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November 12, 2004
Jim Gartner, a Traverse City-based commerical director, stands with his neice Dr. Elaina Gartner (left) and daughter Elizabeth Gartner, during the filming of a game at the University of New Orleans. Elaina and Elizabeth sported 1960s hairdos for their roles as extras in Gartner's first motion picture, "Glory Road."
Gartner goes hollywoodTraverse City-based commercial director makes first motion pictureByRecord-Eagle staff writer After more than three months on location in Louisiana and Texas, Traverse City-based commercial director James Gartner is wrapping up filming on his first motion picture. Gartner, who is better known for his award-winning national TV commercials, is directing the Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer film "Glory Road." The big budget movie stars Josh Lucas, Derek Luke and Austin Nichols. "Glory Road" follows the true story of Don Haskins, who coached the first all-black starting lineup at Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso) to a 1966 NCAA basketball championship against top-ranked Kentucky. The victory was credited with opening the doors of universities across the country to black athletes, but outraged many who sent Haskins hate mail and even death threats during the racially charged era. The movie explores the team's recruitment and rise to glory and the racism it encountered along the way, said Gartner's wife, Lauri Gartner. Haskins' sometimes unorthodox recruiting methods included playing pool to win money to attract players. The picture was originally set to star Ben Affleck as Haskins, but the actor backed out about three weeks before filming because of money issues, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He was replaced by Lucas, who starred opposite Reese Witherspoon in "Sweet Home Alabama" and also had roles in "Secondhand Lions" and "A Beautiful Mind." It also stars Derek Luke ("Friday Night Lights," "Antwone Fisher") as the star guard of the Texas Western team; Austin Nichols ("Wimbledon," "The Day After Tomorrow") as the only white player on the team; and Jon Voight ("National Treasure," "The Manchurian Candidate") as the coach of the Kentucky team. Gartner signed on April 1 and started working full-time May 1, said Lauri Gartner, a Traverse City native. As director, he's responsible for casting, scouting film locations, choosing the cameraman and creating the picture's overall look. Filming has taken place in New Orleans and El Paso, among other locations. It has been marked by typical rewrites, 16- to 20-hour days and plenty of high jinks - including a Halloween party in which actors and the production crew dressed up as each other, she said. Although it was briefly suspended by Hurricane Ivan and the loss of Gartner's cameraman to kidney dialysis, it is expected to wrap up this week. In directing the movie, Gartner joins ranks with one of the film industry's most powerful producers. Bruckheimer's credits include "National Treasure," "King Arthur," "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," "Black Hawk Down," "Pearl Harbor," "Armageddon," "Crimson Tide" and "Top Gun." He also is executive producer of television's "C.S.I.: NY," "C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation" and "The Amazing Race" series. "He is literally the producer in Hollywood right now," said Lauri Gartner. "Glory Road" is a Gartner family affair. Gartner's daughter, 17-year-old Elizabeth, a senior at Traverse City Central High School, is an extra in two scenes; and son 29-year-old James, a photographer in California, plays a reporter with two lines. Gartner's niece also is in the film. Lauri Gartner visited the set four times, where she met the real Haskins and posed with hundreds of dummies standing in for spectators in certain basketball scenes. She also rubbed elbows with the Bruckheimers, actor Voight, who wears a fake nose and ears in the movie, and Pat Riley, president of the Miami Heat. A consultant on the film, Riley was a starter on the 1966 all-white Kentucky team and reportedly was the only member of the team to visit the Texas Western locker room to congratulate the winners after the game. Until now, Gartner has only directed commercials, many of them shot in the Grand Traverse region. Although he has a production company in Santa Monica, Calif., it doesn't have a film division. "Glory Road" is expected to go into editing later this month and to be released sometime in March to coincide with basketball's March Madness.
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