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Peter's apartment was the place Peter lived when he was not on duty at the Firehouse.

History[]

Primary Canon[]

Ghostbusters II[]

At some point after the events of the emergence and fall of Gozer in 1984, Peter Venkman got an apartment on Broadway. He continued to occupy it in late 1989 after the Ghostbusters went back in business. Dana Barrett and her son Oscar were brief occupants during the New Year's Eve holiday after a Slime in Bathtub Attack scared them out of their apartment. Peter was stirred out his slumber on the couch in his apartment by frantic pounding on the door and a baby's cries. There were several Budweiser bottles around. A few Christmas decorations were up. Dana yelled it was her and pleaded to be let in. Peter wondered what was going on. She continued shouting. Peter opened the door. Dana came in. She was in a coat with Oscar inside. She was frantic and uttered she did not know where else to go then told him the bathtub was trying to eat Oscar. She cuddled Oscar. Peter tried to comfort her and told her she was all right. Dana told Oscar she would not let it get him. Peter assured her she was safe. Dana admitted she was terrified. Peter repeated she was all right now and took his coat off then threw it towards his couch. He told her to sit down and relax while he got them some clothes. Peter went to his phone, dialed the Firehouse, and closed the door. Peter told Ray Stantz Dana came over to his place because her tub tried to eat her.

Dana now had on one of Peter's blue shirts. Peter briefed Dana on what was going to happen next: Ray was heading over to take a look at her apartment. Peter presented a green sweatshirt. He told Oscar he held onto it for a long time and got it from a girl who got it from Joe Namath. He joked they did want to know how she got it then fashioned it into a diaper. He told Oscar he would appreciate it if he refrained from hosing it down with his own personal rinse. He suggested he start practicing a thing the big guys liked to call "self control". He declared he was going to stay at "Uncle Pete's" until this thing blew over and it was his place now. They went over to Peter's bedroom. He leaped onto the bed and bounced a few more times then posed and welcomed her inside. Dana asked about the sleeping arrangements. Peter proposed the best option for him was he lie on my side and she spoon up beside him with her arm draped over him. He demonstrated. Peter rolled over into position to demonstrate. She sat down. He countered if it was done the opposite way, he would choke on her hair in the night. She proposed he sleep on the sofa while she and Oscar slept on the bed. He was okay with that idea. She was eager to put him down for the night. Peter asked if he could. She obliged him. Peter told Oscar he was short, his belly button stuck out too far and he was a terrible burden on his poor mother. He pointed at Oscar then waved his finger around.

Peter returned home to his apartment with a suitcase. He called out to Dana. He was horrified upon realizing she cleaned up the apartment. Dana was fresh out of the shower and wrapped in a white towel. They greeted each other. Dana alerted him that Oscar was asleep then asked about her apartment. Peter, with a straight face, told her the guys spent the whole night there, went through all her things and personal stuff, tried on some of her clothes, made some long-distance phone calls, and cleaned out the fridge. Dana cut him off and asked if they found anything. Peter conceded they only found a little bit of the pink slime. Dana asked what she was supposed to do now. Peter told her get dressed and get crazy with him on the streets of Manhattan. Dana was not so sure. Peter assured her it was exactly what she needed and he already had a babysitter. Dana was not so sure about leaving Oscar in a strange place with a strange person. Peter pointed out the babysitter was Janine. Dana inquired if Janine had experience babysitting.

Peter handed her a bouquet of flowers and presented a suitcase. He revealed he brought some things from her apartment, a couple of provocative ensembles. Dana agreed they would go out to get dinner but he was not allowed to use any of those old cheap moves on her. Peter promised he would not, he had all new cheap moves. They entered the bedroom to find Oscar awake. Dana baby talked to him. Peter informed Oscar he was going to have the whole place to himself that night and revealed he had some Laura Antonelli tapes around. He asked Dana if she saw some shirts in the "floor-bed" area. Dana revealed she placed them in the hamper. Peter was surprised he had a hamper. He took some of the clothes out of the hamper and asked her to tell him the next time she was going to do that. Dana pointed out they were dirty. Peter scoffed and stated he had more than two grades of laundry. He claimed there were many subtle levels. He took one shirt and claimed it could be hung outside the window for twenty minutes and it would be perfectly fine. Peter left the bedroom. Dana commented to Oscar he was an interesting role model. She kissed Oscar.

