The audio interview has been posted at Wauktown Radio.
Gary Moore’s book Playing with the Enemy: A Baseball Prodigy, a World at War, and a Field of Broken Dreams is the kind of story Hollywood might have dreamed up.
The behind the scenes story and what happened after publication is just as spell-binding.
The best part is–it’s all true.
Gene Moore, a young boy from Southern Illinois, wants to be a major league baseball player. He gets the nod, only to have it derailed by World War II. Instead of playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Gene uses his skill to guard prisoners and teach them the sport. Years later, Gene’s son Gary son writes his dad’s story. It’s published in a book and an Academy Award-winning producer is turning it into a movie.
Guess who will star in the film?
Gary’s actor son, Toby, will star as his grandfather.
Make sure to sign up for Gary’s free Playing with the Enemy newsletter on his web site for the latest announcements to keep up to date on what is happening as the book reaches a wider and wider audience, the full cast is announced, and filming on the movie begins this fall.
Gene’s life plan of playing baseball certainly didn’t turn out as he had planned, but his dream didn’t end with his death. The story behind Playing with the Enemy shows that the long-term outcome might even better than original short-term plan. Toby gets to star in movie based on a book written by his father, about his grandfather, and has the opportunity to honor his family with the validation his grandfather probably never imagined.
“No, my father did not die unhappy, but there was always a burden he carried with him,” Gary told me by email after our interview on Wauktown Radio. “He understood that the life and the family he loved would not have been had he not been injured, but the love of baseball and his passion to play well was something he never lost and was unable to fulfill.”
Although the movie won’t be filmed in on location in Sesser, Illinois, Gary said people are already making visits to the town to see the sights mentioned in the book. On weekends, some 25-30 people have already begun to stop in town for a visit. “Visitors to Sesser can stop by the city hall and receive a map and information about the book sites.” Gary said. “There is no fee involved that I am aware of.”
Sesser is located in the far Southern part of the state. It’s rural with numerous economic challenges. In the past, much of the area depended on coal until environmental concerns limited production. Gary said there is some research with coal to burn a cleaner product, which could result in an economic revival in that area.
In the meantime, Sesser is doing their own part to bring attention to what their town has to offer. Visit the Sesser Chamber of Commerce for information about the town. And, visit the town’s web site and find out why resident’s want Oprah to visit and what they are doing to encourage her consideration.
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