Epp, Frank H. -- 42. Engineering, 43. Entertainment, 56. General science, 57. Geography

Epp subject files homepage

42 Engineering

42 - At Automation, 1963

42 - At - Co Computers, 1968-1971, 1983

42 - C Civil, 1957-1960 - Includes 4 newspaper & magazine articles; 9, mostly on bridges around the world were removed.

42 - D Dams, 1960-1963

42 - Ma Marine, 1962-1965 - Includes 2 newspaper articles on the Winnipeg floodway.

42 - Mi Mines, 1969

42 - S Sanitary, 1968-1972 - Includes newspaper and magazine articles on pollution.

42 - S - Ac Acid Rain, 1982-1983

42 - S - EC Ecology Conference 1970 - Includes copies of presentations made at this conference "Ecology and Responsibility" sponsored by the Canadian Council of Churches.

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43 Entertainment

43 - g General, 1959-1961, 1971-1972

43 - g - Co Counselling, 1957-1958

43 - g - CS Centre in the Square, 1979

43 - g - Le Leisure, 1960

43 - g - NAC National Arts Centre - Withdrawn: The Ottawa Citizen, May 30, 1969, pp. 55-64 special section featuring the National Arts Centre official opening.

43 - A Amusements, 1957, 1964

43 - AG Athletes, Sports, Games, 1954-1962, 1984

43 - AG - Ga Games, 1947, 1973 - Includes The Book of Games (Washington, D.C.: Educational Research Bureau, 1947) & "The Mennonite Game" in the Goshen College Record, May 11, 1973, p.5.

43 - AG - Et Ethics, 1984

43 - AG - Re Religion, 1971

43 - C Circus, 1960

43 - CF Concerts and Song Fests, 1963-1982 - Includes programs from various musical performances by Mennonites & music programs at CGC.

43 - CF - Ot Ottawa

43 - D Dramatic Art, 1962-1979 - Includes programs from various dramatic performances by Mennonites & programs at CGC; the program for "The Martyrs' Mirror A Musical Drama" presented at the Rockway Mennonite School, May 28, 1972.

43 - F Fairs (World, State, County), 1962-1966 - Includes materials prepared for the Mennonite booth at the New York World's Fair, 1964.

43 - F Fairs (World, State, County), 1978-1979 - Complements the above file; includes Elmira Maple Syrup Festival guide, 1979 &"The Ex: 100 years A special salute to the CNE's centennial" Section G, pp.1-24 in The Toronto Star, Aug. 12, 1978.

43 - F - Ex Expo '67, 1966-1968 - Includes booklet of information for persons promoting the Sermons from Science project at Expo 67.

43 - H Hobbies, 1957-1962, 1973

43 - H - Co Coins, 1961

43 - Ho Horsemanship, 1957, 1964

43 - MS Moving Pictures and Slides, 1946, 1954-1961, 1972

43 - MS - Ho Hollywood, 1954-1960

43 - MS - MWC Mennonite World Conference, 1980 - Includes correspondence on film-making.


Administrative history for files 43 - MS - NT Night Train, 1980-1981 to 43 – MS – NT – SP Screenplay (4), 1981: In 1977 Dr. Peter Bargen of Edmonton, Alberta gave an address to a group of Ontario businessmen in which he described his family’s dramatic escape from the Ukraine in the early 1920s during the turbulent years following the Russian Revolution. After hearing about Bargen’s address, Mark Gilhuis, a writer, producer and president of Forestgreen Productions Inc., a Toronto film company, began developing a story outline for an epic movie to be made in Canada for commercial distribution based on the Russian revolution, reflecting some of the Mennonite experience and the Mennonite exodus from Russia. According to the News Release of Dec. 15, 1980, Gilhuis felt this story had a “powerful message of faith” which would speak “to many beyond the Mennonite community.” The main character was, “a Mennonite with pacifist leanings who must struggle with the questions of violence, land reform, religion and economics prior to and during the turbulent revolution in Russia.” (Waterloo Chronicle, Dec. 31, 1980, p.8)
The title of the first script “Song in a Strange Land” was later changed to “Night Train From Moscow.” Following major revision of the original script, Gilhuis engaged the internationally known Hollywood screen writer Philip Yordan to collaborate with him in producing a screenplay for the film. 
  
In his role as historical consultant for the project, Frank H. Epp read and critiqued the early versions of the script. The proposed script was circulated beginning in March 1981 and meetings were held with various organizations including the Winnipeg Mennonite Theatre and the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society. The producers hoped to involve local Mennonites as extras and to begin filming in August of 1981.  

