Great Falls Movie

Rarely seen footage marks Great Falls movie

Provided by Great Falls Tribune
Richard Ecke writes a weekly column on city life. Reach him at recke@greatfallstribune.com, or at 406-791-1467 or 800-438-6600.

A one-hour documentary film about Great Falls' history and its people will be unveiled in the city in two phases this week.

The first phase is an invitation-only premiere tonight for dignitaries at The History Museum in Great Falls. All spots for the premiere are filled.

The second phase takes place during the weekend.
"The Great Falls Story — A Tribute to 125 Years" will be broadcast at 6 p.m. Saturday on KRTV, Channel 3 in Great Falls, and its Helena offshoot, KXLH.
The film marks the city's 125th anniversary, and includes old footage rarely seen anywhere, according to Norma Ashby, who co-produced the film with former Great Falls resident Craig Wirth, a documentary film veteran living in Utah. Jim Meinert of Great Falls is associate producer.

Among the film's unusual footage are clips of Great Falls parades in the 1920s, cowboy artist Charlie Russell performing Indian sign language, film of Russell's picturesque funeral in 1926, clips of President John F. Kennedy's visit to Great Falls in September 1963. The movie even includes video of Captain Dynamite — real name Patrick "Midnight" O'Brien — an entertainer who blew himself up with explosives in Legion Park in July 1989, then lived to tell about it.

"To find the (Russell) funeral procession was really a coup," Ashby said. The documentary also contains "great footage of the smelter" in Black Eagle, she added.

There are no plans at the moment for a large-scale showing of the film in the Civic Center, although Ashby said that could happen someday if there was enough demand for it.

Special guests at tonight's invitation-only premiere include Montana descendants of city founder Paris Gibson: great-great-granddaughter Mary Lou Fitzpatrick of Coram, and great-great-grandson Bill Dakin of Columbia Falls.
Ashby said modern parts of the film were shot in high-definition, but it won't be broadcast in that format. In addition, plenty of film clips from the movie had to be upconverted to higher resolution to match the modern high-def footage. Ashby said copies of the documentary film will be sold for about $15 to benefit The History Museum. Details of DVD sales will be announced later.
Watch for a review of the film Friday in the Tribune's Hot Ticket section.
Ashby said she hopes the movie will inspire "new pride in the city."
Musician and songwriter Rick Tryon of Great Falls has written a song entitled "Walter's Song," a tribute to the man believed to be the world's oldest living male. Charming Rainbow Retirement resident Walter Breuning turned 113 years old in September. It's fitting he has a song named for him now.