Liam Sean

Screenplay by Paul Lamb and Liam Sean

AmeriKing is the true story of James Jesse Strang. A man who believed he was
told by the Angel Elijah to lead the Mormons from the persecution and violence of
Illinois to Beaver Island, Michigan. He established a colony and turned it into a kingdom
when, on July 8th, 1850, he was coronated King. He faced fierce opposition from the
Irish who had been on the island for about a decade before them. He faced opposition
from the United States government and the State of Michigan. He faced rebellion
amongst his own people for the Laws he laid down as told to him by the Angel Elijah.
He also faced the grim realities of living on an island in the American frontier in 1850.
He recruited several thousand Mormons to join him on Paradise Bay. He defended
himself over one hundred times in court. He endured gun battles, arson, looting, and
violence. He was elected to the Michigan State of Representatives. He was married to
five different wives at the same time. After all of this, he was assassinated by dissidents
who were part of his inner circle. The battleship Michigan lay at wait in the harbor as the
murder took place and offered refuge to the assassins. The circumstances surrounding
this historical event are a mystery to this day.
Cover-ups. Conspiracy. Intrigue. Power. Money. A Nation heading toward the Civil War.
Love. Passion. Betrayal. His second wife masquerading as his nephew and personal
secretary. Religion. Vision. Dreams. Hopes. Lives ruined. Lives transformed. A
Kingdom raised and a Kingdom felled. All of this, against the rugged wilderness of
America’s frontier, form the tempest that is AmeriKing!

The Island– The island sits in northern Lake Michigan above the 45^th parallel and is roughly 58 square miles. It is the largest and center island of an archipelago. 15 miles from the mainland directly to the east and 32 miles from the city of Charlevoix which was settled as Pine River during the Strang years. Carved by glaciers during the last ice age, it was covered with virgin forest, filled with game and fish, and it must have been a most idyll place for the Native Americans who lived there. The island was unsettled by whites until Bishop Baraga set up a mission in the Spring of 1832. Five families from Aranmore Island in County Donegal, Ireland eventually settled on the island and began fishing. These families had been displaced by the British in the 1830’s and 40’s, arriving on the island in the mid-1840’s.

The northeast corner of the island has a natural harbor. It is protected from the prevailing winds. This is where the town of St. James sprung up. In the center of the town are the docks that form a lifeline to the mainland. To the right of the docks as one looks from a boat coming to berth, is Irish Town: Pete McKinley’s Store, the Shamrock Saloon, the Catholic Church, the one room school house, homes and cabins. To the left of the docks is Mormon Town: the Mormon Print Shop and Strang’s headquarters, the Tabernacle, homes and cabins. There are two points as you enter the harbor, on the southern point is forest, on the northern point is John Cable’s operation of fishing and distilling, shipping and farming. This is approximately a mile and a half from the docks.

One mile to the west of the harbor is Font Lake. It is nearly as big as the harbor. Around the northern edge of the lake is a beautiful natural amphitheater made by sand dunes. It stretches down to the quiet shores of the lake. This is where the Mormons baptize their new initiates and hold parties.

Summers are short, serene and beautiful, with much work in laying in stores for winter. Winter is brutal and deadly. Make no mistake, this is the frontier. There is very little law, there are wild animals, the Native Americans are not always friendly, and there is a lot of competition to carve a piece out of the forest, exploit the resources, and survive.

Principals

THE MORMONS

James Strang- A tall, well built man with a full beard, intense eyes, a high forehead, and full, thick black hair. Passionate, quick-tempered, impatient, exacting. A man who is larger-than-life and is possessed with becoming a historical figure of great renown. He fervently believes the Angel Elijah and Joseph Smith have chosen him to lead the Mormons. He and Brigham Young nearly come to blows and the church divides. Young out West; Strang to Beaver island. He expects much and forgives little. He has a vision and will not deter from achieving it, so much so that he tramples those he loves, will not listen to reason, and causes his followers great hardship. But! He almost succeeds!

(From the screenplay AmeriKing)

JAMES STRANG

     I have a vision, and in this vision I will be king and I shall take a new queen.

Elvira Field/Charlie Douglas- The second wife of James Strang. She is beautiful, demure and quite young. Thick, wavy black hair, brilliant blue eyes and a perfect figure. Her face is striking as a female and effeminately handsome as a young man, which she plays masquerading as Strang’s nephew, Charlie Douglas. They marry in secret. She is desperately in love with him from first sight. She has come to Beaver Island with her parents and little brother. Her father was one of Joseph Smith’s closest aides who has decided to follow Strang. It was polygamy that drove him from Brigham Young’s camp. 

