ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY
Sergeant York: Of God and Country chronicles how Alvin York’s story was brought to the screen in the 1941 film, Sergeant York, starring Gary Cooper. The documentary explores casting decisions, script development, performances, characters, shooting topics, and production problems. It also examines the complex political environment in America, in which isolationism, anti-Semitism, and the war in Europe almost derailed the film. Gary Cooper won his first Best Actor Oscar for his performance. The documentary is narrated by Liam Neeson. Written and directed by John Mulholland. Produced & Edited by Richard Zampella
CREDITS
Narrated by: Liam Neeson
Written & Directed by: John Mulholland
On Camera Participants: Maria Cooper, Joan Leslie, June Lockhart, Michael Birdwell, M.Z. Ribalow and Film Historian Robert Osborne
Produced by: Shannon Mulholland & Richard Zampella
CLICK TO PURCHASE ON AMAZON.COM NOW
The documentary chronicles the complications related to bringing the story of Alvin York to the screen, while addressing in depth the political issues prevalent in America that were working against the making of Sergeant York. It also explores the complex and lengthy development of the script, including Gary Cooper’s integral role in arriving at the final script. Sergeant York: Of God and Country also examines the performances, characters, shooting topics, production problems, and post-release reactions to Sergeant York.
John Mulholland is a writer, director, and film historian best known for his documentary films. He is also a writer of books, screenplays, articles, and a popular lecturer and podcast host. His work includes the documentaries Elmore Leonard: But Don’t Try to Write; Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen a film that explores the 20-year friendship between three-time Academy Award-winning actor Gary Cooper and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway – a New York Times Critics Pick; Sergeant York: Of God and Country narrated by Liam Neeson; Liza Minnelli Reflecting; Reflections on Gaslight; Charles Dickens and ‘A Christmas Carol’; The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh and Theo Van Gogh; On Macbeth; Eastern European Composers; The Lake Poets; and the soon to be released documentary Inside High Noon: the Making of the 1952 Film High Noon.
Richard Zampella has Produced & Edited numerous documentaries that have appeared on American Public Television. Projects include:Inside High Noon (Narrated by Matthew Rhys), Elmore Leonard: But Don’t Try to Write, (Narrated by Campbell Scott) Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen, Written and Directed by John Mulholland, with narration by Sam Waterson and Sergeant York: Of God and Country, narrated by Liam Neeson. Other notable Zampella production credits include Duke Ellington, a documentary tribute released on April 29, 2009, the 110th birthday of the jazz great and a date designated as “Duke Ellington Day” by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Zampella is also a photographer and writer and received a CNN “Editor’s Pic” for his photo essay and article on the September 11th terrorist bombing of the Twin Towers in New York City.
NEWS
SERGEANT YORK: Of God and Country is now available on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive. The 40-minute documentary narrated by Liam Neeson “Of God and Country” offers both a biography of the hero and an overview from the production.
-THE WASHINGTON TIMES
REVIEWS
The lasting impact of Sergeant York, Cooper’s terrific performance, and the picture’s popularity and accolades are explored in this comprehensive, expertly-made documentary.
-HIGH DEF DIGEST