On the night of the date, Peter walked outside his building and tried to hail a taxi cab. Ecto-1a pulled up. Ray, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore came out wearing yellow rubber jackets. Ray announced they had incredible news. Peter joked it was all-you-can-eat barbecue rib night at the Sizzler. Egon briefed him on the photograph analysis and the connection to the River of Slime. Ray added they were going underground into the subway and sewer system to see if they could trace the source of the flow. Egon told Peter to change. Winston revealed Egon theorized there might even be a tremendous breeding surge in the cockroach population. Dana stepped out and greeted the guys. Peter told what they guys were going to do and asked if she wanted to blow off dinner and go with them. Dana smiled, walked to the edge of the sidewalk, and called out for a taxi. Peter quipped.

Louis Tully held Oscar and finished telling him his version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, from the point of view of an accountant. He told Oscar the dwarfs had a limited partnership in a small mining operation, and one day a beautiful princess came to live with them, and they bartered housekeeping services for room and board. Louis thought that was a real good deal for them because they would not have to withhold Social Security or income taxes. He clarified that was against the rules but for the purposes of the story, it was okay. Janine Melnitz made small talk and thought the apartment was a great place but it needed a woman's touch. Louis returned to the living room and gently closed the bedroom door. He reminded her Oscar was sleeping. Janine noticed he was very good with children. Louis thanked her for the compliment and revealed he practiced on his hamster. Janine asked if he lived alone. Janine held a crystal ball between her legs. Louis looked away. Louis revealed he used to have a roommate, but his mom moved to Florida. She invited him to sit next to her. Louis sat on the couch and suggested playing a round of Boggle or Super Mario Bros. but Janine called motherhood a very natural instinct and she would like to have a child herself. She crossed a leg over Louis's then asked him if he did. Louis became nervous. She touched his right ear. They made out on the couch.

Dana returned to the apartment and turned on the lights. Louis jumped off the couch in shock. He knocked over a stand. Janine peeked at Dana. Louis rambled about how they were just baby-sitting, watching television, eating, and one thing led to another. Dana told him it was all right. Louis assured her it he did not know anything was going to happen. Janine got up and adjusted her dress. She asked Dana how her date went. Dana stated it was not date, it was just dinner. Louis asked where Peter was. Dana placed her purse down and informed them Peter was arrested. Janine found that typical. Dana asked if Peter called. Louis told her nobody called. She asked how Oscar was. Janine assured her he was fine and a good baby. He was a little fussy at first, then they just gave him some French bread pizza and he passed right out. Dana was glad and decided to peek in on him. Louis sighed in relief. Dana leaned in on Oscar, who was asleep. Louis wondered if they should leave. Janine was not sure about leaving Dana alone. Louis agreed. They dropped back on the couch together.

