
Gibsons on TV

Have you ever wanted to be on TV? Well, for a group of bank employees at the Gibsons branch in BC, this became a reality. In 1975, the CBC approached the BMO Gibsons branch, asking to use their building in a scene depicting a bank robbery for the series “The Beachcombers.” In addition to using the branch as the set, they asked some of the BMO employees to be extras in the scene.
One of these employees wrote in the bank’s Staff Magazine about this fun experience. He describes how they arrived at the branch early in morning for filming, how they each had makeup applied and their photographs taken for the continuity department, and the long hours they had to wait before they actually filmed their scene. Practice makes perfect and he goes on to share how the employees were instructed to “look scared” by the director before going into a few rehearsals. Once the director was satisfied that they were prepared, they shot two takes of the scene and were sent home. The actual filming took only 20 minutes or so.
The film industry isn’t for everyone, apparently; the employee ended the article saying the adventure “was a unique experience,” but that he’ll “stick to banking, thank you!”