Because this is my close-to-Christmas column, each year I endeavor to squeeze out something Christmas-related. Someone online told of a most memorable Christmas. I couldn’t think of any, except for those where girl friends dumped me. Other than those holiday dumpster specials, I’d have to say my most memorable Christmas happened one day in March, when I was on the set of the now-Christmas-classic movie Home Alone. I’ve written on that experience previously, but because six of the individuals on-screen have passed away (most notably the film family’s patriarch, John Heard, scary because I’m the same age), I’d thought I’d share some heretofore-unmentioned details.
The morning I reported at 8:30 a.m. to the studios of producer John Hughes in the former New Trier West High School turned out to be, 83 degrees, the hottest March day on record. Our talent agency director sent home half of the extras (these days called “atmosphere”) with a full day’s pay. Just like the airlines, they overbook. She checked out clothes the rest of us schlepped with us, had us change, then led us to the un-air-conditioned gym, which was already sucking in the heat of the day. We seated ourselves in first class on the airplane set. Once the opening of the scene was filmed, where parents John Heard, Katherine O’Hara, Aunt Leslie, and Uncle Frank rush in and get seated, the film’s caterers brought in plates of hot breakfast. During filming, a stewardess (the director’s wife) filled our glasses with champagne (ginger ale. Darn.). It was nearly 11 a.m. and I hadn’t eaten, so I was ready. We were told to take small bites and sips. Darn. After a take, director Chris Columbus wanted another, so the caterers brought us new food plates. This happened a couple more times. The caterers finally said to pretend to eat because they were running out of eggs. Fine with me because the delivered eggs were now cold, anyway.
The set crew had to yank out some of the seats for the next part, so we had a lunch break. The caterers had set up grills outside and were cooking half-pound hamburgers, fresh-cut fries and other goodies. I was in the food line behind the Uncle Frank. I said something to him and he half-turned to me and grunted while looking somewhere else. Not too friendly. When I had my plate I went inside and sat on a low hallway window sill with John Heard. A few crew members sat on the floor in front of us. John was a regular guy and after lunch he and a couple of us atmospheres tossed around a football.
Following lunch, a few more of us were sent home because many of the airplane seats had been removed, leaving space for just four extras. Columbus shot the first part of the scene where Dad and Mom try to remember what they forgot. Because I was in the frame, he decided I should be reading a Wall Street Journal. Chris shot the scene again and thought I needed an overhead light. There wasn’t one in place, so the electricians had to wire one up. This gave me time to wander around. I went into the main gym (we were in the smaller gym) where there was an attic set and a partial brick house exterior. Farther in was a police station with Christmas decorations, and a tree house.
A little way down, the hall was the swimming pool, now remodeled as a dark basement. As I approached the cast member’s tables of unending food in the vestibule, I met a shaggy-clothed guy who was Joe Pesci’s stunt double. He was supposed to be shooting a scene somewhere else in the building and showed me the fiberglass back protector he wore when he got bashed in the face with a paint can and flipped backwards down the stairs, getting paid $620 per flip.
Back on set, Chris shot the scene with my reading under the overhead light, decided it was too distracting, and that I should just be asleep, instead. I felt sorry for the poor sound guy with a short boom mic crunched up on the hot floor between John and Katherine and the seat in front of them. All the fans had to be shut off during filming. John was in a heavy sweater and after each take when the fans were turned on, he’d pull off his sweater and stand in front of a fan. When the last take was finally a good one, the tech at the soundboard said he’d picked up a background hum. Someone discovered it was coming from the portable freezer filled with Dove bars. When he suggested shutting it off, it precipitated a chorus of “no!” so he said he’d cover it later with the airplane engine noise.
When I was one of the now-remaining three extras, I got to munch on a Dove bar and look over the director’s shoulder when he filmed the end of the scene. When he turned to me and asked, “How was that?” I almost spit ice cream on his glasses.
It was approaching 11:30 p.m. and I wandered to the vestibule and the food tables. John was there. He said he still had another scene to do. Back on set, Chris said he wouldn’t need me anymore, so I could go.
Not a bad day. I was overstuffed with great food and had made three hours of overtime pay at time-and-a-half, plus an extra $80 for being a stand-in for Aunt Mary. The lighting crew wanted to adjust the lights and she wasn’t around. Because I had the same coloring, they tapped me.
The best part of the March Christmas came when Home Alone was the top movie of the season and my airplane scene was part of the trailer. The portion with just John and me was shown at the People’s Choice Awards and Golden Globes. All the attending celebrities and millions of viewers saw me and never knew it. But I’ll be there for infinity and beyond, just a piece of atmosphere doing what acting I do best: Eating and sleeping.
Merry Christmas!