NEWS LADDER 49

"Should I write down that I'm a masseuse?" Diana Duda asked, hoping to sear herself into the memory of the casting director who had inspected dozens of potential movie extras and had hundreds more to go.
Casting director Marshall Peck smiled politely at her before he began to quickly size up the next person in line.
Duda and more than 1,200 others crowded into the Murphy Fine Arts Center at Morgan State University yesterday to attend a casting call for extras in the movie Ladder 49, a firefighting drama to be shot in Baltimore from the middle of this month through July.
Some were from Baltimore and Washington. Others journeyed from as far as North Carolina and New York City. All hoped to gain a small nonspeaking role in a major film that will star John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix. About half of those who attended the casting call were firefighters seeking a spot in a movie about their trade.
Others were actresses and models, construction workers and college students, dreaming of a role that might propel them to Hollywood.
Duda had simpler aspirations. "I want to bring actors coffee," said Duda, a middle-school teacher who lives in Owings Mills. "I want to massage them." The casting call began about 10 a.m., when Peck addressed a large group of aspiring extras on what they should expect from the movie about a firefighter (Phoenix) who is trapped in an inferno and reflects on his life. First, Peck warned them that the work would be arduous and grueling - often entailing 12-hour days, some of them through the night. Then, he said the pay was about minimum wage.
"You should do this for the fun of it, not the money," Peck said to laughter. Finally, he answered the crowd's questions - ranging from parking concerns to whether he needed Spanish-speaking actors.
"You're not going to talk, so it doesn't matter," Peck said.
But the casting director's warnings did not deter the crowd.
They immediately lined up to be photographed by workers using Polaroid cameras, an expensive addition to the casting call but one that Peck says is worth the cost. Polaroid photographs, he said, are far more realistic than the glamorous head shots supplied by many in the audience yesterday. After workers stapled the photographs to information forms that contained the applicants' names, addresses and phone numbers, the potential extras spoke briefly to Peck, who sat at a table on the auditorium's stage. A veteran casting director who has worked on such films as Tuck Everlasting and Primary Colors, Peck sized up potential extras in just a few seconds and jotted down a few simple notes on each.
500 could get call
Those selected to be extras will be notified as the filming progresses, he said. More than 500 people could get a call.
Debbie Fairall, a volunteer firefighter from Laurel, said she came to the casting call to land a spot in the movie to "make sure it was done right."
But she had other motives, as well.
She and her husband, John, brought their 1-year-old daughter, Rebecca. The parents hoped that Rebecca might also get a call from Peck for a part in the movie. "I think she's adorable," her mother said.
"She could be a star. But that could just be the biased mother in me."
Others had dreams for themselves.
Robert Dahler, 34, a Middle River volunteer firefighter, had watched other movies being made and always believed he could perform on the other side of the camera. "I like to express myself," he said. "I'd love to make it big." Even high-ranking Baltimore officials wanted to appear in Ladder 49.
Baltimore Deputy Mayor Jeanne D. Hitchcock was one of the first to pass through Peck's line.
Mayor's cameo
The two chatted briefly as Hitchcock dropped off her information packet and photograph, and Peck said he would try to make sure she was included in Mayor Martin O'Malley's cameo appearance.
As she left the stage, the deputy mayor noticed a reporter.
"I was just welcoming the casting crew to Baltimore," Hitchcock said with a smile.

(LOS ANGELES) - Jay Hernandez and Billy Burke have joined the cast of the Walt Disney Co.'s "Ladder 49," which stars John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix.

(LOS ANGELES) - Jay Hernandez and Billy Burke have joined the cast of the Walt Disney Co.'s "Ladder 49," which stars John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix. Being directed by Jay Russell from a script by Lewis Colick, "Ladder" is about a firefighter (Phoenix) who awaits rescue from a burning building. There, he reflects on his career, wife and family. Hernandez and Burke play firefighters in the film. Production is scheduled to begin next month in Baltimore. "Ladder" reunites Hernandez with Disney, for whom he most recently appeared in "The Rookie." His feature credits also include "Joy Ride," "crazy/beautiful" and the upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures actioner "Torque." Burke, best known for his roles on the popular television series "24" and "Gilmore Girls," also has appeared on the big screen in "Mafia!" and "Along Came a Spider."

*Vacant hospital to be revived as movie set
Medical center buildings empty since 2001 move

By Amanda J. Crawford
Sun Staff
Originally published March 7, 2003

When Anne Arundel Medical Center relocated just outside Annapolis
more than a year ago, residents who lived near the old hospital site
downtown worried about the riff-raff they feared would be drawn to
the vacant buildings.

Who knew they would get Hollywood?

Next month, Disney's Touchstone Pictures is expected to take over
part of the old hospital to shoot scenes for Ladder 49, an action
film starring Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta.

