Remember that movie we paid $35 to be in?

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When it was announced earlier this year that Morgan Maine Productions would be making a movie in Boca Grande titled “Banyan Street,” many people’s ears perked up. In the past it’s been fun when movie crews came to town.

Even when it was announced that there was a $35 fee to apply to be an extra or a walk-on, there were some people who weren’t deterred. They were told if they made the cut, they could be paid $250 a day, plus lunch, during a four-day work week.

But what happens when production is halted even before it begins, as movie productions often do, and there’s a lot of $35 money orders floating around?
Some people have, indeed, gotten their money back. Two Boca Grande residents said that, after numerous phone calls and a lot of patience, they did receive their refunds in the mail.

However, Firefighter Pat Bigness and his girlfriend, Theresa, never got their money back. When asked if Bigness was on the list of people to receive a refund, the company representative said he was not.

It’s been hard for us at the Beacon to track down many more, because the company handling the refunds will only tell us “yes” or “no” as to whether someone is on the refund list or not.

Mary Thresher, the Morgan Maine representative who initially took the money, said, “Out of the entries, we kept a very small amount that looked like ‘Floridians,’ which is what I was searching for. Everything else was returned. Betty sent all of them back.”

The woman’s name and phone number to call, by the way, are Betty Dansfelser, (941) 661-4440.