Louis, Janine, and Dana watched "The Lady from Shanghai" in Peter's living room. Janine asked if Elsa Bannister was the killer or not. Louis spouted out trivia about Rita Hayworth, the actress, portraying Elsa. Janine fed him some popcorn from a bowl next to an open Hi-C drink. Louis wondered why beautiful girls loved horses so much. He asked Janine if she loved horses. Janine replied, "No." Dana's expression and tone implied she wished they would leave. She assured them they did not have to stay and thought Peter would be back soon. Louis told her they did not mind. He asked Dana if she could see okay. There was a thunder clap outside. She checked her wrist watch. A window opened on its own in Peter's bedroom. Oscar turned around and looked. Dana felt a draft and went to go check on Oscar. The bed was empty. She looked out the open window and exclaimed in horror. She found Oscar on the ledge outside the apartment and yelled for Louis. Dana crawled out onto the ledge and called out to Oscar. Louis came in and popped in his head out the window then yelled out to Janine to call 911 immediately. Dana crawled across the ledge to Oscar. To her horror, Janosz Poha flew down from the sky towards the apartment complex in a ghost form dressed like an English nanny. His eyes flashed red. Janosz's right arm extended and kidnapped Oscar. Dana lunged too late. Oscar was placed in the baby carriage. They flew away. Dana went back into the apartment. Louis was freaked out they just saw a ghost. Dana informed him it was Janosz. Janine asked what was happening. Louis wondered what they should do. Janine asked where Oscar was. Dana believed Janosz to the Manhattan Museum of Art. Dana pulled Peter's green coat on. Louis asked her where she was going. Dana declared she was going to get her baby and rushed off. Louis stated they needed to find the Ghostbusters.

After Ghostbusters II[]

After the Vigo incident, Peter went back into academia and became professor emeritus at SUNY Cortland and was teaching advertising and promotion. Prior to Summer 2021, he and Dana got married and moved to upstate New York.

Secondary Canon[]

IDW Comics[]

During the Gozerian Terror Bear's rampage through Wall Street, it briefly passed by the building where Peter's apartment was located. It was also seen on a news report. Over a year later, while in Janine's mind, Egon Spengler and Roger Baugh briefly hid in Peter's apartment. It became apparent it was New Year's Eve 1989 as they overheard Janine and Louis on Peter's couch. While there, Egon realized things were tangible by the power of mind. They raced off to a Firehouse memory.

Behind the Scenes[]

At one point, Janosz Poha was not the one to kidnap Oscar. A two headed dragon, creatures from a hellish world, a phantom taxicab, a giant pigeon, a face on the Moon, a vapor rising from the street, billboard figures, gargoyles come to life, and a horrible Santa Claus were pitched.[1][2] Thom Enriquez storyboarded an early version of the scene. It involved Slimer trying to warn Louis that Oscar was on the ledge but he was trying to make out with Janine. Louis looks over her shoulder and sees Slimer making a bunch of gestures. Peter and Dana return home and see the baby was missing. They look out the window and see the baby on the ledge with a monster. Peter goes onto the ledge and grabs the baby. Dana hands him a baseball bat and he swings at the monster.[3]

The scene where Oscar is taken by Janosz was filmed at a studio set representing the exterior of the building. Bo Welch built the set - two exterior walls and a 10 foot tall ledge.[4] Chuck Gaspar built a special harness rig for the Deutschendorf twins portraying Oscar. It was a big leather diaper attached to a metal pole bolted down to the ledge. The diaper was hidden in the Deutschendorf's jumpsuit and the pole was hidden if their legs were kept in position. Just in case, several large airbags were placed below. The twins cooperated very well during filming. The twins' father Ron Deutschendorf stood on a ladder off-camera and made noises to make it look like the baby was looking out into the distance in the scene.[5][6][7] In order for the ledge shot in the kidnapping to be incorporated with the matte painting, Mark Vargo and his plate crew positioned a camera about 40 feet up along one side of the sound stage. The crew had to climb up a wooden ladder and walk along a very narrow catwalk. The Vistavision camera was too heavy to carry so it was pulled up on pulleys.[8] Peter MacNicol was dressed in drag and photographed in front of a bluescreen at ILM. The arm stretch was achieved through a piece of tubing covered with costume fabric and rigged to slide down a pole. For the wider shots, a miniature rod puppet and buggy were photographed in front of a bluescreen and manipulated by character performers Bob Cooper and David Allen.[9]

Trivia[]

