The Advocate

November 27, 1986

Weather Fouls Shooting Schedule, But Filming Done in Three Towns

Foul  weather wreaked havoc with the filming schedule for Tough Guys Don't Dance last week, forcing the postponement of several scheduled scenes until this week, while other scnees were hurriedly arranged throughout the three Outer Cape towns.

A scheduled shoot among Provincetown dunes Friday was waylaid by rain. Thus only one brief scene of Timothy Madden (Ryan O'Neal) walking in the dunes was filmed, and the elaborate lighting system that was to be errected among the dunes by the grips was sidelined.

Instead, the action quickly moved to Provincetown Airport.  Within 20 minutes of the call, all of the tractor-trailers were hooked up and the trucks packed and ready to roll out to the airport.

Although the crew had been scheduled to film a scene at the airport earlier in the week, it had been delayed, said ticket agent Cindy Silva.

"We all knew they were coming," Silva said.  "But when they called that afternoon to say that they were coming over then it was out of the clear blue."

Needless to say, it also surprised the passengers debarking from an arriving flight. A few walked toward the small terminal and looked startled to see the waiting room flooded with bright lights, and Norman Mailer at the door to greet them.

"Business was runing as usual," Silva said.

The moviemakers continued undeterred, and largely uninterrupted, save for that one flight, while they were at the airport from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Silva said that although two more flights were scheduled to come in that afternoon, they had all been canceled due to the heavy winds in Provincetown.

In the scene filmed at the airport, Jodi Cahn, the assistant to producer Tom Luddy and assistant production coordinator, got to leave the confines of the production office for a short time to make a screen appearance opposite O'Neal.

Cahn played the PBA ticket agent who informs a haggard Madden that Jessica Pond (Frances Fisher) arrived at the airport alone and was escorted back to the airport two days later by Chief Regency (Wings Hauser).

PBA employees Silva and Jim Milliken, also appeared as extras in the scene.  Although only one scene was filmed that afternoon, it was filmed from different angles for editing purposes.

Most of the scene was filmed as a close-up between Cahn and O'Neal, but it was also filmed from behind Cahn to include peple waiting in the terminal.

"After I saw what she (Cahn) was going through, "Silva said of the numerous takes that were made of the scene, "I was happy that I wasn't doing it."

On Saturday night the film crew rolled into Wellfleet, a day later than expected.  The scenes filmed that night used Uncle Tim's Bridge as a beautiful backdrop.

The lights lining the bridge and illuminating Cannon Hill could be seen from Rout 6.  The view inspired gasps among onlookers.

"I've never seen Cannon Hill look so absolutely gorgeous," said Ruth Rickmers, who had a fine view of the proceedings form the living room of her house on Whits Lane.

"It made me think that it's too bad the town doesn't have the same floodlight effects on special occassions, such as the Fourth of July or Christmas.  It was a beautiful sight."

Although the trucks arrived shortly before 4 p.m. filming didn't actually begin until after 7. Crowds began gathering as soon as the first trucks arrived with children scampering along the parked trucks and along the creek as everything was set up.

Wellfleet librarian Elaine McIlroy, who lives on Cannon Hill, chanced upon the filming while taking a walk.  After watching the action for awhile, she decided to cross Uncle Tim's Bridge for home rather than rish being stranded once filming began.

After the lights were set up on the bridge, Cannon Hill, and farther down Duck Creek toward the harbor rehearsals were held until dinner while onlookers gathered around the crew's portable heaters.

Randy Williams's house at the intersection of Bank Street and East Commercial Street was the site of a cozy crew dinner with the caterer setting up table's inside.

If all goes according to schedule this week, filming is slated to be held in Truro today, tomorrow and Friday.  Rather than taking Thanksgiving off, the crew elected to work that night so they could have Saturday free.  Many crew members and actors planning to leave the Cape for the weekend.

Ryan O'Neal, Cannon Films and Norman Mailer are having the entire crew for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday at the Red Inn.  

A Truro beach will be used in filming for the remainder of this week, as Madden and Meeks Wardley Hilby III (John Bedford-Lloyd) walk out to

"Hell Town Beach," which serves as the initial burial ground for all the film's unfortunate victims.

In case of rain during these scenes, the crew has its options covered.  A Truro barn will be transformed into a "Hell Town Beach" set with sand transported inside for that beachy effect.

Filming begins at Mailer's house (Madden's house in the film) on Monday and continues there almost exclusively until filming wraps on December 13.  Among the scenes to be filmed there next week, Madden discovers blood on the front seat of his Jeep, the owner of the Widow's Walk asks Madden if he knows why Lonnie's car is still in his parking lot, and Patty Lareine says she wants to conduct a seance.

The filming of the upcoming scenes at Mailer's house will mark the return of Lawrence Tierney (Dougy Madden), and Isabella Rossellini (Madeline Regency) to town. Both have been out of town for awhile, and both have important roles in the film's denouement.