Director Of Civil War Films Owes Washington County $263K

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- The director of acclaimed Civil War movies owes a Maryland county about $263,000 on an overdue loan.

The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown reports that Ron Maxwell, director of "Gettysburg" and "Gods and Generals" has not made a payment on his $300,000 loan from Washington County since June 2008. The loan was given in 2002 to allow Maxwell to begin work on "The Last Full Measure" and to produce at least half of it in Washington County.

Maxwell tells the newspaper that he's confident he'll be able to still make the film, and that he's continuing to repay the loan.

He was supposed to have repaid the loan, plus 4.5 percent annual interest, by 2010.

Several county commissioners say they're not pleased at Maxwell's pace in repaying the loan.

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