Olivia Hussey, who starred in 1968's
"Romeo and Juliet," appears in full makeup Saturday as Mother Teresa. Rolling
Hills Estate resident Bill Riead was in charge of the shoot.
Ed Siudmak’s
backyard looked a little different Saturday.
Instead of its normal state of rural Rolling Hills Estates
greenery, the 1 1/2 acres or so of foliage-covered land had been transformed
into something resembling the slums of Calcutta.
India had come to The Hill.
"I’ve been here for 44 years and this is the first time I’ve
had a crowd like this," Siudmak said, watching the film crew that had commandeered
his back yard. "I couldn’t believe it. It was a transformation like you
wouldn’t believe."
Some
of the more than 80 extras help fill out the Calcutta scene for the
"Teresa" trailer.
The conversion came courtesy of Rolling Hills Estates resident Bill Riead
and his Palos Verdes Estates-based film company, Riead Productions, which
was using the property to film a trailer for an upcoming movie about the
life of Mother Teresa.
In a day and a half, Siudmak’s yard was converted into a small
shanty town of old-wood and corrugated-steel shacks, complete with more
than 80 extras dressed in saris, dhotis and other garb.
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After a full day Friday, the production crew started working in his yard
at 5 a.m. to get ready for the one-day shoot.
"They’ve been nice so far," he said. "I’ll let you know (after)
they clean up."
Starring actress Olivia Hussey in the title role, "Teresa"
will be a full-length feature film on the epic scale of the movie "Gandhi",
executive producer Corky Barton said of the project, which is due out next
fall.
Not
the right look.
At 11 a.m. the crew was rehearsing a walk through of the set and Riead
prepped the group for action. After one pass, he had some advice for the
faux peasants. "The one thing I want to say to all of the extras is you
all look too happy," he shouted into a bullhorn.
The cast of extras immediately adopted a collective look of gloom,
eyes cast toward feet.
This was a bit much, he said, asking them to just try to look naturally
glum.
Watching over the ersatz village crew member Will Castillo said,
judging by the location photos he’s seen of India, the set looked incredibly
authentic.
An actor in rags trotted by pulling a rickshaw.
"It
looks like India"
"It looks like India to me," said the Torrance resident who is Barton’s
assistant. "They did a good job."
Nearby there was a steady woosh of automobile traffic up and down
Rolling Hills Road.
At the end of one of the practice runs, a few of the extras dropped
their gloomy expressions in favor of smiles and jokes.
Rolling Hills slums must not be too bad.
Hussey appeared on the set in full make-up and the resemblance was
remarkable. It was hard to recognize the woman who played Juliet in the
1968 version of the Shakespeare classic "Romeo and Juliet."
There was quick break that had all the extras scattering to the
catering tent and restrooms, and Riead put the call out for them to take
their positions again.
Hussey
and director Riead discuss the production as director of photography Jack
Green listens.
Time
for the real thing.
They’re finally ready to start filming. Riead gave the group last-minute
instructions on how to look properly bleak.
"Action, Jerry," he shouted. "Action, extras."
The cameraman and crew moved down through the set, the extras walked
by and an extra on a Vespa motor scooter rolled through the scene. It was
captured on film.
"Cut. Cut. Cut."
Brian Mastrianna, the first assistant director, ordered everybody
back into position. The camera crew moved back to its starting place.
"First positions, everybody. We’ll do it one more time," Mastrianna
said, then adds "No, actually we’ll do it four or five more times."
Daily
Breeze
Sunday,
November 11, 2001
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