Commodore

COMMODORE PERRY OWENS

Written by Jeremy Keith Clayton. Ryan Pierson to Direct.

Jeremy K Clayton: "Commodore" is a different kind of western that will be enjoyed by fans of the series "Deadwood". The dialogue is highly literary and in generous supply. The action is quick, tumultuous and bloody. This will not be a film for the whole family.

A tale of stubbornness and greed, COMMODORE is a high impact, abrasive, and ultimately carnal illumination of the classic American Range Feud. Commodore Perry Owens, Sheriff to Arizona’s Apache County, becomes the target of a greedy land baron when he refuses to release a prisoner who is key to a lucrative land trade.

He is the one natives call “Iron Man”, the one who is said to have been a “sure shot from a mile”, the one that killed 5 men at the Blevins house in 1886 with only 4 shots, the man who married his rifle, the scrapper for whom the word Legend was devised. He is Commodore.

SYNOPSIS
When 13 year old Vera Ann Kittrich is found half naked in a barn with Johnny and Freddy Tewk, her father Lionel commissions his virtual army of sons to bring the evil pair to justice. Unfortunately for the Kittriches, the exacting and abrasive Sheriff Commodore Perry Owens has cause to arrest Johnny on a relatively insignificant crime, shot-gunning a hole in a saloon door.

The omnipotent Kittriches, backed by endless cash flow and even Commodore’s own legal cabinet, demand that he free the inevitably apprehended Johnny Tewk, or else. Commodore, self righteous and stubborn, refuses to bend to Lionel’s will and sets out to hold Johnny on the smaller, yet provable charge. Money makes a big problem bigger as Johnny Tewk is the only missing link to Kittrich’s 14000 acre land trade; a land trade that seems, with every moment, every shot fired, every man kilt, a better reason than any to go to war, including what may or may not have happened to little Vera.

No gun shall be holstered on the day any man crosses Lionel Kittrich. The man with 11 sons is about to tear a county to pieces to see his own selfish ends met, while Commodore’s adherence to principle leaves him no other recourse than to declare war on his own people. It’s might meets right… and you ain’t never seen right like this.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
It should be clearly understood that "Commodore" is in rudimentary preproduction and filming is slated for late 2009 at the earliest. It is a project that we are very excited about, one we take very seriously, one we will not rush.

That being said, we have requested and are reviewing actor headshots without having compiled true character descriptions and without planning or posting any related audition dates. Of the inevitable castings, none will be more important than the following characters, none will be more exactingly decided upon.

These roles have been fictionalized.

COMMODORE PERRY OWENS: 35. Caucasian. Originally a Tennessean, Commodore (his real first name, not a moniker) acted as Sheriff to Apache/Navajo County between 1886 and 1889. Formerly a buffalo hunter, it is theorized that the outspoken lawman was a sure shot from a mile away. As written (though physiology is less than determinant), Commodore is 5'9", handsome, with a mane of waste-length blond hair. He is stern, quick thinking, verbally rambunxious, profane though religious, and idealistic. His dialogue is heavy, "R" rated, complicated. He is highly proficient with firearms, including pistols. He has undiscountable logic while his demeanor and verbage, in service to such logic, is intimidating and powerful.

ROLAND PIKE: 37. Caucasian. Commodore's nemesis in Sub Plot 1. A killer, through and through. Reference the character of "T-Bag" in TV's Prison Break. No set physiology. Rolland is a socially proficient psychopath who exhibits latent psycho-sexual propensities. He is highly skilled with a pistol, but he attributes such skill to "his hands" having a mind of their own. He is charged with the chore of hunting down and killing Commodore by his overbearing and apparently nagging wife. These simple and perceivably shallow motivations further compound his psychology and unparralelled social detachment.

CALVIN MOSS/BEDWELL: 22. Caucasian. Calvin is an early 20's son of Gary Bedwell - a man gunned down by Commodore in Sub Plot 1. Brother in Law to noted killer Roland Pike, Calvin has come to Holbrook with the intention of lulling Commodore into his graces so that he might exact vengeance upon him. Unfortunately, Calvin is somewhat of a patsy. He may not have the experience, cunning, or backbone to carry out such an ambitious mission.

JUDGE ROLLIE GREMMER: 54. Caucasian. Holbrook Judge Rollie Gremmer begins the story as Commodore's ally and ends it somewhere short of that title. Somewhat fixated upon the growth and further organization of his town and seat, Gremmer is easily bought. Women, fine wine, cash, and other extravagnces easily woo him and by such measure he becomes a very convenient and powerful tool for the rich Antagonist.

LIONEL KITTRICH: 55+. Caucasian. Father to the largest and most powerful of Arizona's families, Lionel Kittrich is a land baron with immeasurable financial resources. His business sense is only outweighted by his arrogance. He has a quietly held demeanor, never stirred. In every encounter with this white haired Texan, we ween the sense that cash is king, even compared to family. You will not win a political, economic, or sociocultural debate with this man. He is too smart to ever do his own dirty work and is therefor not equipped for the trenches.

DEPUTY HENRY "GURNEY" GURNER: 29. Caucasian. Chubby. Commodore's deputy. Gurner is dense, though loyal. He is not as seaoned a scrapper as most, but he is capable with a rifle and generally brave. He will follow Commodore past the gates of hell if need be. He is married, 6 children.

COUNCILMAN VEER: 28. Caucasian. Veer is pompous, wordy, theatrical. A legal representative of the state, not unlike a DA, Veer is the figurehead of a campaign to remove Commodore from his office. Young girls, though not women, are infatuated with him. Young men envy him. He tends to turn the courtroom into a sort of "social club". He believes, however erroneously, that he is in charge of the town, given his relationship with Rollie Gremmer and his loose association with the powerful Kittrich. He considers Commodore to be a bully.