Most People Didn't Know These 6 Movies Were Filmed In New York
New York City’s cultural diversity and intense uniqueness are a beacon for Hollywood filmmakers. Perhaps no other city in the world, including Hollywood, can transform itself as easily as New York City. Finding movies that most people don’t know were filmed in New York certainly isn’t easy with the state’s prominent role in Hollywood’s films. But, there are a few scenes in some popular films that you might not have realized were actually filmed, not in New York City, but in other parts of New York State.
1. Tootsie – 1982
Sure, much of Tootsie was filmed in New York City. No surprise there since, well, the adventures of male actor Michael Dorsey turned female actress Dorothy Michaels fought to become a big star in the Big Apple. But, did you know there were scenes from this Dustin Hoffman classic that were filmed in Upstate New York? That’s right. The Hurley Mountain Inn, a charming restaurant in Hurley, won over movie producers who filmed at the quaint restaurant.
2. Scent of a Woman – 1992
Perhaps you’ve heard of Emma Willard? Name doesn’t ring a bell? Well, maybe you’ve seen her work. Emma Willard School of Troy, New York, has played pivotal roles in several films, including Scent of a Woman. The all girls’ prep school, which became a boys’ school in Scent of a Woman, also had a starring role in such films as 2002’s The Emperor’s Club.
3. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles – 1987
New Yorkers know how to deal with snow. And, when filmmakers needed snow, where do you suppose they looked first? The midwest? Maybe. On the edge of the east coast? Perhaps. But, they didn’t find it there. So, Hollywood Director John Hughes and his crew headed straight for New York – South Dayton, to be exact – to capture the falling snow for a scene in the John Candy and Steve Martin classic Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
4. Place Beyond the Pines – 2012
Schenectady played the title role – at least for location – in the 2012 flick The Place Beyond the Pines, starring Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, and Ray Liotta. In the film, Ryan Gosling plays a talented motorcycle rider who turns bank robber to provide for his infant son. Film goers will certainly get to see a lot of Schenectady as Gosling takes them on a dark, whirlwind adventure.
5. The Way We Were – 1973
Hollywood superstars Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand joined forces in 1973 to shoot the epic film, directed by Sydney Pollack, The Way We Were. The film, spanning the decades between the 1930s and the 1950s, rolled out the Hollywood red carpet in Ballston Spa, New York, and in Schenectady.
6. The Other Guys – 2010
Filmmakers tried to pass off Albany, New York, as New York City in the 2010 film The Other Guys, starring such Hollywood favorites as Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, and Dwayne Johnson. But, New Yorkers had little trouble pointing out the steps that belonged not in New York City but to the Times Union Center. The film’s opening car chase was filmed on Pearl Street in Albany, not in New York City as depicted.
There you have it. Six films, or at least scenes in films, you may not have realized were filmed in New York.
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