The Moravian Historical Society in the Morning Call Newspaper, 1984 to today

---

<< Back to Archives Home

NAZARETH CURATOR MAY HIT SILVER SCREEN * HE TRAINED EXTRAS FOR REVOLUTIONARY WAR FILM.

Morning Call - Allentown, Pa. Author: TRACY JORDAN, The Morning Call

Copyright Morning Call Dec 1, 1999

Mark Turdo could appear on the silver screen in a Revolutionary War epic starring Mel Gibson.

Or his four scenes as a movie extra could end up on the cutting- room floor after Columbia Pictures edits "The Patriot," which is expected to be released to theaters in July.

Either way, Turdo said he's not quitting his job as curator of the Moravian Historical Society at the Whitefield House Museum in Nazareth.

"I did enjoy it, but I would never consider it as a career," Turdo said after working 10 weeks on the film in South Carolina. "Hollywood is not for me."

Before we get to the rest of the story, yes, Turdo did get to meet Gibson.

"He's much shorter than I thought he would be. He's about five feet 10 inches tall, but stocky," Turdo said.

He said Gibson also seemed very shy and smoked a lot of cigarettes, which the blue-eyed star of "Lethal Weapon" and "Braveheart" usually bummed from others. Turdo figures it was his way to start conversations and be friendly because he no doubt can afford to buy his own.

Back to the story.

Turdo, of Bethlehem, got involved in the production because of his hobby as a Revolutionary War re-enactor in the 2nd New Jersey Helms' Company of Maxwell's Brigade.

When his commander, Paul Hutchins of Alpha, N.J., asked him if he would like to train some Hollywood extras, Turdo doubted he'd get permission from the Moravian Historical Society's board of directors and executive director, Susan Dreydoppel.

"But I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask," he recalled. "Sue thought it was a great idea. I think her words were, 'opportunity of a lifetime.' In hindsight, it was."

The board approved a half-pay sabbatical provided Turdo continue working on educational plans and exhibits and return by Nov. 1.

He arrived in the Rock Hill, S.C., area in early September and set up camp in a farmer's pasture .

"I lived the life of an officer in a nice big tent with a cot," Turdo said. "I wasn't going to sleep on the ground for three months."

He and seven other trainers spent the first week teaching the 1764 Manual of Arms to the extras, about 200 men the casting crew rounded up from the Rock Hill area.

"I don't know how true this is, but I heard they were hanging out in bars and tattoo parlors looking for guys with long hair," said Turdo, who wears his hair in a pony tail.

Each extra received 40 hours of training over eight days. Initially they were paid $60 a day, but Turdo said their salary was doubled after some complained.

"I'll get flayed alive for saying this, but they looked better than a lot of re-enactment units," Turdo said.

After he finished training the extras, Turdo said he learned about the business of making movies -- by waiting to be called.

"It's like being in the military," Turdo said. "It's 90 percent boredom and 10 percent sheer panic. You go from total lethargy to instant action."

Turdo, who was paid $160 a day as a trainer and extra, ended up working only 16 days -- four of them as an extra.

He spent his free time visiting historical sites throughout South Carolina and watching the film crew.

If the scene is not cut, Turdo said he'll be most noticeable when he's standing near a tent paying the soldiers and Gibson rides into camp on horseback.

"A lot of it is random. They don't look at you say, 'Oh, you'd be perfect as the pay master,'" Turdo said. "Basically, we're biological props."

Though the camp scenes appeared authentic, Turdo said he and the other re-enactors were disappointed the plot and some battle scenes weren't historically accurate.

The film is based on the life of Gen. Francis "the Swamp Fox" Marion, but it is very loosely based, according to Turdo and buzz on the Internet.

"We're out there every day trying to break down all the misconceptions and stereotypes about the war, and the movie is catering to all that," Turdo said. "But it will be a good movie, and people

The Morning Call has graciously allowed us access to their electronic archive. The articles are presented here as they appear online.

This article is © copyright The Morning Call Online.