Brooklyn-South Square tunes in as ‘The 24th’ continues filming
Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 27, 2019
Tom McDaniel sits on his front porch on East Fisher Street on Wednesday afternoon. Production crews for 'The 24th' told him that would be filming on his street later in the evening. Jon C. Lakey/Salisbury Post
Some roads were closed during filming of "The 24th." Bernadine Hernanadez/Salisbury Post
Patt Legg watches as a scene for "The 24th" is filmed on her street. Bernadine Hernandez/Salisbury Post
A utility pole on Bank Street was wrapped in burlap to help disguise the out-of-period item that might show up in a scene. Jon C. Lakey/Salisbury Post
Jacquelin Barr stands on the front porch of her Bank Street home recounting watching horses running past her house and the empty lot next door for filming of the movie "The 24th." Jon C. Lakey/Salisbury Post
Patt Legg and Rhonda Bivins watch as extras playing soldiers set up for a scene for the movie "The 24th" in 2019 in Salisbury. Salisbury Post File Photo
SALISBURY — Residents of the Brooklyn-South Square Historic District have been enjoying the transformation of their neighborhood back to 1917 this week.
“The 24th” has been filming in Salisbury for two weeks. The movie is based on the Houston riot of 1917 in which multiple people were killed after a disagreement between members of the all-black Army’s 24th Infantry Regiment and the Houston Police Department. The overnight riot resulted in 20 deaths, and the murder trial was the largest in U.S. history.
This week, residents of East Bank Street watched the filming, some venturing out on their porches or on the sidewalks as scenes depicting a horse chase and the first night of rioting were filmed.
Resident Jacquelin Barr said she watched goings-on from her porch.
“The process is very laborious,” Barr said. “It didn’t dawn on me until I saw the process.”
Barr said she fully enjoyed watching. The crew and cast were friendly. At one point, she watched the producer’s dog in her yard.
Barr said the filming didn’t affect her daily routine, but she was asked to take down her flags and wind chimes during the shooting. Crew members also warned her about a shooting scene that would require the sound of gunfire.
Film crews have talked to residents about the filming, asked for permission to use driveways and parts of neighborhood yards or requested that items not of the time period in which the movie is occurring be moved.
The Minton family is one affected by the film, which led to an opportunity for son Jakob.
Minton, who is a sophomore majoring in broadcasting at Appalachian State University, is now getting experience for his future career. He was hired as a location production assistant and is on set helping with anything from quieting barking dogs to turning air conditioning on and off on the set.
Jakob’s mom, Amy Minton, said Jakob texted saying he felt like God is giving the cast relief from the heat by turning on the A/C.
Jakob said told the Post he is grateful for the experience. Jakob said it takes the full passion of everyone on set to make the film possible. He joined the crew this week and is part of a team that worked until 4 a.m. one morning.
“It’s nice to be a part of it,” he said.
Jakob said he plans to buy a copy when the film comes out and he’s likely to get a credit.
The Mintons moved to Salisbury last year from Texas and are familiar with Houston, where the riot happened more than 100 years ago.
“It’s interesting to come here and have a movie about Texas being shot,” Amy Minton said.
She pointed out some differences in the landscape; there are more hills in Salisbury and more green plants. It’s certainly cooler, she said.
Resident Pam Brogan-Hartley said she peered out of her window during filming but decided not to go on her porch to avoid being a distraction.
Brogan-Hartley said she has enjoyed seeing the area transform to a historical time and how the crew worked around modern features such as putting burlap around telephone poles so they look like trees and parking old Model T Fords in front of vehicles that crews couldn’t get moved ahead of filming.
Brogan-Hartley said she hopes “The 24th” will encourage other filmmakers to appreciate the historic nature of Salisbury and choose to film here. She also encouraged her neighbors to maintain their homes since some will be in the background of the movie. She said filming is good for the local economy.
Tom McDaniel, who said he watched some of the filming because he was “being nosy,” also was impressed with the crew’s work.
“They’ve got it all figured out,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said he hadn’t heard about the riots until filming was announced. And Brogan-Hartley said the filming has inspired her to look into the history of the Houston riots.
“It’s a story that needs to be told,” Amy Minton added.
Patt Legg also was on her porch Wednesday night — the for riot scenes — as filming started. Legg said she has been bouncing “from window to window to porch to window” watching. She joked she should throw a viewing party.
“It’s right on my street,” Legg said. “I could not resist.”
Brogan-Hartley said she looks forward to the movie coming out and she hopes there’s a local viewing for “The 24th.”
Today is the last day of filming. Road closures will be on Bank Street, from Main to South Long streets, and South Lee Street, from East Horah to East Fisher streets, from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m.
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