50
years later…
Behind-the-scenes look at how Ballston Spa became part of The Way We Were in 1972
This historic black and white photograph shows what is today The Medbery Inn & Day Spa as it actually looked on Front Street in Ballston Spa in the 1940s. When The Medbery became part of film history linked to The Way We Were in 1972, antique cars from the 1930s and early 1940s were brought into the village to be used as props. Photo shared by Dolores Taisey.
WRITTEN BY
ANN HAUPRICH
Memories of huddling with friends and strangers outside the Front Street Post Office in Ballston Spa on a crisp autumn evening in 1972 to witness the filming of a scene for The Way We Were inspired Ann Hauprich to interview others about their recollections for a feature that begins in this edition. The BSHS Class of 1971 alum has also started researching chapters for a seventh book that will celebrate the exquisite renaissance that has taken place in her village over the past half century. To learn more about the seasoned journalist, visit AnnHauprich.US.
T
he following is the first in a two-part feature by Ann Hauprich. The second installment, to be published in the fall edition, will additionally highlight plans for the Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association’s 20th annual Way We Were Car Show in October 2022.
The Hon. Harry W. Seibert, Jr. was a 30-year-old attorney who had only recently established a private legal practice in a modest second floor office on Ballston Spa’s Front Street when he was asked in 1972 to play a vital role in setting the stage for his beloved hometown to become part of a major Hollywood movie co-starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. In part due to the popularity of The Way We Were Car Show that was established in 2002, today’s locals and visitors are aware that some unforgettable scenes for the classic movie were filmed 50 autumns ago against backdrops that included settings stretching from O’Brien Pharmacy to The Medbery Inn. The romantic scene during which Redford fastens Streisand’s shoes outside of the latter historic landmark has been a favorite among fans since the film’s release. Millions also enjoy an earlier scene where Streisand walks solo along a sidewalk and another inside of a soda fountain that includes actor Bradford Dillman. But during interviews half a century after the cast and crew had transformed part of Ballston Spa into a Hollywood movie set, Seibert – who went on to distinguish himself as a Surrogate Court Judge and an Acting Saratoga County Supreme Court Justice -- shared some stellar recollections that are worthy of a behind-the-scenes bonus feature of their very own. It turns out the village might not have become part of classic motion picture history had Siebert declined to allow his secretary to admit a mysterious stranger into his general law practice when the casually attired young man showed up without an appointment around Labor Day 1972 claiming to represent Columbia Pictures on a matter of great urgency involving a major movie production to be directed by Sydney Pollack. In hindsight, one can understand why Seibert was initially skeptical of the proposition being sprung on him by the unexpected visitor claiming to have recently arrived from Southern California. “I was busy working at my desk in my office above what was then The Style Shop when my secretary Linda Nutting admitted the stranger, who introduced himself as Jack Saunders of Columbia Pictures. He insisted he was an advance man who had been scouting upstate New York locations on behalf of the studio but had unfortunately forgotten to bring along identification to prove his affiliation with the corporation,” recalls Seibert.
52 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | SUMMER 2022
saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com
