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Post subject: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 9:11 am
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Aspiring Musician
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I threw this idea out on a post elsewhere (under the "Name The People" Thread), but I thought it deserved it's own thread--

It would be cool if a film industry-type who is a Certified Fender Guitar Fanatic would make a movie about the early days of Fender, something along the lines of the movie "Tucker"...the conflict to drive the story forward could be the Big Guitar Comapanies scoffing at that "boat paddle" being made by that dude out in California...it could start with Leo saying, "Hey, I got an idea...", show the introduction of the Broadcaster/Esquire, touch on the name change from Broadcaster to Telecaster (first conflict, the "Cease and Desist" from Gretsch), show the excitement regarding the Precision Bass and have the apex at the success of the Strat--but an after credit sequence shows Leo designing the Jazzmaster, saying, "Hey, I got an idea..."

We'd need actors well-known for disappearing into their roles for Leo, George, Freddie T, Bill Carson, and Don Randall...
maybe Paul Giamatti as Leo Fender?
I see Edward Norton as George Fullerton for some reason.
America Ferrera as Abby?

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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 2:00 pm
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Sounds like a good idea. I can't decide who should play Leo, Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, or Dustin Hoffman. :?:

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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 2:19 pm
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I had the same idea ten years ago. The problem is finding an engaging story beyond the guitars and amps themselves to give it a broad appeal. Otherwise it would be more of a documentary or biopic than mass appeal movie. So you need a cohesive central plot that appeals to a wider audience and I haven't found one. Corporate drama plays well, but during this time Fender was a small business.

Paul Giamatti was a good call. His demeanor and countenance is perfect.

I think there is a triumph of the little man story in there, especially if you follow it through to the G&L brand launch. Even then though there is not enough mass appeal. If there is a story that would appeal as much to the non-guitar community audience as the idea of it does to guitar heads, then Fender and the early players would make a good backdrop for an engaging story. A bio or docu pic focusing just on the design and production of original era instruments has too narrow an appeal. Namely us.

This would not be cheap to do either. It would be a clearance nightmare getting all the permissions required from modern day corporations to use their brand names and from still living players in the original era and in some cases their estates to avoid legal entanglements. You can't just make a film about existing brands without clearance.


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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 3:02 pm
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brotherdave wrote:
I had the same idea ten years ago. The problem is finding an engaging story beyond the guitars and amps themselves to give it a broad appeal. Otherwise it would be more of a documentary or biopic than mass appeal movie. So you need a cohesive central plot that appeals to a wider audience and I haven't found one. Corporate drama plays well, but during this time Fender was a small business.

Easy peasy!
You make stuff up.
It's the movies, right?
Embellish a little.
Sordid love affair between Leo and Abby, possibly.
Jealous significant others find out and team up to try to manipulate and ruin them both.
Company goes near bankruptcy as a byproduct of their medling and CBS bails them out to save the day for a happy and romantic ending as they sail off into the sunset.

In the sequel we see they've split up. There's a back story of bickering and distrust slowly unfolding. There's a side story where the masses get uppity with CBS and we see Abby going back to Fender to help out because she has company blood flowing in her viens. Leo and George head in another direction to try their hand at some new plans on an old idea.

OK, OK ....
Maybe not.
It was just a thought.

:lol:

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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 3:43 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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BMW-KTM wrote:
brotherdave wrote:
I had the same idea ten years ago. The problem is finding an engaging story beyond the guitars and amps themselves to give it a broad appeal. Otherwise it would be more of a documentary or biopic than mass appeal movie. So you need a cohesive central plot that appeals to a wider audience and I haven't found one. Corporate drama plays well, but during this time Fender was a small business.

Easy peasy!
You make stuff up.
It's the movies, right?
Embellish a little.
Sordid love affair between Leo and Abby, possibly.
Jealous significant others find out and team up to try to manipulate and ruin them both.
Company goes near bankruptcy as a byproduct of their medling and CBS bails them out to save the day for a happy and romantic ending as they sail off into the sunset.

In the sequel we see they've split up. There's a back story of bickering and distrust slowly unfolding. There's a side story where the masses get uppity with CBS and we see Abby going back to Fender to help out because she has company blood flowing in her viens. Leo and George head in another direction to try their hand at some new plans on an old idea.

OK, OK ....
Maybe not.
It was just a thought.

:lol:

That's a terrible idea. (No offense).

Conflict is easy--small business owner who's not even a musician taking on the the giant guitar companies like Gibson, etc., who don't "get" his vision and then scramble to catch up; Leo's penchant for tweaking and creating new designs can be a side note...1950's California period piece, with cameos by actors playing the musicians who embraced his designs--Buddy Holley, Richie Valens, etc.

