Lights, camera, Semont Road

HI HI

It seemed like an easy $100, the money the sound technician offered Carol Dunlap to use the bathroom at her Dorchester home yesterday. But after the soundman came, there was the key grip, an extra, and on and on until Ben Affleck himself needed to use the facilities. Three times.

There may be other possibilities for compensation now.

``Everybody says I should put my toilet on eBay," said Dunlap , 56 , who lives in a quaint, blue three- decker on the block in the Fields Corner neighborhood where Affleck yesterday was filming his new movie, ``Gone, Baby, Gone."

Indeed, Hollywood riches were flowing as movie crews took over this corner of Dorchester, where the well-kept houses with wooden porches apparently gave the right vibe for the film adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel about two detectives investigating the kidnapping of a young girl.

Lifelong Dorchester native Joseph Deltufo was given $100 to leave his car parked on the street.

``It's a mint condition 1998 Lincoln Continental," said Deltufo, 45, who lives in the neighborhood. ``Gold."

A young woman toting a Chihuahua puppy named Lola got a hug and a photo from Affleck between takes.

``Oh! We got him," squealed Michelle Brady , 20, of Dorchester, who was on Affleck watch with her friends, Siobhan Downing, 19, and Dawn Walsh, 20.

The three women had stayed on the street for hours, beckoning and cajoling Affleck to leave his director's chair across the street and come to talk to them. He finally did, just before lunch. Affleck's people took pictures of some girls on the block, in an effort to record and nail down the Dorchester ``look" in case the makeup artists need to recreate it later.

At another house, crews had come a few weeks ago to paint a porch that was going to be used in the film. Neighbors said the homeowner, who was not home yesterday, got a nice perk, even though street parking was scarce because of the movie making.

On Semont Road, Affleck, his brother, Casey, and Michelle Monaghan of ``Mission Impossible III" fame strolled the streets, the latter two being patted and brushed by the hair and makeup folks.

The crew filmed a scene in which several men were having a conversation in an old Buick Park Avenue that drove around the block two or three times, followed by silver vans bearing antennas and cameras. The script called for a hot July day. But in this damp and inclemate May, actors and extras stood shivering in T-shirts, their perfectly coiffed hair blowing in 40-degree wind. Affleck, who hails from Cambridge, doubled up his gear, pulling on a gray hoodie and a work jacket.

Lunch was held under a big, white tent in the front yard of St. Mark Catholic Church . The parish collected an offering from the filmmaker. Officials wouldn't say how much, except that it was more than $100 and less than $1,000.

A location scout came to the church about two weeks ago, said Judy Greeley , the parish secretary.

``They couldn't use the hall because we have a children's program down there, but I was very intent on having Ben here at St. Mark's," said Greeley. ``So I put on my ``Price is Right" face and showed them our open spaces."

Affleck's people suggested the tent, said Greeley, who was invited to dine with the movie crew yesterday. With friends and children in tow, Greeley's group loaded glass plates from a buffet offering everything from fancy pasta with all the fixings to ribs, chicken satay, salmon, a salad bar, and ice cream. And when Affleck came in to find that there were no available seats, Greeley noted that he didn't throw a millionaire's hissy fit.

Greeley and company opted to leave to make space for the star, and Affleck slid into Greeley's seat.

``All I could think about was what a nightmare it must be to do all those dishes," said an excited Greeley. ``I think Ben's a Protestant, but he's more than welcome to come in here and pray."

Mostly though, Greeley was happy that someone saw something good in the city's largest neighborhood, a place whose entire surface area is sometimes unfairly stereotyped as violent because of shootings and stabbings that plague a few hot spots.

``Too many times in the news you hear about a shooting in Dorchester, so this offers a nice balance," he said.

Adrienne P. Samuels can be reached at asamuels@globe.com.