Citizen Staff/Cory Schaefer
Debbie Koehler, left, points out the downtown area to her sons Nate, 3, and Ethan, 2, Tuesday afternoon in Columbus which will be used as the set for the movie Public Enemies.
COLUMBUS - Michael Mann, director of the upcoming film "Public Enemies," with scenes to be shot in downtown Columbus, did his technical scout work on Tuesday, according to Adam Boor, location scout for the movie.
Boor said that means that Mann looked at fine-tuning the angles for his shots in preparation for Monday's scheduled filming around the streets and stores that have been reconstructed to bring back the look and feel of the 1930s.
"Public Enemies" is a film about the life of John Dillinger, which will star Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard.
Steve Helm, originally from Los Angeles, is the construction foreman for "Public Enemies." He said construction is on schedule and the community's cooperation has been helpful.
He praised Mayor Nancy Osterhaus, the department of public works and local business owners for their cooperation, saying that workers on movie sets do not always get such good treatment.
"Your town has been wonderful," he said. "We've had a very warm reception from everyone."
That warm reception could mean an expanded role for Columbus in the movie, according to Osterhaus.
"He loves our city," Osterhaus said of Mann.
According to the mayor, filming in Columbus may be extended. She said Columbus willbe used for scenes supposed to have taken place in other cities in the movie, including at least one spot in Indiana.
Mann spent time at the Poser home on Park Avenue Tuesday while scouting possible filming locations.
Osterhaus said she is getting many calls about the film.
"This is getting national coverage, and we are expecting a lot of people to come" Osterhaus said.
A less-obvious benefit of the filming was exploited by the workers from the Columbus wastewater treatment plant. They took advantage of the closed streets on Tuesday afternoon by performing work on the sewer line in the middle of the usually busy center of the intersection where highways 16/60 and 73 cross downtown.
The closed downtown leaves limited choices for those wishing to park near it.
Interim Columbus Police Chief Dennis Weine said Tuesday that, although no parking will be allowed inside the road closure zone, police will show some mercy to those who are trying to find somewhere to park — within reason.
"Until the conclusion of the movie filming, we aren't enforcing any of the timed-restricted parking," Weiner said. "We understand that people are being displaced and we want to try to accommodate that the best we can."
Weiner said only construction or delivery vehicles will be allowed inside the detour zone downtown.
"We're excited about (the filming)" he said. "We're going to have extra people working. It's basically the equivalent of the Fourth of July, is how we're dealing with it staffing-wise."
Movie personnel have hired private security to be on site 24 hours a day through the filming.
With filming scheduled for Monday, extra police officers will work because of the expected large crowds. Weiner said the Fall River Police Department and the Columbia County Sheriff's Department could be called in to assist.
"Lt. (Roger) Witthun and I walked the downtown over the lunch hour," Weiner stated. "It's pretty cool - it's bringing a lot of people to town."
"Hopefully, everyone will behave and everyone can have a good time - including us," he said.
pscharf@capitalnewspapers.com