Author of Born on the Fourth of July
Previously Aired On: July 5, 2006 - Listen to this Show!
This edition of The People Speak celebrates the 4th of July through discussion with film director Frank Cavestani and peace activist Ron Kovic whose life was portrayed by Tom Cruise in the Oliver Stone’s film Born on the Fourth of July. Director Oliver Stone based the film on Ron’s autobiography of the same name and they used director Frank Cavestani’s documentary Operation Last Patrol as research material.
Ron Kovic was a U.S. Marine who served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War where he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. In combat on January 20 1968 he suffered a spinal cord injury which left him paralized from the chest down. He became one of the best known peace activists among the veterans of the war.
Ron Kovic was born on July 4, 1946, in Ladysmith, Wisconsin and grew up in Massapequa, New York. His autobiography, Born on the Fourth of July, was adapted as an Academy Award winning film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Tom Cruise as Kovic.
Frank Cavestani was raised in New York City. He made his theatrical debut as Shelley Winters’ co-star in James Bridge’s Days of the Dancing. Frank moved into motion pictures and television as a star and co-star, co-starring on CBS Defenders with E.G. Marshall when he was still in his teens and in Andy Warhol’s wild epic Women In Revolt.
Frank produced and directed his own film, Operation Last Patrol, a one-hour and won an award at the Popoli Film Festival in Italy and the Leipzig Film Festival in Germany; and iit is now part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern art in New York. He later became a technical advisor onOliver Stone’s feature film Born on the Fourth of July.
July 5th, 2006
--Previous Guests--, Ron Kovic |
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