MONROE - Never has a black Ford Expedition created so much excitement in Darlington.
It was a late model Expedition, Indiana license plates, that carted movie star Johnny Depp to and from the Lafayette County Courthouse Wednesday. Depp and a crew from Universal Studios were in Darlington filming an interior courtroom scene for "Public Enemies," a crime drama about John Dillinger and his gang. The movie is set to be released in 2009.
Semi trailers bearing the Universal brand lined the streets around the courthouse, which was closed to the public Wednesday for filming. Large boom trucks on the Harriet Street side of the building held lights that illuminated the inside of the courtroom from the outside.
The trucks captured the attention of Sam Murn, Mineral Point, who stood on the sidewalk across the street from the courthouse, watching the proceedings.
He said he had been watching the back window of the courtroom and had caught a few glimpses of movie extras through the glass.
With blue skies and mild temperatures, it was a nice day to kill some time observing the production.
"I didn't have anything else to do," he said.
Sandy Pratt-Bennett, Darlington, and Tammy Pratt-Kingman, Monticello, were also among the crowd of young to middle-aged, mostly female, onlookers. They were excited to see filming taking place at the courthouse, a place they literally grew up in. Their father was Kenneth Pratt, a former Lafayette County sheriff, and the girls' family lived in quarters in the former jail behind the courthouse. Watching the extras and film crews coming and going was especially thrilling.
"This was our playground," Pratt-Bennett said, indicating the courthouse lawn.
"We used to play on the courthouse lawn," Pratt-Kingman agreed.
Michael Chavalas, 15, traveled with his family two hours from La Crosse to watch the filming. Dressed as a Capt. Jack Sparrow, the character Depp portrayed in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, Chavalas said watching the film crews' comings and goings was an education.
"I wanted to come out and see Johnny Depp," he said. His younger brothers, David, 11, and Benjamin, 8, wore street clothes but carried a sign imploring "Johnny, just one picture."
"It's really interesting," said the "huge" movie fan who intends to someday work in movies. "No matter what I do, even if it's just getting coffee," it will be in the movie business, Chavalas said.
Darlington mayor David Breunig likewise found the work interesting. He, along with a slate of elected officials from Lafayette County, were chosen to appear as extras for the day's filming.
Breaking for lunch around 2 p.m., he and other extras streamed down the courthouse steps and across Main Street and up the sidewalk, cordoned off from spectators with yellow police tape, into the municipal building.
Breunig said their day started at 5:45 with make-up and wardrobe. Filming didn't actually start until around 11 a.m.
"It's very interesting," he said. "There were lots of retakes."
Breunig was enjoying the experience.
"I was one row behind Johnny Depp."
And Depp really was the man everyone wanted to see. Christian Bale, another popular Hollywood leading man, portrays FBI agent Melvin Purvis in the movie, but he had not been seen in Darlington and no one seemed to know if he was due to be in Wednesday's shooting or not.
During the break, a crowd of people gathered in front of the Johnson Public Library, across the street from the parking lot full of Universal trailers, one of which the crowd believed Depp was inside of. People occasionally murmured speculation as to where Depp was and where he might be next spotted.
There was also speculation as to where the cast and crew were staying. Murn said he heard Depp and the crew had been in Mineral Point Tuesday night, eating dinner at the Old Royal Inn, a rumor that turned out to be untrue.
The crowd waited, remaining sedate but curious. Every once in awhile a security guard politely reminded someone to stay back behind the yellow tape.
The famous Expedition made several turns though the parking lot, creating a stir each time it appeared. After about an hour, it parked near a row of trailers, in anticipation of Depp's appearance. With digital cameras and camera phones ready and in position, the crowd waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Finally, about 90 minutes after initially breaking for lunch, a guard warned the crowd not to follow the Expedition - indicating the moment was finally at hand.
And then Depp, dressed in a period costume of brown wool trousers and vest with a white shirt, appeared. He paused to wave to the crowd before getting in the Expedition.
The crowd in front of the library raced across the street kitty corner to catch another glimpse of Depp. Upon leaving the SUV, Depp again turned and waved to the crowd. He stopped and waved several times while making his way up the courthouse steps.
The crowd swooned, with people calling out "Johnny!"
"Call the ambulance, I think I'm having a heart attack," one woman called out in reference to the thrill of seeing Depp.
It was a common sentiment among the onlookers.
"Oh, I love him," Pratt-Kingman said. "It's so neat that Johnny Depp is in our little town."
