Norwood Sports Center Backdrop In Upcoming Film-July 18, 2012

On July 18, 2012, the Norwood Sports Center served as the cinematic backdrop for a production crew filming scenes for the feature film “Labor Day,” directed by Jason Reitman.

The Norwood Sports Center, which first opened its doors on October 3, 1940, has long been a fixture of the local community. According to facility manager Ann McGuire, the crew selected the alley for its authentic atmosphere, as the production team required a setting that accurately reflected a bowling alley as it would have appeared in 1969.

Ann McGuire noted that the facility is unique among local candlepin venues; while many historic alleys were installed in the basements of existing structures, the Norwood Sports Center was constructed specifically to serve as a bowling facility. Her father, Charles Kuietauskas Sr., has frequently recounted that it was the first building in the area built with that singular purpose in mind.

To transform the contemporary bowling alley into a period-accurate set, the film crew undertook several cosmetic modifications. Lighting fixtures were replaced, modern computer scoring monitors were removed, and the electronic score desks featuring keypads were strategically hidden.

The production designers also utilized a vintage resource discovered on-site: a box of nearly half-century-old Rydell bowling shoes. Ann McGuire, who began working at the center in 1975, noted that these shoes had been part of the facility’s inventory since she started, and although the brand Rydell no longer exists, the equipment remained in remarkably good condition compared to modern alternatives.

The process of securing the location began months earlier in March, when production scouts first contacted the facility. After multiple rounds of site photography, the crew ultimately determined that the Norwood Sports Center was the ideal location for the scene.

The presence of the film crew generated significant excitement among both the management and neighboring businesses. Ann McGuire expressed her enthusiasm for the project, stating, “I’m going to buy the movie when it comes out on DVD. If I ever have grandchildren and this place isn’t here anymore, I can show them and say that is where your grandmother worked. It was in a movie.” She also hoped to secure an autograph from lead actors Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet on a bowling pin to display in the alley’s window. Other local business owners shared in the excitement.

Perry Makarios, the owner of the Spot, remarked, “It’s nice for us to be a part of Hollywood. It’s a little taste of stardom. It makes me wonder if I choose the wrong profession.” Eleni Papas, the owner of Town Pizza, noted that while she was initially unaware of the filming until informed by a customer, she appreciated the positive publicity that such productions bring to Norwood.

This production marks the second major motion picture to film in Norwood in as many years, following the filming of the movie “Ted” in the town during the previous year.

“Labor Day,” which is based on the 2009 novel by Joyce Maynard, follows the story of a 12-year-old boy named Henry Wheeler who, along with his reclusive mother Adele (played by Kate Winslet), takes in an intimidating man named Frank Chambers (Josh Brolin) who is later revealed to be an escaped convict.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Transcript Bulletin/Wicked Local