Behind-the-scenes look at how Ballston Spa
became part of The Way We Were in 1972

BY ANN HAUPRICH

The Hon. Harry W. Seibert, Jr. was a 30-year-old attorney who had only recently established a private legal practice in a modest second floor office on Ballston Spa’s Front Street when he was asked in 1972 to play a vital role in setting the stage for his beloved hometown to become part of a major Hollywood movie co-starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford.

In part due to the popularity of the Way We Were Car Show that was established in 2002, today’s locals and visitors are aware that some unforgettable scenes for the classic movie were filmed 50 autumns ago against backdrops that included settings stretching from O’Brien Pharmacy to The Medbery Inn. The romantic scene during which Redford fastens Streisand’s shoes outside of the latter historic landmark has been a favorite among fans since the film’s release. Millions also enjoy an earlier scene inside of a soda fountain that additionally involves actor Bradford Dillman and another where Streisand walks solo along a sidewalk across from the Post Office and Civil Sam monument.

But during interviews half a century after the cast and crew had transformed part of Ballston Spa into a Hollywood movie set, Seibert – who went on to distinguish himself as a Surrogate Court Judge and an Acting Saratoga County Supreme Court Justice — shared some stellar recollections that are worthy of a behind-the-scenes bonus feature of their very own.

It turns out the village might not have become part of classic motion picture history had Siebert declined to allow his secretary to admit a mysterious stranger into his general law practice when the casually attired young man showed up without an appointment shortly around Labor Day 1972 claiming to represent Columbia Pictures on a matter of great urgency involving a major movie production to be directed by Sydney Pollack.

In hindsight one can understand why Seibert was initially skeptical of the proposition being sprung on him by the unexpected visitor claiming to have recently arrived from Southern California. “I was busy working at my desk in my office above what was then The Style Shop when my secretary Linda Nutting admitted the stranger, who introduced himself as Jack Saunders of Columbia Pictures. He insisted he was an advance man who had been scouting upstate New York locations on behalf of the studio but had unfortunately forgotten to bring along identification to prove his affiliation with the corporation,” recalls Seibert.

“When he told me that Columbia Pictures wanted to retain my services to represent them securing releases from proprietors of Front Street businesses because the exteriors (and in some cases the interiors) of their buildings would be perfect for scenes from the early 1940s, I considered sending him on his way. In fact, I said something along the lines of ‘I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night.’”

Fortunately for Seibert and the entire Village of Ballston Spa, the out-of-towner had an ace up his sleeve in the form of a business card for Columbia Pictures Executive Producer Russ Saunders who confirmed Jack’s credentials and validated the purpose of his mission. “Before I knew it, I was on a long distance call with Russ Saunders in California who explained why I was being invited to serve as a liaison to negotiate with proprietors about possible changes to the appearances of the fronts of their businesses and the need for them to close up shop on the three days and nights when the production company would be on location. “In a matter of a very short time I found myself walking up and down Front Street meeting with merchants and asking how much money they believed would be fair compensation for what they were being asked to do,” recollects Seibert whose non-working hours half a century ago were devoted to joyfully raising two then small children (Harry III and Mary Kathryn “Kit”) with his village school teacher wife Liz.

Among those the now retired octogenarian vividly remembers talking with were Jim O’Brien of O’Brien Pharmacy, Joe Austin at Western Auto, Teddy and Danny DellaPorta at The Medbery and The Thorpes who then ran a popular family-owned variety store across from the Post Office. All were excited, accommodating and supportive of what was being proposed, knowing that their businesses would be backdrops for parts of the movie that was to be directed by Sydney Pollack. In fact, most asked only to receive a few hundred dollars in compensation — a testimonial to their honesty and integrity,” muses Seibert.

When the September air turned crisper than expected, Seibert contacted Louie and Peter Laquidara to secure Salamander space heaters for the production company. The attorney also got in touch with “Cubby” Neville who had a plumbing business when a faucet issue required special attention. “Whatever was needed, everyone was positive and as cooperative as they could be which made the entire experience a lot of fun,” he smiles.

Seibert was also asked to ensure that members of the village’s volunteer fire department and ambulance corps be on standby should any emergencies arise, Seibert consented, but with one stipulation. “I strongly suggested that Columbia Pictures make a donation, a generous donation, to each – which they happily did,” he says.

 

To say Seibert was an eye witness to behind-the-scenes action on the night when Redford fastened Streisand’s shoes would be an understatement. While throngs of villagers were huddled on sidewalks opposite The Medbery, the lawyer was making cherished memories over drinks inside of the historic establishment’s bar with Bradford Dillman. According to Seibert, the famed actor was “swell company” and “a straight arrow” who was “as down-to-earth” as they come. “If Brad was sitting here with us now, you’d think you’d known him forever.”

Redford also made a lasting positive impression when on a different occasion he conversed with Seibert inside of The Medbery, which in those days also boasted a barbershop where stars, co-stars and extras had their hair and make-up done during the Ballston Spa filming event. “I can’t recall if it was Russ or Jack, but one of the Saunders brothers introduced me to Redford and asked if we’d like to be photographed together.’

The resulting picture, which Seibert believes was taken with a Polaroid camera, became a treasured keepsake that he kept under a glass tabletop in his small private law office above a clothing store and in later more spacious ground floor office settings that he occupied during subsequent years as Village Attorney and then in his judicial chambers. “One of my kids used to stop by with friends, point at the photograph of me and Robert Redford and proclaim: ‘That’s my Dad with my Uncle Bobby,’” laughs Seibert.

