Gardens of Stone is based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Nicholas Proffitt, based on his experiences as part of the U.S. Army’s Old Guard Third Infantry division stationed at Ft. Myer and Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, the 27 Nov 2006 LAT reported.
       A double page ad in the 16 Nov 1983 Var announced that Redwood Productions had acquired film rights to the book, but nothing came of that.
       Principal photography began on 22 May 1986 in the Washington, D.C. area, according to the 28 May 1986 DV production chart. Filming took place at Fort Belvoir, Fort Myer, and Arlington National Cemetery and had the full cooperation of the U.S. Army, the 2 Aug 1986 Washington Post reported. The Army not only made the forts and cemetery available, they also trained the actors portraying soldiers in Army drills and provided an Army band for key scenes. Some 600 real-life soldiers served as extras in various scenes. The film’s budget was $13.5 million, but production officials acknowledged it would have cost $30 million to make without the Army’s help. Lt. Col. John Myers, the Army officer overseeing the film, told the newspaper that no other film had received so much Army assistance since John Wayne’s pro-Vietnam movie The Green Berets (1968, see entry).
       In exchange for its cooperation, the Army demanded and received the right to review the script. Director Francis Coppola told the 3 May 1987 NYT that the Army asked for some foul language to be removed and for some scenes to be reworked to assure technical accuracy with military procedures. The Washington Post reported that a scene in which a wife spits on her husband’s grave, saying she now knew where he would be spending his nights, was cut, as was a scene of an angry sergeant hitting an enlisted man who flunked inspection. Both of those scenes were in the novel.
       Tragedy struck less than a week into production when Francis Coppola’s twenty-two-year-old son, Gian-Carlo Coppola, was killed in a 26 May 1986 boating accident along Chesapeake Bay on the South River near Annapolis, MD. The motorboat in which Gian-Carlo Coppola was riding struck a tow line between two sailboats and Coppola was thrown onto the deck and died of head injuries, the 28 May 1986 LAT reported. Gian-Carlo was training under his father, working as a video camera operator on the film. Roman Coppola, Gian-Carlo’s younger brother, replaced him as the video operator.
       When word of Gian-Carlo’s death reached the set, production officials immediately canceled the next day’s shooting, an elaborate scene involving many extras and helicopter support. However, Francis Coppola insisted that the shoot go on as scheduled. Production continued for another week until Francis Coppola checked himself into DeWitt Army Hospital at Fort Belvoir, VA, for exhaustion. As soon as Coppola was out of the hospital, production resumed. The 14 Jan 1987 HR noted the production was shut down for four or five days, but the 2 Aug 1986 Washington Post reported it was just two days.
       Twenty-one-year-old actor Griffin O’Neal, the son of actor Ryan O’Neal and a longtime friend of Gian-Carlo Coppola, was driving the rented motorboat on which Gian-Carlo was a passenger, and was charged on multiple counts in his death. In Dec 1986, O’Neal was convicted of negligent operation of a boat, but found not guilty of a “boat manslaughter” charge, the 28 Feb 1987 LAT reported. O’Neal was given a $200 fine and eighteen months probation.
       Griffin O’Neal was a part of the Gardens of Stone cast, playing the small role of “Wildman,” a soldier whose sloppiness cost his company points during an inspection. Francis Coppola, who had previously worked with O’Neal in the Coppola-produced The Escape Artist (1982, see entry), was impressed with the young actor and personally cast him in the role. The 11 Aug 1986 People magazine reported rumors that Francis Coppola had thrown O’Neal off the set, but producer Fred Roos denied that. Roos said that a week after the accident, O’Neal asked to be released from his contract. Actor Casey Siemaszko replaced him as “Wildman” and scenes O’Neal had filmed were reshot. Toward the end of production, Francis Coppola rewrote the script to include mention that “Wildman” had received a Medal of Honor in Vietnam.
       Producers had originally planned to release the film in Dec 1986 for a week in Los Angeles, CA, in order to qualify for Academy Award consideration, then open the film nationwide over Easter 1987. However, those plans did not materialize.
       Gardens of Stone opened on 612 screens on 8 May 1987, taking in $1.6 million in its first three days of release, according to the 11 May 1987 DV box office report. After a month in release, the film had grossed a total of $5.3 million, the 10 Jun 1987 Var reported.
       End credits state: “Special thanks to the Honor Guards and Bands of all services: Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, for their pride and devotion in attending the last call for their fallen comrades at Arlington National Cemetery.”
       End credits also state: “This film is dedicated to the 3rd U.S. Infantry, the Old Guard of the Army, Ft. Myer, Virginia,” and “With the participation of The United States Army Band (Pershing’s Own).”