WEIRTON, W.Va. — Lifetime Weirton native Sarah Brancazio Lemasters wanted to draw visitors’ attention to outstanding moments in her hometown’s history, so she contacted Mayor George J. Kondik with an idea for a sign highlighting some of the movies that have been filmed in the city throughout the years.
Ward 3 Councilman Fred Marsh had suggested something similar in the past.
“There are a lot of good things about this city that many people don’t know about, so I thought this would be a great way to show people coming into town something we are proud of,” Lemasters said. “I’ve lived here all my life and seen all of these movies come through. Robert DeNiro had a crush on my cousin! She showed him where she lived and took him on a tour of the town when he was here for ‘The Deer Hunter.'”
Bill Galloway, local attorney, overheard Kondik discussing the concept and volunteered to pay for it.
“Any opportunity to contribute to the city means a lot to me, and I was happy to be able to do this,” Galloway commented.
Alex Gryskevich, building maintenance supervisor for the city, installed the sign, and now it’s a reality at the bottom of Cove Road beneath the “Welcome to Downtown Weirton” sign that features a roster of city officials.
The display lists three popular movies filmed in Weirton: The Deer Hunter from 1978, Reckless from 1984, and Super 8 from 2011. Celebrity actors and actresses Robert DeNiro, Christopher Walken, John Cazale, Meryl Streep, Darryl Hannah, Aiden Quinn and others spent time in the city during the making of those films.