The veteran sea captains and fishermen from Blue Rocks hired as security guards on this set, who had watched the work in progress since early March, when no building existed on the ragged plot of common land overlooking the bay and the Atlantic beyond, could not conceive of anyone raising a brand-new house only to turn around and make it look like such a complete wreck -- a tribute to Bruno Rubeo's crack team of scenic painter Bruno Robotti, art director Dan Yarhi and set decorator Steve Shewchuk.
Equally impressive was the version of Dolores' and Joe's humble home built at Studio "A" inside a former paper plant in Lunenburg which also served as the production office. Every interior detail of the ground floor was identical to the house at Blue Rocks, down to the sag in the front porch. Installed above the living room and kitchen was a maze of sophisticated electrical equipment.
Out at Blue Rocks, three walls and the roof over the kitchen were built to "fly" to accommodate the gaffers' need to enhance the natural lighting conditions.
For the 1975 scenes involving Dolores, Joe and young Selena, everything would have to look almost new again. Props and set-dressings were aged for current-day use and then returned to their careworn appearance of '75; most key items were carried back and forth from the interiors at Studio "A" to the Blue Rocks location.
