Brother Jonathan at the Dragon's Teeth
- circlebproductions
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Many people have asked for an update on our documentary film about the tragic sinking of the steamship Brother Jonathan, so I thought it was a good time to share where things stand.
My wife Olivia and I, through our small company Circle B Productions LLC, have been researching and writing this project since 2023. In truth, however, the journey began much earlier. My father, who served as editor of the Del Norte Triplicate during the 1960s and 1970s, began gathering information about the Brother Jonathan as far back as 2010. Six years later he passed away, leaving behind notes, newspaper clippings, and research that would eventually help inspire this project. Over the past several years, many people have reached out to tell us how much they remember him and how proud he would be to see this story finally being brought to the screen. Those comments mean more to our family than you can imagine.
What started as a search for information about a famous shipwreck has evolved into something much larger. Growing up in Crescent City, many of us heard about the lost gold of the Brother Jonathan. As we dug deeper, we discovered that the real treasure was never the gold—it was the people. We have spent countless hours researching the lives of the passengers and crew aboard that final voyage in July of 1865. Their stories of courage, sacrifice, loss, and survival have become the heart of the film. Our goal is to ensure that these men, women, and children are remembered as more than names on a passenger list or footnotes in a history book.
Today we are in the final stages of completing the screenplay. If all goes according to plan, we expect to have a finished script by August. At that point the project will move into full production. Using a combination of traditional documentary storytelling and the latest AI-assisted filmmaking tools, we are creating historically accurate images, animations, and dramatic recreations that simply would not have been possible for a small independent production company just a few years ago. The technology is allowing us to visualize scenes and people that have not been seen in more than 160 years.
There is also something bittersweet about this effort. Like many small-town newspapers across America, the Del Norte Triplicate ceased publication in 2025. For generations it served as a keeper of local stories, memories, and history. In a small way, we hope this film continues that tradition by preserving an important chapter of Del Norte County's past for future generations. We are grateful for the encouragement, photographs, family stories, and support that so many members of this group have shared with us along the way. We look forward to sharing more images, video clips, and production updates as we continue moving toward bringing the story of the Brother Jonathan to audiences everywhere.
Thank you for following the journey and we hope you enjoy the clips and images we are sharing, but please understand these are not finished items from the movie. We are providing them as a service to the current and former residents of Del Norte County.
Special Thanks to the Del Norte County Historical Society and to "Hank" who inspired us to fully appreciate the real treasure lost on July 30th 1865 - People.
-Todd and Olivia Bull
Circle B Productions LLC
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