On Vacation: The North Woods Part One

Entrance to the Little Bohemia Lodge

Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin

Following in the footsteps of many classic Hollywood stars including Bing Crosby, actresses Janet Gaynor, Joan Crawford and Elizabeth Taylor, my wife and I took a vacation to the North Woods of Wisconsin. Although, it wasn't the Hollywood connections that attracted us to the area, but the same things that have attracted so many people to the area: the fresh aroma of pine trees, crystal clear lakes, fishing, boating, wildlife and a peaceful and serene atmosphere.

As a kid, I looked forward to vacationing in the North Woods every summer. I had not visited in over 15 years and had longed to go back, as well as show my wife, a born and raised Los Angeles city girl, what life in the woods is like. The moment we arrived in northern Wisconsin we were greeted by the familiar scent of pine. We saw bald eagles, loons (a common bird in the area), turtles, fish, otters, plenty of deer, woodpeckers, and numerous other wild critters. It was a landscape far different from the cityscape we left behind in LA. We were in the middle of the woods, far from most everything but nature. It's no wonder why so many of the big Chicago gangsters of the 1930s and 1940s also came to the North Woods of Wisconsin to get lost. 

Little Bohemia Lodge, Site of the John Dillinger Shootout

Yes, that's right, gangsters. During the 1930s and 1940s, whenever things got heated in Chicago, many of the gangsters would flee to the North Woods to hide out from the law. Many gangsters had cabins in the area or stayed at one of the small lodges in the woods. Sometimes the gangsters weren't hiding out. They were just looking for a relaxing vacation. Even gangsters need a little R&R.

One of the most famous incidents involving gangsters in the North Woods is the shoot-out between the FBI and John Dillinger and his gang. If you've seen the film Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, you know the shoot-out I'm talking about. Both the actual shoot-out and the scene in the film took place at the Little Bohemia Lodge, located on Little Star Lake in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin. All the pictures in this first part of my trip report are of the Little Bohemia Lodge.

The balcony where Dillinger and gang escaped FBI.

In April of 1934, John Dillinger, a.k.a. public enemy number one, arrived in Manitowish Waters, along with his gang, to spend the weekend. The gang included Lester Gillis ("Baby Face Nelson"), Tommy Carrol, Homer Van Meter, and Pat Reilly. They were also accompanied by five women.

Dillinger and his gang were on the lam after a killing and robbery spree that took them across the Midwest. The FBI, headed by J. Edgar Hoover, were ready to do anything to catch Dillinger who had embarrassed the department when he was able to escape capture once before. On Sunday, April 22, 1934 the FBI received a tip that Dillinger and his gang were staying in Manitowish Waters at the Little Bohemia resort. Hoover gave orders for FBI agents in St. Paul and Chicago to head up to Manitowish Waters immediately.

The FBI's surprise attack on Dillinger and his men was a disaster. FBI men surrounded the lodge and when three innocent bar patrons left the lodge, the FBI opened fire on their car, killing one of the patrons immediately. Dillinger and his gang heard the gunfire and started their escape out a rear window and headed towards the shore of Little Star Lake. Baby Face Nelson, who was in another cabin, took off toward Highway 51, where he came across more agents in a car. Nelson opened fire on the agents, killing one and then taking their car to escape. The FBI continued firing bullets and tear gas at the lodge, but when they entered, only the five women who were left behind were found. Dillinger was ultimately gunned down three months later when he was leaving the Biograph Theatre in Chicago.

Bullet holes in the 2nd floor balcony.

In the above photo you can see the balcony where Dillinger and his men escaped. The bullet holes in this balcony were recreated for the filming of Public Enemies, but you can see real bullet holes from the actual shoot-out in other areas of the lodge. Further below are some photographs of the actual bullet holes.

Actual WANTED ad for John Dillinger.

Items left behind by Dillinger and gang.

Original newspapers headlining Dillinger's escape from the FBI.

The main bar at the Little Bohemia lodge.

Looking into the bar.

The suitcase Dillinger used to carry their stolen money.

Items left behind by Dillinger's gang.

A photo of Johnny Depp dressed as Dillinger with 

the current owners of the Little Bohemia lodge.

The sign above the lodge restaurant.

Real bullet holes in the window.

Bullet holes.

Dining room with bullet holes everywhere.

Real Bullet Holes.

Clothes left behind by Dillinger.

More clothes left behind by Dillinger and gang.

The room where Dillinger and gang stayed.

Another view of the room where Dillinger stayed.

The bathroom next to Dillinger's room.

The Little Bohemia Lodge Restaurant.

My wife and I, along with my parents, had a late breakfast in the restaurant at the Little Bohemia lodge. The portions were quite large and everyone seemed to enjoy what they ordered. I was more hungry for lunch, so I ordered the "Dillinger Dip," Little Bohemia's take on a French dip sandwich.

