A Major Picture [The Clinton Daily Democrat/Jun 20/1980/US]
A major motion picture - tentatively titled Escape From New York - will use the city of St. Louis for extensive filming in August according to the Missouri Division of Tourism. The announcement followed intensive discussiona and contact between the Division's Motion Picture/TV Film Assistance Unit and representatives of the production company for the movie.
According to Charles Boyd, Tourism Division Director, both the publicity value and the economic impact of hosting the film will be substantial.
"We have been told that the budget on this project may run as high as $7,000,000," noted Boyd.
"Quite a bit less than that will actually be sent locally," he pointed out, "since only about half the filming will take place here and the most common 'rule of thumb' indicates that about ⅓ of the location budget will finally be left in the community."
"However," he concluded, "we're still talking about a sizeable amount of money coming into the state's economy."
"Nearly as important as the economic aspect of filming," added Dean Brooks, Media Coordinator for the Division and its Film Assistance Unit, "is the publicity value involved. The publicity value to others in the film industry is extremely great since it shows our cooperative attitude and diverse backgrounds in the finest possible way. This helps attract other productions since the 'personal' advertising is better than any other ads we could buy. There is also a definite advertising value," he pointed out, "simply in being able to show the public where a certain 'look' was achieved, even if the actual place mentioned is fictional."
In the case of John Carpenter's Escape From New York, the entire plot revolves around the Island of Manhattan, New York, as it has fictionally become by the year 1997. At that time, it is imagined that Manhattan has been converted into a gigantic wall prison with no outsiders allowed in or inmates allowed out. The president's plane crashes onto the island and a life and death mission to recue him must be mounted.
"Of course, I wouldn't give away the plot if I could," noted Brooks, "but anyone familiar with John Carpenter's work know it would be difficult even if I wanted to. It's enough to say that there are fantastic surprises all along the way."
In addition to Carpenter, other noted names involved with the project include cast members Adrienne Barbeau, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Warren Oates, Donald Pleasance and Kurt Russell. It is anticipated that all cast members will be photographed in St. Louis locations.
Although supposedly New York, far in the future, St. Louis was selected by the production company, according to a spokesman, because "the basic look is close enough that camera 'magic' will give the film authenticity and because of the outstanding cooperation we received from Missouri and St. Louis."
Preliminary discussions with city officials and citizens of St. Louis - from Mayor James Conway to individual store owners - have already begun. According to the production company representative, the response all along the way has been positive and far exceeded what was anticipated. "After all," he commented, "we must achieve some really spectacular effects and that requires a tremendous amount of work - and the cooperation that goes with that work."
John Carpenter's Escape From New York is a Debra Hill Production, Produced by Larry Franco and Debra Hill, and is an Avco Embassy Pictures Corp. Release. It will be directed by John Carpenter, whose credits include The Fog and Halloween, as well as Elvis for television. Release is tentatively set for mid-1981.