By The 1920S, Balboa was a popular location for the Hollywood
moviemakers. Its pristine empty beaches, calm bay waters and the ocean surf were just what
was needed for exotic movie settings, and the Pacific Electric could deliver a flat car
full of equipment from Los Angeles in only an hour. The first major motion picture to be
filmed here was the original 1917 "Cleopatra." A work crew of eighty men
constructed a fleet of 29 full scale, ancient design galleys on the Balboa Peninsula.
After the ships were completed, the cast arrived by Red Car and camped in tents on the
beach.
One Year A W.W.II Army Tank Was Brought In And Run Around On The Beach For A
Commercial To Be Aired In Japan
Local fishermen were used for the more dangerous
rolls such as falling in the water, because most of the actors couldn't swim. For the
grand finale, all the ships except for Cleopatra's were soaked with 5,000 gallons of crude
oil and set ablaze. Cleopatra's ship was crushed to splinters upon the rocks at Rocky
Point.
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You Can Always Find Marty Capune On Location Giving A Hand With The
Production
The old three-master
"Fremont" built in 1852 and declared unseaworthy, was used for the filming of
the original "Treasure Island" in 1919. After returning from a day of shooting
at sea, the Fremont sprang a leak and was cast upon a sandbar at the mouth of the bay by a
large swell. The terrified actors who couldn't swim, were forced to spend the entire night
aboard the Fremont with only a single lantern for light before they could be rescued the
next day. Each tide drove the Fermont higher up on the sandbar and finally, after several
days, she was dynamited. Shots of the explosion were used in movies for years afterwards.
When A Production Crew Hits Town You Will Find Trucks Full Of Equipment
Everywhere
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In
order to do any form of commercial filming, motion pictures or still photos, in the City
of Newport Beach, you are required to utilize the services of the city appointed location
manager, Marty Capune, or as Marty refers to himself, a film liaison.
Here They Are Filming The Fox Production Of Time Share
In any case, Marty has been practicing his trade for over
30 years. His first film was in 1969, with the Disney movie "The Boatnicks,"
which he worked on while in grad school.
Then in 1988 the city started the location manager
requirement. Marty's first city assignment was the Charles Bronson film "The
President's Wife." The original title for this film was "The Assassins,"
but was changed because it was felt the City of Newport Beach would not allow the filming
of a movie by that name.
Dressing Rooms Await The Actors
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