Check out the Official LADDER 49 Web site. The film was shot in Baltimore.

Well, I received a call on Monday night, April 14th to see if I could be available for shooting as a family member in the movie LADDER 49. It stars John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix. Mr. Phoenix plays Jack Morrison, a fireman trapped in a blaze waiting for his chief, Chief Kennedy (Mr. Travolta), and crew to rescue him. While he awaits, he reflects back on his life. The film is a Touchstone/Buena Vista Picture being directed by Jay Russell and produced by Casey Silver, and is slated for release in the spring of 2004. I am an extra and my scenes include a wedding, a couple of funerals, a baptism, and a medal ceremony.

April 16th: I have my fitting at wardrobe. I have brought several clothes with me to possibly use. I am set up with a dark grey suit for a wedding. I simply change my tie for a funeral later the same year, and then in a more relaxed atmosphere, I attend a family Baptism. I find a new suit for the Medal Ceremony and wear the same one for the Funeral in recent times.

The Shooting dates for me:

April 21:
April 22:
April 29:
April 30:
May 28:
May 30:

The SHOOT:

April 21: Monday was wonderful. We filmed the beginning of the reception, the entry of the wedding party (Joaquin Phoenix and Jacinda Barret), the receiving line and the toasts on Monday. They gave us a real buffet meal to eat and wedding cake to enjoy. I had fake champagne and real O'Doul's beer to drink. I have a wife and 2 kids with me. Most of the day is just sitting around and waiting to do the scene. But this Director is great to work with as we often find the scene done in one or two takes. This is NOT normal. First day we filmed about 9 hours.

April 22: Tuesday was more of the same. However, we did scenes of dancing and general partying. Since I did not dance (with my recent broken ankle recovery) I sat around in the background tent most of the morning and early afternoon. During that time I did strike up a small conversation with John Travolta. Once I got inside for additional filming scenes, the day dragged on. I am not complaining, as this is all fascinating to me. The Conga Line comes right at me so if it is kept in the final cut, I may be visible. One never knows how much will be used in the final cut. We finished up at 9:30 last night. 14 hour day of filming.

I'll let you know more about the daily routine when I am through. I won't be trying to snap pictures of the stars as that is not cool and very rude. We are all working here. So, I am just going to let you know how it goes and what I see.

1. (In the final cut, I am blurred, seated and leaning forward over Jacinda's left shoulder as the camera pans up from the cake cutting. The camera closes in on feeding each other and my "wife" Jodi, blurred, takes a picture from behind and over the left shoulder.)

2. (Just as they begin to gather "Jack" up for the song "FIRE", I am sitting in the background between Joaquin and Morris Chestnut.)

April 29:
April 30: These days are a blur. It was difficult to keep up at the time and more difficult to remember what actually happened. A couple of these days we filmed the exit of the wedding reception. Joaquin and Jacinda climb aboard the back of the pumper and it takes off down the street. The guests wave good-bye in the background. In the final cut, look carefully at the background and you will notice two people crossing the street as the pumper pulls away. That is me and my movie wife, Jodi Dawson (of Sixth Sense Fame [Burnt Teacher]).

3. (In the final cut, I am seen behind Jody [with camera on the right side of the screen] as the newlyweds come through the doors of the reception and birdseed is thrown everywhere.)

4. As the truck pulls away with the newlyweds on the back, I cross the street with Jodi. We are seen briefly)

May 28: I believe this long day turned into the Christmas, ah, Midnight Mass, scene. I am in the crowd, but I can not be seen.

May 30: This was the last day for me. We started filming the eulogy by Travolta first. 5. (When he asks all of us to stand, I can be seen camera left on the right side of the church as the pews face the Altar. I disappear quickly behind the black actor in front of me, who may be Bruce McBarnett from the SAG AWARDS in DC fame)

Later, I stood for 3 hours in one location outside of the steps of the Church. The firetrucks lined the street and filmed the departure from the Church - with the casket on back - during that entire time. Finally, they filmed the casket coming out of the church. Jacinda Barret exits the church and stops... directly in front of me. ( I could blow the hair on the back of her neck). Anyhow, the final cut of the movie shows me directly over her left shoulder, grieving for our slain hero. You can't miss the guy in the mustache nearly crying over the lost. In Other Words... I was lucky The neat thing about it was that they cut back to show Jacinda Crying two more times. ~ Not bad for my first motion picture.

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