Denzel Washington was inspired by the photos of Teenie Harris to capture the flavor of the Hill District in 1957, when “Fences” is set.
In press notes, he was asked how much the production design was informed by the prolific Mr. Harris.
“For decades, he captured black Pittsburgh, tens of thousands of images,” Mr. Washington said. “Yeah, he shot everywhere. And Teenie, he’d take, he’d take just one shot. He said he let all the other photographers work and they’d be running around and he’d find the best place and then he’d get right there. And he was known for popping the bulb out of the flash unit and catching it, catching it in his pocket. And with ‘Fences,’ we hope we’ve caught Pittsburgh, too.”
The West End’s Wabash Street was filled with extras and vintage cars in June, when street scenes were shot in the neighborhood. Later, the street was transformed with iconic Hill District venues — you can see the signs for the Pittsburgh Courier, which was on Centre Avenue, and the Granville Hotel Bar & Grill, which was on Wylie Avenue. The backdrop in the film includes smokestacks and the top of the Gulf Tower in the distance.
First Published: December 22, 2016, 5:00 a.m.
