Johnny Depp, aka John Dillinger, approached the crowd on the set of Public Enemies. I stood behind a metal barricade with local police and hired security circling the short block of South Water Street.

The Girl from Connecticut

The crowd was full of people from different backgrounds. The hospice nurse, the school teacher, the high schooler, the girl who tattooed a picture of Johnny on her arm. I heard one say to the other, “I wonder if that girl came all the way from Connecticut?”

I smiled to hear how quickly news spread through a small town. Columbus, Wisconsin was indeed small, home to 4,500+ persons and it happened to be the location for the filming of director Michael Mann’s Public Enemies.

“That would be me,” I said.

“I don’t think I could do something like that.”

Neither did I, but I had a connection to the film. A friend’s wife grew up in a house that was used as a set. As a movie buff, how could I pass up the opportunity to be on a live set?

Visiting the Public Enemies Set

Less than a week ago, I wandered these same streets. I had taken a few days off to travel to Wisconsin, hoping to see the production in action. Unfortunately, Universal Studios cancelled the shoot after I arrived. I still can’t believe I travelled half-way across the country a second time to be a part of it.

Columbus transported me from the twenty-first century to the twentieth as I crossed Main Street.  Antique doors and classic signs graced brick buildings indicating Coffee Shop, Restaurant, and Drugs. Window dressings came alive with 3¢ signs for rubbing alcohol at Beirne’s Drugs and an 8¢ sale for Santa Clara prunes at Stutz Brothers Market. Defeat the Purse posters for the re-election of Arthur R. Robinson lined the fences, some torn at the edges as if weathered by a storm. Faux cobblestones lay on the 100 block of East James Street as it intersected South Water.

I planted myself on a concrete step in front of the pharmacy John Dillinger would run into to get supplies for wounded robber John “Red” Hamilton. Security guards eventually guided me and the other fans to a set of metal barricades in front of base camp, the term for the many cargo trucks and trailers that transported Universal Studios wherever it needed to go. From that vantage point though, we would not be able to actually see the actors shoot the scene.

Before long, a black Cadillac Escalade arrived and sent a buzz through the crowd. The car door opened, and a shadow outline of a man waved to the crowd before it vanished into a trailer for two long hours, followed by three hours of filming around the corner, and then another two back in the trailer.

Johnny Depp Meets His Fans

At long last, security announced the public enemy would walk the line.  The rules were simple.  No screaming, no pushing, no grabbing, no autographs.  Any missteps and JD would be off, SUV at the ready.  It was about safety and respect, respect not only for the actor but also for the fans. To be honest, I was just thankful he would take the time at that ridiculous hour to acknowledge us at all. It was just past 4 o’clock in the morning.

As he walked from the trailers to the crowd, my heart raced.  He wore a tan leather jacket, layered blue shirts atop weathered jeans with his dark-rimmed glasses and a striped knit cap. The look was comfort, the voice unmistakable.

“Thank you all for coming.  So sorry to keep you waiting.”

I was fifteen people down the line and watched him make his rounds.  To each person, he gave equal time and attention.  Despite the bottled hysteria around him, he remained calm and humble.  There was no high and mighty celebrity status here, only a man who treated everyone with respect and kindness.

My Meet and Greet

“Johnny, I came all the way from Connecticut to meet you,” I said before realizing I sounded like a stalker. In reality, I was simply a woman on an adventure.

“Oh my God, that’s so far.”  He brought his arm up to rub the night’s misty drizzle from his nose. 

“Thank you for doing what you do,” I replied. It fell short of what I wanted to say but that’s all I had in me at the time.

This brought out a Jack Sparrow smile.  “Bless you.”

“Could I have a hug?”

“Of course, darling.”

He leaned forward, and I leaned in.  I remember those seconds in vivid color. I can still feel the squeeze of arms around my cold and tired body. Our photo together was icing on the cake.

Hours later, I was home in Connecticut regaling my tale. It was well worth it. In the end, I got to see a live movie set and meet one of my favorite actors. My sheer tenacity in going to Wisconsin got me a gig as a film critic for Town Times, my local newspaper, and later earned me press credentials to the LA Film Festival. That, my friends, was how Diagnosis Movies was born.