BARTLETT — Downtown Bartlett recently looked as if it traveled back in time to the year 1923. The heart of this small community southeast of Temple was the temporary filming location for part of the second season of the Paramount+ series “1923” on Monday and Tuesday of last week. “It’s like they’ve been filming for a whole month,” Bartlett resident Abelardo Carranza said.
“This is the first time I’ve seen them filming movies or shows.” The second season of the show, which is a spinoff of the hit show “Yellowstone,” began filming in Austin last month. “1923” is a Western drama that follows the fictional Dutton family during the year 1923.
The series is set in Montana during the time of Prohibition and the early stages of the Great Depression. Although many may view the Wall Street Crash of 1929 as the start of the Great Depression, other parts of the country such as Montana felt those affects earlier. While filming for the show took over two weekdays, the set-up process started earlier.
Debbie Wendler, owner of Unique Celebrations Florist and Gift Shop in downtown Bartlett, felt the effects of the set-up and filming. “I had to close for a week (Aug. 13-20) for filming,” Wendler said.
Wendler returned to work Wednesday. While being closed for a week, she found a way to occupy her time. “I took a vacation and thought, ‘Oh well.
I might as well make the best of it,’” Wendler said. “Whenever there’s activity in town, we have more people come through town just to look. It’s always good to have activity in town.
” For 1923 Locations Production Assistant Hope Wager, the week in Bartlett was her first time to visit the city. The Virginia native lives in Austin. “Bartlett’s a beautiful town,” Wager said.
“Everyone’s been so welcoming and they were ready to help the filming process go smoothly.” For Wager, this is the first show for which she’s worked on the set. “I have a friend who knew I wanted to be part of this, so I went out and tried it,” she said.
It is undetermined when the second season of “1923” will air. The streets of Bartlett are no strangers to the lights, cameras and action of Hollywood. Known for its 19th and early 20th century architecture, Bartlett has served as a filming location for the movies “The Stars Fell on Henrietta” and “The Newton Boys” as well as the television series “Revolution” and “Fear the Walking Dead.
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