It was a late model Expedition, Indiana license plates, that carted movie star Johnny Depp to and from the Lafayette County Courthouse Wednesday. Depp and a crew from Universal Studios were in Darlington filming an interior courtroom scene for "Public Enemies," a crime drama about John Dillinger and his gang. The movie is set to be released in 2009.
Semi trailers bearing the Universal brand lined the streets around the courthouse, which was closed to the public Wednesday for filming. Large boom trucks on the Harriet Street side of the building held lights that illuminated the inside of the courtroom from the outside.
The trucks captured the attention of Sam Murn, Mineral Point, who stood on the sidewalk across the street from the courthouse, watching the proceedings.
He said he had been watching the back window of the courtroom and had caught a few glimpses of movie extras through the glass.
With blue skies and mild temperatures, it was a nice day to kill some time observing the production.
"I didn't have anything else to do," he said.
Sandy Pratt-Bennett, Darlington, and Tammy Pratt-Kingman, Monticello, were also among the crowd of young to middle-aged, mostly female, onlookers. They were excited to see filming taking place at the courthouse, a place they literally grew up in. Their father was Kenneth Pratt, a former Lafayette County sheriff, and the girls' family lived in quarters in the former jail behind the courthouse. Watching the extras and film crews coming and going was especially thrilling.
"This was our playground," Pratt-Bennett said, indicating the courthouse lawn.
"We used to play on the courthouse lawn," Pratt-Kingman agreed.
Michael Chavalas, 15, traveled with his family two hours from La Crosse to watch the filming. Dressed as a Capt. Jack Sparrow, the character Depp portrayed in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, Chavalas said watching the film crews' comings and goings was an education.
"I wanted to come out and see Johnny Depp," he said. His younger brothers, David, 11, and Benjamin, 8, wore street clothes but carried a sign imploring "Johnny, just one picture."
"It's really interesting," said the "huge" movie fan who intends to someday work in movies. "No matter what I do, even if it's just getting coffee," it will be in the movie business, Chavalas said.
Darlington mayor David Breunig likewise found the work interesting. He, along with a slate of elected officials from Lafayette County, were chosen to appear as extras for the day's filming.
Breaking for lunch around 2 p.m., he and other extras streamed down the courthouse steps and across Main Street and up the sidewalk, cordoned off from spectators with yellow police tape, into the municipal building.
Breunig said their day started at 5:45 with make-up and wardrobe. Filming didn't actually start until around 11 a.m.
"It's very interesting," he said. "There were lots of retakes."
Breunig was enjoying the experience.
"I was one row behind Johnny Depp."
And Depp really was the man everyone wanted to see. Christian Bale, another popular Hollywood leading man, portrays FBI agent Melvin Purvis in the movie, but he had not been seen in Darlington and no one seemed to know if he was due to be in Wednesday's shooting or not.
During the break, a crowd of people gathered in front of the Johnson Public Library, across the street from the parking lot full of Universal trailers, one of which the crowd believed Depp was inside of. People occasionally murmured speculation as to where Depp was and where he might be next spotted.
There was also speculation as to where the cast and crew were staying. Murn said he heard Depp and the crew had been in Mineral Point Tuesday night, eating dinner at the Old Royal Inn, a rumor that turned out to be untrue.
The crowd waited, remaining sedate but curious. Every once in awhile a security guard politely reminded someone to stay back behind the yellow tape.
The famous Expedition made several turns though the parking lot, creating a stir each time it appeared. After about an hour, it parked near a row of trailers, in anticipation of Depp's appearance. With digital cameras and camera phones ready and in position, the crowd waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Finally, about 90 minutes after initially breaking for lunch, a guard warned the crowd not to follow the Expedition - indicating the moment was finally at hand.
And then Depp, dressed in a period costume of brown wool trousers and vest with a white shirt, appeared. He paused to wave to the crowd before getting in the Expedition.
The crowd in front of the library raced across the street kitty corner to catch another glimpse of Depp. Upon leaving the SUV, Depp again turned and waved to the crowd. He stopped and waved several times while making his way up the courthouse steps.
The crowd swooned, with people calling out "Johnny!"
"Call the ambulance, I think I'm having a heart attack," one woman called out in reference to the thrill of seeing Depp.
It was a common sentiment among the onlookers.
"Oh, I love him," Pratt-Kingman said. "It's so neat that Johnny Depp is in our little town."