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Travel/Advice/Books INSIDE : Anniversary/D4 D Special Activities/D4 Sunday News-Register Antiques/D5 Calendar/D6 FEBRUARY 28, 2016 LIFE Grapevine LINDA COMINS Local Author Envisions Earlier City Lights, Camera ... While Wheeling Mayor Andy McKenzie was giving his “State of the City” address at noon Tues - day, Wheeling resident Chuck Wood was in a different place sharing his take on the town of 166 years ago. ACTION! Wood spoke at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library and read excerpts from his new novel, “Wheeling 1850.” A scientist and fan of historical fic - tion, Wood said he takes inspira - tion from author Anne Perry whose books “combine good sto - rytelling about social issues and people doing interesting things with a murder mystery.” His unpublished novel also is a murder mystery, set in a time when Wheeling was booming and growing, with construction under - way throughout the city. It was, he pointed out, an earlier era when Wheeling was reinventing itself. The main characters of Wood’s book are Henry Russell, a profes - sor at the fictional Zane College in File and AP Photos Wheeling, and his 20-year-old The Bellaire Bridge is seen as shown in the motion picture “The Silence of the Lambs.” Inset, clockwise from top left, are daughter, Athena. Mixing histori - movie posters from “Fools’ Parade,” “Out of the Furnace,” “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Reckless.” All of these films cal figures with made-up people, had scenes shot on location in the Ohio Valley. the author creates a friendship between Athena and the future real-life author, Rebecca Harding (later Davis). Lydia Boggs Shep - herd Cruger and U.S. Sen. On Location in the Ohio Valley Henry Clay also figure into the novel, as does Ralph Waldo Movie Buffs Look Back on Films That Brought Hollywood to Our Backyard Emerson , who never actually vis - By ERIC AYRES ited Wheeling. Staff Writer In the novel, the murder vic - The history of the Ohio Valley over the tim’s body is found in Wetzel’s past century has its fair share of star-stud - Cave, one of several actual sites ded twists and turns, all of which have mentioned in the manuscript. been preserved forever on celluloid. Wood said he consulted other The area’s occasional brushes with Hol - publications, including the well- lywood always have stirred a fierce inter - known “History of the Pan-Han - est among local movie lovers and star- dle,” Davis’ books, city directo - struck fans. This month’s Winter Lecture ries, booklets and Harper’s maga - Series at the Bellaire Public Library zines, to capture elements of real rewound the highlight reel of the area’s life in the period. most notable moments that made it to the Wood said his writing explores silver screen, and the topic drew a com - many themes, such as slavery, munity room full of these fanatics, former women’s rights, immigrants’ extras and the simply curious. issues, cholera outbreaks, new Acclaimed producers and directors Michael Keaton and Gedde Watanabe, above, technology, science, astronomy from Steven Spielberg and J.J. Abrams to appear in the 1986 movie “Gung Ho” directed and romance. “Just like we are by Ron Howard with scenes shot in Shadyside. immersed in great technological Ron Howard and Chris Columbus have worked on location in the area, as have At left, Denzel Washington is shown in this advances, so were the people in promotional photo for the 2010 film 1850,” he observed. big-name stars like Jimmy Stewart, Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Michael Keaton, “Unstoppable,” which had several scenes The author began work on the filmed in Bellaire. novel in 2013 and completed the Kurt Russell, Christopher Walken, Daryl Hannah, Denzel Washington and Chris - first draft this past summer. He AP Photos hasn’t found a publisher for the tian Bale. book yet, so he may resort to Jay Morris, director of media and printing copies on demand. instructor of film courses at Ohio Univer - that there were at one time no fewer than list whatsoever. Just the highlights.” Wood has started writing his sity Eastern, conducted the presentation 11 movie theaters located within a two- Among the earliest major motion pic - second novel, “Wheeling 1852: “Movies Made in the Ohio Valley and block area of the city. When he was later ture studio films shot locally was Para - The Man in the Mound,” a murder Western Pennsylvania.” For more than 20 asked to head the lecture on films shot on mount’s 1925 silent-era film “Stage mystery in which a body is found years at the university, Morris has taught location in the area, his research into the Struck” starring Gloria Swanson. “It was in a South Wheeling burial