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Show V Wyoming Deacon Is Star in Movie To talk to Stewart Petersen, youd never know hes the star of a nearly million-dolla- rto talk to movie deahim, youd think hes just like any other con, who is interested in sports and animals. Hes very unassuming about his movie career but maybe thats because hes been a normal boy a lot longer than hes been a movie star. Last fall, Stewart Petersen, who lives with his family on a ranch near Cokeville, Wyo., was selected to play the lead role in Where the Red Fern Grows. Stewart is a member of the Cokeville Ward of the Montpelier Idaho Stake, and enjoys going to church meetings, especially Sunday SchooL Our class is small and we get a lot out of it, he said. Not only is the star of the movie a member of the church, but also is the producer, Lyman Daytcn, a seventy in the Sherman Oaks Ward, Van Nuys California Pt.1.. ttUUiv. World, best-sellin- of the movie, based on Wilson Rawls novel of the same title, will be in Salt Lake premiere g City March 27. Where the Red Fern Grows is the story of a poor family in eastern Oklahoma during the depression days of the early 1930s. It focuses on the life of a boy who more than anything wanted a dog. At age 12, the boy d had earned enough money to buy two pups, which he trained to be champions. But the excitement and victory were short-liveas tragedy awaited the pups. Stewart was selected for the part from about 600 boys who auditioned for the role. I feel prayer helped me in getting the part, Stewart said as he talked to the Church News recently. I prayed for guidance to do the best I could when I was trying out for the part and I think that kinda helped. Stewart, who had no previous acting experience, says he cant make up his mind whether he wants to be a rancher or an actor. I want to be a rancher, but maybe through acting I can raise enough money to buy me a ranch. I just dont know what Id rather do, Stewart said. We live on a pretty big ranch in Wyoming. I wouldnt even know how big it is. We have cattle and we raise hay and, you know, we have a few horses to round up the cattle with. I like to help as much as I can, he continued. At coon-houn- ' ; X vVV ?U r- - v V sr' V V. . - tV . k'A v ' 1 , w t. t - ill Is? 'S$S- v n A v - '- - BY DELL VAN ORDEN Church News Assistant Editor ' Mk&'SL I ,t - if v - f lMW?sSSI' ?"" y vv i jj - Jack Ging, left, who is the father In the movie, talks to Mormon actor, Stewart Petersen, who plays the lead role in. "Where the Red Fern Grows." d least when they go cowboying, I like to herd cows on horses. And in the summer, my dad and my two brothers and I go out every morning and change irrigation pipe together, and we have a lot of hay to put up, so we all get together and do that. Stewart plans on saving some of the money hes earning for a mission. Yea, I just think it would be a good experience to go on a mission, he said when asked if a mission were in his future plans. I would like to go to a Spanish-speakin- g mission. Ive always liked the way Spanish sounds and I think its sort of neat. Stewart also said he plans on getting married in the temple. Its sort of reassuring to know that youll be with your family in the next world, so Ive always wanted to be married in the temple. The young movie star, one of 19 eighth graders in the Cokeville School, which houses all grades from 1 through 12, took Spanish in school. He is also very busy in school activities. He wrestles in the classification, plays starting guard on the basketball team, halfback on the football team, and plays trumpet in the band. I didnt get to play football this year though, he said. I was in Oklahoma during the football season. Filming of Where the Red Fern Grows started last Sept. 17 and was concluded some two months later. It was filmed entirely near Tahlequah in the heart of Oklahomas Green Country, the approximate area described by the author in the book. To the query, What did you do about school for two months, Stewart simply replied, Nothin. I just didnt have the time, you know. I started on it a little bit but that was about it. I was pretty far behind when I came back, but I guess the assignments werent that hard or they didnt have me make up as much as what they had given in those two months, but I star said. caught up, the blond-haireStewart said not going to school seemed just like an extra long summer something which most boys dream of. ' He went to church at ai small branch in Tahlequah. For awhile he took his double to church with him. The last few weeks of shooting, he and I roomed together d MumaiiiTinii nr Producer Lyman Dayton goes over movie script with Beverly Garland during shooting of film. n CHURCH 9 WEEKENDING MARCH 23, 1974 and I got him to go to church. He wasn't a member of the church and I dont know whether he believed it was true or not, but I had him going for awhile. In real life, Stewart has a dog. I dont know what kind it is, just an old mongrel I guess. He also had a pet weasel which lie named Miss Herman. It was half dead when the dog brought it home, and the family nursed it back to health. It became the family pet through one summer until it ran off, Stewart said. Producer of the film, Brother Dayton, became interested in making films while a student at Brigham Young University. I felt cinema was as effective a tool for he good as any means of communication we have, said. He was called to serve in the California Mission. met a lot of people who influenced me toward this goal. Brother Dayton was called as second counselor to the mission president, Howard Anderson, who had been an executive with 20th Century Fox. He gave me a lot of direction, Brother Dayton related. He said he would eventually like to tell the story of the gospel in its complete form through movies. He indicated that during filming of the Red Fern, he tried to make the family uppermost, and teach lessons very appropriate to Mormonism, such as prayer, determination, accomplishment. Brother Dayton says he likes to draw upon talent from within the church as much as possible. For the Red Fern many of the people involved in the production of the movie are members of the church. Brother Dayton, who was recently released as an elders quorum president, said that many people have noticed he is a different kind of producer. They see how you deal with problems, he reported. They see somebody tackle things calmly and kindly, and this has an interesting effect on them. He said he spoke with two film editors last week, and they were both very Interested in what I say about the gospel. They are interested in coming to Salt Lake City for the premiere and learning more about the church. Brother Dayton reported that all the people he Continued on page 14 I |