I was a background extra (Kings Dominion segment)

Just some triva for fans of this movie from over 30 YEARS ago!

There was an ad in the Richmond Times Dispatch that Shari Rhodes was doing a casting call for specific parts and background extras. I was 16 and had just started driving and lived in Glen Allen, VA, about 15 minutes from Kings Dominion which was/is in Doswell, VA. I showed up and was selected to be part of the background extras. I had long hair and wore a hawaiian shirt since it was to look like summertime during the filming.

Some quick moments I remember:

- I was on the Rebel Yell (rollercoaster), in the train of cars that had George Segal in the front seat with the infamous tan suitcase. Most scenes shot of him from the front in that car, were filmed via strapping a camera to the front of the coaster itself with no cameraman. I was in the 7th car behind George Segal. Between his scenes that he had to be in the car, which he did himself, to the scenes where it was shots that didn't require him to be seen, I must have rode that rollercoaster about 70 cycle runs. One scene required, to be filmed, having a helicopter sit on the deepest part of the dip in the track, right before the last hill that took the coaster to the high turn before it's return trip. The camera was strapped, with it's cameraman, on the skids of the helicopter. The first fews takes, the helicopter had risen quite a bit before we came over the hill, but one of the last takes...we came over the hill and the timing was a bit off and the helicopter hadn't risen off the track yet. it scared us all sh*tless as it rose just in time but still required us to lower our waving arms to basically duck under the helicopter skids. Exciting, but scary. The scene can be seen in the movie, when the shot has the coaster coming at it, then under it and then twists off to the side in a dizzying twist...great effect!

- George Segal was such a fan's kinda guy. He brought his red-headed cute little daughter on set a few times and I even got to sit at a small table with her and him during a lunch break one day. He was talkative, entertaining and even brought his banjo on set a couple of times and played. Very professional guy I thought and great to the fans.

- Richard Widmark (RIP) was a bit more elusive but when you did see him between scenes, he wouldn't mind you taking a picture of him. He almost seem to have a posse that kinda kept folks at a distance.

- Timothy Bottoms was much like Mr. Widmark. Somewhat elusive, but did on a couple of occasions join the fans for some chat and pics. The other tidbit that stood out about him was that I had seen him in several other roles on film before this and was shocked by how tall he was. Although his bio on IMDB says he's 5'11", I was betwenn 5'9" and 5'10" at the time and he towered over me.

Note: It's possible that Mr. Widmark and Mr. Bottoms may have chosen to keep in character on and off set and could explain their elusiveness, as they both seem very nice guys when you DID get close to or get to chat with them.

- Once day, after the main rollercoaster scenes had been filmed, there was a call for guys 5'8" to 5'10", with mid to light brown hair and a slim build, to come forth from the extras. A need for a George Segal double/stand-in was announced. It got down to three of us, me being on of the three, and then two of us, me and another guy whose hair was long also, but he was a bit thicker than I was. I was really skinny at the time. They chose him and my heart dropped. However, they worked him good and hard I was kinda glad I could keep walking around taking in all the moviemaking, plus it wasn't too cool that time of year and he had to wear a suit the whole time. I still would have jumped at the chance though. LOL

Note: The long hair was preferred, since they could cut it to the length of Mr. Segal's and not have to add instead.

- I went to school, at Hermitage High School, with Mark Hulcher, who was the delivery boy at the hat stand. We didn't know each other, but our moms worked together at C&P Telephone company. I was envious that he had a speaking part.

- The mushroom telephone booth that George Segal/Harry Calder stood beneath to recieve a call from the bomber, did not exist prior to Universal Studios filming at Kings Dominion. It was built specifically for the film and as far as I know, it's still there.

- There was such a HUGE buzz at the time that Robert Redford was going to be a surprise star in the film and that part of his filming was to also be at Kings Dominion. It ended up that it was a false rumor, obviously, and was stirred up by the original fellow that had been selected to be George Segal's stand-in. He really did bare an uncanny resembelance to Robert Redford.

- I wish I could remember the name of the background extra coordinator/director. He had dark hair and a beard and wore his sunglasses all the time and carried a bullhorn. He was AMAZING. Nicest guy and always gave time and courtesy to all the extras and some gave him quite a hard time, with special requests, needs for food or water or bathroom and those trying to get in every shot and stand there to be sure to get filmed. APPLAUSE to him! LOL

- I get to see myself, although mostly a very quick glance, about 3 times in the movie scenes that were filmed here.

- After they filmed there, I also went to Ocean View (in Ocean View/Va Beach, VA) and rode The Rocket a few times before it was actually demolished in The Death of Ocean View Park (TV movie with MANNIX aka Mike Connors). I miss Ocean View Amusement Park.

THANKS so much to Universal Studios and Shari Rhodes and all for making a young kid's dream of being part of movie making come true. One day, maybe it will happen again.

I have a bit more trivia I will try and post soon and I also have a few photgraphs I took with an old Kodak Instamatic camera that I have scanned and will post if I can figure out where on here I can do that. Didn't there used to be a place for users to do that on the particular movie link ? Help me out if you know.