Frank H. Epp was also heavily involved in raising funds for the project. The goal was to raise 9 million dollars. He worked together with David J. Epp, a Winnipeg businessman, in soliciting financial support from Mennonites across Canada, individuals as well as businessmen and leaders. When the project was downsized to 4 million dollars in August 1981, David J. Epp was appointed executive producer and Frank H. Epp the associate producer and co-writer of the screenplay with Mark Gilhuis who was head of Forestgreen Productions, the company which remained the owner.

In the end, this project was not completed. Due to financial difficulties such as a depressed Canadian economy and investment issues, the epic movie was never made. In the process, persons within the Mennonite community began to make plans for a documentary film based on the Russian Mennonite experience, to be produced by Dave Dueck Film in 1982.


43 - MS - NT Night Train, 1980-1981. Includes: “Discussions with Peter Bargen,” 16p. in which he tells his story, the basis for the movie; correspondence regarding the possible involvement of various people; undated memo (from late 1981?) outlining two separate film projects, a documentary of the Mennonite story by Dave Dueck Film planned for 1982 and an epic movie on the Russian Revolution reflecting some of the Mennonite experiences planned for 1983. 
     See also related files in this collection in: 
1 Administration - Co Correspondence - E Epp, David - Includes the screenplay for the movie "King of Kings", 1981-1982; 1 Administration - Co Correspondence - E Epp, David - Related to the movie "Night Train", 1981-1982; 8 Biography - g General - Pe Personal - EFH Frank H. Epp - ACL Address and Contact Lists, 1981-1984 regarding, “Master List of all those who received Night Train News Release Aug. 26, 1981” for the production of the movie based on the Mennonite Exodus from Russia. 

Note: The following 19 files are located in Series 2: Miscellaneous files. 


43 – MS – NT – Be Beginnings, 1979-1980. Includes: correspondence beginning Nov. 20, 1979 regarding “Song in a Strange Land”, which was to be a dramatic feature-film, which was later entitled “Night Train From Moscow”; “Song in a Strange Land, Preliminary Presentation” (blue folder) which includes a page of “Intention” (production was to commence in Aug. 1980), a 5 page “Synopsis” and 2 pages of information on “Investment Process”; “Feasibility Study on Song in a Strange Land” which was authorized Sept. 26, 1979; Curriculum Vitae of S. Dean Peterson, a major resource person in the Feasibility Study; brochure (green cover) created by Forestgreen Productions possibly in early 1980, “Night Train From Moscow, Originally Titled, Song in a Strange Land” which includes a “Disclosure Statement” and an amendment to the latter.

43 – MS – NT – Be - SSL Song in a Strange Land, 1979. Includes: “Song in a Strange Land” Original Screenplay by Barbara Kathleen Anderson and Mark Gilhuis (Toronto: ON, Writers Guild of America, West, Inc., 1979), 226p.

43 – MS – NT – Fi Financial Matters, 1980-1981. Includes: loan application of Frank H. Epp for the film; letters from the lawyer’s office regarding some of Frank H. Epp’s travel expenses to meetings in regard to making the movie.

43 – MS – NT – IN Investors, Potential (1), 1979-1980. Includes: correspondence with financial contributors; Frank H. Frank H. Epp’s handwritten lists of names and addresses of potential donors and individuals who had contributed.

43 – MS – NT – IN Investors, Potential (2), 1981. Includes: chart, “How to Raise $4,000,000”; Frank H. Frank H. Epp’s handwritten lists of names and addresses of potential donors and individuals who had contributed.

43 – MS – NT – Le Legal Matters, 1980-1981. Includes: correspondence of Frank H. Epp with lawyers and various drafts of the film contract with Forestgeen Productions Inc.; correspondence of Sept. to Dec. 1981 regarding payments to investors.   

43 – MS – NT – MAG Mennonite Advisory Group, 1981. Includes: correspondence of Frank H. Epp soliciting members for an advisory group of persons from various Mennonite organizations and institutions and responding to persons who commented on the first draft of the screenplay; news clipping “Remembering alternative service in Russia,” in Mennonite Reporter, Vol. 11 (February 16, 1981, p.7. See also below, 43 – MS – NT, 43 – MS – NT – Re Revision, 1980-1981, for responses to the screenplay from various Mennonites.  

43 – MS – NT – ME Marlene Epp, 1980-1981. Includes: correspondence of Marlene with her father, Frank H. Epp, Forestgreen Productions and others, regarding the novel she planned to write based on the story “Night Train From Moscow”; a tentative contract between Marlene G. Epp and Forestgreen Productions (Aug. 8, 1981). 

43 – MS – NT – MT Meetings, 1981. Includes: notes and material from meetings in Winnipeg and Toronto of Mark Gilhuis of Forestgreen Productions, Frank H. Epp and David Epp, the co-producer with Epp.

