Take Two - The Director's Chair
"The Beale Treasure Shoot"
By: Sandra R. Eubank
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Take Two - The Director's Chair By: Sandra R. Eubank |
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'Thar's gold in them thar' hills!'
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Just ask Bill Zimmerman, Vice-Mayor of Covington, Virginia. Bill, armed with the biggest can of gold spray paint, a pile of rocks and determination, made props for an upcoming reenactment scene for the latest version of the Beale Treasure. |
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"You want gold? I'll give you gold"
as he bends down and begins his task of spraying gold paint onto a hodgepodge of stones fighting the ever blowing wind and cold. Morgan Faust, Production Assistant, smiles as she starts her task of carefully sorting through the "gold" to be placed inside a horse drawn wagon.
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Why the interest in this allusive legend that has become ingrained within Southwest Virginia's history? Why a part of Bedford County, Virginia's folklore since November 1819? Three words, gold, silver, and jewels. The stuff dreams, or nightmares, are made of once the gold fever has possessed the soul of the adventurer. |
Thomas Jefferson Beale and twenty-nine associates comprising of buffalo hunters, adventurers, and of course a few "hillbillies" thrown in to complete the strange lot converged on the 'Old Dominion.' So the story is told, and there are many versions, this band of compatriots buried a vault filled with a treasure somewhere near the "Peaks Of Otter" or as the location was know back then, "Twin Peaks." Or, could the "dead" hold the secret of this century old mystery? In some of the writings that have tried to decipher the Beale Code, written by Thomas's own hand and is suppose to give the exact location, indicates that his treasure was buried . . . "in the corner of the dead" Since the fortune is suppose to lay six feet below the surface of the ground with some of it residing in iron pots has caused some "gold seekers" to desecrate cemeteries within Bedford, Virginia. Even today treasure hunters search private lands with metal detectors with some being asked to leave by the local police department.
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The Discovery Network/Travel Channel's show Mysterious Journeys, sent film/television director Ron Zimmerman of Zimmerman and Associates of Texas to Danny and Nan-c Johnson's farm located in Bedford County, Virginia. Their land has been the filming location for four Beale Treasure shoots including NBC's Unsolved Mysteries, The Beale Treasure, England's BBC Network, and an ongoing documentary being filmed by Faust Films out of Boston.
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When Josh Finn, Segment Producer at Mike Mathis Productions in California first contacted our film office searching for crew and period piece props, Bootie and I were glad to forward names from our crew list for him to contact. We also knew that Morgan Faust was working on her own project and put her in contact with Josh. She was welcomed aboard the Zimmerman crew! For period piece props including a tent Paul Rice of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry Company C, a non profit organization for reenactments was able to supply the much needed items required for the shoot. |
On November 10, 2001 between filming takes, I had the opportunity to speak with Ron Zimmerman and asked him how he liked his visit to the Johnson's orchards and farmland. Ron gave me a big warm smile and replied,
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"It's been great! Danny and Nan-c couldn't have been better. If I needed a backhoe, Danny found me one. If I needed a horse, Nan-c let me use hers. When I needed a horse drawn wagon, no problem. Need period piece costumes, reenactment actors, Nan-c came through in flying colors. I can't tell you how much this means to an out of town production group." |
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Nellie Zimmerman, location's producer, assistant camera and sound person and all around jack-of-all-trades enjoyed her visit as well. Her quiet nature and gentle smile made everyone around her feel at ease and welcomed. She seemed genuinely appreciative of even the small things that our film office did behind the scenes to make their stay a pleasant experience. |
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Be sure to watch the Discovery Network/Travel Channel's Mysterious Journeys show on March 25, 26, and 27, 2002, and join actors from the community theater group, Little Town Players, from Bedford, Virginia as they take on the roles of Thomas Jefferson Beale portrayed by Tim Flagg and Joe Gardner as Mr. Morriss. The two young adventurers were Jacob and Luke Dewald. Modern day metal detector/treasure hunter is Doug Moore who is also a Bedford region Historian. |
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Book authors Peter Viemeister and E. J. Easterling were interviewed concerning their published works on the Beale Treasure. Mr. Viemeister wrote The Beale Treasure: A History of a Mystery and Ed Easterling's book is entitled In Search of a Golden Vault, The Beale Treasure Mystery. |
A brief excerpt from Mr. Easterling book just may gives us some insight into what may have occurred so many years ago . . . " the party on the advice of Beale, selected Robert Morriss, a respected businessman as their executor of trust. He was given a locked iron box and told to have the lock removed if an agent of the party had not returned after ten years. Morriss was never to see Beale or any member of his party again. The fate of this band of misfits haunted Morriss for the rest of his life."
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What happened to Thomas Jefferson Beale and the twenty-nine men that made up his party? Why do the contents of the iron box continue to baffle experts even in modern times? . . . As the Beale Treasure Mystery unfolds, it arouses the imagination and quickens the heart. This truly American epic illuminates a fascinating era of our country's history, following its course from Virginia to the gates of St Louis and beyond. It is a saga that will be difficult to lay aside . . . |
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Feel free to explore the Beale Papers and the Declaration of Independence and decipher its code. Perhaps you will solve the mystery! Remember . . . the Treasure is waiting. |
About Mike Mathis Productions
Mike Mathis has produced and directed primetime network television for the past fifteen years. His Production company is committed to creating the finest in non-fiction television entertainment that enlightens and informs. He brings extensive experience to the task.
Credits include ten years of directing the primetime NBC series "UNSOLVED MYSTERIES." He was nominated for an Emmy for his work on that show. Mr. Mathis has also produced, directed, and written primetime network specials for NBC, CBS, and FOX as well as extensive programming for broadcast cable.
Producing credits include:
The one hour Learning Channel special "Rockets Red Glare," about the history of rocket failures, why and how
The two-hour History Channel special "Sarge!,"about the history of the sergeants from ancient times until today.
The one-hour History Channel special "Suicide Missions Of D-DAY," about soldiers on special assignment during the Normandy Invasion.
The one-hour History Channel special "Pathfinders," about the forward landing teams of the Allied Airborne forces during World War II.
The one-hour History Channel special "German U-Boats," about Nazi U-boats and the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II.
The four-hour TLC series, "Monster Machines," about monster machines that build, dig, and destroy.
The one-hour History Channel special "Work Clothes," about the history of work clothes design and construction.
The one-hour FOX special "Train Wrecks," about caught on tape rail disasters and survivor stories
The two-hour FOX special "The Secret Identity Of Jack The Ripper," tracking the identity of the man responsible for the Whitechappel murders in 1889.
For more information on the Beale Treasure, click here to visit www.bealetreasure.net
© Copyright 2004 by the Blue Ridge - Southwest
Virginia Film Office, Inc.
All rights reserved worldwide.
