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PHOENIX—Gary W.
Moore’s new non-fiction book, PLAYING WITH THE ENEMY: A
Baseball Prodigy, a World at War, and a Field of Broken Dreams
(www.playingwiththeenemy.com
), based on the story of his father’s World War II experience
after being drafted into Major League Baseball, has been optioned by
Academy Award®
winning producer Gerald R. Molen’s company, White Light
Entertainment. A news conference announcing the details of the
film deal will be held at 9 a.m., Thursday, September 14th
at the U-505 Submarine exhibit at the Museum of Science and
Industry in
Chicago, Il.
(57th
Street and Lake Shore Drive).
The
screenplay was written by White Light’s Head of Development, David
Ranes, and the book author’s son, Toby Moore. Toby Moore will also
portray his grandfather (the lead character, Gene Moore) on screen.
“This is a true
story of one man’s reaching out to the enemy during a very dark time
in our history. Gene Moore and his fellow sailors teach all of us
that compassion and tolerance does exist, especially when the
bridge-builder happens to be that great American pastime:
baseball. History and baseball buffs alike will revel in this
episode of man’s ability to reach out, even during a time of war,”
Molen declared.
“This project
just seems to be blessed,” Moore stated. “Or maybe it is fate, but
the way that our agreement with Gerald came about is certainly
fortuitous, with Playing with the Enemy slated for
release in September. To have baseball legend Jim Morris write the
foreword to the book and Southwest Airlines underwrite our book tour
is more than I ever dreamed.” Author Moore’s book tour begins September 15th in Chicago and is generously
sponsored by Southwest Airlines. PLAYING WITH THE ENEMY
is published by Savas Beatie LLC.
PLAYING WITH
THE ENEMY (PWTE)
is a poignant look at the life of Moore’s father, Gene, a
15-year-old baseball phenomenon who was headed for stardom after
being drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers. Gene’s destiny was
interrupted by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Gene’s career on
the Navy baseball team [included teaching German prisoners of war,
many from the U-505, to play American baseball. The guards and
prisoners squared off on the diamond instead of the battlefield!
WHITELIGHT
ENTERTAINMENT TO
PRODUCE PLAYING WITH THE ENEMY
Some of the
films which Gerald Molen has produced include: SCHINDLER’S
LIST, RAIN MAN,
MINORITY REPORT,
TWISTER, HOOK, DAYS OF THUNDER
and the JURASSIC PARK movies.
Additionally, at the news conference, Gary Moore and Chicago Cubs
legend Ron Santo, will present a donation of $11,000 to the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Chicago Chapter.
The U-505 Submarine—the only German U-boat in the United
States—has been at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry since
1954. During that time, more than 25 million people have toured
this National Historic Landmark.
·
“…This is the best
book I have read in the last decade. It is a great story that is
told with sensitivity and well-constructed prose. Moore has captured
the spirit and the heart of his father’s story through the use of
insightful dialogue that gives real understanding to the life
experiences and to the people in the story. The book is alive with
emotions. It grabs your heart and will not let go of it …”
William H. McDonald, President, Military Writers Society of America
(MWSA). PLAYING WITH THE ENEMY earned the
Military Writers Society of America Award for Best Non-Fiction
Book of 2006.
·
“Gary Moore’s touching
book about his father’s baseball career, serves as a reminder that
life is all about second chances and people inspiring each other to
chase their dreams. . . . I loved Playing with the Enemy.
You will, too.” --Baseball legend Jim Morris, former pitcher
for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
·
“When we consider the amazing achievement of what has come to be
known as ‘the Greatest Generation,’ it's easy to forget that they
were individual flesh and blood human beings, young people whose
dreams were interrupted by the need to save the world.
Playing with the Enemy
is the compelling story of one such young American, an astoundingly
gifted athlete who found himself fighting a war when he would have
preferred to have been battling opposing players on the baseball
diamond. Amusing at times, sad at others, but always heartwarming,
it is a uniquely American and personal story of one man, one of many
who sacrificed so much for our freedom.”—Teri
O’Brien, WLS 890 AM - Chicago
·
“Playing with
the Enemy is a story of the American Dream—the power, the
pain, the sacrifice, the triumph, and most of all, the heart. It’s
about making peace with your enemies and, in Gene Moore’s case, the
story of a man learning to make peace with himself. A great read.”
— James Riordan, author of The New York Times
bestseller Break on Through: The Life & Death of Jim Morrison
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