If you stop by to visit Little Bohemia, which I definitely recommend, it is worth eating in the restaurant. Our friendly server, Vince, was also full of knowledge regarding the filming of Public Enemies. My favorite story was regarding all the pine needles on the ground. Before the filming started, Vince was raking the grounds around the Little Bohemia lodge, clearing the area of all the fallen pine needles and pine cones. This is before he knew they would be using the lodge for the film. By the time Vince finished raking the grounds he found out that the film crew was shipping in $5,000 worth of pine needles from New Hampshire!

Looking at the lodge from the lake side.

The back side of Little Bohemia lodge.

Little Star Lake behind the Little Bohemia Lodge

Above is Little Star Lake, right behind the Little Bohemia lodge. It is along the shore of this lake that Dillinger and his gang made their escape. During the filming of Public Enemies, our server Vince and his friends were able to watch the filming take place from their boat on the lake. 

It was also nice to hear everyone speak kindly of Johnny Depp. People said he was a nice guy and that he took time to pose for photographs.

If you ever make it to the North Woods of Wisconsin, the Little Bohemia lodge is certainly worth a stop. Later I'll post some more of my North Woods trip.

Hollywood Cooking: Chasen's Chili

Photo from LIFE

Since opening in 1936 until closing in 1995, Chasen's was a Hollywood institution.  The restaurant, which used to be located at the corner of Doheny Drive and Beverly Boulevard at the edge of Beverly Hills,  hosted the greatest stars ever to appear on screen. 

James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Ralph Bellamy, Frank Morgan and the rest of their "Boys Club" would gather every Wednesday at Chasen's during the forties to eat, drink, sing, and catch up after their busy days working at the studios. In 1939, after Clark Gable and Carol Lombard introduced the newly arrived director from England, Alfred Hitchcock, to Chasen's, the director and his wife would have their Thursday night dinners at the restaurant. The Jimmy Stewarts, Don Ameche (who introduced owner Dave Chasen to his wife Maude), George Burns and Gracie Allen, Ronald Reagan, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Jack Lemmon, Billy Wilder, David Niven, Fred MacMurray, Joan Crawford - well, nearly every major star from the Golden Age of Hollywood dined at Chasen's.

One of Chasen's signature dishes was their chili. Elizabeth Taylor loved the chili so much that in 1962, while in Rome on location filming for Cleopatra, she paid $100 to have the chili shipped to her on dry ice! I love chili and knew I had to try the Chasen's chili if it really is that good. Although the restaurant has been long closed, the book "Chasen's: Where Hollywood Dined - Recipes and Memories" by Betty Goodwin, contains the recipe for this famous chili.

With winter here I could think of nothing better to cook up than a hot bowl of chili, so I took a try at making this Hollywood classic. Here is the recipe and the results from my cooking:

Chasen's Chili

Prepping the Ingredients

1/2 pound dried pinto beans

water

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 cups onions, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 cup butter

2 pounds beef chuck, coarsely chopped

1 pound pork shoulder, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup Gebhardt's chili powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons Farmer Brothers ground cumin

1. Rinse the beans, picking out debris. Place beans in a Dutch oven with water to cover. Boil for two minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand one hour. Drain off liquid.
2. Rinse beans again. Add enough fresh water to cover beans. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for one hour or until tender.
3. Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Simmer five minutes. In a large skillet saute bell pepper in oil for five minutes. Add onion and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic and parsley. Add mixture to bean mixture. Using the same skillet, melt the butter and saute beef and pork chuck until browned. Drain. Add to bean mixture along with the chili powder, salt, pepper and cumin.
4. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for one hour. Uncover and cook 30 minutes more or to desired consistency. Chili shouldn't be too thick - it should be somewhat liquid but not runny like soup. Skim off excess fat and serve.

Makes 10 cups, or six main dish servings.

Simmering and Sauteing 

The cook in the kitchen.

Simmering all ingredients together.

Dinner is served!

I must say, this chili turned out amazing! I understand why Elizabeth Taylor had this chili shipped all the way to Rome. If you are looking for something hearty and tasty to make this winter and want to dine like a classic Hollywood star, I recommend giving this chili a try. 

For more of Chasen's recipes I recommend picking up a copy of Goodwin's book. In addition to the recipes are some intimate photographs of the stars who dined at Chasen's as well as some fun anecdotes about the restaurant.

Spencer Tracy at Ciro's Nightclub

Spencer Tracy

Most every classic movie fan is aware of Spencer Tracy's long running affair with fellow star Katharine Hepburn, but Hepburn wasn't the first woman Tracy was involved with outside of his wife. Like Hepburn, who was involved with many men prior to Tracy, including the mogul Howard Hughes, Tracy was involved with many women prior to Hepburn. Some were young starlets while others were notable stars.

