The Majestic

[The Captain]

A few years back I had the pleasure of working on the Jim Carrey film directed by Frank Darabont. I was amazed by the attention to detail shown by the costumers. The suit I wore was from a men's shop in Washington, D.C. and was made in 1948! The shirt and tie were also vintage. Just dressing in the morning (REAL early!) made me feel like I belonged in the era. The hat was a gem. The "street" clothes I wore, along with the pants and shirt, included a well-worn bomber-style jacket. When I put it on and the hat, I looked like an old Indiana Jones! To say I enjoyed myself is an understatement. If anyone is interested, I have a lot of stories concerning this production. I am the one in the brown suit and western boots. Photo by Lara Jabot

Richard

 

[filmnoirphotos]

Captain, I thought the Majestic was a wonderful film. The only point where they completely blew it was showing a post 60's diesel locomotive pulling the passenger train. I mean, if they didn't have the budget to bring in a steam locomotive, they could have just gone without showing the locomotive pulling the train all together. They could have even added steam locomotive sounds and whisps of smoke and steam drifting past the passenger car windows. Curious.....

Watch your back!
Jim

 

[The Captain]

Jim, I have to admit that that flub got by me. The train scenes were filmed in Fort Bragg and my time on the production was all in Ferndale. For as much attention that was given to every other aspect of the film, that was a major lapse. Believe it or not, even the money that passed between customers and Jim Carrey as he worked the ticket booth at the theater, were pre-1951! The menus at the diner were complete,(even though they were never shown on film) right down to the prices. Every shop window in town was decorated in appropriate design. I'll have to watch it again with a more critical eye.

Richard

 

[Canadave]

That's a great shot! You've got a very authentic "look".

Shooting of the movie "The Cinderella Man" (The story of Depression-era fighter and folk hero Jim Braddock, who defeated heavyweight champ Max Baer in a 15-round slugfest in 1935.) with Russell Crow and Ren?ɬ©e Zellweger just wrapped in Toronto. My wife and I went down to see some of the "set"...redesigned storefronts, street lighting etc. in a local neighbourhood. There were dozens of old cars lining the streets and extras wandering around in period dress, including hats, waiting for the shooting to start. This was near 10 p.m., so the darkness gave it a black and white feel. It was cool.

One of the most surprising (to me) attentions to detail was the fact that they "rebuilt" the sidewalk curb cuts that are commonly used today to accommodate wheelchairs and strollers etc. With plywood, they had replaced them with level "concrete" and a true curb. In the edge of the curb were the (fake) steel reinforcements that you sometime see in old neighbourhoods. Very cool!

Originally posted by The Captain
...If anyone is interested, I have a lot of stories concerning this production.

I'd love to hear any you've got!

David

 

[The Captain]

David, your line about the curbs reminded me of The Majestic production people sand-blasting out the painted double yellow line down Main Street and replacing it with a solid white line. The "Cinderella Man" set sounds a lot like The Majestic. Ferndale is a tourist town and the production drew in a lot of them. We had our pictures taken so many times! The Victorian-era buildings made a good backdrop. I don't know if I should post my musings on the film in this forum. Let me know if you think it's OK. BTW, I was born the year of the Braddock-Baer slugfest. Geesh! That's almost as old as Yoda!

Richard

 

[Canadave]

Originally posted by The Captain
... I don't know if I should post my musings on the film in this forum. Let me know if you think it's OK...

I think it's OK, but what do I know? It is The Moving Picture section, so go for it.


David

 

[The Captain]

Dave, I wrote this for a fan site. It is one of three or four "postcards from the set" that I still have. ~RGC

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?

 

[Canadave]

Great stuff! I'm sure no-one would object to that post. Am I right, people?

David

 

[The Captain]

David, your enthusiasm for my last post is encouraging, so here is another one. Thanks for your support!

Richard

..:: 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!

 

[Canadave]

I'm lovin' it! Am I the only one???

