We begin filming in just a couple of weeks on May 18 at the University of Oregon Archives where we’ll film some of the materials in the Pearl Hall collection, including letters Bernard Daly wrote to Pearl Hall during their long and loving relationship. Through these letters and Daly’s papers, we can hear his voice and gain a glimpse into who he was. He was a good writer. It’s clear that he wrote with thought and care.
Last week I spent most of a day going through the Pearl Hall collection so I could make recommendations for our filming session. We’ll only have two hours to film the collection, so we’ll need to have a clear plan. In addition to the letters, I found two photos I hadn’t seen before of Daly during his college days in Ohio, both from 1886 when he was about 28. That’s Daly on the right with the bushy mustache, cape, and somewhat intense look — a good looking young man.
I’m intrigued by hand written drafts and typewritten final drafts of speeches that Daly gave. Daly wrote his own speeches with multiple drafts, carefully considering each line. I particularly like the speech he gave in October of 1912 in support of women’s suffrage, just a month before Oregon voters approved the measure in November. Once again, Daly was on the right side of history.
Daly’s support was strong and clear. He began, as he often did, with logic and the financial aspects of the issue. He reminded the audience that the Constitution grants to each state the right to fix the qualifications of its voters. Then he noted that many of the property owners and taxpayers of this town, county, and state are women, asking if that isn’t taxation without representation. And for those who “allege that women are not intellectually equal,” he said, “As a fact women are far in the lead of men at the present time… and if we do not urge our boys to seek greater advancement in education, very soon they will not be qualified to be the intellectual companions for the girls.” Strong stuff.
I had a wonderful time at the UO Archives. Two trips to put more money into the parking meter; I could have easily stayed longer, discovering more about Bernard Daly and his times. I’m even more excited about the prospects of bringing him and his story to life in a film. It’s definitely a story worth sharing. Here’s the second photo I found of Daly with his college friends. Easy to pick him out with his bushy mustache and his steady and serious gaze.
Hope you’ll join the growing community of supporters of The Daly Promise film by making a donation or investment in the project.
- Make a donation (quick and convenient, but not tax-deductible) through our GoFundMe web site or a tax-deductible donation by mailing a check to the Lakeview Community Partnership, 16S S F St., Lakeview, OR 97630 with the note indicating it’s for the “Daly Fund Movie.”
- Consider being an investor in the film (minimum $10K). If the film is profitable, investors will receive their initial investment plus a 20% premium and share of profits in proportion to their investment. Please contact me (sam.stern@oregonstate.edu) if you are interested in becoming an investor in the project.
Note: If the film is profitable, 10% of the profits will be given to the Daly Scholarship Fund. The names of all the donors will appear in the end credits and investors will be identified as executive producers.
