In 1934, when Evelyn Billie Frechette, John Dillinger's gun-moll, told her story to the Chicago Herald and Examiner from prison, Frechette said, I was in love.you can't argue yourself out of love I come from French-Indian stock. Maybe that has something to do with it. my father was French.my mother was half French, half (Menomonee) Indian.
It's very exciting that French actress Marion Cottilard is filming in Milwaukee, said Martine Meyer. Meyer closely follows French-related news as a former president of the Alliance Francaise de Milwaukee which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year.
Marion Cotillard, who won the 2007 academy award for best actress in La Vie en Rose, portrays Billie in the film, Public Enemies which is shooting in and around Milwaukee. across from Cotillard, in the ill-fated love story, Johnny Depp plays notorious, Chicago gangster Dillinger who began his life of crime at the age of 12 stealing coal.
Billie was part French, part Menomonee Indian. the Menomonee River Valley, often referred to as the industrial valley, was originally settled by the Menomonee Indians. in the 1600′s, French Canadian fur traders settled alongside and intermarried. the Mtis, children of these biracial marriages, were Frechette's ancestors.
Milwaukee has a strong French history. Mtis who were linguistically and culturally fluent in both French and Indian culture were instrumental in the founding of Milwaukee.
Carle Eiche, a scenic designer who's been painting sets and signage for the Dillinger film since early February, said the sets for the film are being built in the industrial valley in a big old production facility on St. Paul. I think the building was formerly owned by Harnischfeger. Milwaukee doesn't have strong union presence, so it's a coup really that they centered the production here. the whole crew is IATSE (stagehand union). Our shop manager, Linda Freund, was formerly the scenic manager at the Milwaukee Rep.
Union representative, Pete Miskow, is pleased shooting has been extended into June because of an interior kitchen shot of Dillinger's apartment which may be filmed in the Menomonee Valley production facility.
Johnny Depp's real-life girlfriend is French too, noted Martine Meyer. Singer/actress Vanessa Paradis and Depp live with their two children on a farm in the south of France.
When John Meyer, who met and married Martine while studying French in Madison, overheard University of Wisconsin graduate Michael Mann was here shooting a film about Dillinger, he relayed a childhood encounter that seemed like it could be a scene out of the current movie.
A Milwaukee squad car screeched to a halt near the corner of Locust and Lake Drive. A copper leaned out of his window into the bright sun and shouted, did you see a car pass by here? It went that way, I said pointing down Lake Drive from the seat of my tricycle. Thanks, kid. That was Dillinger's brother the copper shot back as he sped off with his partner. I was 5 years old. It was 1935 or '36 when that happened, but I remember it like yesterday, said Meyer.
Public Enemies will film at the Historical Society, originally a bank, which will come full circle and double in the film as the old National Bank of South Bend, Indiana.
We reconstructed the interior of the Historical Society and in the process we've done historical restoration to damaged columns. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved, said Eiche.
Legend has it during one bank robbery, Dillinger was interrupted when people walked into the lobby and asked, What's going on here? with a twinkle in his eye, Dillinger turned and said, We're making a movie.Art imitates life imitating film. After Depp robs the Historical Society, vintage 1930′s squad cars will again screech down Milwaukee streets, this time in pursuit of the once illusive Dillinger whose love for Billie equaled hers for him. After Billie was captured and Dillinger realized it was impossible to spring her from prison without getting both of them killed, he reportedly cried like a baby.
