Ghostbusters (Chapter 05): Fixer-Upper

Fixer-Upper is the fifth chapter on the DVDs of Ghostbusters. This chapter introduces the Firehouse.

Cast[]

Locations[]

Firehouse

Plot[]

Hook & Ladder No. 8's exterior was adorned with "Building for Sale" signs in red letters. The windows were whitewashed. A real estate agent inside was talking. She told Egon Spengler and Peter Venkman there was office space, sleeping quarters and showers on the next floor and there was a full kitchen on the top left. Egon and Peter looked around the garage bay. Peter commented that it seemed a little pricey for a unique fixer-upper opportunity. He asked Egon what he thought. Egon grazed Peter's right arm and stated he thought the building should be condemned because there was serious metal fatigue in all the load-bearing members, the wiring was substandard, it was completely inadequate for their power needs, and the neighborhood was like a demilitarized zone. Egon stepped by a locker covered in cobwebs. Ray Stantz called out to them from upstairs. He wondered if the pole still worked. They looked up at Ray. Ray slid down the fire pole. Ray was excited and thought the place was great. He asked when they could move in and invited them to try this pole. Egon looked up. Ray ran up the stairs to get his stuff and paused. The real estate woman turned to Egon and Peter with a smile. Ray suggested they sleep over that night to try it out. Ray continued upstairs. Peter looked at Egon. Egon slowed shook his head 'no' as the real estate woman took some steps closer to them. Peter turned to her and informed her they were taking it. The real estate woman was pleased.

Trivia[]

Ghostbusters (1984) Trivia[]

In the August 5, 1983 draft, on page 19, Egon's car is parked outside the firehouse and listed as a 1957 Saab.^[1]
Production designer John DeCuir made a foam core mockup of the Firehouse to establish a feel for the set before construction and renovation of the shooting location and for Ivan Reitman to determine blocking action and camera angles.^[2]
The Firehouse was used, essentially as found, in the sequence where Egon, Ray, and Peter look around the hall. Once the initial scenes were shot, John DeCuir and his staff moved in and made the necessary modifications for later sequences.^[3]
Both the Los Angeles and New York Firehouses used for filming were built in the same year, 1912.^[4]^[5]
- The exterior shot of the Firehouse at the start of the scene is Hook & Ladder Company #8 at 14 N. Moore Street in New York.
- The interior scenes were filmed in Fire Station #23 at 225 East 5th Street in Los Angeles.
The real estate woman's gold blazer implies she works for Century 21.
In the August 5, September 30, and October 7, 1983 drafts, Egon contends the lot size is 9,642.5 square feet, not 10,000 as the real estate woman says.
At around the 16:55 mark of the Preview Cut, included first in the 2022 Ghostbusters Ultimate Edition, more of the opening scene with the real estate agent is shown before the final version of the scene. The agent mentions there is another substantial work area in the basement before talking about office space, sleeping quarters and showers on the next floor. The agent states the property is 10,000 square feet total. Egon clarifies it is 9,655.44 square feet. She asks Peter if Egon is his accountant. He jokes Egon is his dad. Peter's comment about it being a little pricey follows.
Dan Aykroyd really wanted to use the fire pole. It wasn't just a line for Ray.^[6]
At around the 18:04 mark of the Preview Cut, after Peter tells the agent they are buying the firehouse, the agent asks what the name of their new business is. She is told it is Ghostbusters. She remarks the firehouse is the perfect place for it.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Trivia[]

When Phoebe Spengler slides down the fire pole to Egon's underground laboratory, re-recording mixer Will Files reused the sound of when Ray Stantz slides down the fire pole in the original movie.^[7]
Among Callie Spengler's wall of photos, there is a note written by Egon thinking her college dorm room shows serious fatigue in all load bearing.

IDW Comics Trivia[]

On page 8 of Ghostbusters Volume 1 Issue #8, on the poster board is Egon's initial critique of the Firehouse from the first movie.
On page 10 of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #15, the news ticker quote's Egon's assessment of the Firehouse in the first movie.
On page 3 of Ghostbusters Annual 2015, in panel 2, Peter mentions condemning the Firehouse like how Egon recommended in the first movie.
On Cover B of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #2, the photo on the right is of Ray standing outside the Firehouse, before the exterior was modified, in the civies he wore in Chapter 5: Fixer Upper.

