Cornwall-on-Hudson Trustee Kenneth Schmidt is hoping to see more than his shoulder when an episode of “A Crime to Remember” airs later this year. For the second time, Schmidt appears as an extra in the Investigation Discovery series.
Last year, Schmidt, a retired principal from Cornwall-on-Hudson Elementary School, replied to an ad in the paper for extras in a new crime series that focuses on real-life murder cases of the ‘50s and ‘60s. He received a call back and rehearsed scenes for an episode titled, “Enter the Monster.” Schmidt played a state trooper, but only his shoulder made the final cut.
Schmidt has been interested in community theater since he was a young adult. After he and his wife (Margaret) moved to Cornwall-on-Hudson, he appeared in “Oliver” and “The Sound of Music” at Storm King School. He even made cameo appearances in the elementary school plays.
As the series entered its second season, Schmidt received a call to appear in an episode that tells the story of Lucille and Cork Miller in San Bernadino, Calif. in 1964. Schmidt reprised his role as a state trooper during a two-day shoot.
The first day Schmidt was told to arrive at 11 p.m. for a 2:30 a.m. rehearsal. The scene was on a state road in New Paltz. Police barricaded the roadway, which doesn’t see much overnight traffic.
The scene involved a person inside a burning Volkswagen. Schmidt didn’t arrive back home until 6:30 that morning. The following afternoon, he was called back to investigate the crime scene.
“It’s fascinating,” Schmidt said of the experience. “First with the hair, makeup, costumes, and all of that. You’re driven over to the site in a nice car (Mercedes) with the rest of the actors. You see how they progress throughout the day.”
During rehearsal, Schmidt did about 12 to 15 takes. The camera rolled continuously providing the director with enough material to make edits. Throughout the scene, the director provided Schmidt with directions from behind the camera, such as “move over to the right a little bit; or go toward the car.”
“It’s very interesting how they set things up,” Schmidt said. “ You really do feel like you’re on a major set with the cameras rolling back and forth on the dollies. The illumination of the area with all the spot lights. It was interesting to watch everything.”
Schmidt was especially intrigued by the attention to detail. In the afternoon scene, the stage crew had to use a special brush to lay out skid marks on the road. During the scene, Schmidt had to use a special tool to measure the marks. The tool was specific to that era.
The episode will air in November on the Investigation Discovery channel.