Filming for Ladder 49 begins in Baltimore this month. Officials say
they expect filming at the Annapolis hospital site for three days at
the end of next month.
Some in the city are sounding a bit star-struck. "This is so cool,"
said Mike Miron, the city's economic development officer, who met
with Disney representatives in a logistics session Monday.
"It's exciting," said Mayor Ellen O. Moyer, who acknowledged seeing
Travolta's movie Saturday Night Fever multiple times in the
theater. "I'm not sure if I'll get a chance to meet the stars or not,
but I'm certainly looking forward to having the opportunity to."
The film, directed by Jay Russell, features Phoenix as firefighter
Jack Morrison, who reflects on his life when he's trapped in a blaze.
Travolta plays his mentor and chief.
In the Annapolis hospital building - vacant since December 2001 - the
producers will re-create a burn unit where some firefighters are
treated and a maternity ward where Morrison's wife, played by Jacinda
Barrett, gives birth to their child, a production spokesman said.
The producers were looking for a vacant hospital. Because the planned
redevelopment of the 4.5-acre site in the Murray Hill neighborhood is
behind schedule, they were able to find one.

On the first floor

Lisa Hillman, vice president of development and community affairs for
Anne Arundel Medical Center, said the moviemakers will spend a couple
of weeks getting parts of the first floor of the main building ready
for filming. Prepared for demolition - not for the silver screen - it
needs to be cleaned, painted and glamorized. Hillman, who said the hospital would like to be mentioned in the credits and might receive a small fee for use of the building, quipped about adding "and movies" to her job title. But she said this
won't go to her head. "We don't hold any delusions of grandeur that they are going to come find any of us to be extras," Hillman said. "But it's fun to be some small part of this." Some in the city - where parts of Patriot Games and, last summer,
Head of State, starring Chris Rock, were filmed - might not be so shy
around the cameras."You always have a shot," joked city administrator Robert Agee. "Iplan on delivering sandwiches and lingering around with my profile.
I'll slip business cards where I can be reached in the sandwich
wrappers."

Cameo alert

Then, there is the business of the mayor's cameo. The word is that
Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley - known also as the muscle-shirt-
wearing lead singer of an Irish band - will make an appearance."If he gets a cameo, how about this mayor?" Moyer said. "He's a young, studly guy, so that may fit in with this particular movie. ... But there ought to be a place where they want some mature women."

*Movies return to Annapolis
By JEFF HORSEMAN, Staff Writer
The old downtown hospital in Annapolis is on the verge of getting
star treatment.

An all-but-finalized deal would open the vacant Anne Arundel Medical
Center for use in the movie "Ladder 49," starring Joaquin Phoenix and
John Travolta , in late April or May.
Most of the action-drama will be shot in Baltimore starting March 24.
AAMC spokesman Lisa Hillman said she expected a deal to be signed
shortly. The movie is being produced by Touchstone Pictures and Casey
Silver Productions.
While the movie's stay is expected to be only about three days, Mayor
Ellen O. Moyer said "Ladder 49" will give Annapolis a boost.
"It's excitement of a different variety," she said. "We're used to
the ups and downs of the legislative session and our national sailing
events.
"Once again, we're hitting big time with what looks to be a first-
rate movie." Films including 1992's "Patriot Games" and the yet-to-be
released "Head of State" have had scenes shot in Maryland's capital.
City Economic Development Director Mike Miron could not put an exact
dollar value on the movie's stay. But he said local businesses, such
as hardware stores, could benefit from the stopover.
Mr. Miron hopes that the movie results in business for city hotels.
But a source familiar with the film who did not want to be identified
said hotel stayovers were not likely.
Both Mr. Travolta and Mr. Phoenix - best known as the evil Emperor
Commodus in 2000 Oscar-winning flick "Gladiator" - are expected to be
on the set, Mr. Miron added.
He said the old hospital was chosen because it would be too
disruptive to shoot in a working hospital. AAMC vacated the site in
December 2001 for a new complex in Parole.
"Ladder 49"'s plot centers on Jack Morrison, a firefighter played by
Mr. Phoenix who reflects on his life while trapped in an inferno. Mr.
Travolta will play Jack's fire chief and mentor.
Using Hollywood magic, the hospital's former first-floor intensive-
care unit will be converted into a burn ward, Mr. Miron said. The
maternity ward will also be used for a birth scene, he said.
Crews will open the hospital's lobby and cafeteria for meal breaks.
Plywood covering up the hospital's windows will be removed during the
filming. While the hospital's parking garage will not be used, its surface
parking lot will, Mr. Miron said. Workers will transport several
trailers to the site during the filming, but they will take the city
shuttle from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to the hospital.
Mr. Miron did not expect any street closures during shooting. Because
the scenes take place indoors, the impact on the surrounding
neighborhood will be minimal, he said.
Sandy Cohen, president of the Murray Hill Residents Association, also
anticipates a smooth stopover.
"They've got room to accommodate (the movie-making equipment) that
would minimize the negative effects," she said.
The fact that the shooting will be indoors "will probably diminish
the fun for the star struck among us, who probably will be delighted
that this venue was chosen," Mrs. Cohen added. Mr. Miron said movie representatives would keep neighbors informed of
their progress.

