Published: May 16, 2009 11:51 pm      

Mark Maynard: Carter has a jewel of a project: 5/14/09

Dave Carter’s documentary on “Ashland’s Field of Dreams” is in the polishing stages.

Carter, who lives in Sanibel, Fla., will be in town June 14 through 20 to shoot more footage. He’s looking for eight to 10 “baseball players” along with about 200 other “fans” dressed in 1950s-style clothing to be extras for the documentary about Central Park’s main diamond, affectionately called CP-1 back in the day.

He would also like to have 10 to 12 cars from the 1940s era to add to the documentary’s atmosphere.

I’ve been privy to bits and pieces of the documentary as the talented Carter has developed it. Trust me, it’s going to be good.

Anyone who played or even watched baseball games in Central Park will appreciate the feel of the documentary. It includes countless interviews, including Diamondback pitcher Brandon Webb, former Reds’ great Don Gullett, major league umpires Greg Gibson and Charlie Reliford, Ashland sports legend Larry Conley, communications mogul Jim Host and countless others.

As you watch the documentary, Carter takes you back to a time and place in the 1950s when Central Park was the gathering place for so many.

There was a certain romance about the park in those days, as many of the men who were interviewed reveal.

The PBS-style documentary, which is 56 minutes and 40 seconds long, will have a world premiere at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Paramount Arts Center. It will be replayed on the Ohio University Southern cable station throughout the week after the premiere.

“The Paramount premiere is going to recreate the experience of going to the movies at that theater,” Carter said. “It’ll be 10 to 11 minutes longer than the documentary.”

In the one that debuts at the Paramount, viewers will be treated to concession stand commercials, a Universal Newsreel and some 1950s-era cartoons before the feature presentation.

While there is still much work to be done on the documentary, it’s all been a labor of love for Carter, who has produced award-winning videos in the past.

Carter played at the park during the 1950s so it holds special memories for him.

“I’ve had more pleasure derived from this project than anything I’ve ever done creatively,” Carter said. “I talk to Gary (Wright) several times a week. This has been such a pleasure.”

It was Wright who got the ball rolling when he donated $125,000 to upgrade the Central Park field to showplace status. Wright’s father, T.R., was an important figure in the development of organized youth sports in Ashland.

T.R. Wright’s name is on the front of the new press box at the park.

A reunion of CP-1 alum last summer created even more of a buzz. Carter came to the reunion with camera in tow and did many of the interviews that weekend at the park. The second CP-1 alumni reunion will be Aug. 29, one day after the documentary debuts.

Copies of the documentary, along with movie posters, will be sold that day with all the proceeds going to support youth baseball in Ashland.

The documentary was supplemented with songs from local sports ballad writer Ryan Parker.

“Ryan Parker’s music has taken this to a different level,” Carter said. “For a guy who was not nearly old enough to understand, he understands.”

Parker wrote a song called “Seems Like Yesterday” that will end the documentary.

Carter is talking with some high-profile names to do the narrations for the documentary although nothing has yet been decided.

He’s also needing 20 kids, ages 12 to 16, to be filmed as “baseball players” for the documentary. They must be “hair appropirate to the 1950s.” All that means is the players can’t have real long hair. Carter plans on shooting that footage the week of June 14-20. Anyone interested can reach Carter at baseball@cp-1.org.

Also, he’s asking for fans to be wearing 1950s clothing — rolled up blue jeans, plaid shirts, sleeveless T-shirts — for some crowd shots on June 14. The park will also block off a couple hundred feet of street length for classic cars only that day, Carter said.

Carter’s documentary is a must-see for anyone who ever played or watched games in the park.

Mark that date on the calendar.

MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.