Among my many favorite films is the 1988 Academy Award winner for Best Picture Rainman starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. My friend Garry from work had clued me in that a restaurant that appeared in the film was located in the greater Cincinnati area. So when I drew up the plans for my day-long Cincinnati tour a full ten months or so before actually embarking on it, I made sure that a stop to this restaurant – Pompilios – was included in the itinerary.
Actually located in Newport, Kentucky, Pompilios – established in 1933 – was chosen to be used during the filming of Rainman to represent the Cincinnati region through which the characters of Charlie and Raymond Babbitt were traveling. The cast and crew not only filmed there, but enjoyed a traditional Italian meal as well – raving about the Italian Sampler.
Frame grab establishing the exterior of Pompilios
Jackie and me in front of Pompilios
Sign on the opposite side of the building
Bob, Jackie, and I all looked at the film a couple of days before we left for our trip so that we would be able to compare and contrast the location as it stood twenty years later. I was frankly surprised to see so much of it unchanged: particularly the bar area with the tiled floor, beveled-glass windows, and hand-crafted cherry wood bar. We figured that the restaurant would be fairly crowded and we would have to put forth some effort to actually get photos in the area where they filmed.
The bar area as seen in the film
The bar from the opposite angle today, tile floor still intact
Tom Cruise talks to Raymond’s doctor, with Dustin Hoffman in the backgroud
I talk to my therapist, with Jackie in the background
When we arrived the afternoon of Sunday, August 3, 2008, we were surprised to find the place relatively empty. When the waitress asked us if we would like the ‘smoking’ or ‘non-smoking’ section (remember we were in Kentucky), we immediately said ‘non-smoking’ – but then realized that she was taking us into the back restaurant area, as we walked by the area where Rainman was filmed.
Where the Babbitts ate
Although the Rainman room was empty, this was the designated smoking area (in which Charlie Babbitt took full advantage). I requested that we throw caution to the wind, and sit in the actual spot in which they filmed. So we got it, and no one else was ever seated in the room to smoke while we were there. So there we enjoyed our lunch in the ‘Babbitt Zone’.
Where Bob, Jackie, and I ate. Same place.
Charlie “squeezes and pulls and hurts” Rainman’s neck
Jackie exercises her acting chops and we re-create the scene
Under the welcome sign
Jackie and I shared that same famous Italian sampler, knowing that we would be having a big dinner later on. It was good, but nothing spectacular in my opinion. But it was certainly cool to not only visit the location of a famous Academy Award winning film, but to sit in the actual spot where the Babbits had lunch twenty years earlier.
Return to Sunday in Ohio…
Is there now an entry in Jackie’s notebook that says: Late 2000’s, Brad squeezed and pulled and hurt my neck and pointed at me in a malicious manner while wearing a Norton’s shirt and enjoying a good but not spectacular famous Italian sampler?
Chris
October 27th, 2008