NYPD Lock-Up

NYPD Lock-Up
Appeared In:	Ghostbusters Chapter 22: Holding Cell Ghostbusters Vol. 2 Issue #1 Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1
Address:	Manhattan, New York

The NYPD Lock-Up is a jail in Manhattan where the Ghostbusters were held temporarily during the first Gozer incident.

History

Primary Canon History

In 1984, the Ghostbusters were arrested and taken to a jail after Walter Peck had the Containment Unit shutdown, causing an explosion beneath the Firehouse and releasing all captured ghosts. Peck had the Ghostbusters arrested on the premise they were in criminal violation of the Environmental Protection Act, and the explosion was a direct result of it. After a brief scuffle with Peck, the Ghostbusters were incarcerated at a jail somewhere in Manhattan. Egon Spengler and Ray Stantz went over the 550 Central Park West blueprints in the middle of the holding cell and realized its connection with Gozer, the Cult of Gozer, and Ivo Shandor. Winston Zeddemore stood at the bars and tried to get the guard's attention so he could make his phone call. Winston explained he just worked with the Ghostbusters and was not present for the explosion. The inmates looked at Winston. Egon pointed out the structure of the Shandor Building's roof cap was exactly like the kind of telemetry tracker that NASA used to identify dead pulsars in deep space. Ray pulled out the blueprints out of his flight suit and laid it over the one Egon was examining. Ray stated the building had cold riveted girders with cores of pure selenium. Peter Venkman surprised the other inmates curious about Ray and Egon's conversation. Peter asked if everybody was getting it so far. Peter had no clue what the big deal was. He surmised they just did not make them like they used to. Ray slapped the side of Peter's head and exclaimed nobody ever made buildings like it. He assumed the architect was either a certified genius or an aesthetic wacko then shook his head. Peter implored Ray to pretend for a moment that he knew nothing about metallurgy, engineering or physics and to just tell him what the hell was going on. Peter looked Ray right in the eyes. Ray teased he never studied. Peter grinned. Ray explained the whole building was a huge super conductive antenna that was designed and built expressly for the purpose of pulling in and concentrating spiritual turbulence. Ray lifted his blueprints off the table and pointed at the one under. Peter was kneeling down looking at them. Ray told him "his girlfriend" lived in the corner penthouse of "Spook Central." Peter stood back up. Peter stated she was not his girlfriend and claimed to find her interesting because she was a client and because she slept above her covers. He clarified four feet above her covers and she barked, drooled, and clawed. The inmates exchanged looks.

Egon stated it was the building, not Dana. Ray laid his blueprint back down. Egon predicted something terrible was about the enter their world and the Shandor Building was obviously the door. Egon revealed the architect's name was Ivo Shandor. He found the name in Tobin's Spirit Guide. Shandor was also a doctor who performed a lot of unnecessary surgery and then in 1920, he founded a secret society. Peter guessed they were Gozer worshipers. Egon confirmed. Peter teased Ray with "No studying." Ray made a face. Egon continued and revealed after the First World War, Shandor decided that society was too sick to survive. The inmates started getting closer to the table again and really took an interest in the discussion. Egon took stock of that and revealed Shandor had close to a thousand followers when he died. They conducted rituals up on the roof, bizarre rituals intended to bring about the end of the world. Egon concluded the end of the world may actually happen. Peter suddenly broke out into song, "So be good, for goodness sake! Whoa! Somebody's coming!" Ray stated the obvious, they had to get out of jail and find a judge or something. Winston stepped and told them to hold it. He wanted to clarify their plan was to go before a federal judge and say that some moldy Babylonian god was going to drop in on Central Park West and start tearing up the city. Egon corrected him about Gozer: it was a Sumerian god, not Babylonian. Peter joked that was a big difference. Winston was skeptical anyone would believe them and informed them he would hire his own lawyer. A jail guard called the Ghostbusters and revealed Mayor Lenny wanted to see them because the city was going crazy from the outbreak of paranormal activity. Peter told the inmates he had to split because the Mayor wanted to rap with him about some things. Egon folded up the blueprint as they left.

