The Captain
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 259
A "MAJESTIC" Experience!
In the spring of 2001, I spent several weeks on the production of The Majestic, starring Jim Carrey, in Ferndale, CA. The following are "Postcards" sent to a Jim Carrey fansite and posted just before the film was released.
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 2001
Postcards from "The Majestic"
- By Richard G. Cardella -
..:: MAGICAL MAJESTIC ::..
It is approximately 10:00 PM in Ferndale, and the fog is starting to creep "on little cat feet" into the conifers that rise behind the Victorian village. I, along with three other "backgrounders" have been doing double-duty: We act as "townsfolk" and, when needed, we are the designated drivers of the vintage vehicles that appear throughout THE MAJESTIC. We are standing by, waiting for directions from our immediate supervisor, 2nd 2nd AD (Assistant Director), Craig Comstock, our fingers wrapped around steaming cups of coffee. He tells us that we won't be needed in the next scene, so we drift into the darkness that surrounds the "Town Hall" and watch as a water truck wets down the street in front of "Mabel's Diner". The neon that halos the diner reflects in the wet street and creates a shimmering mirror image, while inside the brightly lit interior, a few patrons sit at the counter and in booths.
When the scene is lit to the satisfaction of Frank Darabont, the PAs (Production Assistants) yell out "Quiet on the set!", then "Camera rolling!" On "Action!", Jim Carrey strolls slowly down the street, hands in his pockets. He drops his head slightly and takes a quick peek into the diner before continuing on down the silent street towards the riot of colored neon that proudly proclaims, THE MAJESTIC. Not much of a scene to today's action-flick junkies, but magical to this writer. The combination of the '50s diner, the '50s vehicles parked in the street, all bathed in the glow of the theater neon -- it took me back to a time when I was a teenager. A simpler, happier time. A time before "they paved paradise". Jim Carrey and Frank Darabont have made a film that, for a brief moment, will transport us back to that time. I'm ready for the trip. Are you?
..:: FRANK GIVES A "HAND" ::..
Exterior, Mabel's Diner. It's early morning in Ferndale, and the morning fog is just starting to burn off. There is still a chill in the air, and our small group of background performers are standing at the back door of the diner waiting to be placed where we are needed. Paula Harris, the 2nd AD on the film, comes out of the diner and says that she only needs two men for this shot, and picks me and another guy. We go inside and are seated at the counter. The director, Frank Darabont (just plain "Frank" to one and all), is sitting at the counter wearing the shirt, or a clone of the shirt, that Jim was wearing in the diner scene with all the principal actors, shot earlier. It is soon apparent that he is playing a "stand-in" for Jim in a close-up of Jim's character, Luke, shaking "hands" with the fry cook at Mabel's, Bob Leffert (Karl Bury).
I, and my fellow backgrounder, are placed so that our arms and hands approximate the positions of Harry Trimble (Martin Landau) and Mayor Ernie Cole (Jeffrey DeMunn), as they sat at the counter. As I said, it is still a little on the chilly side, and the coffee that is poured in the cups before us is sending tendrils of fragrant steam up into the air. Man, did it smell good! Alas, we could only sit and drool, because the coffee was for effect only. By the way, for those who have never been of a film set before, Polaroid pictures are taken of EVERYTHING, over and over again. This is to assure that if there was a napkin, crumpled and mustard-stained, laying on the counter in the previous shot, it will be there in every take there after. They placed a dish with a half-eaten burger on it in front of me. Not too appealing at this early hour, but necessary for continuity. Frank is satisfied with lighting and focus, and proceeds to shoot several takes of the action. As we were about through with the scene, Frank, looking down at his hands, suddenly proclaims loud and clear, "These are Tim Robbins hands!", referring to the star of his SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. Evidently he "had a hand" in that film too!
..:: RAINY DAY RADIO ::..
