Haverhill police said Wednesday the only people legally prevented from taking photographs during the filming of the movie “Joy” were those who camped out on the Washington Street railroad overpass.
Police Captain Kim J. Parolisi said there are laws against trespassing on railroad property, but there were no arrests. Some residents, however, complained they were not allowed to take photographs from their own apartment windows.
“I got yelled at for even looking out my window at the Jacques Pilling building!” said Janelle Elizabeth MacKenzie on WHAV’s Facebook page. Jenn Ashley said she was warned by studio personnel, but “Others in my building (were warned by) studio people, police and Jennifer’s personal bodyguard.”
Police Captain Kim J. Parolisi said police did escort private security for Twentieth Century Fox to some residences, asking inhabitants to “refrain from taking photographs.”
“Police facilitated access for private security…I gave access to the logistics manager” to a second floor apartment, Parolisi said. Asked if he thought residents might have interpreted the request as having the force of law, Parolisi responded, “No way I can comment on what people thought…It don’t hurt to ask.”
Mike Geoghegan, who worked on the film as a grip, commented at WHAV.net:
“Dear Mr. Mayor and residents, no one was being rude that I saw. However, we did put up privacy frames so as not to be disturbed. We understood the chaos that a film shoot can cause and willingly gave up our lunch break so as not to disturb your town any longer than was needed to get our shots. The production also paid for many of the empty storefronts, and paid top dollar for those as well as the businesses that were affected. I believe the quote from the Globe was ‘one week of sales for ten hours of closing.’ The cast had had their phones hacked into in recent memory and was quite rightly a little shy these days. I’m very sorry you didn’t get to get a selfie but they where working.” Geoghegan is a member of the Woburn-based Local 481 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
Parolisi, patrol commander on the day shift, said he and six detail officers had a long day. He explained he helped set up at 5 a.m. and was back on the scene for closing at 7 p.m. “It was a closed set to the police officers as well. I did see her (star Jennifer Lawrence) from a distance, but I had a job to do.”
Why is it that whenever anything comes along that is out of the ordinary, a little different, not your everyday run-of-the-mill goings on, someone, somehow has to make a stink about that fact. Hell it is money for merchants. police details, etc, etc and if the period architecture is a draw. all the better, maybe they’ll come back for another movie.. Enjoy a little notoriety and stop complaining about nothing.
I agree
WHO SAYS HAVERHILL CANT SCREW UP A FREE LUNCH?
Leave it to the mayor!!
Do you remember what he did a couple of years ago when Denzel Washington was at the old Lowes building filming the movie The Equalizer? He had his Chief of Staff, David Van Dam, connect the movie studio and request that Denzel make a donation in some way to the City of Haverhill. I wish I was making that up, but I’m not. He didn’t call him and offer a key to the city ceremony, or offer to provide any assistance in any way, he only called Denzel because he was looking for MONEY to fund the hackarama he’s built in the city!!!
The six detail officers had a long day? Doing what? Standing around?
Captain Parolisi…your job was NOT to escort company representatives to the private residences of Haverhill citizens who pay your salary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your job was to tell the company representatives that if they didn’t like what people were doing IN THEIR OWN HOMES and on public property that maybe they should have found someplace else to shoot their movie!!!
Actually you are wrong. The details are PAID for by the production company, just like a construction site. They are there to protect the site, not so be sure people can disrupt the production.