Cicero 51
Logline
Cicero 1951 a Chicago Transit Authority employee, military veteran and college graduate moves his family to an apartment building and becomes the target of the first world wide televised race riot when over three thousand residents fire bombed and destroyed the building for three days and nights.
Genre
Crime,Romance,Historical Fiction
Short Summary
During the riot, black residents were detained and disappeared mysteriously. A newly minted lawyer, sister of one of the victims, engages a local attorney and private investigator to discover the truth and begins a bi-racial romance. Historical fiction, romance & criminal activity by police.
Patterns of racism and abuse emerged prior to the event on the part of local police. Intriguing reference to Jackie Robinson's service with the Black Panther Tank division prior to WWII.
Setting
Cicero Illinois
Based on a True Story
Yes
Plot - Premise
Tragedy
Plot - Other Elements
Meaningful Message
Mature Audience Themes
Information not completed
Main Character Details
Name: Steve Maxwell
Age: 30-35
Gender: Male
Role: Mentor
Key Traits: Heroic,Educated,Masculine,Sexy,Patriotic,Skillful,Sophisticated,Honorable,Gracious,Confident,Charming,Aggressive
Additional Character Details
Name: Sophie Stillwell
Age: 25-30
Gender: Female
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Aspiring,Confident,Engaging,Gracious,Educated,Sophisticated,Seductive,Romantic,Sexy
Additional Character Details
Name: Willis Beauchamp
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Aggressive,Criminal,Masculine,Villainous,Uneducated,Secretive,Unapologetic
Additional Character Details
Name: Henry Stillwell
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Role: protagonist
Key Traits: Desperate,Honorable,Underdog,Masculine,Selfless,Outspoken,Strong Moral Code,Lone Wolf,Unapologetic
Development Pitch
This story is based on a historic event that was the first world wide televised race riot in Cicero Illinois in 1951. It began because a Fisk University graduate, military veteran and Chicago Transit Authority black American moved his family into an apartment building which resulted in three thousand white residents surrounded by the entire Cicero police department fire bombing and destroying the building for three days and nights. Any black citizens in the area were rounded up and one disappeared with no trace. The story unfolds when the sister of the victim, Sophie Stillwell, having recently passed the bar, hires local attorney Steven Maxwell to investigate and find the cause. They become involved romantically as a couple in a bi-racial romance that develops as a result of their search for the truth. The back story on the victim Henry Stillwell is that he served in the same unit with Jackie Robinson with the 761st Black Panther Tank division. The intrigue uncovers a relationship between one of the white characters involved in a racial incident Jackie Robinson was a part of while serving with his unit. Much of the story is factual.