43 – MS – NT – NR News Releases, 1980-1981. Includes: news releases, related correspondence and lists of Mennonite publications in which to publish them; correspondence related to the possible involvement of various people; news clippings.

43 – MS – NT – Ph Photos, 1947-1949, 1955, 1962, 1969. Includes: photos of Mennonite life in Russia, some taken from issues of Mennonite Life; the April, July and October 1969 issues of Mennonite Life with a note on the cover, “Glimpses of Mennonite Life in Russia” and references to see certain pages in them, were removed (the April 1969 issue also has markings in the “Mennonite Bibliography,” p.92f.). 

43 – MS – NT – Pr Prospectii, 1981. Includes: glossy folder with two booklets, both entitled “Night Train From Moscow”; one booklet  includes the “Introduction” and “Story” of the proposed movie with text (10 pages) and photos (35 pages) all on glossy paper; the other booklet has a glossy cover and 56 pages of text, which includes explanatory information such as a history of the project, how the project will be carried out, the budget and agreements of Forestgreen Productions, all of which would be of interest to potential donors; a copy of the text the “Introduction” and “Story” includes several corrections in brief footnotes on pages 1 and 4 which are not in the booklet text.

43 – MS – NT – Pr – Dr Draft, 1980? Includes: “Night Train From Moscow,” 19 pages handwritten by Frank H. Epp, possibly a draft for the “Introduction” and “Story” which were published in the Prospectus (see above file), a copy of which is included here.


43 – MS – NT – Re Revision, 1980-1981. Includes: chronological list of events, 1914-1922; notes and recommendations for revision by Frank H. Epp; comments on the screenplay from Mennonites in various institutions and organizations.

43 – MS – NT – SO Story Outline, 1980? Includes: “Story Outline,” 4p. followed by “Scene Breakdown” of 169 scenes (113p.), which includes a few markings not in Frank H. Epp’s handwriting; an overview of the story for “Night Train From Moscow” and “Outline and Suggested Revisions,” 20p., most likely written by Frank H. Epp.   

43 – MS – NT – SP Screenplay (1), 1981. Includes the first draft of the text for (see title page in second draft below) “`Night Train from Moscow’ Original Screenplay” by Mark Gilhuis (Toronto, ON: Forestgreen Productions Inc., 1981) with suggestions and spelling errors marked in red by Frank H. Epp throughout the 180 pages  on likely his first reading of the screenplay.

43 – MS – NT – SP Screenplay (2), 1981. Includes the second draft of the text for “`Night Train from Moscow’ Original Screenplay” by Mark Gilhuis (Toronto, ON: Forestgreen Productions Inc., 1981) in which most of the suggestions from the first draft are included and in which Frank H. Epp made more, detailed revisions, marked in red, on half of the screenplay (82 of the 160 pages). In a memo of May 1, 1981 to Mark Gilhuis and Phillip Yordan in the above file, 43 – MS – NT, 43 – MS – NT – Re Revision, 1980-1981, Frank H. Epp mentions having gone through the first 80 pages of the screeplay. This draft was labeled “ER (Epp Revision).” 

43 – MS – NT – SP Screenplay (3), 1981. Includes: a third draft of the text for “`Night Train from Moscow’ Original Screenplay” by Mark Gilhuis (Toronto, ON: Forestgreen Productions Inc., 1981) for the first 80 pages, labeled “ER (Epp Revison)” incorporate suggestions from Frank H. Epp (at p. 7 there are typed comments for p. 7-9 and at p. 79-80 Frank H. Epp notes that he would like to get more facts on the threshing scene from G. Lohrenz); the rest of the 160 page text is a copy of the second draft, without red markings except for several pages at 120 which are labeled “ER.”  

43 – MS – NT – SP Screenplay (4), 1981. Includes excerpts from the movie screenplay, without red markings, labeled as follows: Ursa, Germans, Makhno, White Army, Red Army, Frank as Mayor, Urals, Emigration, Moscow 1929, Dyck Estate (2 pages of handwritten suggestions from Frank H. Epp). 

 

43 - P Palmistry - Booklet on Fortune Telling ((Washington, D.C.: Educational Research Bureau, 1946) was withdrawn. 

43 - Q Quiz, 1950s - Includes a "Geistlicher Irrgarten" (spiritual maze).

43 - Q - B Bible Quiz, 1958

43 - R Retreats and Camps, 1953-1976 - Includes brochures and information from Mennonite camps in Canada; Maynard Shelly, ed. "Retreat Curriculum Guide" (Newton, Kan.: Board of Education and Publication, General Conference Mennonite Church, 1955), 40p.