Other fascinating recollections include a celebratory post-production dinner Seibert and now late wife Liz enjoyed with Russ and Jack Saunders and their wives in a Schenectady restaurant and a subsequent reunion in California when Seibert presented Russ with an engraved ice cream dish from one of the film’s soda fountain scenes. The ice cream dish was but one of several props from The Way We Were that Seibert acquired and had engraved as keepsake gifts for family and friends after Iron Spring Properties, Inc. purchased the Front Street property where Streisand had portrayed a waitress.

Seibert, who by then had landed a more spacious ground floor office on Front Street, insists he never went to a theatre to watch The Way We Were after it was released in 1973. Memories of all he had witnessed firsthand behind-the-scenes before, during and after the filming of scenes in Ballston Spa more than sufficed until the movie first aired television where he could enjoy watching it in the comfort of his own home.

And that’s a wrap! At least for Seibert’s memories of The Way We Were. Others who recently shared cherished recollections include Carl Feathers, who in 1972 was a newlywed residing across the street from The Medbery, and former Ballston Spa Mayor John Romano, who was active behind-the-scenes throughout the now long ago “Hollywood North” experience.

Newlywed couple had a bird’s eye view
of filming from their upstairs apartment

 

When it came to having a bird’s eye view of the filming of a romantic moonlit sidewalk scene between Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford for The Way We Were in September 1972, few could rival that enjoyed by Carl Feathers.

The tiny upstairs apartment where the then 22-year-old village man and his now late wife Faith had months earlier celebrated their first wedding anniversary was situated at 49 Front Street — directly across from The Medbery Inn, which was destined to become immortalized as an unforgettable classic movie backdrop.

”Faith and I had just found out we were expecting a baby and we didn’t think life could get any more exciting,” remembers Feathers. But on the three nights of filming that took place with clear views from both of their front windows of all that was unfolding in the Hollywood North setting below, the couple stayed up until one and sometimes one-thirty in the morning. Sometimes their love nest was filled with strangers who asked if it would be okay if they joined them for a while in catching a glimpse into film history in the making.

“When people nowadays hear that I had to get up by 5:30 a.m. to commute to and from my job at General Electric in Schenectady, they wonder how I did it on so little sleep,” muses Feathers. The answer is surely that his adrenalin had to have been pumping hard – not only from the “Lights, Camera, Action” excitement below, but also from his decision to use a Super 8mm camera to record portions of it.

Most thrilling of all was the occasion when Feathers, whose outgoing personality would in later years earn him the nickname “The Mayor of Malta Avenue” summoned the courage to stroll across the street in between takes to introduce himself to Robert Redford. “He was sitting on a chair that had a six-pack of genuine Piels Beer stashed beneath it while holding a foaming beer mug that was part of the scene where he offers a sip to Streisand’s character.”

“I didn’t know how Redford would react when I struck up a conversation, but he turned out to be a very pleasant person. He was remarkably easy to talk to – definitely NOT a Hollywood snob.” (Streisand wasn’t present at the time.)

A quarter of a century later — while vacationing in Montreal, Quebec– Feathers would meet one of Redford’s co-stars in a movie with a far different plot: Paul Newman. “Ever since then, I’ve been able to tell people that I met both Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid,” beams Feathers, adding that Newman also proved to be an approachable and genuinely good-humored individual who made fans feel comfortable in his presence.

John Romano shares memories
of being a night watchman when
The Way We Were cast and crew
came to village half a century ago

The following story shines the spotlight on some of former longtime Ballston Spa Mayor John Romano’s most treasured memories of the making of parts of The Way We Were. At the time the movie for which the village’s annual autumn car show would later be named was being filmed in 1972, Romano was best known as the proprietor of a popular tavern on Front Street.

It has oft been reported that a key reason Ballston Spa was chosen as the backdrop for the filming of some memorable scenes from the now classic film “The Way We Were” is that the main drag still looked much the same in 1972 as it did during the Depression.

Normally that would not be taken as a compliment, but in this case, it was something for which village fathers of the 1960s deserved a standing ovation, insists John Romano. “The Village of Ballston Spa was extremely fortunate that it had people around to fight the urge to give in to urban renewal. Where others were clamoring to tear down everything old that needed work, Mayor William Kelley fought to keep the historic treasures that we had in place.

While some notable gems were lost along the way, Romano notes “most of the downtown is intact today because of folks like the Kelleys. Indeed the Front Street along which “The Way We Were” co-stars Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand walked decades ago has changed little since.

The greatest change the cast and crew would notice if they made encore appearances today would be that The Medbery Inn – where Redford fastened Streisand’s shoelaces in a romantic moonlit scene – has been lavishly refurbished. Porter’s – where the character portrayed by Streisand waits on a table of Ivy League characters including a young Redford – has also been transformed from a soda fountain that catered local teens to a professional office setting. But it’s what Romano observed while working behind-the-scenes as a night watchman that’s worth the price of admission!

“The dressing trailers for Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand were parked in the back of The Medbery,” explains Romano who hired someone to fill in for him in the evenings at the tavern while the parts of the movie were being shot along Front Street. Rather than tending bar, Romano says he “got paid to meet Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand.” Although Streisand kept largely to herself, Romano says both Redford and actor Bradford Dillman had no qualms about mingling with the commoners. “During downtime on the set, we would congregate in a garage owned by The Medbery and bounce a ball in a cup to pass the time. I remember Robert Redford and Bradford Dillman watching the games. They struck me as being just a couple of regular guys.” Romano adds Redford was always gracious, taking time to talk to everyone who approached him – as did Dillman.”

PARTING NOTE – More memories of what went on behind-the-scenes during the filming of The Way We Were will be showcased in a book by Ann Hauprich to be published in 2023.