(From the screenplay AmeriKing)

53   INTERIOR. HOTEL ROOM. NIGHT.

ELVIRA/CHARLIE enters the room. It has been ‘turned-down’: hurricane lamps lit, fresh pitcher of water and glasses, bed covers pulled back perfectly. JAMES STRANG pulls the door to the room closed behind him, locks the door and turns to face ELVIRA/CHARLIE. She is on him in a moment as he is on her. Hungry, desperate kisses, hands pawing, they tug and pull at each other’s ‘man clothes’ until they are naked and heading toward the bed. Any apprehension she had has given way to built-up desire. They make love amidst the warm glow and flickering of the lamps, the shadows still  hovering nearby, the light reflecting from his ring, on their skin, the sounds of their passion no longer held at bay. The only thing on the nightstand is The Book of The Law of The Lord.

Mary Perce- The first wife of James Strang. They married some years ago when Strang was in his early twenties. She has had difficulty in bearing children. She petite, small-framed, and a bit frail-looking. However, she has a strength, a grace, as if born to a higher station, or raised by very devout people. She has a strong work ethic and a stronger will. She has expectations of what life and marriage are about and will not be deterred from these. A strong face that is more handsome than pretty. Short dark hair with a hint of gray that is always pulled back. In her eyes is a melancholy that this life could have, should have been different, been better.

George Adams- He is Strang’s right-hand man. His chief advisor. His go to guy. He is a dandy. A very handsome man with perfect dark hair, a cleft chin and dark, liquid eyes. He wears the most fashionable suits of the day, has an athletic build on a 5′ 10” frame. He is disarmingly charming. When you meet George you can’t help but like him, however you’re almost sure you just bought a second-rate horse at an inflated price. He’s been an actor, an entrepreneur, a lady’s man, and has been one step ahead of the law for most of his life. He latched onto Mormonism not out of belief, but because he saw an opportunity.

Samuel Graham-  6′ 5” 260 pounds. Sturdy, strapping former farm boy who is absolutely dedicated to James Strang. Blond hair with a slight wave to it, blue eyes, a strong chin, he looks like a linebacker from Southern California. If Strang needs anything done, this fella does it without asking why. His dedication is to the man, not the religion, though very devout in appearance to please Strang. He has no significant other. He is all work. A carpenter by trade, his size and commitment keeps him close by Strang. 

Thomas Bedford- He looks like Abraham Lincoln, but with no mustache. Tall, lean, a working man’s frame and build. White shirt, full tie, black vest and coat. Long fingers on on wiry hands. His face has oddly arched eyebrows with a scar cutting through one of them. He is by trade a lumberman who runs the mill turning logs into lumber. He, like many of the men, is a bit thinner than normal as they work 12 to 16 hours a day and there just isn’t that much food. Mr. Bedford and his accomplice Mr. Wentworth are historically credited with the assassination of James Strang.

Alexander Wentworth- Mr. Wentworth looks much different than Mr. Bedford. Short, nervous, wiry and strong, he has black, curly hair that sticks out on the sides. Wears a black top hat that conceals a widow’s peak, has spectacles, black vest and coat with a dingy off-white shirt. A pocket watch on a chain he is continually rubbing and checking. He is in charge of the cordwood to sell to the steamers that come into the harbor. He manages the operation and tracks the money, assisting in the work as needed.

Sarah Wright- She is the third wife of Strang. Petite, busty, short dark hair that’s almost a bob, she has earrings, a cameo brooch at her throat in her white, lacy collared, slightly ruffled shirt and a dark skirt. She doesn’t dress completely like the other women having come from the city. Though not as pretty as Elvira, Strang does take a notice to her. She has no real defined work role, too young (late teens) for much of anything other than helping her parents who have arrived on the same boat in the beginning with Strang and the Fields.

ELVIRA’S FATHER- He is a bushy, gray-haired man who looks older than he is. In his sixties, he is bull strong with tough, leathered hands, a sun-worn face of wrinkles and scars. His eyes are a faded non-distinct color. He is a jack-of-all-trades who stands 5′ 9” tall and weighs over 200 pounds. Working man’s clothes and boots. Carries a buck knife.

ELVIRA’S UNCLE- A shorter, heavier version of his brother. Same build, same clothes, same buck knife. A more bulbous nose and lighter complexion. He has a patch over one eye from an accident when he was younger. Both men are stone cold sober and are used to working side by side for long hours. At home in a shop or in the field. These are hard scrabble, tough working men.

Albert Field- He is Elvira’s younger brother. He is an awkward 12 years old, small in frame with a pile of dark hair, a dimpled chin and quick, inquisitive eyes. A bit thin, he is eager to please, quick to learn, and full of youthful energy.

(From the screenplay AmeriKing)

JAMES STRANG

     I’ll cut right to the chase, Mr. Cable. I’m not real happy with the nature of the

     business you are conducting. It is the devil’s business. My own people, the Red

     Men, your people, sots! I’m done with this. You’re not helping this island. You

     are most certainly not helping the Red Men. The only person you’re helping is

     yourself.