It rains in Humboldt County in the springtime, and today is damp and dreary. There are about a dozen of us who have been picked to be in a scene in the "Hardware store", listening to a broadcast of the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings from Los Angeles. The hardware store is in reality "The Golden Gait Mercantile", a store in Ferndale that is chocked full of items that you think disappeared from our culture long before most of you were born. Spats, high-button shoes, fedoras, top hats... swamp root!... all manner of things from teapots to thimbles, candy to coffee, this place has just about everything. It's so authentic in its' appearance, that when some production people first saw it, they thought it was all a set, furnished by the set director! In fact, many items were purchased by the set folks to take back to Los Angeles with them.
There are a lot of fragile items in this store, so when I was brought into the building I was amazed to find a maze of cables stretching in all directions, functioning as umbilical cords to the lights that were placed in strategic places to set the mood for the scene. Along with the sound equipment, cameras and all the technicians to run them, it was a little crowded. I kept listening for the sound of breaking glass. To every one’s credit, there were no casualties.
The scene is played out like this: We are in the store shopping or just browsing, and suddenly we are aware of a familiar voice emanating from the vintage radio sitting on the counter. It is the voice of Luke, or I should say Peter, as we all know now who he really is. After a brief exchange with the Chairman of the committee, Peter launches into a statement of how he feels about these hearings and about the losses that have devastated the little town of Lawson. Friends, let me tell you that we did this scene many times, and each and every one of them brought tears to my eyes, much to the dismay of the lady that I was standing with. Jim's voice resonating through the store, transported me to the fictional town of Lawson and I felt the loss he was describing as surely as if it was for real. When we finally had the scene "in the can", we filed out of the building. As I passed Frank, I said, "I hope I didn't waste my tears on this scene", and he looked me in the eye and said, "There are no tears WASTED on this film."
When we got outside, the rain was still falling, but, somehow, everything was a little brighter knowing that we were part of film history.
..:: "THAT'S A WRAP!" ::..
I'm sure that you have all heard about how close the people that work on film productions can become. I can attest to the veracity of this, as I still have friends I made on a film I made way back in 1977 (The "DARK AGES" to many of JC fans). THE MAJESTIC was no different. After spending the better part of a month together, there was a camaraderie, a feeling of being a part of something special, that the end of shooting couldn't terminate. When I walk the streets of Ferndale I invariably meet someone I worked with on the production.
The last day of my stint as a background performer was a little sad. We all knew that it would come to an end, but we were getting so used to having someone make sure we were dressed properly, someone to attend to our makeup (Those who needed some) and our hair (Those of us who still have some), that there was a faint feeling of "What am I going to do tomorrow? Who will dress me and feed me and, above all, who is going to tell me how great I am doing?" Well, we all managed to survive the trauma of returning to our "real" lives, and now we are counting the days until December 21st. I love the little "count down" on the MAJESTIC marquee on the home page!
Saying "goodbye" is never easy. I've never been good at it myself, but the farewells of some of the members of the crew were inspiring. There were two very talented ladies from HAIR that had different approaches to saying goodbye. One came up on to the stage of the Ferndale Repertory Theater (Our "holding" area while we awaited our calls to the set), and sang us a song in a voice that would have sounded great on any stage in New York! The second lady said goodbye to us in the big, white tent that was our meeting room/dining room. She said that she had been on many locations, but the people that she met up here in Humboldt County were the best. She kept it together for most of her speech, but the tears were flowing by the end. I'll always remember the ladies from HAIR. When it came time to say "goodbye", one burst into song, the other into tears.
I could go on and on with my remembrances of this shoot, but, like the production, this is a wrap. Sure, the sets have been struck, the lot where THE MAJESTIC stood proudly is now, once again, the city parking lot, the "Town Hall" is back to being a bank, and "Mabel's Diner" is just a slab of fresh concrete in front of an old service station, but I just know that one of these dark fall nights, when the fog wraps itself around the old Victorian structures like natures own feather boas, the mythical town of LAWSON will be resurrected and, if just for a brief moment, it will be 1951 once more.
