Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1514626
I had done Martin Luther King's Atlanta home once before on All the Way, so it was an interesting exercise to do it again. Based on research, I was very pleased to find an even better location this time around. The homeowner was beginning a renovation herself, so there was no contemporary kitchen to deal with and the perfect bones of the house were untouched. The only issue was an awkward addition from the 1930s that divided the house for two families, interrupting the entrance and blocking the front stair. She planned to have it removed and was thrilled that we did it for her. One of the more memorable and meaningful experiences on the film occurred during our installation of storefronts for a commercial street in Harlem—the block adjacent to our Ma Rainey corner. The location had a good run of empty shops and was ready for all our signage, neons and set dressing. We had a pharmacy, shoe store, pork store, beauty salon and apothecary. George wanted to anchor the street with the landmark Harlem African National Memorial Bookstore, also known as the "House of Common Sense and the Home of Proper Propaganda." It was an important reading room for the civil rights gatherings, and full of specific character. Karen had her hands full designing the copious signage for this one set, in additional to all the others. The billboard of the sign that hung over the front door was lined with distinctive and primitive portraits of the leaders of African states. Replicating and clearing them would be an issue, but Karen had the great idea to employ Joanna Bush, who had already done the concept illustrations for the show. Joanna created beautiful new versions of these portraits and the whole thing was printed on sheet metal so we could bang up the corners just so. While dressing the bookstore, a man walked up, stood in front and just stared at it. Finally, he asked, "What is this doing here?" I told him that we were preparing for a movie and started to explain to him what the store was. He replied that he knew what it was, but still couldn't comprehend that it was here in Pittsburgh. "But what is it doing HERE?" He started telling me everything about the store, including that political activist Marcus Garvey would speak there. "I know. There he is," I said as I pointed to Joanna's illustration of him high in the sign. Tears welled in his eyes as he told me he knew A. MARCH HEADQUARTERS THIRD FLOOR. SET BUILT ON STAGE. SET PHOTO. B. WAR RESISTERS LEAGUE OFFICE. SET PHOTO. C. NAACP OFFICE. SET BUILT ON STAGE. SET PHOTO. D. MARTIN LUTHER KING'S HOME. SET PHOTO. E. MARTIN LUTHER KING'S HOME. SAMPLE BOARD. F. HARLEM STREET AND BOOKSHOP. ILLUSTRATION BY JOANNA BUSH. G. HARLEM STREET AND BOOKSHOP. SET PHOTO OF PITTSBURGH LOCATION. F G