As STRANG speaks these words, HOY, O’DONNELL and the rest of the workers set down their tools and stand behind JOHN CABLE. SHERIFF GRANGER walks over and stands by GEORGE giving him a look of ‘what’s this’.

JOHN CABLE

     Welcome to the wild west in a rough and tumble county, Mr. Strang.

JAMES STRANG

     God’s laws do not condone barbarity, nor does the Constitution of The

     United States of America condone bootlegging.

JOHN CABLE

     Are you finished, Mr. Strang.

JAMES STRANG

     I’ve only just begun.

JOHN CABLE

     Get off my land.

JAMES STRANG

     Its not yours for long. (He turns and starts to walk away)

JOHN CABLE

     Not mine for long?

JAMES STRANG

     (From over his shoulder) Not unless you want to share it with a lighthouse. George!

THE IRISH

John Cable- He is tall, just over six foot. Strong and wiry, years of fishing, building and struggling have given him thick, ropy muscles. Brown hair just past the ears, keen blue eyes and a weathered face. He is in his mid to late forties. He wears a suit coat over work clothes, blues and grays. He carries an air of authority. Men look to him for answers and direction. He is clearly in charge, owns most of the island, and is always working, figuring, scheming, thinking. Reading glasses in a breast pocket. Knife on his belt. Work boots on his feet.

Richard O’Donnell- As Samuel Graham is Strang’s heavy, Richard O’Donnell is John Cable’s. 6′ 4” tall and a solid 270 pounds. He is big, thick and works like an ox. Thick black hair, blue eyes and a classic Irish mug. Wears blue/gray working clothes of the day but with a sport coat, the elbows patched. There is a cocky half grin on his face and a glint in his eyes of mischief and mayhem. He has stood by John Cable’s side for many a year and many a scrap. Smarter than you give him credit for, he might look like a bear but still measures twice to cut once.

Patrick Hoy- As dedicated to John Cable as O’Donnell, Patrick Hoy is tall and lean, slightly older than O’Donnell, but still has that same cocky look. These two know who their working for, what they’re doing and loving every minute of it. Six foot, big ears, a bit goofy looking, long fingers on long arms giving him a lanky look. Work clothes like Cable and O’Donnell beneath a sport coat, a Donegal Tweed tam on his mop of red hair. He carries a knife, a notepad and pencil. He is the fella that keeps Cable’s books, notes, letters and lists.

Sheriff Granger- The Sheriff is about 5’9”. Thick, slightly paunchy, he has settled right into his role as Sheriff of the island and takes a lot of direction from John Cable. He has that quiet assuredness of someone in authority who feels no one can touch him. Thick black hair and mustache. Sheriff’s Star sitting proudly on a thick chest on a brown suit replete with vest and off-white shirt. He wears western-style boots and has a side arm in a holster on a belt that dangles just slightly off his right hip. His cheeks and nose are a little whiskey-ruddy.

Father Gallagher- He is a slight, nervous man who always seems to be fretting. As the only holy man on the island and running the parish himself, he is always rushing from one place to the other. A bit distracted, a bright smile on an Irish face, light brown hair with a bit of gray, earnest blue eyes behind spectacles with worry lines nestled beside them. His position as parish priest gives him more money than the rest: the church, the rectory, a horse and a slight paunch from a steady diet. He wears his priest’s black uniform continually. He always tries to find the good in all, and a peaceful solution to the island’s many trials and tribulations.

Peter McKinley- He is the owner of the island’s only store. Downtown, towards Irish Town and beside the Shamrock Saloon, almost across from the docks. A smaller man of 5′ 7” with grayish-brown hair around the edges of a bald head. Busy busy busy. He runs the store largely on his own. A bit nervous and worried, his store is usually as hectic as he is. Dresses like a shopkeeper of the day in gray suit vest-no coat-off-white shirt and gray trousers.

(From the screenplay AmeriKing)

71   EXTERIOR. WHISKEY POINT. NOON.

Flames are billowing out from the garage. All other structures are burning as well. Barrels are smashed and tipped over. There is broken glass, debris and burning puddles all over. Even the fence holding the cows has been destroyed and the cows are running down the road. A horse-drawn carriage comes into view at a fast pace scattering the cows. JOHN CABLE has the reins with PATRICK HOY and RICHARD O’DONNELL in the back leaning in toward the front. They come to a screeching halt in front of the devastation and jump out. There are a handful of Irish trying to put the fires out. More are running up the road to help.

JOHN CABLE

     That son of a bitch! That maniac! I’m going to tear his throat out! Hoy!

     O’Donnell! Get everyone here! Get every swinging Irish dick on this island

     here! Now!

