Mark your calendars for the premiere showings of historical crime thriller, 'End of the Rope.' This North Dakota made movie is based on the late Dennis Edward Johnson's book 'End of the Rope', which was written about the infamous Charles Bannon case of 1931.
Bannon was a ranch hand for the well-off Haven family who resided just south of Schafer, ND, five miles east of Watford City. When the family mysteriously disappeared, the townspeople's suspicions were raised as to what had become of the couple and their four children. The film tells the story of the events that unfolded as residents took justice into their own hands.
Johnson was a Watford City native, who spent years researching the case while operating his law practice. In addition to being a dedicated historian and excellent storyteller, he also served as the executive producer for the film. End of the Rope was produced by local production companies Canticle Productions and DN Cinematics with Minneapolis Director Charlie Griak.
It was a priority to utilize local talent for the movie, which was filmed in Burleigh and McKenzie counties during August 2021. Brad Reissig, University of North Dakota associate professor of science and lighting design and theater arts was the production designer; Rooth Varland, North Dakota State University professor of theater and costume designer was the costume designer and wardrobe supervisor. Many students from both the University of Mary and NDSU worked both on screen and behind the scenes. Hurley Enterprises, Fairview, MT, built eight of the buildings for the 1931 Schafer Main Street set, and local residents may even see a few familiar places on the big screen, as filming was done at the Fairview Bridge and Tunnel.
'End of the Rope' was a massive production to put together," says producer Daniel Bielinski. "We had a cast of hundreds; we re-built the town of Schafer in the middle of a Watford alfalfa field; we had more than 30 pre-1931 automobiles in the movie. The list goes on. That such an ambitious film was possible is a testament to the tremendous amount of support that poured out in the past couple years, especially from McKenzie County. There were so many folks who offered their time and talents to the project, and we are excited to be able to show them the final product!"
In fact, there were over 100 scenes that were filmed at 18 locations over the course of 29 days.
'End of the Rope' will premiere in theaters beginning in March. The premiere schedule is as follows:
March 24/25: SixShooters Cinema, Watford City
March 31: Fargo Theater, Fargo
April 1: Chester Fritz Auditorium, Grand Forks
April 14: TJ Agnes Theater, Williston
April 15: Oak Park Theater, Minot
April 21/22: Grand Theater, Bismarck
April 28: Belfield Theater, Belfield
The Red Carpet premiere screenings will be interactive events with the cast and crew; merchandise will be available to purchase, and sets and props will be on display.
Following the Premiere screenings, the films will play in at least 40 theaters across North Dakota and the surrounding region for a limited theatrical run.
For more information about tickets and screenings, visit endoftheropefilm.com or follow the film on Facebook for updates at http://www.facebook.com/EndoftheRopeFilmND.
For other questions about the film, or for theaters that are interested in showing 'End of the Rope' contact [email protected].
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