In the spring of 2001, I spent several weeks on the production of The Majestic, starring Jim Carrey, in Ferndale, CA. The following are "Postcards" sent to a Jim Carrey fansite and posted just before the film was released.
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 2001
Postcards from "The Majestic"
- By Richard G. Cardella -
..:: MAGICAL MAJESTIC ::..
It is approximately 10:00 PM in Ferndale, and the fog is starting to creep "on little cat feet" into the conifers that rise behind the Victorian village. I, along with three other "backgrounders" have been doing double-duty: We act as "townsfolk" and, when needed, we are the designated drivers of the vintage vehicles that appear throughout THE MAJESTIC. We are standing by, waiting for directions from our immediate supervisor, 2nd 2nd AD (Assistant Director), Craig Comstock, our fingers wrapped around steaming cups of coffee. He tells us that we won't be needed in the next scene, so we drift into the darkness that surrounds the "Town Hall" and watch as a water truck wets down the street in front of "Mabel's Diner". The neon that halos the diner reflects in the wet street and creates a shimmering mirror image, while inside the brightly lit interior, a few patrons sit at the counter and in booths.
When the scene is lit to the satisfaction of Frank Darabont, the PAs (Production Assistants) yell out "Quiet on the set!", then "Camera rolling!" On "Action!", Jim Carrey strolls slowly down the street, hands in his pockets. He drops his head slightly and takes a quick peek into the diner before continuing on down the silent street towards the riot of colored neon that proudly proclaims, THE MAJESTIC. Not much of a scene to today's action-flick junkies, but magical to this writer. The combination of the '50s diner, the '50s vehicles parked in the street, all bathed in the glow of the theater neon -- it took me back to a time when I was a teenager. A simpler, happier time. A time before "they paved paradise". Jim Carrey and Frank Darabont have made a film that, for a brief moment, will transport us back to that time. I'm ready for the trip. Are you?
..:: FRANK GIVES A "HAND" ::..
Exterior, Mabel's Diner. It's early morning in Ferndale, and the morning fog is just starting to burn off. There is still a chill in the air, and our small group of background performers are standing at the back door of the diner waiting to be placed where we are needed. Paula Harris, the 2nd AD on the film, comes out of the diner and says that she only needs two men for this shot, and picks me and another guy. We go inside and are seated at the counter. The director, Frank Darabont (just plain "Frank" to one and all), is sitting at the counter wearing the shirt, or a clone of the shirt, that Jim was wearing in the diner scene with all the principal actors, shot earlier. It is soon apparent that he is playing a "stand-in" for Jim in a close-up of Jim's character, Luke, shaking "hands" with the fry cook at Mabel's, Bob Leffert (Karl Bury).
I, and my fellow backgrounder, are placed so that our arms and hands approximate the positions of Harry Trimble (Martin Landau) and Mayor Ernie Cole (Jeffrey DeMunn), as they sat at the counter. As I said, it is still a little on the chilly side, and the coffee that is poured in the cups before us is sending tendrils of fragrant steam up into the air. Man, did it smell good! Alas, we could only sit and drool, because the coffee was for effect only. By the way, for those who have never been of a film set before, Polaroid pictures are taken of EVERYTHING, over and over again. This is to assure that if there was a napkin, crumpled and mustard-stained, laying on the counter in the previous shot, it will be there in every take there after. They placed a dish with a half-eaten burger on it in front of me. Not too appealing at this early hour, but necessary for continuity. Frank is satisfied with lighting and focus, and proceeds to shoot several takes of the action. As we were about through with the scene, Frank, looking down at his hands, suddenly proclaims loud and clear, "These are Tim Robbins hands!", referring to the star of his SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. Evidently he "had a hand" in that film too!
..:: RAINY DAY RADIO ::..
