NEW CASTLE, Pa. — California moviemakers who visited Ellwood City this month found more local talent than they had imagined.

Cameraman Mark Matthews said he is eager to return here to work on a film about Ray Robinson, the legendary “Green Man.”

“It was a culture shock at first, but (Ellwood City) was my home for two weeks and I was sad to leave,” said the videographer, who will direct the film about Robinson’s life.

He and producer/screenwriter Tisha York traveled from Studio City, Calif., and spent two days auditioning local talent for the movie about the man whose life drastically changed at age 8 when he was nearly electrocuted and severely disfigured.

As an adult, Robinson became known as the Green Man or Charlie No-Face, and people traveled from miles around to glimpse him walking at night. Some befriended him and gave him beer and cigarettes. Others were mean and played tricks. But his real friends attest he was one of the nicest guys they ever met.

“Our attempt is to take away the Green Man and Charlie No-Face and make him Ray Robinson,” York said of the screenplay she is co-writing with Paul Chevalier.

Although Robinson died 20 years ago, “these people still talk about him every day,” York said.

She and Matthews interviewed about 30 people who knew Robinson.

“We had grown men start to cry when they would remember him,” Matthews marveled. “I could see just how much he touched them. They felt so badly that they didn’t do more for him and they really, truly considered him a friend.”

That made York’s job easier, because stories people shared were so amazing that “all we have to do is write them down,” she said, adding, “Everyone had their own little pearl about him.”

One man told her, “Ray Robinson was more of a father to me than my own father. He guided me through life.’”

York envisions the movie will be one shown at film festivals, but she hopes to make it bigger if funds allow.

When she announced plans of their company, “Ivory Seam Productions,” to visit Ellwood City, she received hundreds of phone calls.

Vaughn Hudspath, a New Castle Playhouse director and Riverside High School teacher, lined up auditions at the school the first day, and in an upstairs room of the Wolverine Restaurant near Koppel the second day.

Actors would read scripts of other films and were taped as Matthews and York exchanged approving glances whenever certain talents stood out. A total of 70 auditions were recorded on 26 hours of film.

Matthews was stunned by the raw talent in the area.

“I’ve already marked 25 to 30 to call back for more auditions,” he said.

“Some of them have no acting background at all, and they nailed the read and went on to do improvisations that were incredible,” York said. “These people are going to be in the movie with substantial parts.”

However, she has no prospects yet for Robinson’s role.

“It’s going to be a daunting part,” she said, adding auditions will continue when they return to Ellwood City in April.

York and Matthews were back in California last week reviewing their work.

She and Chevalier will start composing the screenplay, writing around some of the talents they saw. They hope to start cameras rolling by next fall, but that will depend on financial resources, York said.

The movie’s release will follow about a year after filming is finished.



Debbie Wachter Morris writes for the New Castle (Pa.) News.