Hollywood Studio Magazine (November 1969)

IRENE’S BAR-WOW ! By Lew Dyer Orrick, Mo. - Along the Lewis and Clark Trail on the north side of the Missouri River lies this small town of a thousand inhabitants, most of whom engage in farming for the principal means of support. For two weeks the town has been abuzz with excitement. And for good reason. One block of its main street, which extends for some five blocks, completely was taken over by Solar Productions’ “Adam at Six A.M.,” a motion picture for Cinema Center Films starring Michael Douglas and Lee Purcell. Oldsters came out to see what was going on, as did school-children when schools were let out. And all of the ruckus created by the townsfolk and Missouri State Highway Patrolmen stopping traffic as filming was accomplished seemed to be what the town wanted. The town is 100 years old this year. But the town fathers decided against a Centennial celebration. Thus, the filming is something that Orrick residents will remember as a secondary type of celebration. When Producers Rick Rosenberg and Robert Christiansen, along with Director Robert Scheerer, canvassed the area around Excelsior Springs, Mo., for location sites of “Adam,” Orrick seemed to represent the typical town they needed for the filming. With the help of writers Stephen and Elinor Karpf, who had previous knowledge of the area, the producers settled on Orrick and Irene’s bar — renamed Cleo’s Bar and Grille in the script — for some of the film’s key scenes. “Gosh, it’s almost unbelievable,” said Michael Douglas as he looked over Orrick’s Main Street. “And the inside of Cleo’s bar. You simply have to see it to believe it.” Irene Greer, owner of the beer parlor, was one happy person. Not only was her establishment used for the film, but she got to work in a couple of the scenes. “The people in Orrick are pleased with all of you,” she told Marge Redmond, who co-stars in the role of Cleo, the bar mistress. “Most of them had heard all the wild stories about Hollywood people and were a bit apprehensive. But you know something — they’re all pleased as punch you are here. And now they know that some of those tall tales they’ve heard about movie people are not true.” Coming from Irene, this is pleasing to the production executives. Solar executive Jack N. Reddish said: “After all, we took her place over for two weeks, wrecked her pool-playing area and demolished her gents’ room. She should be mad at us rather than happy.” “I don’t mind them wrecking the place,” Irene said. “I’m proud to say that ‘Adam at Six A.M.’ was filmed here. And as for my business, they’re all wanting to come back in the moment the filming is finished. They’ve been coming by anyhow and we’ve been handing beer to some of them out the back door.” “People from Richmond, Henrietta, Camden, Fleming, Liberty, Missouri City, as well as Excelsior Springs and Kansas City have shown up here,” Irene said. “One friend from KC whom I hadn’t seen in seven years showed up to see the filming. So the whole thing has done nothing but good for us.” “Adam at Six A.M.” is filming on locations in western Missouri for about six weeks, with the production company being based in Excelsior Springs. SEAFOOD HOUSE 5 " <^CuncheonA 2 inne 4100 Riverside Drive TH 5-3743 Toluca Lake — Burbank VI-9-5402 Featuring ★ Sorrentino's REGENCY ROOM jl ,» FOR BANQUETS . . . WEDDING RECEPT'ONS OR THAT SPECIAL DINNER DANCE TELEPHONE 845-3743 - 849-5402 769-2422 S ,T7/ L Page 31