Vinton Mayor Brad Grose presides over Town Council meetings, cuts ribbons and runs his own electronics business – now he can add “actor” to his resume.
Grose was persuaded to be typecast – playing himself in the low-budget feature film, “Where Are You, Bobby Browning?” that has been shot in Vinton and surrounding locales over the past few weeks. Shooting will wrap up by mid-November. (See the Bobby Browning Facebook page for possible opportunities to be an extra.)
“Bobby Browning,” a romantic comedy about a hometown girl coming back to Vinton – where it is set – to find true love in the end, has shot scenes at Woodland Place, the Dogwood Restaurant and on a recent Friday night the crew was at the Vinton War Memorial.
The town facility had been turned into a photo gallery, where pictures taken by the fictional Bobby Browning were being exhibited.
That’s where Mayor Grose came in – he appeared as himself, welcoming the now-famous photographer Bobby Browning back to Vinton. Grose had to recite a short speech welcoming the hero back to town – and he was flawless on his first two takes. Beforehand the somewhat-nervous mayor was memorizing his lines, reciting them out loud in the War Memorial kitchen.
“He never drew a lot of attention to himself …he took photos for the high school paper … [and was] a most accomplished citizen,” read Grose as he memorized his lines. The mayor had just received his script several hours before his big scene was shot by director Marc Hutchins and the Alexander Films crew, which is based in the Roanoke Valley.
“I think it will be a lot of fun and an opportunity for Vinton to receive some exposure,” said Grose, “I’m very excited about it.” He didn’t mind being typecast as the mayor; after all that’s what he is. “That’s something I do every day.” Grose also appreciated the location shoots and the presence of Alexander Films in the town: It’s been really exciting having them here – a lot of our citizens have seen them.”
Grose also said he had developed an understanding for how hard it is to make a film. Case in point: every scene shot at the Vinton War Memorial that night involved at least three takes; there were adjustments for lighting and where to place extras during the process. At one point a floor covering was used to muffle the sound of high heels on the wooden floor – the noise was too prominent. “I certainly have a new appreciation for the people in this business,” Grose noted, “this is certainly challenging.”
This is the second feature for Alexander Films after lensing “Crossing Streets” in Roanoke last year. That low-budget film was described as a “buddy cop” drama that also benefited the Straight Street ministry. Alexander Films has set up their office for the Bobby Browning shoot in the Roanoke County health department building on South Pollard Street in Vinton.
A shoot that was advertised for extras on the Facebook page went on past three in the morning. Those extras that agreed to stay on past midnight were rewarded with pizza. Grose was a trooper – soldiering on past 2 AM for his welcome speech and another scene where he and Bobby Browning shake hands. The mayor was good-natured about the late hours; after all the show must go on. “I’m looking forward to seeing the final product,” he added.
By Gene Marrano
