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Irish Independent

Wanted – 1,000 Irish extras for WWII epic based on life of Hollywood movie legend Jimmy Stewart

West Cork Film Studios have issued a casting call for extras – with the movie set to prove the biggest production shot in Ireland over the coming months. It is understood that over 1,000 extras are being sought for the film, which is operating under the working title Jimmy. It was first mooted two years ago under the title, A Truly Wonderful Life. The Pennsylvania-born actor famously put his film career on hold in 1940 to serve with the US military in World War II. He became the first major Hollywood star to enlist – and served with the US army air corps. The film inspired by his is expected to be shot in the Skibbereen area. West Cork Film Studios have already issued a public appeal for cast members for the production. We are looking for talented background actors to bring scenes to life 'Extra Extra is currently casting for a major feature film shooting in west Cork,' they said. 'We are looking for talented background actors to bring scenes to life. This is a costume period film – all extras will be paid and provided with a fitted costume.' The recruitment advertisement for the production said extras were being sought to play roles including swing dancers, ballet dancers, Hollywood Oscar party attendees, brass bands, Glenn Miller Orchestra players, town people, airbase crew, bomber pilots, army officers and medics. ADVERTISEMENT West Cork has a strong film tradition, with such productions as The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Star Wars and The Young Offenders all having been shot there. The area is also home to Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons and Academy Award-winning producer David Puttnam, while Irish actors Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal both have homes there. It is understood the Hollywood epic will revolve around Jimmy Stewart's wartime service – and his refusal to be confined to a safe role in uniform in the US. The actor insisted on enlisting because of his family's long connection with the US military. His two grandfathers had served in the US Civil War and his father served both during the Spanish-American War and in World War I. He was already a qualified pilot when he enlisted and, despite being earmarked for war support work in the US, he pressed to be allowed to serve on the front line. Worried that his status as a Hollywood celebrity might prevent him deploying to a combat zone, he repeatedly appealed to senior commanders to be allowed to serve on the front line along with other recruits. He eventually deployed with the 703rd Bomb Squadron to England in November 1943. The actor – by then a major star – served on B-24 Liberators heavy bombers that fought over occupied Europe. One of his most high-profile missions was a bombing raid over Ludwigshafen in early 1944 at the peak of the air war over Germany. He finished the war with the rank of colonel – one of only a handful of US servicemen to rise in rank from private to colonel during World War II. The actor remained in the US air force reserve after 1945, only retiring in 1968 with the rank of brigadier-general. He also received a Distinguished Flying Cross, the French Croix de Guerre and the Air Medal. After the war, he was one of the 12 founding members of the United States Air Force Association. He was reticent to talk about his wartime experiences, but was deeply proud of his service in uniform. Famously, he agreed to be interviewed as part of the Laurence Olivier-narrated documentary, The World At War, about Allied bombing losses over Germany. The star, who died in 1997 at the age of 89, is one of the most legendary actors in Hollywood history. America's Film Institute ranked him at third on its list of greatest American actors. Over his career he starred in 80 films, the last being made in 1991. He starred in some of the most acclaimed and well-loved films ever made, including It's A Wonderful Life, Mr Smith Goes To Washington, Anatomy Of A Murder, Vertigo, The Greatest Show On Earth, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and The Glenn Miller Story. The actor received an Academy Award for his performance in The Philadelphia Story as well as an Honorary Academy Award in 1984.