Being Belle

BEING BELLE Golden Globe-nominated producer working on film about serial killer from La Porte  By Derek Smith (Staff Writer)  With nothing but pen and paper, Belle Gunness lured dozens of unsuspecting men to her La Porte home in the early 1900s. Through her love letters, she coaxed the gentlemen to sell everything they owned and bring the cash to her rural farm where they were robbed, killed and dismembered by the very woman who had pledged them her love. What was it about her letters that made so many men throw caution to the wind for a woman they hadn't even laid eyes on? It's a question filmmaker Edward Bass wants to answer. Bass has recently written a screenplay about America's most prolific female serial killer and puts Gunness' love letters at the heart of the story. A Golden Globe-nominated producer, Bass also plans to direct the project, simply titled "Belle." "How could she write a letter and convince people to travel 3,000 miles with all of their money?" the filmmaker asked on the phone Friday from New York City. To channel Belle's spirit, Bass worked with native La Porte resident Eva Mayer on the film's script. Mayer's family purchased the old Gunness property on McClung Road, and she has spent years researching the killer's life, according to Bass. The result: A chilling psychological study of the enigmatic murderess and what motivated her. "We've turned it into a gripping story, which captures the essence of the woman's charm," Bass said. Bass first heard the macabre tale of Belle Gunness from his friend, Norwegian-American actor Bjorn Johnson, who is also co-producing "Belle." He was instantly intrigued not only by her letters but by the mystery of what triggered her killing spree - something he said is explained in the film. "She's the most fascinating of serial killers," Bass said, referring to her as America's Jack the Ripper and the female Hannibal Lecter. He spent the last year working on the script and is in the process of casting the lead role. To make the scenario more plausible, Bass said he wants to cast someone who not only possesses the acting chops to pull off the part, but is physically attractive as well. "It's going to be hard for an audience to buy that a hundred men walked to their deaths like sheep" based on authentic photos of Gunness, he said. Another key character in Bass's story is the city of La Porte, and he intends to shoot the movie partially on location with sites likely to include the La Porte County Circuit Courthouse. He compared the use of La Porte in his script to the town of Santa Rosa in Alfred Hichcock's "Shadow of a Doubt." "Everything seemed OK, yet there was an evil, a predator, lurking in the town," he explained. The film also addresses a major question that, to this day, hasn't been sufficiently answered: How was she able to get away with it? "Why didn't anyone stand up? The signs were there," he said. "Were [the townspeople] protecting themselves, or was it so far out of the realm of what they could believe?" "Belle" will be Edward Bass' first film as a director, but he's built up an impressive resume as a producer. He's had five independently financed pictures in just two years. His films include the thriller "While She Was Out" (2008) starring Kim Basinger and "Bobby" (2006), Emilio Estevez's directorial debut. Centered around the assassination of Robert Kennedy, "Bobby" stared an ensemble cast including Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Martin Sheen, Helen Hunt and Lindsey Lohan. To learn more about Bass and his films, visitwww.edwardbassfilms.com