mound. film courses, including those focusing on local history brought into focus a wealth of shot almost completely in New Mar - ∫∫∫ world history in film, American cinema, interesting movie-related facts. tinsville, and was one of the first ever shot The family of Wheeling cente - sports films and horror films. The Bellaire Public Library, set near the in Technicolor,” Morris noted. narian William S. “Bill” Hannig “My love for films and film history on-location crossroads of the fictional A seasoned Jimmy Stewart and a young — who was profiled in last started in horror films, back with Chiller movie towns of Belvedere, Ohio (“The Kurt Russell starred in the 1971 comedy- week’s Sunday News-Register — Theatre,” Morris said, recalling the late Silence of the Lambs”) and Stanton, Pa. drama “Fools’ Parade,” which was filmed has been notified by representa - night horror and science fiction movie pro - (“Unstoppable”), served as the perfect almost entirely in Moundsville. Morris tives of NBC’s “Today Show” gram that aired in the Pittsburgh-area until backdrop for the presentation. said much of the filming had to be done in that Hannig will be featured in the early 1980s. “What I love most about “It was really fun to learn more about short segments because Stewart’s charac - weatherman Al Roker ’s salute to teaching film courses is the discussion we these films,” he said. Morris presented ter had a glass eye, and the prosthetic 100-year-olds. have about films.” short film clips and accompanying details bothered the actor so much, he had to take The “Today” officials would not Morris said he learned during a discus - from many motion pictures with scenes breaks from it between shots. commit to a certain date because sion at a recent film lecture in Wheeling shot locally. “This is not a comprehensive Please see Movies, Page D2 Please see Grapevine , Page D2 Five Places in L.A. to Soak Up Oscars Vibes By SOLVEJ SCHOU Associated Press LOS ANGELES — It’s Oscar season in Los Angeles. With the 88th annual Academy Awards scheduled for tonight, here are five places in L.A. to The Arclight soak up those glitzy Oscars Hollywood, a vibes. massive movie THE PENINSULA theater that BEVERLY HILLS includes the The Peninsula Beverly Hills Cinerama Dome, hotel is known as the ultra-luxe has hosted oodles stay for Oscar nominees. While of Hollywood film the hotel won’t name names, premieres and is a Kate Winslet and Cate great place to soak Blanchett have stayed there, up Oscars vibes. and Oscar winners Anne Hath - away and Reese Witherspoon have been spotted there. VIP AP Photo guests get personally mono - grammed —yes, mono - pet Ready” package of person - grammed — pillowcases. al training sessions and spa For those who can afford treatments, including a body some true Oscars-worthy pam - scrub with detox wrap. The pering, the hotel offers services total cost? A cool $3,000. such as a week-long “Red Car - Please see Vibes , Page D2 D2 – SUNDAY NEWS-REGISTER – Wheeling, W.Va. LIFE Sunday, February 28, 2016 MOVIES Continued from Page D1 Movie Jim Strope of Glen Dale, who was on hand during the recent lec - Making ture, worked as an extra in the film. “We lived in Moundsville,” Strope said. “I was a freshman in Hot Spot college at the time. My dad, mom ... we all were there during film - Pittsburgh Area ing. I remember the stars sat down and ate with everybody. It was Provides Popular very exciting.” “Fool’s Parade” was based on a Setting for Films book of the same name written by Several major motion pictures Davis Grubb, who was a native of with scenes filmed on location in the Ohio Valley have also used Moundsville. Above left, director J.J. locations in Pittsburgh and other The 1978 war classic “The Abrams on the set of Western Pennsylvania sites for Deer Hunter” starring Robert De “Super 8” in Weirton, and shoots. In fact, Ohio Valley’s Niro, Christopher Walken and at right, a scene from the most notable movies such as Meryl Streep was one of the most 2011 movie “Super 8.” At “The Deer Hunter” to “Gung critically acclaimed movies filmed left, a scene from the 1978 Ho,” “Out of the Furnace,” locally. The film captured five film “The Deer Hunter” “Unstoppable” and “Silence of Academy Awards in 1979, shot in Mingo Junction. the Lambs” all had a consider - including awards for Best Picture, Below, Bellaire historian able number of scenes shot at Best Director (Michael Cimino) Dan Frizzi and Ohio Western Pennsylvania locations. and Best Supporting Actor University Eastern film The following is a list high - (Walken). Many scenes with steel studies instructor Jay lighting other memorable movies mill backdrops were filmed in Morris address the crowd that were not filmed locally in Mingo Junction and Weirton.