*http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?
id=6627&sectionId=46

2,000 Firefighters Respond to 'Ladder 49' Casting Call
Hopefuls from as far as N. Carolina, Illinois Trek for Chance to Be
Seen in Travolta, Phoenix Film

Updated: 03-03-2003 09:22:17 PM

BALTIMORE -- The chance to be nozzleman for Joaquin Phoenix or John
Travolta drew close to 2,000 firefighters to the Ladder 49 casting
call on Sunday.

From up and down the East Coast, they brought their friends and
family to take a long shot at the possibility of getting their 15
minutes (or more likely 15 seconds) of fame up close or maybe way in
back, in the biggest firefighter themed film since Backdraft in 1991.

Ladder 49 tells the story of a veteran firefighter, played by
Phoenix, who looks back over his life as a firefighter and as a man
when he struggles to survive, trapped by a deadly fire. Since the
movie is based on a fireman's life and the rescue effort to save him,
it's no wonder firefighters from far and wide came out to Baltimore's
Morgan State College to try to be in a movie that tells this story.

Robert Bent and Tony Hoggard decided on Friday night after reading a
posting for the call on Firehouse.com to make the five-hour drive
from North Carolina in hopes of making the cut and playing a
firefighter in the movie; a role they fill every day at Kitty Hawk
Fire Department.

Both men felt that it was important to have actual firefighters in
the film, a belief that most of the other men and women in the
profession at the casting call mirrored.

"Firefighting is one of those careers where you can't make it up, you
have to have some knowledge of what your doing," said Bent, a career
firefighter whose been at Kitty Hawk for five years.

Ladder 49 will be shot entirely in Baltimore and filming is scheduled
to begin in March and continue though early July. The casting
director, Marshall Peck, welcomed all of the extra hopefuls, but
warned them about long days and little pay. The actors will receive
about 50 dollars a day, a day that could last up to 12 hours
(overtime pay, too). "Do this for the fun of it, not for the money,"
said Peck.

Peck also answered questions concerning firefighters and the extra
roles they need to fill. They are looking for firefighters to play
all types of roles, not just the role of a firefighter. However, he
did say that the firefighters who were chosen would not be too close
to any real fire anyway, but they would know how to act in that
scenario without any acting training. There are also parts for that
portion of the crowd who just wanted to be in a movie and had no idea
the movie was about firefighters in the first place.

One of the aspiring actresses who came out for the casting call who
fell into the latter category was Toya Harrell. "I came out to the
casting call because I'm interested in being the next Angela
Bassett," she said. "I don't even know the name of the film, I just
knew that John Travolta was in it."

But most of those standing in line had firehouse connections. Michael
Hickman, a former fire chief from York, Pennsylvania who now works as
a paramedic for York Hospital, doesn't care what part he plays in the
film. "I came here for fun, something to do on a Sunday." Hickman
also thinks that people who know what they are doing and are able to
give a more accurate portrayal of the profession should play some of
the roles of firefighters. He said that was the problem with the 1991
film Backdraft; the firemen weren't convincing.

Lindsay Brandolini, a student at Colgate University and a volunteer
at the Hamilton Fire Department in New York, made the over five hour
drive for the casting call and also to visit family in Virginia. One
of the few female firefighters that came, Brandolini thought she
might have a good chance of getting in the film. "I didn't know how
many females would come out, so I thought I'd give it a shot," she
said. "It's a great opportunity."

"I'm amazed at all the people that came out, " said Dennis Fulton of
the Lutherville Volunteer Fire Company in Maryland. "I thought it
would be just local people."

Fire/Rescue workers like Bent and Hoggard from Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina and Jim Brown from Lawrenceville, New Jersey made the long
drive for the interview that included a short welcome from Peck,
filling out a form and getting a Polaroid taken. The entire process
lasted less than 20 minutes, but those in attendance did not seem to
mind.

"I'm happy to be here and represent for my firefighter brothers,"
said John Howe, a 20-year-old volunteer from Laurel, Maryland.

Peck was happy with the turn out as well. While he does not know how
many extra spots they will need to fill, there are a lot of days
where extra will be needed and the turnout at the casting call was
promising. "It was an amazing turnout, I'm very happy, its what I was
hoping for."

*Principals For "Ladder 49"
Need women who are caucasian to play fireman's wives and strippers
appearing to be ages 23-30. Please note that the actresses playing
strippers will need to be willing to appear in a "G" string...
Send your headshot & resume to:
Fantail Films
2000 Washington Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21230