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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 4:40 pm
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I'm sure there are tons of built in tensions in the true story. Leo was a very driven man and while by all accounts a very nice and humble man. However, Drive like that tends to take it's toll on those around people who have it. While I'm sure there was a ton of excitement about the P bass (and there should have been). I bet there were plenty of people who thought it was crazy. Start the film right before the point of the Cease and Desist Setback. Run it until the point where he takes ill and then explain the sale and his subsequent endeavors as part of the close of the film. Make the story about the building of a legacy from the ground up. Show the artists there at the beginning and then those who came around later. Show each model coming to life like a chapter in a book. Show the challenges. Show how what Leo and his people were doing were equipping people literally to go out and change the world through music. All starting from a small shop in California. I think it's a great story. I think it's one that deserves to be told. I think this year would have been actually perfect to release it. I don't think it needs the Hollywood treatment, at all. There are plenty of wanna be rock stars in Hollywierd. I'm sure a couple of them are die hard Fender people.

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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 5:56 pm
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I would thoroughly enjoy such a movie but I guarantee you it would bomb at the box office.

However, The Fender Story might actually make a very good biopic/documentary as long as it is a quality production. There is much to work with that does have mass appeal; 50's Americana, Greatest Generation, Horatio Alger type success, technical aspects, the literal parade of stars playing Leo's instruments, etc.

The goal is to help folks see what an amazing story it is. I don't see it working as movie because the actual process was very mundane. Leo Fender was the slow and steady tortoise that eventually won the race.

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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 6:44 pm
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I agree, I would thoroughly enjoy a documentary.

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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 6:53 pm
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Great idea Matt! You are right on that the actors would be a big draw for the movie. Let the casting begin!

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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 7:08 pm
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I'm about as jaded as they come with regard to Hollywood movies, but I can see how this could work, and on a low budget, too. Brother Dave is right when he says that securing the performance rights to footage could be a nightmare, but the way around that is to "re-create" the necessary scenes with actors instead of using authentic, archival footage. Then you are only on the hook for the normal music licensing fees.

Let's face it, everybody (and I mean EVERYBODY) has a decent number of images stored in their brains of famous and popular musicians old and new playing Strats, Teles, and Precision Basses and standing in front of Fender vintage and Blackface amps; fleshing out the stories of how so many legendary musicians came to covet and savor these unique sounds (along with the engineering, marketing genius, and clear thinking of Leo Fender) would give good writers and a good director tons of artistic license in creating a hand-clapping, foot-stomping narrative, which included a little-guy-makes-it big-and-is-tempted-by-big-bucks-and-opportunity-to-expand backstory. Throw in some gratuitous romantic hanky-panky (wink, wink) and you have a potential Karate Kid.

Or maybe I'm just doing some Fender-fan dreaming :D .

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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 7:09 pm
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Here's your "Leo", SA......

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0170186/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t10

Christian Slater might make for a passable Don Randall.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 7:24 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Here's your "Leo", SA......

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0170186/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t10

Christian Slater might make for a passable Don Randall.

Arjay

Yep, on both counts.

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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:21 am
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This wouldn't need to be a doc at all. If a story like Saving Mr. Banks can be done. The Fender story sure as heck can be. As others have pointed out. Tucker, and other movies like this have already been done. It's way more than possible, and it's definitely possible to be a hit or at least a money maker. In an age where American Industry is dying daily the fact that the US made Fender product is still the premiere Fender product is something worth celebrating. How many industries outside of musical instruments can that be said for? I'm not saying the company we see now has been a worthy custodian of late. However, the story is inspiring. It deserves to be told, and I think it could be done and done well with the right people behind it.

As far as who could do it? Hanks, as much as I don't like him in some regards would be one of the go to people for this, imo. Given that Fender stated that Fred Gretsch was cool with them using the Broadcaster name for a project. I'm sure he'd be cool with being involved on his end of things. I think this film could and should be done.

Also, I totally agree with recreating the scenes instead of securing rights to the films. While doing it Forrest Gump style would be great. I think recreating the scenes might give the connection between the Fender team and the instruments they made, and the artists and the instruments they played, a much more human touch.

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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 10:54 am
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Tom Hanks would be a good Leo, too...and he loves that era--he was one of the driving forces behind the accuracy of guitars, etc, for the movie "That Thing You Do".

Attaching his name would bring more backing, too.

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Post subject: Re: Great Movie Idea
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 10:56 am
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Jeff Bridges, Richard Gere and Johnny Depp are both guitarists and collectors.

Since he likes a challenging role, Johnny could play Abby (just kidding!)

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