Special Moment In Time Will Be Treasured
Fairy tales do come true.
We have been privileged here in Shoshone County to have been the site for the dynamics of a Hollywood movie.
The sleepy, peaceful and historic town of Wallace has been almost overwhelmed by the energy and friendliness of all the people involved in the Universal Studios production of “Dante’s Peak.”
I really think we have been kissed with good fortune. We have among us the amiable personality and charismatic star, actor Pierce Brosnan, and his charming young co-star, Linda Hamilton.
With his easygoing manner, the Irish-born Brosnan has won the friendship and respect of the many residents. He and others with the production will be missed when it’s over.
I think what most amazed the townsfolk in Wallace was the team that arrived early and built the movie set. The skilled craftsmen worked long days, week after week, in the cold and wet, yet always had a kind word to passers-by. They reminded me of the Navy SeaBees who came to our aid when I was a Marine during the war in Korea - the hardest working bunch of men I have ever met.
Let’s not forget the two black Labradors with their red bandanas. I guess they were the acting foremen. They seemed to know every set man and what was going on. They would wander in and out of the sets as though keeping tabs on all the activity.
Seldom did you see either Lab taking shuteye under a workbench.
Filming is now under way, and the summer of ‘96 will never be forgotten around Shoshone County. The excitement that comes when, by some stroke of luck, we get a glimpse of Brosnan is just great. It may sound corny but it is true. If we catch sight of both co-stars, it’s double-great.
My wife Iris, whose father was Irish, thinks Brosnan’s handsome, strong and healthy looks are the Irish in him. The young ladies from the stores in Wallace, those who are lucky enough to have spoken with him, will surely never be the same.
The folks of Wallace and the surrounding towns are living a special moment in time. We hope all goes well with the production. And we hope the Universal Studios personnel involved in it will remember us and return some day.
MEMO: Street Level is a regular feature of the Roundtable page. Ray Aleman is a member of The Spokesman-Review’s Board of Contributors.