Movie Deal in the Works

In November 2004 my agent received an inquiry about movie rights to Jumping Fire. It was a bit mysterious since their agent would not tell us who it was or any details, only the initial offered purchase price. Still, things went fairly fast and within two months and a series of counter offers we firmed up the money and terms. The contract is thirty-one pages long, impossible for a regular human to read, and includes all kinds of things like DVD sales, coffee table books, and even an action figure doll. Imagine, an action figure doll that stands around mumbling jump stories to itself, and every once in a while blurting out, "It's dry out West," or "Toes, nose, take it like a man," or, "How much overtime do you have?"

After the contract was agreed upon things got funny and slowed down. Still, for various reasons, we weren't able to find out who we were dealing with. Then, things went completely stale and we (my agent and I) got nervous. In June, while I was in Alaska, we were told to forget the whole thing. I nearly fell apart I was so disappointed. We had a great deal of effort and hope for it just to fall apart, with basically no explanation. After two weeks trying to pull it together I decided to write one of the producers and tell him why I thought their decision to drop Jumping Fire as a movie was a mistake. That at this particular point in American life, when we are distracted by so many make-believe heros, the country needs to see a real-life drama, played out by dedicated, strong characters in unforgettably beautiful scenery. I told him smokejumping was all that and more. Apparently the letter had some effect. At least that's what their agent claimed. Anyway, the deal was back on by late August of 2005 when I signed the contract. Then the contract procedure bogged down again until November. In early September I contacted the screenwriter, Colman Dekay, and we planned a trip to visit smokejumper bases in the Northwest since it was too late to catch any action in Alaska. I felt it essential that Colman get around smokejumpers and jump bases before he began writing. In ten days we went to Redmond, Boise, and McCall. We went to beer pubs (imagine that) and bought the boys pitchers of beer and just listened. Colman heard jump story after jump story.

It was great! We had a fine time with Mark Corbett and the crew at Redmond, went through jump ships, had a back yard barbecue with Scott Dewitz, dinner with John McColgan (both ex-Alaska jumpers) and his family, and, on our last day, attended a beautiful early morning practice jump up in the Ochoco's in a big meadow nestled between giant ponderosas.

From Redmond we made our way to Boise, stayed at Steve Nemore's and visited Tom Boatner, Tom Romanello, John Gould, and Jim Raudenbush all ex-Alaska hands and talked of the good old days and smokejumping. We had another beer bash down at the Ram's Horn with several current and retired jumpers showing up. From Boise we went to a big fire camp near Stanley, Idaho, ran into Dave Zuares (Boise jumper) and got a first rate tour of the helibase operations. Colman got to sit front seat in a 212 while the pilot filled him in on the ship. From there we went to McCall and had three good days at the base, saw another practice jump, toured a P3 Orion retardant plane, more jump ships, and Colman even got to talk with Wild Bill Yensen, smokejumping's one-stop shopping center for jump stories. They had a house warming one night and we went. The party had a Western theme and so Mike Cooper, Eric Brundidge, and Rick Hudson and several others showed up in cowboy hats and boots. The guests had a life-size cut-out of John Wayne in the back yard standing by some hay bales, and the next thing I know, Colman is back there taking multiple photos with all the pretty young ladies. By midnight he'd had an ear full of "And this is no sh__!"

That all happened the third weekend in September. At the time I encouraged Colman to try to make it to Rod Dow's for his work party in late October. Although we met many interesting jumpers on our trip in September, I told him at Dow's he would meet the "old, old-timers", many who are in the book. And so, after some arm twisting and quick schedule changes, he flew to Portland, where we over nighted with friends. The next day he rode to Dow's with Don Bell (Alaska's not Grangeville's). At Dow's he met Eric The Blak, Dow, "Trooper" Tom Emonds, and several others babbling dinosaurs of the trade. Man, did he get a blast of stories then. It was perfect seeing him join right in, standing around campfires with his notebook and recorder listening to story after story. The movie Firestorm came up repeatedly as in, "Please, no Firestorm!"

As we drove down the hill from Dow's on our way to the airport in Yakima Colman turned to me and said, "That was great, I mean really great!" He proceeded to tell tell me how impressed he was with the bunch at Dow's. "I had no idea smokejumpers were that intelligent . . . and that funny," he said, dismayed. As we pulled up to the airport terminal in Yakima I turned to Colman and said, "Colman, this is the deal. I've sold smokejumping to Hollywood. It's 65 years of hard work, extraordinary characters, and the best of what life has to offer. Look at it like this. We're turning final, you're in the door and your clear. Make us proud!" Colman looked me straight in the eye, firmly shook my hand and said, "I can do it."

The studio is Warner Bros. The producers are Nu-Image. They used to be Millennium and have done many good films. The Jumping Fire project is in Phase One, writing the screenplay, and I've worked with Colman on that--actually wrote the opening scene. Phase Two will be selecting the director. Then, on to Phase three, selecting production assistants and actors. I get paid the purchase price when they begin principle photography--the actual filming. In the meantime I've been paid the option (for three years) price. The option period ends in August of 2008.

That's it. My fingers are crossed. I hope the film will actually become a reality. The budget is impressive. They've indicated they will film in Alaska and Idaho. I feel I've done all I can to help make sure they get something of which smokejumpers will be proud. Time and again Colman impressed the jumpers he met. He is a man's man, unpretentious, conscientious, bright, and savvy. Still, it is Hollywood, so you might keep your fingers crossed, too.

Murry A. Taylor has been a smokejumper since 1965. He divides his time between Alaska and northern California. Jumping Fire is his first book. Taylor's e-mail address is: murrytay@sisqtel.net • All photographs by Mike McMillan/Spotfire Images • Site by Visual Contact