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Home , Ahney Her, Bee Vang, Clint Eastwood, Dirty Harry, Gran Torino, Nick Schenk

Choosing as a backdrop for the movie Gran Torino was obvious. After all, the Motor City put the world on wheels! PHOTO: THE HENRY FORD

By the mid 20th century, Detroit had become the motor and young entrepreneurs that are reshaping the city and metropolis of the world. The car industry was on the cutting travelers from around the world are taking notice. edge and the “Big Three” auto companies, Ford, General Motors and , forced most smaller competitors out In the movie, Walt (played by ), a of business. recently widowed veteran, is alienated from his family and angry at the world. The auto industry employed vast numbers of working Detroiters; hundreds of thousands of blue-collar workers Follow in the footsteps of the actors in this four-time award- found work on the assembly lines—one of every six people winning movie. Tour the film locations sites and explore the worked for the automotive industry. places where Clint Eastwood and fellow actors spent their downtime. Get the scoop and discover entertaining behind- Today, Detroit is still the world headquarters of the Big the-scene stories and more. Three, but the Motor City is also home to developers PHOTOS: PHIL ROSSI, THE PADDLE LLC GRAN TORINO STREET SCENE Inside the store is a sign that says, “Clint GOODNITE GRACIE 13140 Charlevoix Street Was Here—Gran Torino 2008.” It is the Royal Oak Grosse Pointe Park exact spot Clint Eastwood stood when The kick-off party for the actors was Take a ride over to this location and see picking out the tools for Tao. held at the trendy Goodnite Gracie. The where watched as the popular nightclub is part of D’Amato’s three neighborhood hoodlums gave Sue ARTONA TAILORING Restaurant and is a favorite for traditional (actress ) a hard time. 17834 Mack Avenue Italian cuisine, cocktails and martinis. Grosse Pointe Park The restaurant was built in 1927 in WIDGREN’S BARBER SHOP This tailor store is where Walt gets fitted downtown Royal Oak’s 204 West 11 Mile Road, Royal Oak for his new suit. The owner of the tailor Square building and designed in a ST. AMBROSE CHURCH This is the same barbershop (called shop even had a part in the film. romantic Art Deco style. Enjoy a cocktail Martin’s Barbershop in the movie) Grosse Pointe Park and hear some of the great music that where the “man talk” occurred among Clint he enjoyed as well. Gran Torino opens at St. Ambrose the barber, Walt, and Tao. Although the Catholic Church in Grosse Pointe Park, barbershop closed shortly after filming, THE TOWNSEND HOTEL where Walt Kowalski (played by Clint the building is still there. Birmingham Eastwood) is attending his wife’s funeral. This four-star hotel is where actor St. Ambrose Church celebrated its first Clint Eastwood and his two sons mass on Christmas Eve, 1927. stayed during filming. The hotel offers It was hailed in American Architecture CABBAGE PATCH BAKERY European elegance at its finest. Guests Magazine for its attention to detail. The Grosse Pointe Park can enjoy afternoon teas and fine dining majestic 2,400-pipe organ was added to at the Townsend. The lobby has marble Be sure to stop in where Clint Eastwood the church around WWII. The beautiful fireplaces, crystal chandeliers and custom ordered home-brewed ice tea here many arched stained glass windows were murals. While staying at the Townsend, times. One lucky lady behind the counter installed in the 1930s. Clint Eastwood ordered a grand piano to POINTE HARDWARE got to cut lemons for his tea, too. 15020 Kercheval Avenue be brought to his suite. Although Clint Clint Eastwood often ordered scones Eastwood plays piano, it was his son, Grosse Pointe Park made here. When the filming of Gran Kyle, who composed the music for Grand Pointe Hardware is where Walt and Tao Torino was completed, Mr. Eastwood Torino on in their hotel