regularly helps me to discipline myself and to review periodically what direction my life is taking and the over-all pattern."
Ben mentioned, "I got acquainted with Cache Valley during 2 glorious summers on the Logan festival (Festival of the American West). I think you have some of the most alluring mountain backgrounds in the country up there. I got out in the hills and walked all over. I believe I know the Cache Valley area as well as the natives." However during the filming of 'Uncommon Valor', "Actually, I spent most of my time in the mobile home-dressing room because I had to be available on call for most of the shooting.
"I spent most of the time writing my journal. I try to devote at least an hour a day to making the entries. It is difficult to get that much time while shooting a picture, especially one as demanding as 'Uncommon Valor'. I had to spend a lot of time preparing for shots and situations where I was in peril. I was 80 days behind time in some of my entries. I had to work from memory. Some of my notes I had to write into formal entries. I hope my notes furnish some basis as to how a picture is made.
"I have been doing this journal keeping through other productions like 'The Chisholms' and I kept extensive journals during 'Winds of War'. I had a field day then, with shooting on several locations and with people like Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen, Ali MacGraw and Jan-Michael Vincent on the sets. I started in 1975. I found that my life, like that of most actors, is made up of 14-hour days and 2-hour days. I sometimes work a few minutes from home and other times thousands of miles and many hours. On a day-to-day basis, my life becomes a jumble. I find keeping a journal regularly helps me to discipline myself and to review periodically what direction my life is taking and the over-all pattern."