David

 

[The Captain]

David, as long as you are enjoying my "postcards" I'll post a couple more. Thanks for your comments!

Richard

..:: 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, 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?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢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.

 

[Andykev]

It is all magic

I love your stories, and if you have more pics to share, bring them on.

I missed part of this, but are you a regular actor or an extra from the local community?

I love the theater and film, and marvel at what it takes to produce a film or other production.

How many specalists, extras, technicians, advance personnel, ..on and on and on.

Yet all you hear about is the big "STARS",...so often the "behind the scenes" folks are lost.

I heard that Tobey McGuire made $24 million for "Seabiscut"...gee what did the sound man or the caterer make?

 

[The Captain]

Andy, I just wrote a long reply to your last, and it disappeared into cyberspace. I agree with everything you said. The "stars" get all the accolades and the techies do most of the work. I'll try to remember what I wrote and post it along with a picture later.

Richard

 

[The Captain]

Andy, you nailed it. Why should a ?¢‚Ǩ?ìstar?¢‚Ǩ? receive multi-millions for their efforts, when the real workers, the ones who toil in the trenches to make said star look good, make extremely less money and only get a fleeting mention in the end credits? I guess that what is known as the feeding order. I have a good friend who works as a Special Effects Supervisor and has worked on many feature films and TV shows. He makes good money, but not close to what I think he is worth. Through his efforts, people can appear to be six inches tall or giants. He can make water flood down hallways, inundating everything. He can make space vehicles do incredible maneuvers, he can?¢‚Ǩ¬¶Well, you get the picture. The ?¢‚Ǩ?ìtechies?¢‚Ǩ? are the real stars. You asked about me. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m just a retired firefighter who has friends in the industry and has a ?¢‚Ǩ?ìjones?¢‚Ǩ? for film. I have been fortunate to be living in an area that has seen the filming of two major pictures in the past few years, OUTBREAK and THE MAJESTIC, and I got to work on both of them. I got to meet some of my favorites on THE MAJESTIC like, James Whitmore, Martin Landau and a bunch of lesser-known characters actors. The production people were all just great. They treated us grunts just like they treated the principal actors ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú with respect. They told us many times, that without us they couldn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t make the film and, hearing those words, we all gave 100%. One more thing: The food was TERRIFIC! The chefs that cooked for THE MAJESTIC were super. Here is a picture I took out of a video I made of the sets. It is a portion of the theater marquee while it was under construction. All new construction that appears as an old, dilapidated building. Movie Magic!

Richard

 

[DanielJones]

Bump...

I just thought I'd bump this one and see who has seen this one recently and what you thought if it. I had recently watched a program on the Reels Channel about the director Frank Darabont. I have The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption and have enjoyed both films so I was wondering what you folks thought of The Majestic. Does it have that Frank Capra feel to it? The director says he likes that style of film & is sort of old fashoned in that way, so I was wondering if that showed through in this film.
I had recently purchased this film yesterday but haven't watched it yet. I just wanted to get some oppinions & thoughts.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[DanielJones]

So nobody has any new thoughts on this one huh? Oh well, I thought I'd try.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Benny Holiday]

I haven't had the chance to see this film yet, but I really appreciated that you bumped this thread up Dan, because I've really enjoyed reading the Captain's insights into the film making process.

It's a film I've long wanted to see. I'll have to get into gear and look for it at the local DVD rental shop.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

The Majestic is really a great little known film. I'm watching it right now on HBO (it starts again at 3:15 on the West Coast feed). If you passed it over because Jim Carrey's the lead and figured it would be one of his usual over the top, hammy, loud, spastic roles, I think you'd be amazed at what a beautiful, understated job he did in this film. As many have said, it proves he really can act and act well if he sets his mind to it and reigns in his usual silliness. Costuming seems perfect, lots of wonderful old cars (ARGH! That beautiful Mercedes convertible...), a great location to film and a wonderful story. And James Whitmore's final role is great as well.

If you haven't seen it - you should. Sit back, relax and let the story pull you in.