  • In the August 5, 1988 draft:
    • On page 60, Louis is the sole babysitter and on page 61, Louis tells the baby his variation of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It is preserved in the movie.
    • On page 65, a low rumble is generated under Lane's apartment. The baby miraculously sits up, uses the crib to pull himself up to a standing position, climbs nimbly out, and walks across the floor to the open window. On page 67 to 68, Peter goes out on the ledge after the baby and grabs him.
  • In the September 29, 1988 draft:
    • On page 67, Peter sees Lane Walker in the shower. She is tastefully blurred through the transparent vinyl curtain. He checks on the sleeping Mikey then bumps into Lane. He proposes they go out on a date.
    • On page 68-70, Peter shaves in the shower while Lane puts on makeup in the bathroom. Lane offers to finish in the bedroom. Peter quips he hopes they both do. She doesn't hear him then flushes a Kleenex, jolting him in the shower. They discuss sleeping arrangements. He notes her hair will be getting in his face all night. She suggests he sleep on the couch.
    • On page 70, Egon, Ray, and Winston arrive outside Peter's door to invite him to their sewer investigation. Peter guesses an all-you-can-eat barbecue at Sizzler.
    • On page 72, Egon, Ray, and Winston pass by Janine Melnitz and Louis Tully in the hall. Peter jokes they were helping change a diaper. Janine survey's Peter's apartment and asks him if he really lives there. Peter jokes it's a front and his real apartment is behind one of the walls.
    • On page 73, Peter is okay with Louis joining and tells him he doesn't want to come home and find them humping on his couch.
    • On page 74, Janine watches TV while Louis paces around with a crying Oscar and a bottle of milk. Louis tells a slightly longer version of his take on the Seven Dwarfs ending on them not filing state and federal income taxes which he admits he's not saying is right but they could've gotten into a lot of trouble. He realizes Oscar is asleep and elects to finish his story later.
    • On page 92, Slimer hovers outside Peter's apartment, sentimentally googling over Mikey. Peter comes home, sees Slimer, yells at him to get away, Slimer licks his lips, Peter realizes he made mistake, and he is slimed.
    • On page 94, Lane Walker is cooking pasta but Peter is in a rush to get back to the Firehouse. They hug and kiss.
    • On page 95, Peter tells Slimer to beat it. Slimer gestures incoherently. Peter pulls down a window shade. Slimer comes inside and mimes and grunts. Lane starts to get it.
    • On page 96, Slimer gestures a cradling baby. They check and the crib is empty. Slimer beckons them to come outside with him. They discover Mikey is outside on the ledge.
    • On page 97, Peter goes out on the ledge and tells Mikey he has his whole life ahead of him. A nanny ghost materializes and its face looks like Jason's.
    • On page 98, Peter grabs Mikey just in time but the nanny ghost beats Peter with an umbrella then they get into a tug of war over it. Eventually, Peter lets go. The ghost's stretched arms smacks himself. He charged Peter.
    • On page 99, the pram slams into Peter and he drops Mikey who lands in the pram.
  • In the November 27, 1988 and February 27, 1989 drafts:
    • On page 71, Peter goes over and tries to clean up his dirty kitchen, realizes there is no food in the refrigerator, that Dana has to wash dishes if she needs one, and the drawer is full of menus. He shows her the shower is tricky because both knobs are marked "Hot." He notes the sofa is a butt biter.
