The Patriot (Movie) with Mel Gibson
I got a call out-of-the-blue one day from the Props Department at Sony Studios, they wanted to buy some furniture for a movie about the American Revolution with Mel Gibson as the lead. I have to say I was a bit shocked! I asked how they had found me and they said 'word of mouth'. Small world, indeed.
They explained to me what they wanted and I feverishly wrote it all down. Many of the pieces were as I expected, standard household furnishings for a period home. Then they told me they wanted a group of unfinished rockers for the opening scene in the movie where Mel's character was building a chair in the barn, gets frustrated and throws it up against the wall to shatter it in frustration. "Make it a dozen of those, since we need them for re-takes". they told me.
I told the props guy matter-of-factly. "These chairs don't break when thrown. They'll bounce right off the wall and come back at you like a boomerang. You better be careful!"
Then he told me "And we need everything in sixty days time, delivered to South Carolina."
SIXTY DAYS !!???!?! We're on a 6-month build cycle! Who can I get that can build all the pieces at one time, and is big enough to handle the job? I call my best supplier at the time for this class of furniture, D.R. Dimes in New Hampshire and explain what we want and when its needed.
Well, Douglas senior balks at the job. He says "I'm not sure I want to do this, I don't like the idea of my chairs being broken up, Mel Gibson or not."
Okaaaaaaay. Its a nice order, but they are running at full production already and if they don't want to do it, then I'll call another maker. A few hours later he calls back and says they'll take the job, as everyone else at the company was excited to be doing a project like that.
Took a bit of to get it all delivered on time, but it did get there as promised. A couple of days after all the pieces land I get another phone call from the props guy "We can't get these rockers to break, they come right off the wall back at you like they're spring-loaded. Any suggestions?"
:D:D:D Told ya.
The only solution was to score the wood in several places, basically cutting through most the way of all the spindles, bows and legs. After that did that, they folded up like a house of cards, but its pretty 'hollywood' to see it in the film.
When it came time to pay the bill, Sony Studios asked for a discount. I said "Will you put "Furniture from The Keeping Room" in the end of the movie credits? "No", they said....and then I told them "No discount, then!"
G. Gordon Liddy stops in the store
Some of you may not remember G.Gordon Liddy, but he was one of the infamous Watergate Burglars under Richard Nixon, and after serving time in prison had a popular syndicated radio show in the Wash DC area for many years that still runs today.
One Saturday I see this HUGE, bright yellow and chromed out Ford F-350 pickup pull up to the store. It was jacked up and had every aftermarket accessory one could possibly imagine on it. Looked like is was straight out of World of Wheels. Because it was so noticeable, I had to look and see who was getting out of this beast. Well, it was a little old man with a big bushy mustache. He wasn't very big, I guess about 5' 5" and probably didn't weigh more than 130 lb soaking wet. His wife who got out on the other side was definitely larger than he.
He came in, and I asked him if he was Gordon Liddy, and he said he was. I shook his hand and he and his wife were very pleasant, and browsed the store as regular shoppers would. I'd half-expected a fire-breathing right wing radical since I'd listened to his show so many times, but he was just a regular guy. They didn't buy anything, and left soon after a bit, and I just couldn't get over this small man driving this huge customized pickup!
