A Norman Rockwell Moment

Well, this certainly was a memorable day... 

A Japanese TV crew visited the Museum today to begin filming a segment on the work of Norman Rockwell. Today was devoted to recreating the scenes depicted in two of Rockwell's most famous paintings−The Marriage License and The Runaway. My friend Mas, the producer, asked me ahead of time if I knew of anyone who could play the part of certain figures in the illustrations...

My friend/Museum volunteer Carlton agreed to play the part of the clerk in The Marriage License. By the time I got to the shoot (held in the Stockbridge Town Hall) he was already suited up and doing several takes, as if he was waiting on the couple stopping in to get their license. He even got a couple lines... it will be interesting to see if they are dubbed over in Japanese! 

Later in the afternoon, my nephew Sam joined us to play the "title character" in Rockwell's 1958 Saturday Evening Post cover illustration, The Runaway. The crew set the scene in Elm Street Market, where I had actually once interviewed the original models for the painting. The production company, Robin/Tani Media Factory, always has a great eye for detail, and they had my nephew fitted with an old-style knapsack (like the boy in the painting), and found a real-life Massachusetts State Trooper to play the kindly cop. They also went beyond the illustration, filming the little runaway walking outside on his journey... Sam did a great job, and we were even greeted unexpectedly by Ed Locke, the original model for the little boy, who just happened to be driving down the street where we were filming!

But the biggest surprise was yet to come. My sister-in-law's boyfriend had confided in me and Sarah the previous week that he had planned to propose to her... however, he was having a tough time figuring out a time when someone could watch after their own separate children, and make it happen. I suggested that he head out to Stockbridge during the shoot, where she would be present with her son. I told him I would figure out some way to get her back to where we had staged The Marriage License earlier in the day (have to thank the production company for their willingness to help us pull it off). After the Runaway shoot, we all walked back over to the town hall, under the pretense that she needed to sign a couple extra appearance forms for her son... When she got there, her guy was waiting for her at the makeshift set that the TV crew had constructed (even Carlton agreed to "reprise" his role as the clerk). It was here that he popped the question (surrounded by members of her family)... luckily, she said yes! 

As I said, it was a fun, memorable day... I truly cherish when I have the opportunity to help make others happy... when I have the chance to do so in a creative way, that's even more satisfying!

All photos ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.