Life in the Ozarks : Local resident remembers filming of ‘Biloxi Blues’
Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008
We read about Rogers Little Theater presenting the play "Biloxi Blues," and my husband Jerry recalls he was in the actual filming of the original movie in Arkansas.
Van Buren was picked because of its unique, old streetlights. The town was to depict Biloxi, Miss., in 1943 - a town where soldier boys spent off hours from the nearby Army boot camp. As the Universal Studios film crew moved into Van Buren, they painted fronts of many of the businesses. One storefront had been painted with the name "bank"on it.
Jerry's brother, Rex, was renown in northwest Arkansas for his restoration of Model-A cars, so Rex borrowed two trailers to carry four cars, three of which he had restored to new condition. They drove to Van Buren to be in the movies. Another brother, Fay, and one of Rex's sons-in-law, Charles, went along to drive two of the antique cars.
Jerry started the day by meeting the director at 6 a.m. He took him to the barbershop for a haircut. When Jerry started to get out of the chair, the director said," Get back in the chair and get rid of those sideburns. "They didn't have time to go to wardrobe, but the director said their clothing would be OK.
The lead car was to be driven by a woman. When it was discovered she had a wrong hairdo, Jerry was picked. He was instructed to drive up and down a street while being filmed. He was told to never look at the cameras. The director kept stopping him to make it more authentic. One time he told Jerry to take his wrist watch off. "People couldn't afford those back in the'40 s," he told him. Another time he stopped the car to place a gas sticker on the windshield. During World War II every vehicle was issued a sticker, which they had to display in order to buy gas. Rex often exhibited his trophies and wouldn't have thought of showing them without cleaning them first. But, for the movie, the director wanted Jerry's car dirty, so they threw some dirt on it.
The director gave hand signals: index finger raised meant go back to number one starting position. A hand across the throat meant "cut. "As Jerry drove up and down the street all day, he passed Charles sitting in the rustic unfinished car parked on Main Street. A chicken crate had been put in the back. Fay also sat in a parked Model-A. Rex waited at a cross street, and every time Jerry passed by, Rex was to drive across the street. (Jerry's car had
During a break, the director told them they could watch the filming from inside one of the buildings. The brothers took a couple of chairs inside. As Jerry and Rex watched through the window, they noticed how respectful others treated them, never walking in front of them. The chairs they had taken to sit in had the word "director"written on the back. "I guess everyone thought we were some big shots."
All those who had been involved in the shooting were invited to the premier showing in Fayetteville. They were introduced and treated like celebrities; given the front seats in the theater. The car Jerry had driven in the movie was seen going down the street of Van Buren. At the premier a drawing was held for the audience, with the grand prize winner being driven around Fayetteville by Jerry in the Model A he drove in the filming.
Jerry remembers the fun they had being in the movies 20 years ago. As a souvenir we were given the marquee picture of "Biloxi Blues."
Marie Putman is a longtime freelance columnist for The Rogers Hometown News.
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