By Jennifer Moody
Albany Democrat-Herald | Posted: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 12:00 am
BROWNSVILLE - It's official: This July, Brownsville is going back to 1986.
That's the year the movie "Stand By Me" came out, much of which was filmed in this Linn County town. A committee of residents has now joined forces to put on the "Stand By Me Celebration and Rolling Roadshow," to take place all day July 28.
Based on a Stephen King novella and directed by Rob Reiner, "Stand By Me" is a coming-of-age story set in 1959, in which four boys on a quest to find a dead body end up discovering more about themselves.
Festivities begin at 1 p.m. with a classic cruise-in, featuring some of the cars in the film, said Kathleen Swayze, a member of the Stand By Me committee.
They're even trying, she said, to track down the Studebaker used during a key race scene. "We know who's got it," she said.
Other activities include a sock hop, a "body" scavenger hunt with clues from the movie, photo opportunities at various film locales, and a blueberry pie-eating contest presented by the International Federation of Competitive Eaters.
The day wraps up with an outdoor showing of the movie on a 40-foot inflatable screen, followed by a party at the Brownsville Saloon, complete with an Elvis impersonator.
Organizers are negotiating to bring some of the film's actors to Brownsville for the celebration, Swayze said.
All events will be free and open to the public.
Swayze and Natalie Wade have been preparing the town in part by repainting a Coca-Cola mural created for the film on the side of an 1880s bank building on Main Street.
A movie technician did the original work and told townspeople not to worry about lasting effects because it would be gone after the first rainstorm, Swayze remembered.
"Needless to say, 22 years later, it did not wash off!" she said.
However, she added, the mural has faded a great deal, but it's still an attraction to visitors who want their pictures taken in front of it.
Repainting, Swayze said, took about 16 hours.
"We didn't want it to look new," Swayze said. "When it was originally painted, it was meant to look a bit faded, so we will be putting a light coat of stain over the whole mural to soften and unite the whole. Then it should last another 20 years."