Classic 1960s automobiles, most on loan from private collectors, are lined up along downtown Cedartown's Main Street late Tuesday afternoon. Filming for the a new Billy Bob Thornton picture, "Jayne Mansfield's Car," was scheduled to begin Wednesday morning. (Todd Ollis/thepolkfishwrap.com)
A truck marked "Gypsy Grips" sits parked in the median of Cedartown's downtown Main Street early Tuesday evening waiting to be unloaded in support of the movie. (Todd Ollis/thepolkfishwrap.com)
Film crews place an 1960s-era pay telephone booth in downtown Cedartown Tuesday morning as part of the final preparations for the movie. (Lowell Vickers/thepolkfishwrap.com)
Click here to see video as the film crew transforms Cedartown for the movie
Over the past two weeks, much of the downtown area has been changed to look like a small Alabama town in the year 1968. Empty buildings got fresh coats of paint, signs and a variety of window displays to help set the scene. Downtown businesses also got new signage, some temporary, to “hide” the modern world from the imaginary film setting.
Late Tuesday afternoon and into the early evening, the pace of downtown film-related work appeared to be picking up. As spectators milled around the downtown trying to get a better look at all the activity, large trucks began arriving with film-related equipment. Dozens of classic 1960s automobiles also began arriving and were lined up along Main Street, helping set the stage for the film.
Even the modern street light at the corner of Main Street and West Avenue was replaced with a vintage light. Also Tuesday, JMC Productions employees were spraying water-based gray paint on the white lines of crosswalks, to help create an authentic setting for the film.
The paint on the street would be washed away when done. But city officials were counting on much of the other downtown enhancements to remain, at least for awhile.
“A lot of it will stay,” Cedartown City Manager Robbie Rokovitz said. “It’s up to the property owners what they want to keep.”
Some of the signs for non-existent businesses could remain. Rokovitz said the signage and window displays installed by the film crews for the movie could help the community to market some of those empty storefronts.
“They can help show off the potential,” he said.
Filming was expected to take place all through the day Wednesday. The downtown was to be shut down to traffic. Shops were to remain open and foot traffic on sidewalks was allowed, but pedestrians were to be held back from areas of filming.
The following schedule was expected to be in place for later in the week:
Thursday and Friday, filming will take place in the afternoon. Main Street will be open to traffic, but subject to intermittent traffic control conducted by the Cedartown Police Department.
Thursday night, filming will take place behind West Cinema. Friday night, filming will take place on West Avenue in front of the theater.
West Avenue will be shut down to all automobile traffic on Friday night and police will be on hand to help redirect cars.
On all three days of filming, “No Parking” signs will direct people away from areas that could be in the line of sight of film cameras.
The film’s production staff are keeping a watchful eye to make sure no modern vehicles stray into any of the shots.
“We are very excited to be in your community and hope the experience is a pleasure for everyone,” Mark Cotrell, movie location manager for Market Films, said in a statement.
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