Forget Schwab's Drug Store, where - according to Hollywood legend - 1940s celluloid siren Lana Turner was discovered.
Sandy Hummel's chance at big screen immortality came in section 104, row D, seat 3 at Fifth Third Field yesterday.
The 59-year-old retired grill cook from Toledo's old north end was one of about 150 people who showed up at the city's minor-league ballpark in response to a call for extras to appear in crowd scenes of a kids' film, Home Run Showdown, which is being directed by veteran Oz Scott and stars Matt Lillard (Scooby-Doo), Dean Cain (Lois and Clark), Annabeth Gish (X-Files) and Barry Bostwick (Spin City).
"It's the experience of a lifetime," said Mrs. Hummel, who, to increase chances of being noticed, donned a bright, print shirt just before leaving her house jokingly crooning: "I'm going to be in the movies; they're going to make me a star."
"It's fabulous to see a movie being made and I like the story line," she said. "I like comedies and kids' movies, nothing scary. If I'm in the movie, it would be a bonus. It would be cool."
The movie will revolve around a sibling rivalry between two Little League coaches played by Cain and Lillard that culminates in a home run-hitting contest involving their teams.
The fortunes of wannabe extras ebbed and flowed yesterday afternoon.
One group was moved out of a prime location to make way for another group hand-selected by producers seeking a certain crowd look and mix. "We need our people," Kimberly Sizemore, an assistant director, explained. However, she quickly interjected to applause: "You're all our people."
Production assistants moved through the crowd instructing people wearing shirts with logos to turn them inside out or put them on backwards.
Trying to pass the time under the hot sun, some extras began doing the wave.
Eventually, paid extras from a Toledo modeling agency were assigned seats in the first few rows. Volunteers filled in the seats around them and have a shot at making it on screen, producers said.
Mrs. Hummel ultimately lost her prime seat in the fourth row. "It would have been great to be on camera, but that's not the main reason I was here," she shrugged.
Among other hopefuls was John Lara, an 18-year-old fast-food worker in South Toledo. "I hope so," he said when asked if he expected to be on screen.
"It's very exciting," said Marcus Sutton, a 25-year-old cafeteria worker at the University of Toledo Medical Center, the former Medical College of Ohio. "It's something different."
Most of the movie was shot this summer in metro Detroit, but directors passed on Comerica Park for the climactic batting-contest scenes, said producer Dena Hysell. Gaining permission to shoot in major league parks is complicated and can be restrictive, she explained.
The movie's bosses didn't regret the decision to come to Toledo. "This is an incredibly production-friendly city," the producer said. "There are large streets and parking and people are excited to have film production."
The main criteria for a ballpark was that it be within three hours of Detroit and have the look and feel of a major league venue. However, to boost Fifth Third Field's big-city image, producers plan to digitally add a third deck and buildings to the surrounding downtown skyline. The name of the city and park will also be concealed in the film, which is set in Detroit.
Production trucks and trailers for everything from hair and makeup to wardrobe lined North Huron Street along the side of the ballpark.
The stadium won't receive a rental fee, but will be reimbursed for expenses, said Scott Jeffer, assistant general manager of the Toledo Mud Hens.
"It's good P.R. for Toledo and the Mud Hens," he added.
If you missed shooting yesterday, you haven't lost your chance for 15 seconds of fame. Shooting will continue today from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Contact Gary Pakulski at:
gpakulski@theblade.com
or 419-724-6082.
First Published August 28, 2010, 12:49 a.m.