    • On page 82, Peter sees Dana in the shower. She is tastefully blurred through the transparent vinyl curtain. He checks on the sleeping Oscar then bumps into Dana.
    • On page 83, Peter opens a closet and looks for a good suit.
    • On page 86 to 87, the Ghostbusters knock on Peter's front door then invite him to the sewer investigation. Egon thinks there could be a roach surge because animals and lower life forms often anticipate major disasters.
    • On page 87, they pass by Janine and Louis in the hall. Peter jokes they were helping change a diaper.
    • On page 88, Janine survey's Peter's apartment and asks him if he really lives there. Peter is okay with Louis joining and tells him he doesn't want to come home and find them humping on his couch.
    • On page 103, Dana is alone and half-watching a game show on TV when she feels a gust. She finds the crib empty and climbs out onto the ledge after Oscar only for Janosz in his ghost nanny form to appear and kidnap him.
  • In the February 27, 1989 draft,
    • Janine's surprise anyone can live in Peter's apartment is moved to page 91.
    • On page 92, Louis tells a slightly longer version of his take on the Seven Dwarfs ending on them not filing state and federal income taxes which he admits he's not saying is right but they could've gotten into a lot of trouble. He realizes Oscar is asleep and elects to finish his story later. He doesn't talk about his mom, hamster, nor suggests any video games.
  • The exteriors of Peter's apartment was filmed at residential lofts at 644 Broadway but the rooftop of the building was a matte painting.[10] In Chapter 16: Vigo 101, the Broadway and Bleecker Street signs outside the building are visible. The scene of Ecto-1a pulling up just as Peter and Dana leave for dinner was filmed on March 31, 1989.[11][Note 1]
  • The interior of Peter's apartment was shot at Burbank Studios in Los Angeles.
  • In the Ghostbusters II commentary, during the Chapter 16: Vigo 101 segment, Ivan Reitman contended Peter's apartment scene took place in the apartment of famous art dealer Marc Glimcher.[12]
  • In one of the rooms, you can clearly see the newspaper front pages from the "Ghostbusting montage" in the first film. They are the most visible in the scene when Peter returns from the museum.
  • On the wall by the front door is the 1978 "Yankee Fever - Catch It" poster. Behind it on the right is an issue of the July 18, 1988 People Weekly.
  • Near the desk on the wall are frames with the magazine and newspaper covers from the first film's montage - New York Post, USA Today, and Time.
  • Below the frames is a Yankees pennant and leaned against the wall is a Ouija board.
  • On the desk are some Statue of Liberty collectibles such as a lamp based on the hand holding the torch.
  • Near the doorway to the bathroom is the lamp that was on Peter's desk in the Firehouse in the first movie.
  • In his kitchen are bags of Utz The Crab Chip and Salt' n Vinegar flavors.
  • After putting Oscar to bed, Louis mentions the board game Boggle and the video game Super Mario Bros. for the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System.
  • When Louis talks about Rita Hayworth, there is an orange box of Hi-C next to the popcorn.
  • The scene of Oscar's kidnapping evolved from Harold Ramis' initial idea about the baby walking like an adult.[13]
  • The apartment was mentioned in Ghostbusters: The Video Game, during the Shandor's Island level, where Peter comments on the structure, "My apartment used to look like this."
  • On page three of Ghostbusters Issue #8, a Statue of Liberty torch lamp like the one from the apartment is on the mantle.