room. come to shop together for tools and start ordered a supply of the scones to be flown to bond with one another. back to his home in . HOMEWOOD SUITES Baseballs, gloves and bats were provided Seven Model Ts escorted Clint Eastwood in Greenfield Village. The actor picked Troy to all that needed them. and his wife, Dena, and 24 cast and crew out his own carousel animal, which of The rest of the cast and crew, even Daisy members through Greenfield Village, an course, was a horse. Clint Eastwood the dog, stayed at this hotel. Daisy was MUST SEE ATTRACTIONS outdoor history park. Just as the Model chuckled: “It’s been a long time since I originally found in a shelter. She stayed What would a Gran Torino film tour be T rolled into Greenfield Village, Clint have been on a horse.” with her trainer at the hotel, but anytime without a visit to some of the world’s Eastwood exclaimed, “Wow, this place they used Daisy on location, this canine best automotive attractions—all in the looks just like a movie set.” The tour EDSEL AND ELEANOR FORD HOUSE star had her own air-conditioned trailer. Motor City region. Even Clint Eastwood included stops at Henry Ford’s boyhood Grosse Pointe Shores made sure to do just that while he was in home and the Wright Brothers Cycle Cruise over to the serene lakeside estate If you stay here, the hotel offers spacious Detroit. Shop. At one point, newlyweds were of one of America’s most prominent suites and it’s close to fabulous shopping, having wedding photographs taken in automotive families, the Edsel and too. THE HENRY FORD Greenfield Village when Clint Eastwood’s Eleanor Ford Home. The house became BOULAN PARK Dearborn Model T pulled up next to their horse- the new residence of Edsel Ford and his drawn wedding carriage. wife, Eleanor, in 1929. There is no other 3671 Crooks Road, Troy America’s greatest history attraction had a place that compares to experiencing this visit from Hollywood! The Henry Ford is a Clint took off his and said, A day at the diamond! The local spectacular 60-room mansion nestled National Historic Landmark and although “What a beautiful bride. Congratulations.” production company hosted a on 86 acres of magnificent gardens Clint Eastwood heard about The Henry Where else in the world could you have phenomenal BBQ and a game of baseball and grounds. Open to the public for tours Ford, he never visited until August 2008. your wedding photographs in such a for the cast, crew and their families all year. involved in Gran Torino at Boulan Park. beautiful and historic place, have horse- drawn carriage rides for your party, and MEADOWBROOK HALL have Clint Eastwood step out of a Model T Rochester to compliment and congratulate you? Tour a national historic landmark. The 12-acre museum showcases a vast Meadowbrook is the historic home built collection of artifacts and exhibits by one of the automotive aristocracy’s that celebrate America’s ingenuity and most remarkable women, Matilda Dodge innovation. It’s the greatest gathering of Wilson, widow of automobile pioneer John everyday genius. Dodge. The hall’s 88,000-square-feet and 110 rooms make it the largest and most Apparently Clint Eastwood thought so elaborate historic home in the Midwest. too when, after touring the museum and village he remarked, “I heard that this was Birmingham and Troy an amazing place, but it has far exceeded Close to the Townsend Hotel & my expectations.” PHOTO: THE HENRY FORD Homewood Suites is the quaint shopping The Henry Ford is also the starting point district in downtown Birmingham and for tours of the Ford Rouge factory, a the upscale Somerset Collection in Troy. fascinating interactive experience of the Indulge yourself with unique boutiques auto plant that put the world on wheels. and luxury shopping. The visit ended with a stop at the carousel PHOTOS: PHIL ROSSI, THE PADDLE LLC backdrop. A scene shows Walt sitting on his porch with his yellow lab, Daisy.

