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The Guardian in Pittsburgh report, August 2003
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Text by muggs, photos by Shirley
NOTE: Linked images below with no thumbnails, under the MORE PICS headings, are in the original Pittsburgh 2003 gallery so you may already have seen them all.
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It will be hard to ever erase the grins from the faces of the The Guardian Angels. The time spent watching the cast and crew of The Guardian in Pittsburgh this summer was an experience that can never be forgotten. It will buoy our spirits for months, maybe even years to come.
Bar and Shirley arrived Sunday and spent Monday doing reconnaissance. They made a trip to Donora, and checked out other reported sites. Putting two and two together, having read at the Pgh Film Office site that 20-25 African-Americans were needed for Tuesday, they even located the cemetery where Levi was buried. Might there be another cemetery scene? When Susan and Suz arrived on Monday afternoon, the group spent the afternoon visiting the sites of TG:
And Margaret rolled into town in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.
- Grant Street to see the court house, the city and county building, and the Frick Building, home of Fallin and Fallin
- Legal Services of Pittsburgh, which had been distressed for the filming
- The Seventh Street Bridge
- The "morgue" and "medical center" on the North Shore
- The Strip District
- Station Square
Pittsburgh is very pretty. The flowers planted by the Conservancy are abundant. The combination of architecture is a treat for the eyes. The old buildings have intricate beautiful cornices and the new buildings are stately towers. And dinosaurs roam free. Displayed throughout the city are dinosaur statues. Each statue is sponsored by a company and decorated by an artist. The Tyrannosaurs rex in front of the Hilton was dressed as Mr. Rogers, the one at the Dollar bank was pink, with a huge dollar bill being inserted in a slot, and the one at the PPG Place was covered in a mosaic of mirrored glass.Despite the combined intuition of the TGAs, we could not locate the sungod on Tuesday. Convinced it was to be in a cemetery, we toured many, many(!!!!!!!!) of the cemeteries in the region. After lunching at Primanti Brothers and browsing the Strip District, we rode the Duquesne Incline to the top of Mount Washington in a last-ditch effort to find TG. Downtrodden, we retreated to the hotel for naps (Susan and Margaret) and a mini-convention of fanfic authors (Suz, Shirley and Bar).
Wednesday dawned sunny, warm and humid, and we were on the road by 6:30, determined to find The Guardian. We headed to Donora, surmised to be the destination for that day. While following the map we soon realized that there were handwritten "Guard" signs posted along the route, pointing the way to Simon, just like following the yellow brick road.
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City taken from the Duquesne Incline
rail car
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'Guard' signs lead the way
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Picturesque Donora
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Donora is picturesque, nestled in a valley along the banks of the Monongahela River. The police directed us where to park. We, the Angels, headed up the hill, and caught our first glimpse of cast, crew and SIMON. As spectators were kept about a football field's length from the action, Suz's binoculars were passed around. There was a flurry of activity, and the local newspaper reporter, a reporter from the local CBS affiliate as well as Rob Owen from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette were there interviewing locals, TGAs, cast and crew. Rob talked with Simon not far from the Angels, and our cameras were clicking away. It was our first chance to be in the direct glow of the sungod. David Hollander stopped over to say hello to us, and we also had visits from our friend from the costume department (who dubbed us "The Wallflowers" last year) and an assistant to one of the producers. Nestled in our shady spot, we watched it all, with big grins plastered on our faces.
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Nickmobile parked at crest of hill in Donora
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Rob Owen talks with Simon
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Rob talks to Simon while Muggs takes a photo from our shady vantage point
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We were joined there in the shade by the Unit Production Manager. He was in charge of the logistics of the shoot. He informed the Angels that the cameras and other equipment were shipped from LA, and that the camera, make-up, costume, and production staff all were from LA. Over 20 people had made the trip to Pittsburgh. He also told us that they only bring the backs for the director's chairs, but rent the chairs locally.
The scene being shot was from the second episode, Big Coal. M. Emmet Walsh was guest starring in the role of Ezra. He was funny and friendly and visited with the spectators between takes. He posed for pictures and passed out copies of his credits. In the scene, he yells at Nick, and there appeared to be some angst involved. In the second scene with Walsh, Nick breaks up a fight between Sadie (the new lawyer at F&F played by Gina Torres) and Ezra. Ezra is trying to beat Sadie with his cane, and Nick jumps right into the fray. Whew!! (Dialog could not be heard, but watching the action is fascinating and informative in its own way.)
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M. Emmet Walsh (as Ezra Pence in "Big Coal")
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Nick intervenes in an altercation between Ezra and Sadie (Gina Torres)
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The crew had laid down track for the camera, and it was amazing to realize that one of the crew pushes the camera along the track. His steps must be smooth and evenly paced. The camera dolly must be very heavy, because the crew really got a work out pushing the camera along the track. There was a cart filled with blocks of wood, all shapes and sizes. These were used to level and shim the camera and other equipment. Fascinating!
