'The Green Oak Guardian' film showcases Carrollton and its residents
CARROLLTON ‒ For the first time in the history of film, the words "Carrollton, Ohio" will be spoken on screen.
They are uttered by Carroll County resident Duane Abel in the new film "The Green Oak Guardian."
"I will gladly take that to my grave. I want that actually chiseled on my tombstone," Abel said. He wrote the screenplay for the movie and also has a small part as a loud, obnoxious Hollywood talent agent.
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The movie was shot entirely in Carroll County over 15 days during May and June of last year at several locations, including the Betty Kaye Bakery, Ashton's 5 Cent and 10 Cent Store, the Van Horne Grand Tea Room and Diamond Lake Cabins. Several people from the county were cast as extras.
In "The Green Oak Guardian," a Hollywood film company is going to make a movie about a superhero created by a 30-year-old single mom living in Carrollton. She is not happy with the choice of the lead actor for the film, so the actor travels to Carroll County to ingratiate himself with her. Romance ensues.
How the film came about
Abel, a 1998 graduate of Carrollton High School, attended the University of Akron on a full theater scholarship. He is a cartoonist who produces a comic strip called, "Zed," which he has done for about 28 years. It appears in 50 weekly newspapers across the country.
He also travels to schools, presenting an elementary school assembly program called "Draw Your Destiny," which showcases goal-setting, the value of literacy and the importance of education, with the four words to success: work, study, learn and try.
He is married and has two sons. His wife, Cora, owns Dance Abel Ballroom Studio in Minerva.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Abel could not visit schools, so he got bored. To keep himself busy, he auditioned for several feature films being shot in the region. He was cast in three ‒ one shot in Pittsburgh, one in Columbus and one in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati film was "Christmas Collision," which was produced by United Front Films, the same company that produced "The Green Oak Guardian."
"After a few days on set, they found out I was a cartoonist and they asked if I did any other writing," he said. "I told them that I had a script that was optioned from a Hollywood producer a year or two before and might or might never see the light of day. They said, 'If you ever write anything else, we'd love to take a look at it.' So a few months later, I spent two weeks writing a script."
Mark Stewart, one of the three principals for Ohio-based United Front Films, said, "We took a look at it, and we fell in love with the script right away."
Mark Stewart: 'It was just what we were looking for.'
Abel convinced them to shoot the film in Carrollton.
"I explained to them that it's like a Mayberry and a Norman Rockwell painting got into an argument, and neither's been declared the winner. They came up for the day last summer, and luckily they fell in love with the entire area," he said.
The production involved 30 actors and crew members, as well as 30 extras.
Stewart said everyone enjoyed working there.
"I come from a small town myself," he said. "I grew up in Millersburg, Ohio. My partners live in small towns. We all came from that small town kind of feel, and really got that in Carrollton. We love the small town values, the small town environment. It was just what we were looking for."
'The Green Oak Guardian' will premiere in Massillon
The movie will premiere on May 20 at the Lions Lincoln Theatre, 156 Lincoln Way East, Massillon.
"This is a Hollywood movie premiere," Abel said. "This is a photo opportunity, and the great part is it costs you 10 bucks."
There will be a get together with the cast and crew from 6 to 7 p.m. Showing of the 92-minute film begins at 7. Afterward, there will be a question-and-answer session with those involved in the movie. Tickets can be purchased at the Lions Lincoln Theatre website.
"It's going to be a fun, intimate setting, so everyone can enjoy a wholesome, family friendly romantic comedy," Abel said.
"The Green Oak Guardian" is also streaming on Amazon Prime.
A chance to showcase Carrollton
"This film would not be possible without all of the generous sponsors and business leaders that were able to really step up and champion this film, not only financially but also every location that we wanted was donated with open arms," Abel said. "That's the joy of living in a small town. That's the joy of working with people that have known me and my family for generations.
"The goal was to really showcase Carrollton and make something that not only the town could be proud of, but serves as a time capsule so that many years down the road you can look back fondly on what used to be as far as my hometown is concerned."
Abel said he has several other films in the early stages of development. His goal is to represent Carrollton on film through all four seasons.
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: New film "The Green Oak Guardian" shot on location in Carroll County
