Why Was a Popular New Jersey Town Snubbed in the Credits for Bob Dylan Biopic?

Some Cape May residents are crying foul after their town was not acknowledged in the film credits for the recently released Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown."

The film, starring Timothee Chalamet, used Cape May as a stand-in for Newport, Rhode Island, but the credits failed to recognize the town by name.

In an interview with Condé Nast Traveler, the film's director, James Mangold, described Cape May as "a beautifully maintained town with turn-of-the-century wood structures right on the water," making it an ideal filming location and stand-in for Newport.

Writing in the Cape May Star and Awe, John Cooke, former manager of the Viking Motel depicted in the film, said, "For all the hoopla, inconvenience, and hospitality our city extended the production company, the least we could have expected was a thank-you to the city of Cape May, its leaders, and residents."

Responding to a Philadelphia Inquirer question, a spokesperson for Searchlight Pictures, the film's production company, said, "Specific locations are not credited in the end crawl." However, the Inquirer noted that the government of Australia was thanked in the credits.

Curtis Bashaw, owner of the Congress Hall hotel that appears in the background of certain scenes within the movie, said the experience caught everyone flat-footed. He told the Inquirer that although he negotiated usage rights for specific properties within Cape May, he failed to negotiate credit acknowledgment.

While ending credits mentioned the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission with a note that “A Complete Unknown” was filmed in New Jersey with a “diverse cast and crew,” Cape May's name was omitted.

In addition to Cape May, 20 cities and towns throughout 10 New Jersey counties were used for the $81 million production's filming, including Westfield, Jersey City, Clifton, Millburn, Newark, Hoboken, Paterson, and Lower Township.

The Cape May Zoo is the ultimate family destination down the shore. It is free fun for all.

The Cape May County Zoo was created in 1978 within the Cape May County Park.

At the opening of the zoo, the animals consisted of an African lion, primates (spider monkeys), various barnyard animals, and New Jersey wildlife animals.

In the early 1980s, the zoo gradually incorporated into its displays more exotic animals, such as black bears, bison, antelope, primates, and birds.

Beginning in 1986, a Cape May Zoo renaissance began. Donations were solicited and there was a major reconstruction. Some of the projects that were completed consisted of a complete perimeter fence, a new lion exhibit, a Bengal tiger exhibit, a cougar exhibit, a giraffe and camel exhibit, a reptile house, and the construction of a medical building and diet preparation building.

Throughout the 1990s, renovations and new exhibits continued, with the construction of an African Savannah, which consisted of 57 acres that display giraffes, zebras, antelopes, and ostriches. Reconstruction of a reptile house replaced the original reptile house that was destroyed by fire in 1998, and a "World of Birds" walk-through Aviary was constructed.

From the zoo's beginning in 1978, the animal population was around 70 animals and today the zoo consists of 550 animals representing 250 species.

Planning on visiting the Zoo? This information will help you plan your trip.

Admission
The Zoo is FREE.
Donations help to keep them FREE!

Parking
Parking for cars is FREE.
Full-size buses are $80.
Short school buses are $40.

Zoo Hours
The current Zoo hours are:
10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
7 days a week - They are open every day!
(Except for Christmas)

A wallaby is more than just a small kangaroo! Both kangaroos and wallabies are marsupials, meaning they carry their young around in a pouch and are similar enough that scientists have placed them in the same order, family, and subfamily. Wallabies are much smaller, though. The wallabies are back in their yard at the zoo! After enlarging their yard, installing a new fence, adding dirt and grass seed, and putting in a new hut (complete with a front porch), the wallaby mob has returned from their temporary yard next door.

This loveable species is the world's largest rodent! Endemic to South America, they inhabit forested and savanna areas near fresh water. They are semi-aquatic and have webbed feet to help them get around!  At the Zoo you'll find Budette, Marigold, Buttercup, Capychino, and Goomba. They are all on exhibit daily, so stop by to say hello.

At the Cape May Zoo you can find Fred and his crew, the Galapagos Tortoises! Fred is 500+ lbs. Galapagos tortoises are the largest living species of tortoise and can weigh up to 919 lb. They have lifespans in the wild of over 100 years. Captive Galapagos tortoises can live up to 177 years!

Reticulated Giraffes call the Cape May County Zoo home. The boys rule at the Zoo. Kifeda was born there on November 11, 2017. They also have Jambazi and Beau who buzz around the yard like lively brothers when the weather's nice.

Their African Lions came to the zoo in November of 2014 from Jacksonville NJ. Our Male Lex and female Bella are siblings born in 2011. Their main keeper enjoys working with them and compares them to big dogs. try sticking around to hear them roar!