Tuesday, May 18, 2010

PART 2

Early news reports noted that “Water for Elephants” would start filming in Santa Paula and Fillmore in May. Patty Harrison, film liaison for the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce, and Patrick Maynard, film permit coordinator for the Fillmore Film Commission, said no film permit for “Water for Elephants” had been applied for in either city.
A meeting agenda for the Fillmore Film Commission dated April 7, however, noted that a “large production called ‘Water for Elephants’ is planned to be shot in the area. The production will go on for approximately 30 days.”
Fillmore’s Maynard did reveal that the city had rented a parking lot at Santa Clara and Mountain View streets to a company for a production called “Jerry Novak’s Big Adventure.”
On Monday, Ventura County senior planner Becky Linder confirmed that a production company has taken out a film permit to start shooting “Jerry Novak’s Big Adventure” in Fillmore and “other locations around the county” on Thursday.
“Jerry Novak” isn’t a character in the book, but on Sunday, at the Santa Clara and Mountain View site, a dirt lot near the tracks of the Fillmore & Western Railway Co., a large rental fence had been erected with a black covering around it. A look inside a crack in the gate revealed more than 10 red, yellow and orange boxy circus wagons, some with ornate decorations.
In Gruen’s book, she describes circus wagons that “are painted scarlet, with gold trim and sunburst wheels, each emblazoned with the name ‘Benzini Bros. Most Spectacular Show on Earth.”
In Fillmore, “Benzini Bros. Circus” was printed in gold letters on some of the wagons.
Also, on the tracks next to the lot, about 10 old-fashioned railroad cars — boxcars, flatcars and passenger cars — sat on the tracks. Painted maroon, several of them were printed with “Benzini Bros. Circus” and “Most Spectacular Show on Earth.” A few had bales of hay inside.
The Fillmore & Western Railway, which offers vintage train rides through Fillmore and Santa Paula, also coordinates and consults on film, TV and commercial productions that involve trains. The company said, as with any movie, it could neither deny nor confirm filming activity.

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