Aliens in the Outfield

Spielberg and Cruise may do more for use of field than first agreed.

By Al Sullivan
Reporter senior staff writer

The makers of the film War of the Worlds have agreed to fix field and provide upgrades to the Little League field use for the construction of a gas station, said City Attorney Jay Coffey last week.

In a performance that gave new meaning to the concept of a world series, the filming of the blockbuster film was concluded in slightly under two weeks in November, the construction of the gas station and its later demolition took months, with most of the removal work just recently concluded. While invaders from Mars may have been able to play on the field as it exists, reconstruction must be done before Little League ballplayers take the field on opening day in late April.

With tire tracks across the in field and a mud patch taking most of center field and all of left field, representatives of Paramount Studios will rebuild the field better than it was, Coffey said last week.

The original agreement for use of the city's little league field called for Paramount to pay the city $125,000 to allow the company to build a gas station for Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise's film War of the World.

Spielberg duplicated Harrington's Auto Repair and Service Station located three blocks away from the Bayonne Bridge. Spielberg, who apparently wanted the building to include the back drop of the bridge, had intended to blow it up as part of the production. Where there were plenty of pyrotechnics used during the November shoot, the building remained in tact because of objections raised by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey over a possible risk to the bridge and possible problems with underground utilities.

The set, which was recently torn down, was part of a week-long shoot that will be featured in the upcoming trailer expected to be unveiled at the Super Bowl halftime, staring Tom Cruise as the hero of the film.

Coffey said Spielberg also originally agreed to put up $25,000 into a special account to cover possible environment work that might be needed after the station was demolished and Gene Klumpp Field on First Street and Kennedy Boulevard is restored. But Coffey said the company has asked to do more, including the construction of a new World of the World's Score board, the installation of new toilet facilities so that kids won't have to cross the busy streets during the games, and construction of new bleachers.

Coffey said Paramount will also replace a light pole that was torn down during construction, and will install a press box, as well as provide new sod for the field which was paved over in order to duplicate the gas station.

"They promised to make the new field equal to or better than the one they torn down," Coffey said. "With what they are proposing, this field will be better."

The reconstruction of the field will begin as soon as possible in anticipation of the Little League season that will begin on the third weekend in April.

"They are very anxious to have it ready in time for the kids to play on," Coffey said.

Filming for the Bayonne part of the movie was conducted in the first two weeks of November, and featured chase scenes along several Bayonne Streets and backyards. One block of houses served as the center stage for the film, and one house on the first block up from the Little League Field was used extensively as the main character's home. This home was reproduced in sound stages on the nearby former Military Ocean Terminal where Spielberg apparently filmed many of the indoor action scenes.

The city - under the supervision of the Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority - owns and leases professional movie studios which Paramount rented initially for about $285,000, then later extended their lease for a month in case some of the scenes had to be re-filmed. The sets apparently will be struck and transported back to California shortly.

Paying to keep quiet

Meanwhile, Paramount Productions has agreed to pay half the cost of rerouting trucks during November and December filming at the studios located at the former Military Ocean Terminal.

Nancy Kist, executive director of the Bayonne, said shipments of fill designated for part of the redevelopment of the peninsula were rerouted in order to reduce the noise levels during filming.

The shipments had been scheduled for September prior to the start of filming, but because some of the fill was rejected as unsuitable, shipments of fill arrived later during filming.

"I'm not happy about being forced to pay for rerouting," she said.

The rerouting around the film set cost the BLRA an addition $11,142, half of which Paramount has agreed to pay.

"One of the reasons production companies like Paramount like working here in Bayonne is because we are willing to accommodate their needs," she said, pointing to the efforts the city made last year to help allow Steven Spielberg and Paramount to film near the foot of the Bayonne Bridge.

"Our City Attorney (Coffey) helped negotiate with the Port Authority (of NY and NJ) to get permission to build the gas station there," Kist said.

At the BLRA meeting on Nov. 18, the members voted ratifying Kist in approving the change or allocating the additional money to Clean Earth Remediation and Construction Services. They also passed the second resolution that accepted half payment from Paramount Pictures.

In other movie related business, the BLRA also to update its resolution for the use of the movie studios by Pickup Productions, Inc., which used the facilities to film parts of Carlito's Way: the Beginning during a period from Dec. 2 to Dec. 19 at a fee of $28,500.