After lunch, the set was moved to a nearby street, where a scene was shot of Nick and Sadie visiting homeowners. While Simon was waiting for "Action" to be called, he saw a little boy of about 5 playing ball, and he joined him in his game. Simon kicked the football to him. He also directed him to hide behind the bushes so he could not be seen in the shot.
It was about 90 degrees and humid, and the neighborhood ice-cream truck pulled up to the crowd of spectators. He was doing a booming business, and then his luck improved. The crew from TG saw him there and called him up to the set. Cast and crew alike swarmed the truck. We Angels decided to walk up the hill to get a cold treat also, and behind us in line was Simon. One of the crew members had told him he had to come and look at the pictures on the side of the truck and pick his own. (He had a Drumstick.) He recognized the Angels from last year, and chatted with us while the ice-cream was enjoyed in the shade of some huge trees. Incredible!!
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Nick kicks the football to the little boy between takes
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After this shot was finished, the crew moved to beneath the bridge over the Monongahela River. While not allowed down under the bridge, spectators were permitted to watch from the bridge. So, from 100 feet overhead, we watched the action below. On the bridge, there were other fans as well, including a charming senior citizen. She was unabashedly taken with Simon, and could not say enough about his looks and talent. She was an avid viewer of The Guardian, and delighted everyone with her comments. The Guardian Angels floated back to Pittsburgh on Cloud Nine, and dined at a Greek restaurant-Christo's Mediterranean Grill.
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Shooting at an abandoned building by the Monongahela River (Donora)
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Simon takes a break
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Thursday was just as hot and humid as the day before. We were up early again and walked to PPG Place, arriving about 6:30am. The cast and crew began to arrive and set up. Simon arrived in cords and a shirt, wearing thong sandals. Joan Tewkesbury was directing the scenes and spent time checking things over and rehearsing with the actors. She moseyed over to chat with us, and marveled at our endurance. She even decided to include the TGAs as extras in the scene. When "Action" was called, we followed our cues and pantomimed having a morning discussion at the table. The scenes shot here were for episode 3, The Line.
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PPG Place early Thursday morning
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Simon and Joan at PPG Place
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Rob Owen stopped again to chat with us on his way to the Post-Gazette. He said PPG Place is his favorite place in Pittsburgh and it is easy to see why.
PPG Place is the center plaza of the PPG complex of six mirrored buildings that make up an office and shopping complex. Tables, chairs and planters are scattered about, with an obelisk monument and fountain commanding center stage. Daycare groups, families and children all frolicked in the water. Simon, in his "Nick" attire, expressed the wish that he would certainly like to join them.
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PPG Place (Building One -- the tallest)
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Obelisk and fountain at PPG Place
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Playing in the fountain at PPG Place
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The cast and crew then moved to Grant Street, where the City and County Building, the Courthouse and the Frick Building (F&F) are located. As we watched the happenings on Grant Street, we were joined by a fellow TG fan/friend from the Pittsburgh area. She spent the day with us and we dubbed her a TGA-in-training.
There was a scene shot in front of the Courthouse with guest star Michael Tighe (playing Jim Gray). There was also a scene shot at the front doors of the Frick Building, again with Michael Tighe. Dabney Coleman arrived and a scene with Nick and Burton was shot at the Frick Building, this time at the entrance on the north side of the building. Cast and crew then picked up, wheeled, carried and toted all the paraphernalia to the south side of the building. It was there that Henry Gibson (playing Phil Hostetler) and Simon shot a scene. Henry is in episode 302, Big Coal, and plays the owner of a coal company. We had fun discussing Henry's stature, and how well it played against Nick.
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DH in conference with Henry Gibson & Simon
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Shims set up by the crew outside the Frick building
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There were quite a few spectators watching these scenes being shot. One lady thought she might try to convince her husband that watching TG being filmed was the perfect way to spend a wedding anniversary. And I overheard a woman call her daughter on her cell phone and say, "You'll NEVER guess what I'm doing... Yes, he's right here. I'm looking at him... How fast can you get here?"
As we watched the fictional drama taking place at the Frick Building, a real drama was taking place in the parking lot across the street. A toddler had stopped breathing and the mother was hysterical. The paramedic on-site for The Guardian shoot rushed to her aid. We learned later that the baby was fine.
After shooting ended, we walked back down to PPG Place and treated ourselves to steak dinners at Ruth's Chris Steak House. Delicious. After freshening up, the Angels regrouped in the lobby for a drink. Henry Gibson walked by and we told how delighted we had been to see him working on TG that day. He stopped and chatted, charming and sweet. It was such a delightful encounter.
bravenet.com