Ciro's Nightclub, Hollywood, CA

The Comedy Store, Formerly "Ciro's"

During the early 1940s, Tracy was a regular at Ciro's, the famous Sunset Strip nightclub located at 8433 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. In fact every major star of the 40s, 50s and 60s went to Ciro's including George Burns and Gracie Allen, Humphrey Bogart, Joan Crawford, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, and Frank Sinatra to name a few. In late 1940 early 1941 Tracy would sometimes bring his wife Louise to Ciro's but most often he brought along a young starlet. One night he brought Olivia de Havilland, James Stewart's regular date. Another night he brought the 18 year old actress, Judy Garland.

Rumors began to spread that the Tracys would separate, but of course, they never did. Even when Tracy's relationship with Katharine Hepburn got serious, Tracy still remained married to Louise.

Another view of The Comedy Store

Above are photos showing how Ciro's appeared around the time Tracy would have been a regular and how the nightclub appears today. The building is now and has been since 1972, the home of The Comedy Store.

Joan Crawford Arrives in Hollywood

Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford is one of the biggest and most glamorous stars Hollywood has ever seen, but her arrival in California was far from majestic. In 1924, MGM  executive Harry Rapf happened to catch a New York stage production where Lucille LeSuere (as Crawford was then known) was performing as a chorus girl. Rapf arranged a screen test for Crawford, but the results were negative. It would take a couple auditions before Crawford would finally be put under contract. In January, 1925, Crawford left New York City for California. She was twenty-one years old.

West End Hotel, formerly "Washington Hotel"

Crawford stayed at the Washington Hotel (now the West End Hotel), located at 3927 Van Buren Place, in Culver City. The modest hotel is only a few blocks from the former MGM lot (now Sony) so Crawford's commute to the studio would have been an easy walk. The hotel is a three story building with fifty-three rooms and is an architectural example of the Zigzag moderne style. It was built by R.P. Davidson in 1923, only a couple years before Crawford arrived, for Jessee M. Lewis, the original owner of the hotel.

West End Hotel, 3927 Van Buren Place, Culver City

Crawford's first few months at MGM were a little slow. The studio didn't quite know what to do with their new find, who in 1925, was more of a dancer than an actress. Rather than wait for something to happen, Crawford took it upon herself to make something happen. She wandered the studio lot learning whatever she could: acting tips from other actors, make-up tips, from the make-up artists, how to appear best on camera from the many technicians. When she wasn't exploring the studio Crawford was out on the town socializing. Crawford often entered local dance contests and usually won. She did whatever she could to promote herself.

St. Augustine's Catholic Church

In addition to promoting herself, Crawford would make a stop each morning before going to the studio at the St. Augustine's Catholic Church, located directly across the street from MGM.  Crawford made a pit-stop to pray for her success in Hollywood. This was the 1920s, at MGM, where Crawford was competing against a large roster of stars including Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo, Lillian Gish and Marion Davies. Crawford needed all the help she could get.

St. Augustine's Church, Culver City

Over time, the MGM executives would take notice of Crawford and begin throwing her in different films. They would soon be grooming her for bigger and better parts. 

As Crawford began to settle in Culver City, she moved out of the Washington Hotel and in to a three bedroom bungalow on Genessee Street. She would stay there a short while, until MGM loaned her $28,000 to purchase a house at 513 N. Roxbury Drive, in Beverly Hills.

Joan Crawford's home at 513 N. Roxbury Drive

The home on Roxbury Drive was a spacious five bedroom, five bath house, located just a few blocks from the commercial part of Beverly Hills. Built in 1925, the home was originally owned by Herbert Howe, writer for the fan magazine Photoplay, and also well known for being Ramon Navarro's lover. Crawford lived in this home during the years 1927 and 1928.

Your thoughts?

Joan Crawford's Wild Ride

Joan Crawford, photo from latimesblogs.latimes.com

Many people when they think of Joan Crawford probably think of the "Mommie Dearest" version, the lunatic woman who can't stop cleaning, who abuses her adopted children, and screams "No more wire hangers!" Author Bob Thomas, in his biography on Joan, shines a fair light on the actress, showing that she was not just some psycho, however, he does include a few anecdotes that show how she did present some eccentricities, especially in her later years. Here is an interesting story from Thomas's biography.

Sportsmen's Lodge, Studio City, California

In the early 1950s, at the time Joan Crawford was working on the film Female on the Beach for Universal Studios, she was seen going on dates with different men. One evening Joan was to go on a date with a businessman from Chicago. The man was quite nervous about going on a date with such a huge star so he asked his friend Tony Owen and his wife Donna Reed if they would join him on his date with Joan. Reed, who had never met Joan (she joined MGM after Joan had moved on to Warner Bros.) but who had corresponded with Joan and wanted to meet the legendary actress agreed to the double date.

