By Matt Snyder
MERCER COUNTY AREA — After five years of production and more than 40 years since the seed of the story was first planted, the beloved local book �Dog Jack� has burst into the realm of cinema and will have its premier showing on Sunday.
�Dog Jack� is the tale � first written by local author Florence W. Biros � of a real-life dog who was mascot of the 102nd Pennsylvania Regiment, and his fictionalized counterpart, Jed, a former slave.
The family feature film debuts at 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the Soldiers & Sailors Hall, Pittsburgh. Ticket prices are $5 for students 14 and under or $10 or $15 for adults, depending on show time. Tickets will be available at the door, Mrs. Biros said.
�It�s the fruition of a 41-year-old dream of mine,� she said, noting that for her, the story �Dog Jack� began in the Soldiers and Sailors home where the movie�s opening takes place. She found an old portrait of soldiers that also featured a dog.
�What�s he doing in here with all our great heroes from America�s wars?� Mrs. Biros wondered.
As it turns out, the dog had been nursed back to health at a Pittsburgh fire house and became the station mascot. From there, the dog joined the war alongside a chaplain, Mrs. Biros said.
�I realized one day that if you were out marching forever and ever, and your shoes were falling apart, and you were hungry, and you had very little entertainment and to care about, a dog would be a tremendous amount of conciliation for you,� she said.
Mrs. Biros decided to write about the dog, who she named Jack. But she wanted a character who could empathize with him, so she included a fictional former slave, Jed. She said Jed also came into the unit as a stray �and so the two bonded.�
The film version differs in a few ways from Mrs. Biros� book, she said. The beginning and ending are both different, for instance.
The movie�s action sequences were shot at a recreation center in Darlington, Pa., Mrs. Biros said.
Jed is played by Ben Gardner and the dog is played by a rescued deaf, female pit bull named Piglet. The movie is narrated by actor Louis Gossett Jr.
It not yet known how the movie will be distributed, Mrs. Biros said.
The Soldiers and Sailors Hall is at 4141 5th Ave., Pittsburgh. Info: 412-621-4253.
