At the movies as Hollywood sets up

MOST of York was oblivious.

Throngs of shoppers in Coney Street got on with the important business of grumbling that it was too hot. Outside Fenwick's, one little boy had got his bungee rope in a twist on the trampolines.

If you avoided the riverside yesterday, there was little evidence that Tinseltown had come to our town.

But those who looked carefully would have spotted the sudden appearance of two old-fashioned red telephone boxes next to Castle Chambers, opposite Cumberland Street. Nothing to do with BT, as the note in the window revealed: "Garfield Production Ltd. Set: London. 3/3".

That was the first sign that you were getting close to a Hollywood film set. More evidence was nearby: a couple of streets leading down to the riverside were coned off, with police directing traffic away. A lorry parked down Cumberland Street bore the legend: "Action Cars. Prop vehicle supplier to the film and TV industry."

Those who followed these clues to King's Staith discovered that York had made it into the movies. Here was all the paraphernalia of filmmaking: trucks of equipment, a sound mixing desk, picture monitors and an unwieldy camera fixed to what looked like a souped-up version of the buggies you can hire from Shopmobility.

Under an awning was some rather modest catering, offering tea, coffee and Pringles, and vying for business with the ice cream shack next door.

Various technical bods were coping manfully with York's olde worlde charm. One rigger, whose impressive toolbelt would have sent Bob The Builder into a spasm of envy, did well to stop a giant spotlight from toppling over as he steered it along the cobbles.

Many York folk took this unusual scene in their stride. Drinkers at the Kings Arms pub sat in the sunshine enjoying their pint of Sam Smith's taking not a blind bit of notice.

Others, once they stumbled on the set, stayed to watch filming in action. It was an incongruous mix: York drinkers, tourists and a movie crew, some from London and others from Los Angeles. Yet everyone mingled rather happily.

A woman sporting a fine pink hat arrived, and was scrutinised by the crowd. Was she someone famous? What part is she playing? Then it dawned: she was off to York Races.

As soon as they were ready to shoot a scene, the call would go out: "Quiet please!". And that was the cue for three guys nursing pints to loudly shush a Red Boat chugging along the Ouse.

In between takes, new bystanders would be brought up to speed. "Is it a cowboy picture?" one man asked hopefully.

Everyone tried not to look too disappointed when told the name of the film: Garfield 2.

"I thought the first one was a bit of a flop," said one woman, looking nonplussed. Her belief turns out to be untrue. The 2004 celluloid outing for Garfield, Jim Davis's hugely popular comic strip cat, may not have attracted critical acclaim. But it did make money: $75 million on a $50 million budget, apparently. Hence the sequel.

And Garfield 2 has attracted some big names. One time Ghostbuster Bill Murray has been signed up to voice the fat ginger moggie again, while Breckin Meyer and Jennifer Love Hewitt are back as the cat's owners.

The sequel also features Billy Connolly as Lord Dargis (or possibly Lord Carlyle), an English aristocrat who cat-naps Garfield and brings him to his stately pile, as portrayed by Castle Howard. Lucy Davis, famous as Dawn Tinsley in The Office, plays Abby Westminster, "a fashionable professional who has been brought in to try and trap Lord Dargis into revealing his evil plans", according to comingsoon.net.

Needless to say, none of these famous faces could be seen messing about on York's riverside. Except Garfield.

In fact, there were two Garfields. The first was a stuffed version of the lasagne-loving feline, complete with hooded eyelids and smug expression, and glued to a red board.

The other was a black, vaguely cat-shaped mannequin, with two bits of green tape for eyes. It is this dummy that the actors talk to, stroke, feed and carry around during scenes. The computer animated Garfield will be added later.

It is a weird business but one which actor Ian Abercrombie took in his stride. The scene they were filming in King Street saw Ian, who plays Billy Connolly's butler in the movie, chancing upon Garfield in a London street (rather like in the film Elizabeth, York is pretending to be London).

A member of the film crew stands in for Bill Murray, shouting out Garfield's lines. But the scene is in danger of being stolen by the car: a beautiful black Rolls Royce Phantom, one of only two in the country, we're told.

It takes a painstakingly long time to set up each shot. When it is time for action, the call goes up: "Quiet please!", and a group of lads nursing pints loudly shush the chap chugging along the Ouse in a Red Boat.

At one point, York town crier John Redpath pops by. He is a veteran of some 500 TV appearances. "The trick is," he says, conspiratorially, "if you want to be in the film, ignore them completely.

"If I went up to them and pestered them, they wouldn't want to know. If I stand in the background, there's more of a chance.

"It works. Even on Look North."

Apart from an hour's break for lunch, the crew were filming all day. And the end result will be perhaps one minute in the finished picture, due for release next summer. But co-producer Brian Manis says a location like this will lift the movie.

"We had been looking all over London for some time," he said. "This is a charming town.

"It brings reality, it brings production value. You look down the street, a beautiful cobbled street with beautiful old buildings, and you really believe that Garfield is in a foreign land, you feel like he's in England."

He is looking forward to shooting at Castle Howard. "It's spectacular. We saw a lot of castles. But it matches our interiors in America. It's a beautiful location."

And have the good folk of York been treating him well? "We love you guys! We've had a great response - it's a great town!"

Inside the Kings Arms, landlord Mike Hartley is refusing to be excited by the fact his pub has become a Hollywood backdrop. "It's no different to the local media. Just a big pain," he says deadpan.

This nonchalance is understandable: pictures of his pub are flashed around the world's televisions every time the Ouse breaks its banks. And it was filmed recently during a BBC documentary about the Marchioness disaster (York doubling for London again).

He has yet to serve any of the stars. "Billy Connolly has been walking around here, but I haven't spoken to him yet," says Mike. "If he calls in, he can have as much as he can drink."

The Big Yin is, of course, a well known teetotaller.

Would Mike be tempted if they offered him a part in the Garfield 2? "No. I have been on Sky News and all that," he says.

"Unless they want me to be the cat," he adds, with a sly grin. "I know what tom cats get up to."

:: York in the movies

Elizabeth - Cate Blanchett was crowned the Virgin Queen in York Minster back in 1997, with future Dr Who Christopher Eccleston in attendance. The Minster was used to represent Westminster Abbey because it was devoid of much of the Victoriana found in the London cathedral. A first floor gallery was added to the Minster afterwards to make it more authentic. Lord Attenborough directed, and didn't blub once

Loch Ness - Ted Danson played a scientist tracking down the Scottish lake monster in this 1996 movie. Some of the filming took place on a train running up and down the line near York and the man who played Sam in sitcom cheers was happy to pose for pictures on the railway platform

Near misses

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory - we reported in March 2004 rumours that Johnny Depp would come to play Willy Wonka at Rowntree's. He didn't, but the film was very good anyway

Addict - as long ago as 1999 we reported that this gritty movie, based on the biography of former drug addict Stephen Smith, could be partly filmed on the Bell Farm Estate in York. Earlier this year, there was talk that the movie had been resurrected, and shooting would take place in September. Watch this space...

Updated: 08:46 Thursday, September 01, 2005