2024 marks 30th anniversary for story filmed in Ohio

When I watched “The Shawshank Redemption” for the first time at 14 years old, it immediately gripped me — the musical score, the bleak, imposing view of the prison where main character Andy Dufresne is sent after a false murder conviction — the one liners that are recognizable across generations. It is a special film to so many of us.

It wasn’t long after watching the film that I read the collection, Different Seasons by Stephen King, that includes Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. It is that novella that the iconic film is based on, a text that screenwriter/director Frank Darabont mined for all its rich characters and message of hope; giving it dimension, giving it heart, and giving it new life.

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption falls under the season Hope Springs Eternal in that book, and Andy’s prison break is certainly a story about the kind of hope that only the most resilient of us can maintain in those circumstances. As it turned out, the story of how the movie was made is also one of hope. It was a box office failure that only became a sensation when it came out on VHS.

This year marked the 30th anniversary of the film that — though set in Maine — was filmed in Mansfield, Ohio, less than two hours away from Toledo. Though that celebration was in August, there are many opportunities for Shawshankers to fan out in Mansfield, from exploring the Shawshank Trail to taking a tour of the Ohio State Reformatory, where much of the movie was filmed.

Luckily, this fan had an opportunity to get a firsthand glimpse of true Shawshank fandom at the anniversary event, the peak of which was a one-on-one chat with the great Frank Darabont.

Celebrating 30 years

Fans from all over the country, even some from outside the U.S., swarmed the small, north-central Ohio town of Mansfield for the anniversary. Along the Shawshank Trail (the list of film sites that you can find on a convenient map), there were meet-and-greets with some of the actors with small but impactful parts in the movie. 

This included Scott Mann, who played the homewrecker character that inadvertently got Andy put in prison (by being murdered). We caught up with him at Malabar Farm, where he was signing autographs in the cabin where his scene was filmed. 

“When I came here in 2013… [at first] I wasn’t going to come,” says Mann. “My wife convinced me to. But there was a group that came in on a tour and they all line up on a yellow line, and I told them how we shot the scene. They were like, ‘You’re the reason he went to prison.’ It instilled that, after almost 20 years, I had a newfound relationship with my role, being that I’m on screen for 15 seconds.”

Of all the cast members we got to meet, Mann was the most involved with fans. He travels to Mansfield every year to be a hype man for the annual Shawshank Hustle 7k run, an event that began over a decade ago. It begins and ends at the Ohio State Reformatory. As we explored the Shawshank-themed activities that weekend, Mann always said hello to me and my family by name. He is definitely the right people person to lead a high-energy event like the Hustle.

“The morning of the race, I judge a costume contest, or I organize it,” he says. “You know, it’s audience participation. I’ve been doing that for 10 years.”

Born and raised in Cleveland, Mann was working as a model when casting began for “The Shawshank Redemption.” It was his first and only film audition.

“I lived in Chicago for a while, Honolulu, Atlanta. When I was modeling, I spent some time in Tokyo, but never got into acting. I auditioned for one movie. One movie only. I got it. And I’ve always said I hit the lottery. I get to sit on stage with Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Mark Ralston … I mean, I get to sit on stage with these guys.”

Mann is referring to the panel of actors who take the stage at Mansfield’s historic Renaissance Theater to talk about their experience making the film as part of anniversary events like this one. It began with a recorded address from Stephen King himself, acknowledging the film’s anniversary and the incredible way his story came to life under Darabont’s direction and through the talent of its cast and crew.

Darabont on hope vs. despair

Just before the event in the theater, I got a chance to meet and chat with Darabont. In fact, I was the last journalist to get to speak with him before everyone was shuffled onstage — just under the wire! We were told we’d have only two minutes, but he graciously gave me five.

Erin Holden: I’ve been rereading Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, and then I learned that Stephen King initially told you he felt like the story wouldn’t make a great movie. But of course it did! When you were reading the novella, what was it that pulled you into a state of certainty that it needed to be on the screen?

Frank Darabont: It was the human story in it, and a lot of people who read the script said that “I would never imagine there would be a movie in this.” Rob Reiner said that [laughs]. And of course Rob and the others at Castle Rock supported the movie and funded the movie, and supported me in making the movie. To me, it just was obvious. I love character-driven storytelling, and that just seemed like one of the great yarns of all time. To me, it was something of a no-brainer, but I know there was some skepticism about that.

EH: I was also wondering about Brooks’ storyline. In the novella, his death is only one paragraph and it’s very general, but what you do with it in the movie, to make it a letter to the guys about what happened … tell me about why you chose to dwell on that for the story arc.

FB: When you’re adapting material as a screenwriter, you’re always looking for a way to illustrate an idea that’s in there, and the idea that’s the core of that story is hope versus despair. Hope versus hopelessness. You have Andy representing the one and you have Red representing the other.

Well, you need a fulcrum point between the two. That was probably my biggest contribution to the story – actually putting Brooks into it. I said, “I need that character to show what that path leads to.” That way I could illustrate the theme of institutionalization.

Bob Gunton, who played Shawshank’s Warden Norton, described the changes he’s seen in Mansfield over the years since the film was produced in 1994 as a story of hope in itself.

Hope for Mansfield

“When we first came here, it looked like a town that was dying, frankly. When I came back for the 20th [anniversary], things had improved quite a bit. The place was spruced up, and I could tell that there was going to be more to this,” Gunton said, adding that it’s now a kind of pilgrimage for so many. “Now I’m awestruck. It really is like the Catholics going to Fatima.”

He agrees that, though Shawshank is a story of hope, his character’s relationship to Andy Dufresne gives viewers the release of seeing the villain receive his comeuppance. It’s partially a revenge story.

“When he wonders about the business books, opens it up, and there’s the Bible with the rock hammer … ‘salvation does lie within.’”

For Gunton, it was one of the most satisfying moments of the film. 

The documentarian

Mark Dawidziak, author of Shawshank Redemption Revealed (2019), attended the event with his daughter Becky Dawidziak, the book’s photographer. The two of them manned their table, selling copies of the thorough history of the movie and its effects on the town and viewers all over the world. 

Mark recalls how the movie first entered his radar when he was working at the Akron Beacon Journal.

“People always say, ‘How long did you work on the book?’ And my standing joke is 25 years because I was there when they were filming,” he says. “The first interview I did was with this fellow Morgan Freeman. I made several trips to Mansfield that summer covering the movie.”

Having interviewed King many times over the years about adaptations of the novelist’s films, Mark decided that this project would be a good fit for his next book. 

“I had so much fun researching this book, because everybody connected with this film, from Stephen King down to the woman who trained the rats for the prison scenes, had great stories to tell.”  

That is one of the top takeaways from my visit to Mansfield, that there is a wholesome love for this film that makes everyone involved easy to talk to. They are always ready to share their stories. From Scott Mann getting his one and only movie role in one of the highest rated films of all time, to Morgan Freeman being propelled to a household name, it was life changing for many. That includes the people of Mansfield, who are still so proud of this slice of film history.

At the Toledo Free Press, we are all about celebrating Toledo itself, but the hidden gems surrounding us make our city equally appealing to live in. If you are looking for a short adventure and you’re a film buff, take in a full weekend of film history in Mansfield.