It rains in Humboldt County in the springtime, and today is damp and dreary. There are about a dozen of us who have been picked to be in a scene in the "Hardware store", listening to a broadcast of the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings from Los Angeles. The hardware store is in reality "The Golden Gait Mercantile", a store in Ferndale that is chocked full of items that you think disappeared from our culture long before most of you were born. Spats, high-button shoes, fedoras, top hats... swamp root!... all manner of things from teapots to thimbles, candy to coffee, this place has just about everything. It's so authentic in its' appearance, that when some production people first saw it, they thought it was all a set, furnished by the set director! In fact, many items were purchased by the set folks to take back to Los Angeles with them.
There are a lot of fragile items in this store, so when I was brought into the building I was amazed to find a maze of cables stretching in all directions, functioning as umbilical cords to the lights that were placed in strategic places to set the mood for the scene. Along with the sound equipment, cameras and all the technicians to run them, it was a little crowded. I kept listening for the sound of breaking glass. To every one’s credit, there were no casualties.
The scene is played out like this: We are in the store shopping or just browsing, and suddenly we are aware of a familiar voice emanating from the vintage radio sitting on the counter. It is the voice of Luke, or I should say Peter, as we all know now who he really is. After a brief exchange with the Chairman of the committee, Peter launches into a statement of how he feels about these hearings and about the losses that have devastated the little town of Lawson. Friends, let me tell you that we did this scene many times, and each and every one of them brought tears to my eyes, much to the dismay of the lady that I was standing with. Jim's voice resonating through the store, transported me to the fictional town of Lawson and I felt the loss he was describing as surely as if it was for real. When we finally had the scene "in the can", we filed out of the building. As I passed Frank, I said, "I hope I didn't waste my tears on this scene", and he looked me in the eye and said, "There are no tears WASTED on this film."
When we got outside, the rain was still falling, but, somehow, everything was a little brighter knowing that we were part of film history.
..:: "THAT'S A WRAP!" ::..
I'm sure that you have all heard about how close the people that work on film productions can become. I can attest to the veracity of this, as I still have friends I made on a film I made way back in 1977 (The "DARK AGES" to many of JC fans). THE MAJESTIC was no different. After spending the better part of a month together, there was a camaraderie, a feeling of being a part of something special, that the end of shooting couldn't terminate. When I walk the streets of Ferndale I invariably meet someone I worked with on the production.
The last day of my stint as a background performer was a little sad. We all knew that it would come to an end, but we were getting so used to having someone make sure we were dressed properly, someone to attend to our makeup (Those who needed some) and our hair (Those of us who still have some), that there was a faint feeling of "What am I going to do tomorrow? Who will dress me and feed me and, above all, who is going to tell me how great I am doing?" Well, we all managed to survive the trauma of returning to our "real" lives, and now we are counting the days until December 21st. I love the little "count down" on the MAJESTIC marquee on the home page!
Saying "goodbye" is never easy. I've never been good at it myself, but the farewells of some of the members of the crew were inspiring. There were two very talented ladies from HAIR that had different approaches to saying goodbye. One came up on to the stage of the Ferndale Repertory Theater (Our "holding" area while we awaited our calls to the set), and sang us a song in a voice that would have sounded great on any stage in New York! The second lady said goodbye to us in the big, white tent that was our meeting room/dining room. She said that she had been on many locations, but the people that she met up here in Humboldt County were the best. She kept it together for most of her speech, but the tears were flowing by the end. I'll always remember the ladies from HAIR. When it came time to say "goodbye", one burst into song, the other into tears.
I could go on and on with my remembrances of this shoot, but, like the production, this is a wrap. Sure, the sets have been struck, the lot where THE MAJESTIC stood proudly is now, once again, the city parking lot, the "Town Hall" is back to being a bank, and "Mabel's Diner" is just a slab of fresh concrete in front of an old service station, but I just know that one of these dark fall nights, when the fog wraps itself around the old Victorian structures like natures own feather boas, the mythical town of LAWSON will be resurrected and, if just for a brief moment, it will be 1951 once more.
