The Brownstone

The Brownstone
Use:	Home
Appeared In:	Ghostbusters II Chapter 01: Start Chapter 28: World is Safe Again
Address:	New York, New York

The Brownstone is a carefully-restored and expensively-furnished residential located in Upper Manhattan.

History

In late 1989, Ray Stantz and Winston Zeddemore were hired to perform at a birthday party held in the Brownstone. They parked Ecto-1 on the street in front of the Brownstone. Fully suited up as Ghostbusters, they walked through the home with the mother. They passed by an elderly woman leaning on a dining table. Ray asked her how many of them there were. She replied there was 14 and hope they could handle it then exclaimed it was like a nightmare. Winston asked how big there were. She estimated four feet and held out her arm to indicate the height. Winston and Ray exchanged looks. There was a birthday party going on. Children ran around in a frenzy and made a lot of noise. The mother tries to get everyone's attention. Ray and Winston entered the room and greeted the children with faux enthusiasm. Winston had a little boombox in hand. They received a less than polite welcome. The children booed them. One disappointed boy thought it was gonna be He-Man. Winston directed everyone to sit down and they would have fun. Jason, an older boy, walked up to Ray and told him his dad said the Ghostbusters are full of crap. A second mother told him to hush. Ray noted some people had trouble believing in the paranormal. Jason clarified his dad just said the Ghostbusters are full of crap and that was why they went out of business. The second mother grinned. Ray held back and cued Winston. Winston pressed play and the "Ghostbusters" song played. The mother cued everyone.

The Brownstone mothers and the children started to clap in rhythm. Ray and Winston danced and sang along with the tape and they ended at "If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call?!" They paused for the children to answer. The children exclaimed, "He-Man!" then got up and the chaos resumed. Ray and Winston lost their buzz and bleakly sang, "...and it don't look good..." Ray proposed getting a beer after. Winston agreed. After they finished performing, Ray thanked the mother and told her to call any time. Winston declared he wasn't doing anymore parties. Ray handed Winston his share of the money. Winston was tired of taking abuse from over-privileged nine-year-olds. He opened the rear of Ecto-1. Ray understood where he was coming from but noted the holidays were coming up and that was their best season. Winston pulled out the gurney for the Proton Packs. Winston took the party hat off Ray's head and told him to face the truth, the Ghostbusters no longer existed and in one year, those children would not even remember who we are. Ray became glum and called them ungrateful little yuppie larva despite all they did for New York. Winston helped Ray take off his Proton Pack. Winston recalled they conjured up a hundred-foot marshmallow man, blew the top three floors off an uptown high-rise, and ended up getting sued by every state, county and city agency in New York. Ray looked back at it fondly.

Trivia

Ghostbusters II Trivia

• In the August 5, 1988, page 4, and February 27, 1989 drafts, the Brownstone was located in the Upper West Side on West 77th Street.
• In the August 5, 1988 draft:
  • On page 4, they arrive at The Brownstone on West 77th Street. They walk through a set of French doors to a small backyard and join the party. The kids cheer for the Ghostbusters. A couple of weary parents sink into their lawn chairs.
  • On page 5, a child thought Bozo was coming to the party.
  • On page 5, Ray retells the final battle from the first movie. He alludes to 550 Central Park West and mentions the two Terror Dogs. After the story, the Brownstone Boy #2 tells Ray his father thinks they were full of crap. Ray tries to change the subject with science and asks the children if any of them ever saw a hard-boiled egg get sucked through the mouth of a Coke bottle.
  • The party scene is preserved into the September 29, 1988 Draft.
  • Most of this is preserved in the November 27, 1988 Draft but some notable differences are:
    • On page 6, Ray is kicked in the leg by the Brownstone Boy, who asks about He-Man in the movie, then Ray grabs him by the shirtfront and tells him, "I'm watching you."
    • On page 7, Ecto-1 won't start after the party.
    • On page 8, after Ray remarks 'what a ride,' he continues with "You can't make a hamburger without chopping up a cow." Ecto-1 finally starts but dies. Ray bangs his head on the steering wheel.
• In the February 27, 1989 draft:
  • On page 6, Ray is now kicked in the leg by Brownstone Boy #2 then he grabs the boy by the shirtfront and tells him, "I'm watching you." The story about 550 Central Park West is no longer present.
    • An aspect of this scene survives into the final version of the movie. When Ray says "Song," Ray is turning from Jason as the boy sits down clutching his shirtfront before he joins in with the other children.
• The exteriors were filmed at 420 East 78th Street New York, NY 10075.
• The interiors of the Brownstone were filmed in the captain's quarters on the third floor of Fire Station No. 23 in Los Angeles.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Trivia

• In Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, on the second floor of the Firehouse, by the dartboard is a box of kids birthday party hats like the ones Ray and Winston wore at the start of Ghostbusters II in Chapter 1: Start.
  • After Patch 1.3.0., the hats were removed temporarily due to a bug.

Appearances

• Ghostbusters II
  • Chapter 01: Start
  • Chapter 28: World is Safe Again

Gallery

Primary Canon Images

Dining Room

Hall between Front Door and Living Room

Living Room

Tertiary Canon Images

Children's party hats seen on second floor of Firehouse in Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed