University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, June 14, 1989
11
Steve Traynor/KANSAN
Lights Camera KANSAS!
by Barbara Kollmeyer Kansan staff writer
VINLAND -In the midst of the lush, rolling hills surrounding Vinnland, more than 2,500 people gathered on a damp, chilly Saturday to film part of the NBC mini-series, "Cross of Fire."
"Cross of Fire," which is set in the 1920s, "presses the rise and fall of Indiana businessman and Klux Klan leader David Curtis Stevenson. The series has been shot in Lawrence, Topeka and Ottawa.
Most people were wearing clothing of the 1920s. Several others were wearing white robes and hoods. Above one of the tents hung a banner which said "The KKK Welcome You!"
J. L. Watson, a recent KU film and theatre graduate, said she participated in the event to see what filming was about and to act.
ABOVE: During a break in the filming, four-year-old Kristen Fagan. Lawrence resident, shields herself from the rain. LEFT: A crowd of extras stand in a tent after rain delayed the filming of "Cross of Fire." About 2,500 people were extras for the NBC mini-series.
The cast includes Lloyd Bridges, David Morse and John Heard. Hundreds of extras, including KU students, residents, also took part in the filming.
"In class, we weren't taught technique. With this, you see the nitty
gritty," Watson said, shivering in her sleeveless dress reflecting the styles of the 1920s.
Watson described the day as "hurry up and wait." The rain delayed filming by more than two hours.
"We're really cold, they told us to be patient," Watson said, as she watched a scene being filmed.
By noon it was pouring rain, and cold, hungry extrares filled a tent, waiting in line for lunch and listening to jazz music.
Some of the people portraying Klansman said that wearing KKK costumes was disturbing.
Larry Switzer, Prairie Village senior who wore a green Klan robe indicating a higher rank, said. "I was with the symbolism of the uniforms."
Switzer said this was his fourth day as a paid extra and that he enjoyed it, despite the Kian costume.
Later that morning Switzer, 25, was taken out of the scene because the director said he was too young to hold such an exalted position in the Klan Switzer said that he would
probably wait until they placed him in another scene.
"It's fun no matter what happens," he said.
Eunice Stallwool, 1989 KU graduate and programming assistant for the Kansas Arts Commission, came for professional reasons but said she was uncomfortably seeing so many people dressed as Klansmen.
I've been observing, but I haven't been observing comfortably." Stallworth said.
"Cross of Fire" even enticed State Rep. John Solbach, D-Lawrence. He brought his wife Pat and their two children to be extras in the day of
"The film commission asked me to come here today and my wife and I decided to make a day of it." Soibach said.
Ron Lauenti, director of photography, said the countryside and people of Kansas were what the company had been looking for.
"We looked in Indiana and didn't see anything we couldn't get here," Lautore said. "We wouldn't cooperate so cooperative we just couldn't ask for anything more."
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