RCHS Blog Post Number 245.
Today was cold and rainy and wonderful. It was the day the Union City Community High School (UCCHS) student body and staff and a drama group from Randolph Southern trekked to Knightstown to be extras in the filming of "Hoosiers," a Hemdale Production Company Corp. movie geared around Indiana high school basketball.
It was a long but interesting day - a day when we all learned a whole new vocabulary (movie talk) and discovered what normally takes 32 minutes (give or take a few) to play takes around 11 hours to film. It was a day when kids and adults alike rubbed shoulders with the famous and near famous, gathering autographs on any old piece of paper available. It was a day when some of us discovered the true meaning of "hair cut".
Upon arrival on location, the extras went through wardrobe (if their own wardrobe was deemed not quite right for 1951) and then to "hair." The movie officials stated early on in the planning stages of this venture that the boys "must have short hair" and for the most part they did have. However, short in the motion picture casting director does not always mean the same thing. Thus the dreaded trip to the army of barbers located on the second floor of the Knightstown Elementary School.
The barbers - barber college students - had an assembly line set up and the hair began to fall and pile up on the floor. Both boys and girls received cuts and styling and the end result was then held in place with a substance roughly resembling a cross between rubber cement and crazy glue. The experience was traumatic for some, especially the guys. After all, the girls could return home and (hopefully) wash out the adhesive material. But, once you've gone from long hair to "crew cut" only time will help.
From wardrobe and "hair" the budding "movie stars" were then taken to a heated tent on the school grounds where they were then shuttled over to the "set" - the ancient Knightstown gymnasium. From this point on it was a game of watch the stars, cameras, the techniques of the movie making and a whole lot of waiting.
To explain a bit of the logistics in the filming of "Hoosiers," the film company is using three small Indiana towns to come up with the fictional town of Hickory, home of the fictional basketball team and coach around whom the film is centered. New Richmond, population 403 according to the postmistress who was at Knightstown as an extra yesterday, in the town. Ninava Elementary School is being used as Hickory High School and Knightstown's gymnasium is the Hickory gymnasium. The big basketball game - the state finals - will be filmed at Butler (or Hinkle) Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Starring in the film are Gene Hackman, Sheb Wooley and Barbara Hershey, all of whom were "on the set" yesterday.
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Director is David Anspaugh and producer is Carter De Haven - they too were present.
Upon entering the gymnasium, or "set" if you will, one encounters a virtual battalion of technicians and grips, gaffers and actors. (Sorry, there I go again with the "movie talk" again.) There are mountains of technicians equipment - cameras, lights, light screens, cords, fans, etc. There are also people whose sole job is to apply perspiration to the basketball players. There are publicity people, people holding microphones, people who paint and repaint the center circle and foul circles, people who endlessly sweep the gymnasium floor.
For the scene being shot yesterday, the extras were the fans from Hickory High School (The Huskers) and Oolitic High Schools (the Owls). Now bear in mind one simply did not just boo and hiss and cheer. One rehearsed booing and hissing and cheering. One booed and hissed and cheered in pantomime. One booed and hissed and cheered for real while the "cameras were rolling." In watching this action, I must admit we from Randolph County are excellent in the booing and hissing and cheering department. In fact, I can't help but wonder if Randolph Eastern's director of transportation, Larry Applegate, we will be able to talk again. He could make a career out of crowds. (And John Schmidt and Liz Reed, faculty members, were not far behind.)
As for kids, the cheering was fantastic. At one point when the production people were getting the crowd reved up for a shot that would truly depict "Hoosier Hysteria," a band (I think from Knightstown and typical of the early 1950s, complete with dented Sousaphone and tarnished instruments) struck up the UCCHS fight song. The Union City delegation went wild and I disolved in a sea of tears (fight songs and patriotic songs do that to me.) It was fantastic. Also,
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WERE YOU IN IT?
Do you know who is in it? Do you have photos? If so, please email, mail or drop off copies of photos or a letter of memories of the day to be added to a file at RCHS so future generations can know more of the local contacts with the movie.
You can share photos or notes of memories to RCHS at 416 S Meridian, Winchester, IN 47394 or rchsmuseum@gmail.com. Future generations will want to know!
Randolph County, Indiana 1818-1990
Commonly referred to as "The Red History Book"
Compiled by the Randolph County Historical Society, 1991, Second reprint 2003.
Read page 129-140 to read "Death Records And Cemetery History." Page 131article titled "Franklin Township Cemeteries: 1. Race Street" has a very brief description.
Read page 446 to read the family history of Joab Addington which was submitted by Joanne Moulton.
To obtain your own copy of "The Red History Book" stop in at The RCHS Museum Shop or send an email to arrange placing a mail order.
Want to learn more?
Visit The Museum.
Hours vary with volunteer availability. Check the website or Facebook for current open to the public hours or call/message/email to arrange an appointment.
Facebook group: Randolph County Indiana Historical and Genealogical Society
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