After I moved to Cape May in 2004 to manage the Victorian Motel, my Philadelphia neighborhood upbringing motivated me to immerse myself in the community. My vision of Cape May was one giant neighborhood where everyone played a role, not necessarily competing with one another but working towards the common goal of promoting our town.
Years later, I was elected President of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May. In this role, much of the community became aware of me while I was still learning about everyone else. You may have heard me called ambassador, mayor, or shadow mayor. If it’s anything worse, I don’t want to know about it. One thing is sure: I am a cheerleader for all things Cape May.
The arts and music in our city hold a special place in my heart. For whatever reason, this town is a magnet for talented and brave musicians. When Searchlight Pictures chose Cape May for scenes in a motion picture, I nearly fell off my barstool.
On Christmas Day, my wife, Suzanne, and I saw A Complete Unknown. Timothée Chalamet stars and sings as Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s biopic, the electric true story behind the rise of one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in history.
It was a fantastic production. When Perry Street, Cape May, appeared, the audience cheered. The cinematography and low-lighting shots were epic. The intimate results are astonishing, given the size of the on-street production companies. The production went on for days, with street closures and barricades everywhere.
Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music.
To think that Dylan started in a speakeasy, smoke-filled open mic night introduced by Pete Seeger, I could not help but think of our MQ Murphy hosting an open mic every Sunday night at the Mad Batter. It was at this moment a teary-eyed connection happened. This scene could have occurred in Cape May, not just shot in Cape May.
Dylan’s worship of his idols, like Woody Guthrie, was human. Watching Joan Baez come out of room 212 at the Victorian Motel, renamed the Viking for the move, was just wow.
During his meteoric rise, Dylan forges intimate relationships with music icons of Greenwich Village, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide.
Outside of the Dylan story, one endearing scene at the end of the Newport Folk Festival was Pete Seeger stacking chairs into the back of a truck. Again, for the love of the music, I am reminded of MQ packing out of the Mad Batter Restaurant and Bar At The Carroll Villa Hotel on a late Sunday night.
In the movie, dozens of residents found work as extras after driving to Jersey City for costume fittings. The West Cape May Firehall became a location for makeup artists to do their jobs.
The Victorian Motel was renamed the Viking Motel for the movie. If you look carefully, you might see Cape May Elementary School teacher Jay Eppenbach wearing a fedora in the party scene on the second-floor balcony of the Viking Motel.
You won’t see credits for the movie’s location. While the film centers around the Newport Folk Festivals in the mid-sixties, Cape May might be recognizable only to people who live here or have visited. Without a location credit, it is unclear if the movie would impact tourism.
In 2011, TripAdvisor listed Cape May as one of the best beach towns in America. This was not a popularity contest. It was part of their scientific algorithm, which measured people’s comments and reviews.
That accolade had an immense impact on Cape May’s tourism. In contrast, when the actors were interviewed on an ESPN GameDay broadcast about the movie, Timothée Chalamet never mentioned Cape May.
One thing is sure: Cape May rolled out the hospitality mat for the production crews. Actor Ed Norton, who plays folk music legend Pete Seeger in the film, bought coffee multiple times at Coffee Tyme on the mall.
For all the hoopla, inconvenience, and hospitality Cape May extended to the production company, the least we could have expected was a thank you to the City, its leaders, and its residents.