See Also[]

Appearances[]

Primary Canon[]

Secondary Canon[]


Notes[]

  1. According to the scene's call sheet, this scene was filmed on March 31, 1989, also marked as Day 3.

References[]

  1. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 29. Cinefex, USA. Dennis Muren says: "The ghost nanny sequence is another prime example of how things evolve and got better.The way this process of change would usually happen was that Ivan would send us a script. Three days later we would fly down for a meeting. Maybe Harold and Danny would be there, and the producers would be there and Chuck Gaspar--and we would all sort of hear the script through Ivan for the first time. During one of these meetings, he got to the two-headed flying dragon and he asked, 'Is this any good?' I said: 'I don't think so. We've seen it before and it doesn't really fit into this film. He said: 'Great, I agree. So come up with something else.' From there it was up to us to do just that."
  2. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 29. Cinefex, USA. Harley Jessup says: "We did dozens of concept drawings, working with key elements in the story--baby, ledge, New York, New Year's Eve--we presented a variety of solutions to the problem. It was really a chance to find something that would work ten stories up in Manhattan and to think of how it would get up there. Some of the ideas involved creatures from a hellish world, while others were more down-to-earth. We had a phantom taxicab that would fly up, transform and take the baby away. We had a giant pigeon and a face that would appear in the moon and a vapor that came up out of the street. Other concepts involved billboard figures and building gargoyles coming to life. We even thought of a horrible Santa Claus. In retrospect, some of the ideas seem a little screwy, but we were trying to be one of the scariest moments of the film."
  3. Wallace, Daniel (2015). Ghostbusters The Ultimate Visual History, p. 141, 144. Insight Editions, San Rafael CA USA, ISBN 9781608875108. Thom Enriquez says: "In the version I storyboarded, Slimer was involved a lot more, so I had Slimer warn Louis that the baby was out on the ledge. Louis is trying to make out with Janine and he looks over her shoulder, and you see Slimer using all these gestures. The sequence was longer. When Bill Murray shows up with Dana and they find out the baby is missing, they look out the window and see the baby on the ledge with a monster, and there's a physical struggle. Bill goes out there, Dana hands him a baseball bat, and he's swinging at this creature."
  4. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 29. Cinefex, USA. Line reads: "Even though Oscar no longer had to walk, he still had to appear standing on the ledge of the building some ten stories above a crowded New York street. To accomplish this feat, Bo Welch built Venkman's corner loft apartment complete with two exterior walls and a ledge that stood ten feet above the stage floor. Then Chuck Gaspar had the task of devising a foolproof rig so that Oscar--interchangeably played by William T. Deutshcendorf and Henry J. Deutschendorf II--could stand up."
  5. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 25 footnote. Cinefex, USA. Line reads: "On a studio set representing the exterior of the building, physical effects supervisor Chuck Gaspar constructed a harness rig to support the child and prevent him from falling."
  6. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 29. Cinefex, USA. Chuck Gaspar says: "We made a big leather diaper that was attached to a metal pole bolted down to the ledge. The diaper was hidden inside the baby's jumpsuit; and as long as his legs stayed in position, you could not see the pole because it went up the back of his leg and behind his back. For reverse angles, we simply placed it in front of the baby. There was no way the baby could get loose--he was locked in. Of course, down on the floor below we had large air bags for him to fall on, but there was really no way he could get free. Either one of the twins could have become angry or annoyed by the whole thing, but fortunately they both seemed quite content out on the ledge. Ivan got lucky when he chose those twins--they were great."
  7. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 29. Cinefex, USA. Line reads: "To help direct the children, Deutschendorf stood on a ladder off-camera and made noises to try and make the performing infant appear to be looking off into the distance."
  8. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 29. Cinefex, USA. Line reads: "To complete Oscar's dramatic adventure, a plate of the ledge set was photographed and then later reduced and placed into a matte painting by Mark Sullivan featuring the rest of the building and the street below. In order to get the correct angle on the ledge, Mark Vargo and his plate crew had to position a camera some forty feet up in the air along one side of the large soundstage. To reach this location, they had to climb a simple wooden ladder and then walk along a very narrow catwalk to the desired position. The Vistavision camera had to be elevated on pulleys since it was too heavy to be carried up the ladder."
  9. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 26 footnote. Cinefex, USA. Line reads: "For identifiably close shots, Peter MacNicol was dressed in drag and photographed in front of a bluescreen. The arm stretch was a simple illusion employing a piece of tubing covered with costume fabric and rigged to slide down a pole. For wider shots, a miniature rod puppet and buggy were similarly photographed against blue. Character performers Bob Cooper and David Allen choreograph one of the miniature shots."
  10. Spook Central "644 Broadway"
  11. Derek Obsborn post Ghostbusters Fans 11/29/2022
  12. Ivan Reitman (2019). Ghostbusters II- Commentary (2019) (Blu-ray ts. 52:39-52:41). Sony Home Entertainment. Ivan Reitman says: "This was the apartment of Marc Glimcher that we used."
  13. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 28-29. Cinefex, USA. Harold Ramis says: "The idea of having the baby out on the ledge was to offshoot of my having a baby walk like an adult. At one point, we were really considering doing that--but it would have involved either a stop-motion puppet or an adult in a baby suit. Neither of those approaches would have worked without it being in really dim light. As soon as Ivan thought about making a baby walk, he was not thrilled. It just seemed like too much--it made the baby too important."

External Links[]

Gallery[]

Primary Canon[]

Secondary Canon[]

Behind the Scenes[]

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