Tertiary Canon Trivia[]

On page 2 of Egon's Journal, a supplement of the Hasbro Haslab Ghostbusters Plasma Series Spengler's Proton Pack, there are several references to Chapter 5: Fixer-Upper:
- The Real Estate Woman's listing of what was in the Firehouse.
- Ray loving the pole.
- Egon's assessment of the property.

References[]

↑ Aykroyd, Dan & Ramis, Harold (1983). Ghostbusters (First Draft August 5, 1983) (Script p. 19). Line reads: "Spengler's '57 Saab is parked outside an abandoned brick, four-story fire station built by the city around the turn of the century.""
↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 39. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Production designer John DeCuir examines a foam core mockup of the firehall -- an existing structure to which he would be adding the enclosed office area at the rear as well as other modifications and refinements. Such mockups were invariably useful in establishing a three-dimensional feel for the sets -- before costly construction or renovation was initiated -- and often proved useful to Ivan Reitman for blocking action and determining camera angles."
↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 39. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Once these initial scenes were shot, DeCuir and his staff moved in and made the necessary modifications for later sequences in the film."
↑ Joe Medjuck (2005). Ghostbusters- Commentary (2005) (DVD ts. 16:00-16:10). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Joe Medjuck says: "More creative geography. This is an actual old firehouse in Los Angeles but the exterior is an actual in-use firehouse in New York."
↑ Harold Ramis (2005). Ghostbusters- Commentary (2005) (DVD ts. 16:10-16:13). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Harold Ramis says: "Coincidentally built in the same year, 1912. "
↑ Ivan Reitman (2005). Ghostbusters- Commentary (2005) (DVD ts. 16:17-16:24). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Ivan Reitman says: "And it's true, as soon as we did see this pole, Danny said we gotta use it. It wasn't just a moment in the movie. "
↑ Variety "How ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Pays Homage to the Original With Audio Easter Eggs" 11/24/2021 Will Files says: "We took the sound when Dan Aykroyd slides down the pole at the beginning of ‘Ghostbusters. We just stole it from the original and we put it into Phoebe's [scene]."

Gallery[]

Selected Screengrabs[]

Comics[]


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Chapter 04: Terminated	Chapter 06: Spook Central

[1] Aykroyd, Dan & Ramis, Harold (1983). Ghostbusters (First Draft August 5, 1983) (Script p. 19). Line reads: "Spengler's '57 Saab is parked outside an abandoned brick, four-story fire station built by the city around the turn of the century.""

[2] Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 39. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Production designer John DeCuir examines a foam core mockup of the firehall -- an existing structure to which he would be adding the enclosed office area at the rear as well as other modifications and refinements. Such mockups were invariably useful in establishing a three-dimensional feel for the sets -- before costly construction or renovation was initiated -- and often proved useful to Ivan Reitman for blocking action and determining camera angles."

[3] Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 39. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Once these initial scenes were shot, DeCuir and his staff moved in and made the necessary modifications for later sequences in the film."

[4] Joe Medjuck (2005). Ghostbusters- Commentary (2005) (DVD ts. 16:00-16:10). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Joe Medjuck says: "More creative geography. This is an actual old firehouse in Los Angeles but the exterior is an actual in-use firehouse in New York."

[5] Harold Ramis (2005). Ghostbusters- Commentary (2005) (DVD ts. 16:10-16:13). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Harold Ramis says: "Coincidentally built in the same year, 1912. "

[6] Ivan Reitman (2005). Ghostbusters- Commentary (2005) (DVD ts. 16:17-16:24). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Ivan Reitman says: "And it's true, as soon as we did see this pole, Danny said we gotta use it. It wasn't just a moment in the movie. "

[7] Variety "How ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Pays Homage to the Original With Audio Easter Eggs" 11/24/2021 Will Files says: "We took the sound when Dan Aykroyd slides down the pole at the beginning of ‘Ghostbusters. We just stole it from the original and we put it into Phoebe's [scene]."

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