SANTA PAULA : Studio Says Thanks for School Film Role

The Santa Paula Union High School District board voted Tuesday to accept a gift of $5,000 from Columbia Pictures.

The donation was made to the high school because 75 school band members, cheerleaders and basketball players spent a day marching through Piru recently as extras in the studio’s upcoming film, “Radio Flyer,” Assistant Principal Dax Bryson said.

On Dec. 17, students paraded through the small town wearing clothing, hairstyles and makeup appropriate to the movie’s 1969 setting in Oklahoma.

“They were told not to wear black tennies or Reeboks and not to curl their hair, as bouffant styles were in,” said Bryson, who was given sideburns for the occasion.

“Some of the girls arrived looking as if they had ironed their hair.”

“The students loved it,” the administrator added.

“They learned a lot about movie-making. They were surprised just a little scene could take so much time; it was shot 12 times. Some of them said it got boring, standing around all day waiting for just a few seconds of action.”

Originally, Fillmore High School, which is nearer to the filming site, had been invited to work in the movie.

But it canceled because of a scheduling conflict over a basketball tournament, Bryson said. He said he does not know when the film will be released.