-ge 8—SUSQUEHANNA TIMES
March 21, 1979-
Retired Marietta native lands role in Hollywood movie
Ed Reich is a 1933
graduate of Marietta H.S.
He was a sports writer for
the Washington, D.C.
Herald and press agent
from 1933 to 1940 and
served nearly four years as
a Navy combat correspon-
dent in the Pacific during
WWIL
He became a civilian
public relations officer with
the Defense Department
following the war, serving
briefly in Washington, 18
years in Hawaii, five years
in West Germany and three
years in Chicago.
He retired from his
Chicago position in 1972
and settled with his wife
and three children in
Asheville, N.C.
He is the elder brother of
Jay R. Reich of Marietta
and Mary Sheetz of Mount
Joy.
He visits Marietta once
or twice a year usually
making one trip to coincide
with the annual Marietta
H.S. alumni reunion.
Ed is enjoying his
retirement doing free lance
writing and playing golf.
By Ed Reich
One of the advantages of
retirement, I have discov-
ered, is the freedom to
choose and perhaps begin,
health permitting, a second
career. if one has patience,
he can even wait around
for an offer from Holly-
wood.
My Hollywood offer
came in the form of a five
line help wanted ad in the
local Asheville newspaper.
It read: ‘‘Hollywood pro-
duction seeks extras for
major motion picture titled
‘Being There’ to be filmed
locally. Need extras for
roles as newspapermen,
chauffeurs, secret service-
men, maids, and butlers.
Apply Rm 217 Smoky
Hilton Hotel.”
I have played the role of
newspaperman in real life
for most of my working
career so I thought I would
be qualified for the part.
Just make it to the set and
act natural.
The job
conducted with
interview was
typical
SHARP’S DISTRIBUTORS
Beer & Ale
Porter & Soft Drinks
10 Decatur St., Marietta—426-3918
MARIETTA CITGO
CITGO GAS—GROCERIES
OPEN 5:30 A.M. — 8:30 P.M. DAILY
SUNDAY 8:00 A.M.—6:00 P.M.
Ed Reeves, Prop. Phone 426-3863
East End—Route 441 — Marietta
PARK FREE
800 S. Queen St.
Lancaster, PA
FAMOUS FOR
QUALITY
Since 1909
Soft & Creamy— Full of Coconut
Rabbits— Pigs— Cats—Crosses—Eggs
SEE:
the Easter Bunnies Home
OUR Easter Flower Show
ta848038
Hollywood efficiency. After
standing in a long line in
the hallway, I reached the
room where a young man
promptly snapped my pic-
ture with a Polaroid
camera.
He handed me the print,
wet and sticky with
developer, and asked me to
sit down at the table and
fill out a simple applica-
tion. The last question
asked if I'd had previous
acting experience. I printed
a bold “NONE.”
The color print was fully
developed by the time I
completed the form. Not
bad at all for a beginning.
The picture looked just like
me standing straight and
tall against a blank wall.
A young girl took my
application, stapled it to
the picture and tossed it on
top of a - stack of
applications at least a foot
high. It slipped off the pile
and fell to the floor. I
waited to see if the girl
retrieved it which she did.
There are certain advan-
tages in embarking on a
Hollywood career in this
manner. First, and perhaps
most important, you don’t
have to pay high fees to a
Hollywood agent. It has its
disadvantages too. In most
cases, your Hollywood
career will be short-lived.
Another disadvantage is
that you're competing with
several thousand other
people who read the daily
help wanted ads too.
Within two weeks, just
about the time I'd nearly
forgotten that 1 even
applied, I received a call to
report to the Biltmore
House and Gardens at 7
a.m. in the morning.
“Wear a black suit and a
black coat,”” a man’s voice
said, ‘‘we’re going to use
you as a mourner in a
funeral scene.”
Biltmore House and
Gardens is a 12,000 acre
estate located on the fringe
of Asheville city limits. The
majestic Biltmore House, a
masterpiece of early French
Renaissance architecture,
was built by the Vander-
bilts.
Arriving promptly at 7
a.m. 1 milled around the
huge foyer with no less
than S50 extras.
After hot coffee and
doughnuts, we reported to
costuming. A young man
looked me over. ‘‘Your suit
is OK and. your black
cashmere coat is just fine.”
