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“Stationed At Home” movie production filming across Binghamton

BINGHAMTON (WBNG) — A team of filmmakers, directors, and actors have been in the process of filming a movie right here in the city of Binghamton.

The film is called “Stationed at Home” and production for the new upcoming film has been underway throughout the week all around the Binghamton area.

12 News was able to get a look at the shooting of a ballroom scene at the Binghamton club along Front Street.

We spoke with Louis Newman, the film commissioner at the Binghamton film office about the importance of Binghamton being the setting of the film.

“It’s been very exciting seeing the film be set in Binghamton, we think it is really important for there to be a movie that showcases all of our great locations in the area and hopefully highlights to other filmmakers some of the great options we have here.” said Louis Newman.

The film is planning to wrap up their filming and production throughout the remainder of the week, and the directors are hoping for the film to be released next year.

“Which way E-J?” was the question asked by thousands of immigrants who made their way to the Binghamton area – the Valley of Opportunity – in the early part of the 20th century. They were looking for the opportunity afforded by Endicott-Johnson Shoe Co., which employed about 20,000 and produced 52 million pairs of shoes at its peak.

But, the legacy this company left was more than economic. E-J’s diverse workforce made a huge cultural impact on the area as did the philanthropy of George F. Johnson.

His idea was to build a factory and essentially build an entire town around that. So, he built parks, donated land for churches, offered free health care, even constructed homes that he sold at cost to employees. He called the concept the Square Deal, which is now immortalized on arches in Endicott and Johnson City. Johnson supported the arts with projects like the Goodwill Theatre – now a nonprofit dedicated to performance – and encouraged recreation with the installation of free carousels throughout the area that are still in use today.

“His thinking was if the company gave its workers a good deal, in return, they would give a good day’s work to the company,” Endicott History and Heritage Center Vice President R. Ted Warner said.

The philosophy worked. “When immigrants got here and saw all that George F. provided, they would tell neighbors and friends in their countries,” Warner said.

The forward thinking of Johnson attracted workers from across Europe, who in turn brought many traditions with them that remain intact today. It built neighborhoods like restaurant-heavy Little Italy in Endicott and brought other international fare to the area.

While easily the largest and most influential, E-J – which supplied virtually the entire U.S. Army with footwear during World Wars I and II – wasn’t the only shoe producer in these industrial towns known as the Triple Cities. Gotham Shoe, Dunn McCarthy, and Stone, Goff and Co. were a few of the others drawn to Binghamton on the heels of E-J.

E-J predecessor Lester Brothers Boot and Shoe Co. started the industrial footwear trend in the mid-1800s. It eventually fell on hard times around the turn of the century when Henry B. Endicott purchased it and Johnson, then a factory foreman at Lester Brothers, became his partner. The village of Lestershire would become Johnson City in 1916.

There were other industries in Endicott – IBM the most famous of them – but, for certain, shoe manufacturing put the Triple Cities on the map for some time. While the businesses are gone and the factories have disappeared, the legacies of these major employers live on in the culture they brought to Binghamton.

Immerse yourself into the Twilight Zone at the Bundy Museum in the heart of Binghamton located right on Main Street.

We all know or have heard of the famous sci-fi series the Twilight Zone but, did you know that the Emmy Award-winning creator Rod Serling grew up right in Binghamton?

In honor of him, the historical Bundy Museum has created a Rod Serling exhibit “In the Zone” that visitors can explore. This exhibit is only one of few in existence, which is why it is so unique for the Binghamton area.

In the exhibit, you will find one-of-a-kind pieces, original wire images, TV and film props, some of which you may have not known existed. You can also view various memorabilia from the series that can only be seen in Binghamton.

Visitors have said that you can see the Twilight Zone board game, a replica of Talky Tina doll from the “Living Doll” episode along with bobbleheads based on multiple characters that were in the series such as Willie and Jerry from “The Dummy” episode, the Gremlin from “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, the Kanamit from “To Serve Man” and the “alien” from “The Invaders” episode.

Not only do you learn about his impact within the Twilight Zone series, but you also have the opportunity to take a deeper dive into his personal life. You can view items such as Binghamton yearbooks that he helped complete and was in along with some personal notes that he had written.

Those who have visited the exhibit also mention that you can view pieces and memorabilia for “The Loner” and “Night Gallery” shows that Serling created after the Twilight Zone. 

If you are a fan of the Twilight Zone or the master storytelling of Serling, this is a must-visit. Put it on your list for your next adventure in Binghamton.