Gale Klein

Abigail Klein (Daughter)

Sarah Klein (Daughter)

Michael Klein (Father)

Deceased Mother

David Klein (Uncle)

Jesse Klein (Grandson)

Buck Klein (Grandson)

Geoffrey Klein (Grandson)

> "*Imagination is what brought about Columbia, is it not? I certainly suspect that our great founders imagined a beacon of American democracy surviving in a new world. So, why don't we value imagination when it brings such joy? That really is the question that I find myself asking when I see today's youth.*"
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Gale Klein, often called the **Father of Columbian Cinema**, was a major Columbian movie director. He died in 2333 at the Battle of Valentine while filming the final movie of his Malevolence Quadrilogy, *The Grand Finale*. His death sent ripples through Columbia and cemented him as one of its most loved figures.

## Background

Gale Klein was born in 2290 on the Interstate 80. Gale's family had been fleeing New California out of fear for the NCR's impending fall. His mother had been pregnant prior to the trip. Gale's birth caused the death of his mother.

Gale's family arrived in Gladel that same year and settled as refugees in Pocatello, a city that had become the refugee capital of Gladel. His family faced major discrimination and remained in poverty for years. In 2294, the Klein family learned of a new nation being established in Columbia Falls. Gale's father, Michael Klein, wished to be one of the first refugee families to settle in Columbia, but he was unable to procure the funds until 2296.

The Klein family arrived in Columbia in late 2296. Michael Klein and his brother David became construction workers and helped with turning Columbia Falls into a modern city. This employment managed to elevate the family to a middle class status, which granted Gale access to Gladel movies. Gale quickly became infatuated with cinema and spent more time engaged with his television than with people.

In 2303, the first Columbian movie was released; it was the *Great Revival*. Because of his father and uncle helping with the building of the Lumiere Theatre, Gale was able to be in the audience that watched the first Columbian movie. This experience would later be quoted as being Gale's acceptance that he would enter cinema and become a legend.

By 2310, Gale's father had become one of the main industrial tycoons of Columbia with his company BUT. Gale's father was friends with Morrie Cone, who was one of the biggest directors in Columbia at the time. Through his father, Gale entered contact with Cone and became his apprentice in 2310.

Gale's and Cone's relationship was known to be particularly close knit, with the two confiding in each other with most issues. With this friendship came rumors that the two were engaged in closer than just friends conduct. These rumors were never proven and Gale insisted them to be false until his death.

Gale's career with Cone had him starring in multiple movies and learning the craft of movie creation. When Cone died in 2313, Gale assumed his mantle and completed Cone's unfinished movie *Snare*. Despite the movie having two directors with different visions, Snare became an instant success with widespread acclaim.

Gale married Martha Roe -a famous socialite that he had gotten into contact with through Cone- in 2314 and had his first child Gale Klein Jr. in 2315. Only two years later, Martha gave birth to the twins Abigail and Sarah. The children's lives, just as their father's, would be devoted to cinema with them starring as child actors in many of their father's films.

In 2317, Gale released his rendition of *The Great Gatsby* to critical acclaim. The movie remained true to the book and did not diverge in any area. In 2320, Gale released his most highly regarded movie *Heritage*, which told the story of Columbia's founders and the troubles the nation faced in its first few years. His next great hit was in 2323 with *Klein: My Story*. The movie covered his time as a refugee in Gladel. He famously played the role of his father.

With 2325 came his movie *The* *Guardians*, which was about a group that controlled the nations of the pre-war world and manipulated them into starting the *Resource Wars*. Just one year later Gale released his least acclaimed movie *Jordan Dale*. Compared to his previous stories, *Jordan Dale* was a simple romance about a young girl named Jordan Dale and a man named Marcus. The movie was critiqued for being overly simple and uninspired. However, it still managed to succeed in the box office.

Gale, hellbent on redeeming himself, began work on another love story. His intention was to prove that he could create a unique and compelling movie with simple concepts. The movie *Vetiti Amare* released in 2337 and told the story of an NCR soldier falling in love with a legionary following the Battle of Nelson. The movie was lauded for its drama as well as its characterization of both the NCR and Legion as being equally flawed.

March 21, 2327 saw the death of Director of Intelligence and Defense Edward Dargon in a shootout at Wise Ranch. Gale had always had a fascination with Colt's position in Columbian politics and made it his goal to tell his story in a quadrilogy. The first of these movies *Surveillance* released in 2328 and told the story of Colt's founding of the Intelligence and Defense Agency. Just one year later, he released *Wise Days* which covered Colt's death.

In 2331, he released *The Fall of Malevolence*, which told of Mardo's and Samantha Chang's eradication of the Malevolence Syndicate. At this point, his series had become just as much fiction as it was historical. This was due to him being given limited information from Samantha Chang about her operations and his own impatience with Samantha Chang's speed with them.

Gale began production of what he referred to as his "coming magnum opus" in 2331. The movie, titled *The Grand Finale*, would tell the story of Mardo tracking down the old friend of his that had betrayed him to the Malevolence Syndicate in 2325. By 2333, the Cree War had heated to a boiling point, and, despite persistent pleas, Gale elected to film a scene for his movie during the Battle of Valentine. While filming the scene, Gale was shot in the stomach and rushed to a field hospital. He would die by morning.

News of Gale's death spread like wildfire throughout both Columbia and Gladel, and many mourned his death as the "great tragedy of the war." *The Grand Finale* was put on hold and would not continue production until 2337 with his son taking on his father's mantle.

## Personality

Gale Klein was well known for his boisterous and jovial personality. He was a frequent party goer and made it his duty to host one every year. Gale, because of his refugee origins, would often make large donations to various charities. One trait that Gale sought to perpetuate was his love of children. He would often visit schools and read books to students as well as guest lecture at various universities.

Rather infamously, Gale was involved in multiple scandals throughout his life involving his alleged sexual relations with actresses during production. The most known of these scandals was his affair with Kimberly Drew that resulted in him paying a large sum of money behind closed doors to shut her up. Another infamous allegation was that he was in close association with the city's mob families. These were never proven, but many still believe he held ties with them.

## Movies

* 2311: *Assault of the Techno Legion!* (Actor)
* 2312: *The North Star* (as Mordin Sol)
* 2313: *Snare* (Second half)
* 2317: *The Great Gatsby*
* 2320: *Heritage*
* 2323: *Klein: My Story*
* 2325: *The Guardians*
* 2326: *Jordan Dale*
* 2327: *Vetiti Amare*
* 2328: *Surveillance*
* 2329: *Wise Days*
* 2331: *Fall of Malevolence*
* 2333:*The Grand Finale* (First half)

## Cultural Legacy

It is no surprise that Gale Klein's colorful career engrained him as a cultural icon within Columbia. Both in life and death, Gale was seen as the quintessential Columbian patriot. Many attribute him as being their inspiration to go on and to even settle within Columbia. Just a year after his death a biographical documentary was released detailing his life to his death. The Columbian government also had a statue of Gale Klein erected in the capitol building. The Klein Reward, an annual reward given to the year's best movies, was created in 2333.