When it came time to shoot the first scene with the dog, the trainer walked Daisy on the porch and placed the dog next to Clint. “Cute dog,” Clint said in that signature voice of his as he made eye contact with Daisy. Just before cameras started rolling, Clint bent down to pat the dog’s head. Obviously taken with WALT’S HOUSE the dog, Mr. Eastwood began making 238 Rhode Island Street kissy sounds to her. Daisy immediately Highland Park responded by jumping up and licking Clint Eastwood’s face. The original story of widower Walt Kowalski and the Hmong community The trainer tried to stop the dog, but Clint was set in , but director Clint Eastwood held up his hand to the trainer Eastwood felt Kowalski’s past as an auto and said: “It’s okay, she’s just being a dog.” worker made the Motor City the perfect Clint Eastwood became a bit attached to the dog—when filming was completed VFW POST he considered taking Daisy home with 25500 Sherwood Avenue him, but thought better of it because he Centerline has allergies. Father Janovich (played by Christopher Carley) gets on Walt’s back about life TAO’S HOUSE and death in his local bar—the Veterans 238 Rhode Island Street of Foreign Wars Richard Menge Post Highland Park No. 6756. Grab a seat inside and order a The young Hmong American boy is Pabst Blue Ribbon, as that is what Walt is coerced by a Hmong gang to attempt to drinking on the steps of his porch in the steal Walt Kowalski’s Gran Torino. With beginning of the movie. no father in the family, Tao is expected to be the man of the house. When the car LAKESHORE DRIVE theft fails, Tao returns home and his family Grosse Pointe Farms forces Tao to apologize and make amends As the film ends, Tao is seen driving the to next door neighbor, Walt Kowalski. Gran Torino down a road with Walt’s dog in the car, too. The drive is actually Lakeshore Drive in Grosse Pointe Farms and one can see Lake St. Clair in the background. The money St. Ambrose Church The Gran Torino in the movie is 100 Clint Eastwood’s son, received for the use of their church percent real. Eastwood’s staff found (credited as Scott Reeves) appeared in in the movie was used to remortar the car online and Warner Brothers the movie as Trey. His other son, Kyle, the historic church. Talk about bought the car through a classic car provided the film’s music score. DID YOU pennies from heaven! dealer on eBay. It had a few choice options: Magnum 500 wheels and Over and over again, everyone who KNOW? While at Goodnite bride, a laser stripe painted on the sides. came into contact or worked with Clint Clint Eastwood sat back and Owner Jim Craig described it as a Eastwood during the filming of Gran enjoyed watching the jazz band playing mechanically sound barn-find, which Torino had great things to say about for most of the evening. Even St. he finally restored after five years. He him. Clint Eastwood was described Ambrose’s very own priest (Fr. Tim) was never knew his car was about to star in as low key, kind, gracious, and did not Just before filming was to start for the invited to the cast party. a major motion picture when he sold it. allow swearing or trash talk while on confessional scene with Walt Kowalski the set. (Clint Eastwood) and the priest, St. While filming the hardware store scene, When filming was finished, Clint Gran Torino was the first film to benefit Ambrose’s own real-life priest (Father throngs of onlookers stood across the Eastwood was asked by his staff what from the new tax incentives Tim) had a movie poster of Eastwood’s street behind police barriers and away they should do with the car. Clint was offering at the time. previous film, . Fr. Tim from filming. Each person was hoping replied, “It’s done right by us,” and put the poster on the wall of the to get a glimpse of the iconic actor. he purchased the Gran Torino for his Clint Eastwood’s famous line in Gran confessional, behind where the actor Clint Eastwood could see the large personal collection. Torino, “Get off my lawn” instantly portraying the priest in the film was to crowd gathering and, lo and behold, he became immortalized in the film just as sit. Of course, when the confessional stopped filming and graciously walked Gran Torino was shot in 33 days, two Eastwood’s phrase,“Make my day” did curtain opened, Clint Eastwood, sitting over to his excited fans and signed days short of its scheduled 35. And in the film . on the other side of the curtain in the autographs. the production crew spent more than confessional, saw the poster with the $10 million while they were in town. To quote famous movie critic, Roger huge words, “UNFORGIVEN.” Clint Several funny retakes had to be done Ebert, “I would like to grow up to be got a laugh out of it and in his classic, in one of the last scenes in the film, in Clint Eastwood not only played the like Clint Eastwood. Eastwood the gravelly, low voice he said; “That’s gotta which Clint Eastwood has died and is lead role, but directed the film as well. director, Eastwood the actor, Eastwood come down.” shown lying in a coffin. Clint had long the invincible, Eastwood the old man. legs and had a difficulty getting in and Gran Torino was the first mainstream What other figure in the history of the Local resident, Bernice, was invited out of the casket. There was so much U.S. film to feature . cinema has been an actor for 53 years, to watch the excitement of the laughing on the set that several retakes Thirty actors and over 500 extras in a director for 37, won two Oscars for filming in St. Ambrose Church by her had to be done to capture the scene the film were recruited in direction, two more for Best Picture, friend who was the secretary at the correctly. and locally. To find local Hmong actors, plus the Thalberg Award, and at 78 can parish office. Lo and behold, 82-year- agents scouted a Hmong soccer direct himself in his own film and look old Bernice caught the eye of Clint On his off time, Clint Eastwood enjoyed tournament in Macomb County just meaner than hell? None, that’s Eastwood—he wanted her to be in his playing golf at the Lincoln Hills Golf outside the Detroit city limits. The how many.” movie. Clint Eastwood remarked that Club in Birmingham. result was 75 local Hmong actors he thought Bernice was “beautiful and appear in the film. The main actors in striking” for the part. All she had to First-time screenwriter, , the film, (Tao) and Ahney do was walk with a cane down the wrote the script in a bar during his time Her (Sue), are from Minnesota and church aisle just as the funeral scene off from his job in construction. The Lansing, Michigan, respectively. was ending. And that she did! She movie unfolds around a Gran Torino appears in the beginning of the movie, because Nick Schenk lived near a Ford during the funeral scene. How is that plant and wanted the car to be a Ford. for being discovered? PHOTO: MOTOR CITY PICTURES LLC The Michigan Film and Digital Media Office (MFDMO) was created in 1979 to assist and attract incoming production companies and to promote the growth of Michigan’s indigenous industry. Since its inception, the MFDMO commissioner has been responsible for implementing a program that lives within the parameters of Michigan law and works to ensure the program runs efficiently and effectively. Today, the MFDMO is working diligently to guarantee the film and digital media program accomplishes key results of private investment and workforce development by encouraging high wages, high-tech jobs and talent retention.

Gran Torino tour is the sole property of the Michigan Film & Digital Media Office. Special thanks to Janet Kasic of Circle Michigan for content creation.

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