Schroon Lake’s Brushes With Hollywood
/Schroon Lake this week had its 15 seconds of fame, when the nationally syndicated TV quiz show Jeopardy, featured us in a question about Adirondack chairs. Out of all of the towns in the Adirondacks, the producers chose to mention us. But it’s not the first time Schroon has been featured on the big or small screen. So here are the Top Five moments when Schroon’s star shined.
5. Jeopardy, June 3, 2012. When Alex Trebek asked the above question Schroon fans across the nation went wild on Facebook and Twitter -- and the above screen grab -- first captured by Adam Friedman -- went viral.
4. Dodge Journey Commercial, September, 2011. Dodge ran a series of commercials -- with clues – as they gave away a new Dodge Journey in an elaborate clue scavenger hunt. Schroon Lake was one of the clues, when game players were led here with the following clue, read by an announcer:
With available seating for 7, the Dodge Journey could comfortably carry all your friends and their gear after you all finish the marathon, known as the most beautiful 26 miles 385 yards you’ll ever run. (Sadly the ad is no longer available – only the above screen grab) . The Journey was not found in Schroon, but in Maine.
3. Adirondack Holiday, Tourist Film. A Kenneth Rickter Production. 1960s. This is an amazing piece of North Country and Essex County history, forever immortalized in this black and white travel film. "It reminds me of Switzerland" is a line from the film's narrator, describing the view from White Face. And he uses the same line again, to describe our beloved Schroon Lake, at approximately 6 minutes and 52 seconds into the film. "One of the most beautiful that dot the Adirondack Landscape (he says referring to the lake). He continues: “...a handsome park, everything neatly planned, so our young friends here can concentrate on having a good time. The town has provided a public bathhouse where you can change for sunbathing on the municipal beach or swimming in the lake"
There are scenes of the town fountain, the park, the beach and a nice sequence featuring two water skiers shot in front of what appears to be the Word Of Life Dock..
2. All In The Family, CBS Television, January 15, 1972. In this episode, titled “Archie And The FBI”, we learn that Archie Bunker, America’s favorite bigot, fished Schroon Lake. That's according to one of Archie's neighbors, Larry Grundy. You can see the Schroon Lake reference about 7 minutes into the video.
The storyline in the episode involves Archie getting a visit from an FBI agent, who is checking up on Archie’s neighbor Larry Grundy. Or is he? When Larry finds out he is being investigated, he wants to make sure that Archie is going to put in a good word for him. Larry reminds Archie about the good times the two have shared. Says Larry:
"What, are ya turning on me? You’re not forgetting best buddies, are ya? All them times fishing together, ya know on Schroon Lake and Sheepshead Bay on my uncle’s boat."
1. Majorie Morningstar. 1958. Filmed on location on Schroon Lake, Scaroon Manor and Camp Cayuga.The film starred a very young Natalie Wood, Gene Kelly and Carolyn Jones. Dozens of locals were employed as extras on the film, including long time Schroon Laker Janet Friedman. Camp Cayuga was used as the fictional Camp Tamarack. The central plot of the film unfolds while Natalie’s character Marjorie Morgenstern is supposed to be working as a drama counselor at Tamarack. Instead, she’s off falling for 32-year-old Noel Airman, a would-be dramatist working at a nearby summer theater in a resort (Scaroon Manor)
Like Marjorie, he is an upper-middle-class New York Jew (born 'Ehrman'), but has fallen away from his roots, and Marjorie's parents object among other things to his lack of a suitable profession, such as medicine or law. Noel himself warns Marjorie repeatedly that she's much too naive and conventional for him, but they nonetheless fall in love.
Did we miss a production? Tell us in comments.