Secondary Canon History

After Gozer was defeated in 1984, Rebecca Morales interviewed the jail guard for her official book about the Ghostbusters. Officer Carlson told her they were the luckiest bunch he ever saw. He recalled their Firehouse blew up and they had them cold behind bars for the hazard. He noted they didn't seem too concerned about the incident and he thought that made them seem guilty. He remembered one of them was singing a Christmas carol or something but the Mayor pulled them out. Carlson iterated that was luck.

After capturing the Jail Jaw Ghost, Janine Melnitz's team was arrested and held at the NYPD Lock-Up. Their stay was brief as Walter Peck had them released as part of his solution to the growing ghost problem.

Filming Location Mystery

The filming location for the NYPD Lock-Up remains unconfirmed and unidentified.

Don Shay's informal map of film locations, shown on page 26 of Making Ghostbusters, posits it to be above Little Italy and North Moore Street where the Firehouse is, north of Canal Street, and situated somewhere between the Bowery and Broadway with Chinatown as beneath Little Italy, with both beneath Canal Street. Compared to a formal map, Chinatown straddles the north and south sides of Canal Street, with Little Italy directly above Chinatown. Shay's map suggests the prison is located roughly in the location north of Canal but South of Spring, between Broadway and the Bowery. On page 151, a foot note confirms the "incarceration scene was shot on location at an actual New York prison facility now [circa 1984-5 when book was written] out of commission and essentially abandoned."

In the Ghostbusters commentary, Harold Ramis said the prison facility was out of commission actual jail and in the middle of 14th Street. At the end of an anecdote, Ivan Reitman commented it was a police station. Dan Aykroyd once noted, "It was dark and very crowded, with low ceilings and dirt everywhere." While not confirming the exact location, in the inlay booklet of the Ghostbusters 1 & 2 Gift Set (2014) on page three of "The Story of Ghostbusters," one of the shooting locations briefly mentioned is 'the old New York Police Department lock-up.'

Two candidates for the jail's filming location are The Tombs and the defunct New York Police Department headquarters on 240 Centre Street. Part of The Tombs was closed in 1974 for security and health reasons then demolished and replaced. The rest of the building, located on 100 Centre Street, was remodeled by 1983. Ghostbusters filmed in November 1983 in New York however the location does not match Shay's map entirely. The old NYPD Headquarters building was vacated in 1973, and did have jail cells. Its location does match the range of Shay's map better than The Tomb.

Trivia

• In the July 6, 1983 draft of Ghostbusters, they are not arrested and taken to the lock-up. Instead, they go straight to City Hall.
• In the August 5, 1983 draft of Ghostbusters, during the incarceration scene, a biker named "The Hook" recognizes who they are and gives Ray Stantz the name of a friend of his, "Gash," imprisoned at Riker's Island in case they are sentenced there.
• Dan Aykroyd claimed the jail was haunted and the film got scratched but luckily the crew was able cut around it so no reshoots were needed.
• Ivan Reitman fired an extra during the prison filming.
• The extra in the motorcycle jacket is Dan Aykroyd's friend Larry Bilzerian.
• The inmate sitting behind Egon and ignoring the discussion is reading the October 17, 1983 issue of Newsweek which featured a special report on capital punishment titled "To Die or Not To Die."

Appearances

Primary Canon

• Ghostbusters
  • Chapter 22: Holding Cell
• Ghostbusters: Afterlife
  • Chapter 11
    • Alluded to by Ray Stantz.

Secondary Canon

IDW Comics

• Ongoing Series
  • Volume 2
    • Issue #1
• Ghostbusters Year One
  • Issue #1

Gallery

Primary Canon

Secondary Canon

As seen in Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #1

Non Canon

Dan Aykroyd at the set