He gave me a black tie to
replace the one 1 was
wearing. ‘‘This will be
more appropriate for the
occasion,’’ he said.
At 9:30 we were bussed
to the set located on a
hilltop overlooking the
Biltmore House. It was a
dreary, overcast day—per-
fect for a funeral scene.
Three inches of snow
covered the frozen ground.
The assistant director
A somber Ed Reich stands behind an equally somber Shirley MacLaine and Peter
Sellers on the set of ‘‘Being There,’ a major motion picture being filmed in
Asheville, NC. [Photo by Ewart Ball, staff photographer, Asheville Citizen-Times].
soon began moving extras
into position flanking a
coffin. 1 was moved from
one spot, then another.
Finally I was told:*‘This is
your spot. You will be here
during all the filming.”
In the Army, veterans
will recall, it was always
“Hurry up and wait.”” On a
Hollywood movie set I soon
discovered it is ‘‘Take your
time and wait.”’
This we did for nearly an
hour until Peter Sellers,
Shirley MacLaine and Jack
Warden finally appeared.
The director conferred
with the star performers at
length, then moved each
into position. Jack Warden
took his place at the head
of the casket. Shirley
MacLaine and Peter Sellers
were placed into position
directly in front of me.
Finally, an assistant
director shouted: ‘‘Quiet on
the set! We're rolling!
Action!”
During filming of the
scene, Warden delivers
three different versions of a
short eulogy. Sellers, on
cue from the director,
turns, looks at me and
mumbles something inaud-
ible. 1 nod and say
something equally inaudi-
ble.
Sellers then turns and
walks away. I turn my head
watching him until he gets
out of camera range. A few
moments later, Shirley
MacLaine turns, looks at
me and then follows
Sellers. 1 also turn my head
and look at her.
When Sellers and Mac-
Laine are out of camera
range the director shouts:
“Cut!”
And that’s it. That’s it, I
should say, for the first
take. This same scene was
shot and re-shot at least SO
times during the two days I
spent on the set.
Film, 1 learned,
cheapest commodity in
producing a movie. The
huge camera gobbles up 35
mm film at an enormous
rate. Splice all the takes
together end to end and
you’d have enough film for
a full-length movie. Grant-
ed, it would get pretty
boring.
We broke up promptly at
noon each day and re-
turned by bus to the
Biltmore House for a
sumptious lunch catered by
food specialists from Cali-
fornia.
The movie, as far as I
can figure out, is a political
satire scheduled for release
in February 1980. It is
based on a novelette
written by Jerzy Kosinski
who also wrote the screen-
play.
All in all, the people
involved in making the film
are of highest quality.
Hal Ashby, a meticulous
director, is being men-
tioned as a likely Academy
Award winner for ‘‘Coming
Home.”
Perc Westmore, perhaps
the best makeup man in
Hollywood was busy on the
set powdering Shirley Mac-
Laine’s face after euch
take. Once he straightened
my gray scarf and flicked
some cigar ashes from the
is the
TXT TT ENS TEA
front of my coat.
The burial, incidentally,
is for Melvin Douglas who
plays the role of a wealthy
tycoon. He was not on
location during my two-day
stint.
Scores of extras playing
roles as newspapermen and
secret servicemen were on
location during the two
days of filming but were
never on camera. They
were paid from $32.50 to
$50 a day, the going rate
for extras, but spent most
of their time sitting or
standing around—waiting.
The movie company’s
on-location casting director
said that some 1,200 local
people applied for extra
and stand-in roles in the
film, of which perhaps 200
were used.
Movie work is not hard
but tedious and boring at
times. The hours are
usually long. During the
two days on the set I
worked 11 hours each
day,—from sun-up ’till
sundown.
MacLaine and Sellers are
friendly and quite nice.
Somewhat aloof because
they're movie stars, but
still quite nice neverthe-
less.
I have no delusions about
embarking on a career in
the movies. It was an
interesting experience. |
merely filed an application
as a ‘‘Shot in the Dark,”
which just happens to be
the title of one of Peter
Sellers’ best movies. The
pun, therefore, is inten-
tional.
FIT Erie