It was just about this time last year that business as usual in Manitowish Waters was replaced by something that is definitely out of the ordinary for Northwen Wisconsin -- for Hollywood had come to town.
You may recall that Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and a number of lesser lights were in Manitowish Waters last April to film a few scenes for the upcoming Michael Mann film, "Public Enemies." And they just had to come to Manitowish Waters as this is where the famous shoot-out at Little Bohemia Lodge occurred.
LIttle Bohemia still stands today much as it was back on April 23, 1934, and was given over to the exclusive use of the film company for, I believe, better than 1 month. Some minor changes had to be made to the lodge to return its look to the proper time period -- such as removing all the big flat-screen TVs -- but I understand that for the most part it was usable as it is.
All the action back in 1934 occurred at night, so (film) shooting here in 2008 also occurred at night, and luckily the weather cooperated; it could easily have been snowing or cold, rainy, and miserable. Every evening people (and I am not necessarily talking locals) would congregate along Hwy 51 near the Little Bohemia driveway entrance hoping for a glimpse of whatever there might be to see. The wife and I even strolled over the first evening that filming was scheduled to check out the "scene", but this one evening was enough for me. I never did see anyone "famous" anywhere in town, but then I didn't actually spend any time looking. A number of locals were selected as extras and it would have been very cool to be part of the production, but in the end I wasn't willing to subject myself to to all the standing and doing nothing that I assumed extras have to endure; plus, I doubt that the director woudl have been foolish enough to select me if I had applied.
Our home is just west of Little Bohemia, maybe 200 yards down the lakeshore. Our bedroom windows face east, and for a number of nights we were jolted awake at anytime from midnight to 5:00 A.M. by the sudden explosion of (fake) gunfire. Sometimes it sounded like quite a little war going on over there. I don't know how it will be portrayed in the movie, but as an historical aside, witnesses of the actual incident back in 1934 stated that the gangsters never returned fire to the federal agents. They merely fled out the back windows and exits and then escaped along the lakeshore, most likely crossing what is now our property in the process.
I understand that the movie is scheduled to come out in early July. I hope it is worth the price of a ticket, because, of course, I will have to see it.
I will finish with my latest installment in my series "Beautiful Photos, or at Least Quite Interesting."