43 - RM Rifle and Pistol Marksmanship, 1961-1968, 1976 - Includes articles on gun control.

43 - T Television, 1956-1957, 1969

43 - To Toys, 1957-1960, 1967-1968

43 - To - Wa War, 1964-1972, 1983-1984

43 - Va Vacation, 1973, 1979 - Includes correspondence and brochures related to vacations Frank Epp & his family.

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56 General Science

56 - g General, 1958-1971

56 - g General, 1958-1961, 1968-1970, 1979 - Complements above file; includes newspaper articles.

56 - g - FE Friends of the Earth, 1983

56 - g - Hi History, 1962-1967

56 - g - IGY International Geophysical Year, 1959 - Includes 5 newspaper articles; 5 were removed.

56 - g - Re Research, 1959, 1966, 1980

56 - g - ST Science and Technology Committee, 1984

56 - A Archeology, 1957-1963, 1970-1971

56 - As Astronomy, 1956-1961, 1983-1985

56 - C Chronology, 1954-1959

56 - C - Ti Time, 1953, 1961

56 - C1 Climatology, 1957, 1969, 1984

56 - C1 Climatology, 1957 - Complements the above file; includes the 12p. special edition of The Fargo Forum,June 1957 with articles on the destruction caused by the Tornado. See Frank H. Epp's picture-story in The Canadian Mennonite, June 28, 1957 regarding this event and the work of Mennonite Disaster Service in the tornado area. 

56 - Cr Creation, 1956-1957

56 - G Geology, 1957-1961

56 - M Mathematics, 1956-1959

56 - MC Mineralogy and Crystallography, 1959, 1972

56 - N Nature Study, 1957-1961, 1974 - Saturday Review, May 7, 1966 articles on: oxygen,oceans, the brain, etc. pp. 29-70 were removed.

56 - T Technology, 1984

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57 Geography

57 - g General, 1949, 1963-1964 - Includes a map from 1949 of the Mennonite colonies in Mexico.

57 - A Africa - Article: "The Cruel Dessert in Algeria's Wealth" in The New York Times Magazine, Nov. 7, 1965, pp. 76-77, 142-148, was removed.

57 - A - De Desert, 1983

57 - Au Australia - Section 10 of The New York Times Magazine, Jan. 24, 1960 containing articles on Australia, was removed. 

57 - AA Arctic and Antarctica, 1957-1959

57 - B Biblical, 1956-1960 - Includes The National Geographic Magazine "Lands of the Bible Today" wall sized map from 1956.

57 - C Canada, 1957-1959

57 - C - Al Altona, 1960s - Includes an 18 p.book on various aspects of  life in Altona, Manitoba (glossy finish with photos; from the 1960s?) and a map of Altona printed on a paper placemat, 1962. 

57 - C - Ot Ottawa, 1967-1970 - Includes a 31 p. book: "Early days in the Ottawa Country A short History of Ottawa, Hull and the National Capital Region" (Ottawa: National Capital Commission, 1967). 

57 - C - Qu Quebec City, 1968 - Includes items probably from a visit of  the Epp family to this city.

57 - C - Wa Waterloo Region, 1985 - Includes 8 p. newspaper supplement: "The Regional Official Policies Plan" The Regional Municipality of Waterloo, 1985

57 - Ci Cities, 1960-1972, 1979, 1984 - Includes photo article "The Twin Cities Are Worth Seeing" and tourist maps of Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota (1960s ?).

57 - Ci - Ch Chicago, 1968 - Includes articles on dissent, discussion of South Vietnam & the National  Democratic Convention held in Chicago in 1968.

57 - Ci - Wa Washington - Tourist map of Washington, D.C. was removed.

57 - I India - Life magazine Sept. 2, 1957 13 p. article "A Jouncing Tour of Kiplings's Wild Land" describing an excursion to Afghanistan was removed.  

57 - L Latin America, 1960

57 - M Maps, 1957-1964 - Includes maps of: Paraguay, the Mennonite Colonies in the Chaco (1960s?); Dr. Karl Stumpp: USSR indicating German settlements & German settlements in Dnjepropetrowsk (1957); the German Mennonite colonies in Russia by K. Beil of Munich; School Districts rural municipality of Rhineland, MB, May 1959; "Development Projects of  the Syrian Arab Republic"  

57 - M - An Antique Maps

57 - N North America, 1958, 1984

57 - O Oceania, 1970 - Includes one article: "The Prospects for Peace in the Oceans," in Saturday Review, Sept. 26, 1970, pp. 15-22.

57 - S Soviet Russia, 1960

57 - U United States, 1959

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Last modified 04-Oct-2011 by Laureen Harder-Gissing