We had thought George's skill on horseback was about to
pay off in Hollywood (George does have his own horse
and can be seen riding nearly every day in the Hollywood
Hills).
"Hidalgo" was supposed to bring George Gerdes back to
work for Walt Disney Productions playing the role of
Major Samuel Whitside, a real historical figure, who
was in charge of the resident U.S. Calvary at Wounded
Knee when the last tragic Native American massacre
broke out contrary to the Major's orders or intentions.
Well, it did, actually. It just didn't depict much of the
role that George created for the film.
It seems that the film editors decided to dramatically shorten
the sequences that included Major Samuel Whitside, including
the wonderful zooming shot that eventually winds up filling the
screen with a fabulous close up of whites of George's eye.
Too bad for George and a number of other actors in that sequence
that were happy over the authenticity they brought to their movie
roles in Hidalgo, roles that would have proved there is no such
thing as a small part.
The film is directed by Joe Johnston and stars
Viggo Mortensen and Omar Shariff. It centers
on the journey of an American "half-breed"
horseman invited to compete in an arduous
action filled race across the Arabian Desert.
Visit the "Official" Hildalgo web site here .