The Owens and the businessman were to meet Joan at her dressing room (probably a bungalow) on the Universal lot then go to the Sportsman's lodge for dinner. Joan was living in the dressing room while filming Female on the Beach. When the Owens and friend arrived at the studio they went to Joan's dressing room where they exchanged pleasantries. Then Joan turned and exclaimed, "Oh, dear, the dogs have tinkled on the carpet." Joan got on her hands and knees and began scrubbing with a towel and soda water, vigorously brushing the floor. When she was done, Joan washed her hands, came back to the group and nonchalantly asked, "Shall we go?"

Joan suggested they take the freeway from Universal to the Sportsmen's Lodge but Owen said, "Don't you think we should go on Ventura Boulevard? The Sportsman's Lodge is only a couple miles away." Owen was right, it made sense to take Ventura but Joan replied, "No, the freeway is better."

Joan and her date got in her car and drove off out the studio gate, made a left on Lankershim Boulevard and onto the Hollywood Freeway before Owen could argue. Owen and Reed got in their car and quickly tried to catch up. "My God, she's going east." said Owen. "The Sportsmen's Lodge is west!"

"We've got to catch her" said, Reed. They passed the Hollywood Bowl and kept going. Finally, Owen and Reed caught up with Joan in the Silver Lake district. Owen gestured to Joan that she was going the wrong way. Joan nodded, exited the freeway and then got back on heading west.

"How on earth can she get out of this situation?" Reed thought. "What can she possibly say?"

"I can't imagine," said Owen.

Joan stepped out of her car in front of the Sportsman's Lodge and said, "Didn't I tell you - the freeway's great!"

Quite the story don't you think? I wonder what was going through Joan's head at the time. At least she covered for herself rather creatively.

Sportsmen's Lodge, Studio City - photo from LAObserved.com

The Sportsmen's Lodge is a hotel on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, California and has been a landmark in the valley for over a century. Until the 1970s, there was even a lake for trout fishing. People would come to the Sportsmen's Lodge, catch their own fish out of the lake, and then have the Lodge restaurant prepare the fish. Even celebrities came to fish, including Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis, and numerous other big time celebrities.

Stars still head over to the Sportsmen's Lodge for the restaurant and hotel. The Sportsmen's Lodge also hosts many special events such as political gatherings, weddings and anniversaries.

Your thoughts?

Possessed (1947) - Film Locations

Joan Crawford in Possessed (1947)

Well, after a bit of summer traveling I'm ready to get back to blogging and what better way than to start with a film location post. I know the location posts are probably the most popular. To kick things off here are a few of the filming locations for the classic Joan Crawford noir, Possessed (1947).

In short, Possessed tells the story of a woman (Joan Crawford) who is obsessed with her ex-lover and over the course of the film loses her sanity. The movie opens with the credits coming up over a shot of 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles. If you look at the images below you can match. up the film shot with the present image by looking at the tall building in the far right.

7th Street, Los Angeles

7th Street, Los Angeles

As the credits continue to roll we see Joan Crawford walking aimlessly through the streets of downtown Los Angeles. Below, she walks right past the Brack Shops building located on 7th Street near Grand Avenue. The Brack Shops awning is no longer but the building still stands and is known as "The Collection." There are metal markings in the sidewalk that read "Brack Shops" in front of the old store entrance.

Joan Crawford in front of Brack Shops, Los Angeles

"The Collection" formerly "Brack Shops"

Sidewalk in front of The Collection building

7th Street, Los Angeles

7th Street, Los Angeles

7th Street, Los Angeles

Joan Crawford walks down 7th Street

Looking down 7th Street, Los Angeles

As you can see above, the view down 7th Street has changed since the late 1940s when the film was made and how it appears today. There were no trees growing from the sidewalks and one of the buildings on the left is now gone, but a lot still remains the same. I was able to find this location by matching up the windows and stairwells of the tall building on the left.

Once the camera finally does a close-up on Joan Crawford we see her heading "across the street" towards a church. There is no church across the street and the one in the film does not look familiar to me. I'm guessing the church was built on a soundstage at Warner Bros. If anyone knows if the church is real leave a message!

After wandering the streets Joan Crawford is picked up and rushed to a hospital in an ambulance. The hospital used was the historic Los Angeles County hospital located in the east LA neighborhood of Boyle Heights. The hospital is an amazing looking building that is a towering landmark in the neighborhood.

Looking down Zonal Ave as seen in Possessed

Looking down Zonal Ave in front of hospital

Ambulance rushes Crawford to hospital.

Entrance to hospital.

Hospital entrance as seen in film Possessed.

Los Angeles County Hospital

Possessed was originally going to be a film vehicle for the actress Bette Davis, however, Davis was pregnant and needed to go on maternity. Joan Crawford, who got her start at MGM was enjoying a second career as a star at Warner Bros. during this time and so the film went to Crawford.