0105 - Craig Purcell
Craig Purcell is a journalist originally from Iowa, and a tour guide at the Field of Dreams Movie Site. During our conversation, he referenced a handful of things and people upon which you may want to do more research. Consider this page to be your “liner notes” for the episode so you can follow along.
Me and Craig Purcell after recording our interview at the Field of Dreams Movie Site in Dyersville, Iowa
Original Location Map
This photo of a very early brochure, which includes a map of where the Field of Dreams Movie Site could be found, is courtesy of Matt Rumpfeldt.
Early Literature
The back of the brochure describes a bit about the process to build the field, and what very little merchandise was available for sale shortly after the film’s release. Photo courtesy of Matt Rumpfeldt.
The 1969 Cubs
With a roster featuring five All Stars, four future Hall of Fame players, and a Hall of Fame manager, the 1969 Chicago Cubs were in first place for 155 days of the season until they famously collapsed in mid-September, losing 17 of their final 25 games to finish in second.
The Sandlot
Remember, kid: heroes get remembered, but legends never die.
Ertl Company
Founded in 1945, the Ertl Company is based in Dyersville, Iowa, and is most known for its die-cast metal replicas of farm equipment and vehicles.
Dyersville Commercial
Proudly serving the area since 1873, the Dyersville Commercial is the official newspaper for the cities of Dyersville, Farley, Earlville, Holy Cross, New Vienna, Luxemburg, and Worthington, along with Dubuque County, Delaware County, and the Western Dubuque County Community School District.
Filming Field of Dreams
Some behind the scenes images of the filming of the movie shed some interesting light on the process.
F.I.S.T.
This 1978 film starring Sylvester Stallone was filmed in Dubuque from May through June of 1977.
Shoeless Joe
This novel by W. P. Kinsella about a struggling Iowa farmer who hears a voice telling him to build a baseball diamond in the middle of his corn field, was adapted for film as Field of Dreams – a critically acclaimed blockbuster that made the already beloved novel a sensation.
Buy it HERE
The Wedding of Your Dreams
Want to Get Married and/or have your reception at the Field of Dreams Movie Site? Now you can.
Denise Stillman
After a family trip to the Field of Dreams Movie Site, Denise and her husband learned it was for sale. She founded Go the Distance Baseball, and with the help of investors including baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, purchased the site in December 2012.
Craig in Uniform
When he suggested that tour guides wear the authentic wool uniforms, Craig was thinking of how much it would add to the aesthetic. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t considering the summer heat and humidity of the Midwest.
Harvey
The movie playing on the TV in the kitchen during Field of Dreams (and during tours of the house, today) is the 1950 film Harvey, featuring Jimmy Stewart. The story is about a man whose best friend is a pooka named Harvey - in the form of a 6’3.5” invisible rabbit.
Burt Lancaster
The Oscar-winning actor was 74 years old during the filming of Field of Dreams, which was his last film to appear in theaters.
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe
Though Ray Liotta has been told that Field of Dreams is a great movie, he has yet to see it for himself. Liotta's mother was ill while they were filming the movie, which he mentally associates with the movie.
If You Build It…
I promise you. That’s the line. He will. Not they will. He will.
This is a photograph of the farmhouse and property as it was presented to Universal Studios during the selection process.
Crew Photo
Back when the film was still using the working title Shoeless Joe, before being changed to Field of Dreams.
Sue Riedel
A member of the Iowa Film Board, Sue drove around the state to take pictures of local farms looking for sites which met Universal Studios’ qualifications.
The utility lines above the field ran along the original property lines between the Ameskamp land and Lansing land.
Al and Rita Ameskamp
The Ameskamp family gave up some corn from their farm land to allow the field to be built for the filming of the movie.
Don Lansing
Don Lansing owned the rest of the property, as well as the farm house used during the filming of the movie.
Is This Heaven?
It’s Iowa.
Original Concept
Go the Distance Baseball bought 193 acres, including the movie site and land around it, for $3.4 million in December 2012, pledging to build All-Star Ballpark Heaven with 24 fields and an 88,000-square-foot indoor facility.
Temporary Stadium?
This won't be the first time that MLB has built a temporary stadium for just one game. In 2016, a 12,500-seat stadium was erected at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
Original Property Lines
This 1906 Dubuque County land map shows the property lines of the original Lansing parcels of land, which are outlined in black.
If You Build It…
Dwier Brown’s 2014 book If You Build It... is a funny and moving memoir about Fathers, Fate and Field of Dreams.
Buy It HERE
Interviews About Moonlight Graham
The scene toward the end of Field of Dreams where Terence Mann (played by James Earl Jones) interviews the old men at the bar about Archibald “Moonlight” Graham was not scripted. Those were Doc’s real life friends, telling real stories about him.
The Corn
The filming schedule for Field of Dreams was based on the height of the corn. It had to be Kevin Costner's height (he's listed at 6'1") or taller when the voice first spoke to him. With a thumbs up from the state of Iowa, filmmakers dammed a nearby creek to make sure the corn had enough water.
Ghost Players
What began as a team of four in Dyersville in the fall of 1990 grew to a full entourage of 30 individuals known as the Ghost Players. They tour the world, in uniform, bringing the joy of baseball and the Field of Dreams to millions of people.
Switched Hitter
“For a month, I was batting left-handed and throwing right-handed. So one day the director came down to see how I was doing and I could see them mumbling… and they said, ‘Do you mind, it doesn’t matter if it is historically accurate.’ So they made me go right-handed.”
Lemon Peel Base Balls
This 4-piece hand stitched leather skinned baseball was one of the first style baseballs used. Dark leather was used for the cover because it was readily available and easier for the players to see when the ball was hit in the air on a clear day.
Buy a replica HERE
“Take Me Out To The Ballgame”
The song’s little-known verses tell a deeper story about a woman and her desire to be part of the rooting crowd. Her name was Katie Casey, and in 1908 she was affirmably baseball’s biggest fan.
July 25, 2015
Cole Hamels threw a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs.
July 25, 1995
20 years earlier to the day, Craig and his daughter attended their first game together: a 6-5 Cubs victory over the Montréal Expos.
Wheat Pennies
The Wheat Penny is a staple in American society and has endured all steps of American 20th-century growth.
Playing at the Field of Dreams
My mom got this eerie double-exposure photograph of me playing at the Field of Dreams as a child.
Craig’s Other Work
Red Faber
Could Red Have Kept The Black Sox White? by Craig Purcell
Field of Dreams Movie Site
Visit their website HERE
