Demolition Begins at Sewickley Country Inn

Workers began prepping for demolition this week at the former motel and banquet center.

Ryan Dzadony lives directly across the boulevard from the old Sewickley Country Inn and won’t mind seeing the place torn down.   “It’ll be nice to see something nice there,” Dzadony said. Utility workers and crews were at the site on Tuesday prepping for the demolition of the old inn. MCM Ventures, the private developer, is overseeing the process. Borough officials have said it all boils down to safety.   “Our police are there all the time. It’s an eyesore and it’s a safety hazard, and our residents deserve better,” Mayor Brian Jeffe said.  As one final hoorah, the Country Inn was used during filming of the Jack Reacher movie starring Tom Cruise. From old jobs to wedding receptions, Patch readers are also sharing memories of the inn. What …

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Tom Cruise Movie Filmed in Sewickley to Premiere in South Side

'Jack Reacher,' partly filmed in Sewickley last year, will premiere Dec. 15 in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh will play host to the premiere of a Tom Cruise movie that was filmed in several local communities, including Sewickley, last year. "Jack Reacher," originally named "One Shot" after the novel that the story is based on, will premiere at the SouthSide Works Cinema on Dec. 15. According to a report from WPXI, Tom Cruise and co-stars Robert Duvall and Rosamund Pike are expected to return to Pittsburgh to attend the premiere, which is the first film premiere Pittsburgh has hosted in several decades. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that director Christopher McQuarrie and novelist Lee Child are also scheduled to attend. Paramount Pictures will take over all 10 screens and 1,659 seats in the SouthSide Works Cinema for the 2 p.m. …

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Film Trailer Released for Tom Cruise's 'Jack Reacher'—Originally Named 'One Shot'

This movie, starring Tom Cruise, was filmed in the Pittsburgh area—including Sewickley—last year.

The trailer for "Jack Reacher," a movie that was filmed in the Pittsburgh area—including Sewickley—over the winter, has been released.  The movie, which was named "One Shot" during filming, stars Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall and Rosamund Pike. In October, film crews and actors drew a crowd while on set at Sewickley Country in Sewickley. The movie also filmed in Dormont, Oakmont and other areas throughout the City of Pittsburgh. And speaking of films, "Lifeguard" starring Kristen Bell is currently filming in Sewickley. Saturday and Sunday, the film crew is expected to shoot night scenes near Beaver and Chestnut, according to borough officials. Here is a synopsis of the "Jack Reacher" movie plot, according to the Internet Movie Database: "In an…

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Spectators Gather at Movie Shoot Hoping to See Tom Cruise

Cruise's new film "One Shot" begins local shooting about 10 p.m. Thursday in Sewickley.

Vicki Truchan estimated she’d been waiting since 6:30 p.m. across the street from the former Sewickley Country Inn, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tom Cruise. It was about 9:45 p.m. when the “Top Gun” and “Jerry Maguire” star arrived on set in a black Cadillac Escalade. Cruise waved from the vehicle to the crowd, causing a rush of excitement and prompting cheers from spectators lined up in the cold along busy Route 65.  Sydney Bichsel, 13, was first to spot Cruise. She quickly pointed him out to friends Sarah McSweeney and Elizabeth Truchan. “I saw his arm,” said her mother, Vicki Truchan of Sewickley, who is a huge fan. “I saw him wave, so that counts.” Cruise was in Sewickley Thursday night filming scenes for his crime thriller “One Shot…

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Not Bates Motel: Tom Cruise Brings 'One Shot' Film Shoot to Sewickley

The "Top Gun" star begins shooting today at the former Sewickley Country Inn site, which means possible traffic delays for motorists traveling on Route 65.

With Halloween just around the corner, the temporary "Three Rivers Motel" sign erected Wednesday outside the Sewickley Country Inn easily could have been mistaken for a new haunted attraction. But people around here know that Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise has been in Pittsburgh shooting scenes for his film, "One Shot." They also know that the big Hollywood production is scheduled to make a short stop in Sewickley.  According to borough officials, Cruise is expected to begin filming today at the former Country Inn site off Route 65 in Sewickley. Filming could extend to Friday. The Pittsburgh Film Office said intermittent traffic control will occur between 4 p.m. today and 7 a.m. Friday on Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard). Sewickley Police …

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Jackie Evancho Wows Hometown Crowd In Performance With Pittsburgh Opera

Actor Tom Cruise and former Steelers player Franco Harris join the crowd to hear her perform at the Benedum Center.

Jackie Evancho has performed at venues across the U.S. and abroad, but Sunday night was the 11-year-old's first major concert for the hometown fans in Pittsburgh. She wowed them. Hundreds of fans started gathering outside of the Benedum Center hours in advance of her 5:30 p.m. sold-out performance with the Pittsburgh Opera. Actor Tom Cruise, former Steelers player Franco Harris, children in their Sunday best and fans still dressed in their Steelers-themed garb from Sunday afternoon's game filled the seats at the downtown theater. The Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and Chorus performed four songs before Jackie came on stage in a red-and-white dress and performed “Lovers” from House of Flying Daggers.   She continued with “Ombra Mai Fu” from …

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Tom Cruise and Family Sighting in Wexford Leads to Speculation About Gossip-Mongering

Tabloids will probably go wild and make stuff up.

Tom Cruise and his wife, Katie Holmes, were spotted last week at Soergel's with their daughter, Suri. That's a great place to take your child any time of year, but Soergel's is particularly fun to visit in the fall. When our children were younger, a trip to Soergel's was one of our favorite things to do as a family on the weekends. We still go up at least once a year a week or so before Halloween to pick out our pumpkins for carving and drink apple cider. My daughter is in her early 20s now, but she still loves a family outing.  Lucky for us, there's no one following us around, taking pictures and making stuff up to go with those pictures.  I have to say, tabloids fascinate me. Not because I have any interest in celebrities, because I don'…

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Actor Tom Cruise, Wife and Daughter Check Out Soergel's Orchards in Wexford

Cruise is in Pittsburgh to film a new action-thriller movie, "One Shot."

Tom Cruise Movie to Film in Sewickley

Borough officials say the one-day shoot at the Sewickley Country Inn is scheduled for November.

Christian Bale isn't the only hot stuff in town. Tom Cruise is slated to begin filming his new action movie, "One Shot," in Pittsburgh next month, when Paramount is scheduled to start production, the Pittsburgh Film Office has confirmed. Borough Manager Kevin Flannery said part of the filming will take place in Sewickley. The Sewickley Country Inn will be used for one day of filming. Flannery said the Paramount production crew plans to redecorate and paint signs at the inn, which closed in 2009. MCM Ventures LTD, which owns the Country Inn property, has given permission to the film crew to paint and place signs at the site while shooting scenes there, Flannery said. Film representatives are scheduled to meet at the site with borough …

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