Alice Elliott and Larry Selman have been neighbors for nearly thirty years. They knew each other from participating in their neighborhood block association (Bedford-Barrow-Commerce Block Association). Over the years Alice would see Larry raising money for a variety of causes. She admired his tenacity and boldness. Larry always had the determination to raise as much money as possible, and was willing to ask anyone who crossed his path. However, she wondered where all of the money went. Seven years ago she asked a few members of the Bedford-Barrow-Commerce Block Association (BBC) in passing if they knew what Larry did with all of the money he raised. Everyone told Alice that Larry never took any of the money for himself.
After learning of Larry's generosity, Alice became intrigued with her neighbor. Larry's need for the money was apparent. Yet, he devoted much of his time to collecting money for various charities on the local and national level, and never expected any of the money to go to himself. Larry defied Alice's notion of a philanthropist, and she wanted to find out what compelled him to be so generous. As she learned more about her neighbor across the street, Alice realized Larry's life could be a compelling documentary. Using a neighbor's camera, Alice conducted her first interview with Larry, or what she likes to call Larry's screen test. She wanted to determine if Larry would be a suitable on-camera subject. Larry's ease in front of the camera surpassed Alice's expectations, and she knew they would be able to work together. With this kernel of inspiration, she asked the president of the BBC, Kathryn Donaldson, if the organization would be interested in helping her make a movie about Larry's life. Kathryn responded, "I have been waiting ten years for someone to ask me this."
With the BBC's support Alice had access to Larry's closest friends, and a community network of people who wanted to help her with the movie. The BBC raised money, they served as one of her fiscal sponsors and helped create a support system for Larry as the documentary was being made. Their activism and civic responsibility are intertwined with the production of The Collector of Bedford Street, and of course Larry's life for the past thirty years. (If you would like to find out more about the Bedford-Barrow-Commerce Block Association, please visit Larry's Neighbors section.).
After six years of production, a rough-cut of The Collector of Bedford Street (then titled I'm a Collector!) found its way into the office of Lisa Heller, a senior producer at HBO. By this time Alice had run out of funding and was looking for a broadcaster or a distributor to help her finish The Collector of Bedford Street. When Lisa Heller called to offer Alice the chance to work with HBO, Alice's answer was yes. Working with producers from HBO, Alice was able to complete her directorial debut in December of 2001.