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| Introduction: Opening the Doors Cast and Crew Prelude Journal 2: ACT 1: Blacklisted! March 6 (Day 2) March 9 (Day 3) March 10-11 (Days 4-5) March 12-13 (Days 6-7) Journal 3: ACT 2: Welcome to Ferndale! March 20 (Day 9) March 21 (Day 10) March 22 (Day 11) March 23 (Day 12) Journal 4: March 26 (Day 13) March 27 (Day 14) March 28 (Day 15) March 29 (Day 16) March 30 (Day 17) Journal 5: April 2 (Day 18) April 3 (Day 19) April 4 (Day 20) April 5 (Day 21) April 6 (Day 22) Journal 6: April 8 (Day 23) April 9 (Day 24) April 10 (Day 25) April 11 (Day 26) April 12 (Day 27) Journal 7: April 16 (Day 28) April 17 (Day 29) April 18 (Day 30) April 19 (Day 31) April 20 (Day 32) April 23 (Day 33) April 24 (Day 34) April 25 (Day 35) April 26 (Day 36) Journal 8: April 30 (Day 37) May 1 (Day 38) May 2 (Day 39) May 3 (Day 40) May 4 (Day 41) May 7 (Day 42) May 8 (Day 43) Journal 9: May 10-11 (Days 44-45) May 14 (Day 46) May 15 (Day 47) May 16 (Day 48) May17 (Day 49) May 18 (Day 50) Journal 10: May 21 (Day 51) May 22 (Day 52) May 23 (Day 53) May 24 (Day 54) May 25 (Day 55) Journal 11: May 29 (Day 56) May 30 (Day 57) May 31 (Day 58) June 1 (Day 59) |
Journal 10 May 24 (Day 54) A hodgepodge of happenings on the set today. Here’s some tidbits: At lunch, TomKats served up their weekly pasta bar, one of the great draws to any set caterer. When we lunch at The Lot, the entire cast/crew eats in the studio’s old gymnasium built back in the early 1920s by Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., one of the co-founders in the company formed in 1919 called United Artists (can you name the other three original partners in UA?). This historic site, initially called Pickford-Fairbanks Studios, has changed hands over the years. Built in 1919 by Jesse Durham Hampton, it was eponymously christened by actor Fairbanks (married to the legendary Mary Pickford at the time) when he bought the five-acre lot in 1922. Next door -- another Hollywood legend, director King Vidor, was based at a place called Vidor Village. Upon residing at the studio located at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Formosa Avenue, Fairbanks commissioned his first project here -- “Robin Hood,” which many critics still cite as his best work. The studio subsequently became Goldwyn Studios (named after another legendary Hollywood producer, Samuel Goldwyn) sometime in the 1930s, and most recently was owned by Warner Bros. (calling the site Warner-Hollywood), whose corporate studio headquarters reside in Burbank, California, less than ten miles away. They, in turn, sold it to the private concern who redubbed it “the lot.” There are seven sound stages at The Lot, and we occupy four of them. Stage 2 houses a variety of sets, with Lawson’s town hall basement set now under re-construction (this set was initially built in Ferndale, under the bleachers at the county fairgrounds, and was moved in pieces when we did not finish our scenes there). Stages 3-4 (where Frank shot “The Green Mile”) contain The Majestic movie palace interiors. Stage 6 has been our spare space, harboring everything from Sheriff Coleman’s office to our holding pen for extras. The only other feature vying for stage space here was “Scary Movie II.”  Back on our set, Jim gets to once again boogie on the piano in Sc. 85 -- Int. Majestic Auditorium: The band joins in with Luke. Again utilizing colleague Chet Leonard for the computerized playback, Frank as chosen a bouncy melodious tune called “Blue Note Boogie” to accompany Jim as he accurately hand-syncs his piano movements to the music blaring out of the loud speakers. Each take runs about three minutes as Frank has set up dual cameras (a tight side shot of Jim’s face) and another on a half-moon dolly track, with cameraman Emmerichs capturing the action as dolly grip Pearlberg elegantly guides the rig back-and-forth in front of the piano. After reviewing the takes on video specialist Crabbe’s monitors, Frank, Jim, Crabbe and acting coach Moss await another camera turnaround, allowing some time for chit-chat backstage (video village today has been erected behind the Majestic auditorium set, just off the stage area). Jim relates the constant requests he gets from various producers and studios for his services in “sequels.” He is constantly pitched on story ideas for “Dumb and Dumber 2,” “The Mask 2” and others (to date, his only sequel was “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls,” back in 1996). He told me many weeks ago when we were up in Ferndale that he only looks for new acting challenges, and does not want to repeat himself in future roles. The philosophy of making sequels is heatedly discussed among those present, with all agreeing that the absolute best sequel ever made (and the only one honored with an Academy Award) was “The Godfather, Part 2.” I catch actress Laurie Holden picking at a scrumptiously gooey chocolate cake sitting on the craft service table during an afternoon break. I remark that it’s rare to see actresses eating such fattening foods served up by the Randolph boys on their ubiquitous snack table. Most female performers watch their weight like stockbrokers watch the ever-fluctuating Dow Jones Index. Laurie, a slender blonde, replies that she has gained weight on the show (where, between her toes!), but on purpose. After she won the role of Luke’s old flame, she hit the gym and fervently trimmed her already svelte frame down several pounds. Having not seen director Darabont in several weeks prior to her arrival in Ferndale, she showed up only to find Frank somewhat surprised at her slender look. When she got home that night (she leased a private residence during her six weeks there), a pizza from the Ferndale Pizza Company greeted her arrival. She got Frank’s message, and has slowly added a few pounds. She curiously asks if her negligible weight gain is obvious in still photog Nelson’s daily coverage of her on the film. I reassure her that it’s not. After my chat with Laurie, I head back to my office in the Santa Monica West building on the studio grounds. Casting director Deborah Aquila’s office (she cast “The Majestic” as well as “Shawshank...”) is just down the hall from mine, and she is currently busy filling roles in an upcoming John Travolta feature called “Enchanted.” Streams of handsome faces and curvy bodies populate (daily) not only her waiting room, but the collective hallway as well, all awaiting that xciting audition (which she puts on video tape). Do you know how strange it is to see people talking to themselves all day long? Yes, they’re just running their lines in preparation for their audition. Tomorrow -- Jim wants to give the Los Angeles Times writer a wedgy! |
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