(From the screenplay AmeriKing)

91   EXTERIOR. DOCK. NIGHT.

The U.S.S Michigan docks. The gangway is quietly thrown over. An armed squad of men takes up position in a perimeter at the bottom of the gangway. A second squad comes off the boat and runs to a position at the point where the road meets the dock. BATES and KNOX descend the gangway along with an armed squad in front of them and one behind. The perimeter squad stays put, as does the squad near the road. The two squads, BATES, and KNOX, (Shore Party) quick-time it down the dock.

THE GOVERNMENT

G. C. Bates- He is the District Attorney for The United States Government. He is a power broker who has his fingers on the pulse of everything happening on the frontier and back in Detroit and Washington. A robust, large man of late-fifties who projects authority. Black suits of the preeminent style of the day. White shirt. Small bow tie that was fashionable at the time. Dark hair slightly receding, cheeks and nose slightly ruddy, a thick dark mustache. He is at once sophisticated, urban, educated, ruthless, cunning and powerful.

Charles Knox- He is the U.S. Marshal for the State of Michigan. He and Bates spend a great deal of time working together. He is tall, strong and lean with a proud nose and high forehead. Smart, brown eyes and a face that has seen everyone of his nearly fifty years. A bit of a country-boy to him, educated but not like Bates. Dark brown suit, vest and an off-white shirt with wide lapels. A thin bow tie that hangs down. He carries a side arm smartly on his right side.

Commander Bullus- A Captain’s captain right out of central casting. Older than everyone else. Thick gray hair with neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He is the Captain of the U.S.S. Michigan, the first iron-clad cruiser in the American Navy and the only ship like it on the Great Lakes. He is also in charge of the Navy on these waters. Thick, stout, and weathered. Large scarred hands. Always in uniform with a marshal air. Eyes a faded, icy blue. He rose through the ranks and has been a navy man his entire life. A bit overly dramatic, he is and has always been fond of nip or two. 

The Native Americans

Chief Peaine- He is the Chief of the Chippewa Indians. His authority and stature is recognized by all the surrounding tribes on the upper Great Lakes. His age is impossible to tell, his face having been chiseled by the elements. He is over six foot but seems even taller. He is strong and well built. There is a grace to him that lends reverence and respect. Thick black hair with beads interwoven. Deer skin head band with eagle feathers. Bear, wolf, coyote and beaver skins make up a coat he wears over a vest and shirt and trousers. He wears working boots and carries a very large, slightly curved knife. He does not let on how well he speaks English. His shadow is

Big Thunder- Big Thunder is Peaine’s shadow. He dresses the same but with far fewer feathers. He is almost as big as Peaine, younger, carries a rifle and a knife, and is every bit as intelligent and athletic. With them always is a dog that looks more coyote than dog, a dingy collar of red kerchief and sweet grass around its neck.

(From the screenplay AmeriKing)

102   EXTERIOR. BEAVER ISLAND. ROAD BEFORE TABERNACLE. DAY.

Beaver Island, Michigan. September 12, 1850 FADES IN AND FADES OUT. FATHER GALLAGHER is standing in front of the nearly finished Tabernacle. It is huge and dark jutting up from the ground against the blue sky. He turns from it, defeated, and walks toward the dock. He sees the burned out bar, the gutted store and other reminders of the violence. CHIEF PEAINE, BIG THUNDER and a dozen other Indians (men, women, children) are heading for the harbor. They’re carrying bags, sacks, belongings. BIG THUNDER’S dog follows them. FATHER GALLAGHER calls to the CHIEF. As he walks, we notice some of the trees are starting to turn.

FATHER GALLAGHER

     Chief! Chief!

CHIEF PEAINE stops, turns. FATHER steps up to him.

FATHER GALLAGHER

     Chief, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. You’re close to Reverend Strang,

     I was wondering if you would speak with him. Ask him to put aside the

     differences and let the Irish men come back to their homes, their families.

PEAINE places a hand on FATHER’S shoulder, nods, then continues walking down to the water. FATHER hesitates, then follows.

FATHER GALLAGHER

     Chief, if you don’t speak with Reverend Strang, I’m afraid there will

     be more violence.

The Indians are all settled in canoes. BIG THUNDER is standing waiting for PEAINE. PEAINE stops and turns to the FATHER.

CHIEF PEAINE

     My friend, violence follows all of you wherever you go.

The CHIEF gets in the canoe and the Indians paddle away. BIG THUNDER’S dog is barking at the FATHER from the back of the canoe.

AmeriKing is quite simply the American version of Braveheart. The incredible story of King James Jesse Strang compressed into a film that rolls like storms across Lake Michigan. A singular moment in history when vastly different peoples, all who believed deeply in what they were doing, collided on the American frontier. Battles on land and water, in courtrooms and at the altar. Passion and betrayal. Love. Glory. Riches. And one man who believed God wanted him to be king.

For contact, permissions, the screenplay, or the trailer:

liamseanactual@gmail.com