PART 2 - THE MAKING OF 'THE DARK KNIGHT' MOVIE IN CHICAGO

 CLICK HERE to see a Collection of 55 Pictures of the movie "The Dark Knight".

 

I had to go back to the Chicago Board of Education, my former employer, to straighten out my medical records with them this past Wednesday, May 21. So I hopped on a LaSalle Street bus, and returned to the very places that I had pointed out in my first Batman blog. ( If you haven't read my first blog on "The Dark Knight" yet, click here. ) After taking care of my business with the Board of Education, a.k.a. Chicago Public Schools ( CPS ), I visited all of the places I had mentioned in my first blog just to make sure that I had all of my facts straight.

 

Sure enough, I did. I knew I did, yet I always like to double check. The following are the actual photos that I took Wednesday. The photos that you see in my Batman blog are not mine; I got those off of Google four weeks ago.

 

So many movies have been filmed here in Chicago: Just Visiting, High Fidelity, Stir of Echoes, Message in a Bottle, Home Alone, Child's Play, Backdraft, Natural Born Killers, Primal Fear, Hope Floats, I Robot, Shall We Dance, Barbershop II, The Weather Man, Ocean's 12, The Lake House, Christmas with the Kranks, etc. "The Dark Knight" is one of those that have recently been made in Chicago. Here's what I know about it.

PICTURE 1

 

Yes, this is me behind the camera. It was a perfect, sunny, cool day that day. I'm amazed at the unbelievable photos I took !

I went in that Starbucks Wednesday and asked whether this is the same Starbucks that we will see in "Dark Knight", and they said, "Yes !!"

They said that this is the corner where Heath Ledger as the Joker walked down the middle of the street as he was passing by a Starbucks. This is where the scene was shot of the Joker causing a truck to flip over in the middle of the street.

PICTURE 2

This is the next street over from the Starbucks, just like I described it in my Dark Knight blog. However, I was surprised to see the Chicago Police riding these funny-looking vehicles. This is the first year that these vehicles have been in use. I don't even know what they are called. If anybody knows what these weird vehicles are called, would you leave a comment mentioning Picture 2?

In the middle of the picture, you see a building with 3 flags, the U.S. flag, the State of Illinois flag, and the Chicago flag. That's the Board of Education, my former employer, where I was headed. Notice it's exactly one street over from where Heath Ledger filmed his scenes.

PICTURE 3

Here it is. Notice the "CPS" logo on the door. This is our Headquarters that I retired from last year. ( Sigh )

PICTURE 4

PICTURE 5

 

This is the picture I took of the Chicago Board of Trade. Notice its name on the front of the building. At the Starbucks down the street, they told me that in "The Dark Knight" movie this building will be named the building that billionaire Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. known as Batman, owns. One of the Starbucks customers excitedly told me that last year she personally met actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, who plays Bruce Wayne/Batman's girlfriend in the movie.

 

PICTURE 6

 

On the left you can see just a little of the Chicago Board of Trade Building. Across the street from it on the right of the picture is the Bank of America Building that you will also see in the movie. I went in the Bank of America Building to ask whether they shot scenes of the movie there. They said yes; the movie was filmed on Saturdays when the streets could be shut off from the light weekend traffic. They didn't tell me much, but it seems that some of the Bruce Wayne office and lobby scenes were done in this very elegant and luxurious building.

Also, in the picture, you see the Sears Tower looming over the Chicago Board of Trade Building. This is where you will see Batman standing on the Sears Tower, which isn't far from the metropolitan building that he "owns".

 

PICTURE 7

This street leads to the side of the old Main Post Office that you'll see in the movie.

 

PICTURE 8

This is the actual side of the building that you will see in the movie. I spoke to that man in the red shirt and told him that I'm taking pictures of locations in the new Batman movie. I told him that I would use this picture in a blog that would be seen around the world. It was then that I realized how important it is to always carry around with me either a Yuwie business card or Yuwie flyer with my referral url on it ! A missed opportunity !!

 

PICTURE 9

When I finally got close to the building, I was completely shocked and dismayed that the building has now been officially closed and sealed off !!! I wasn't aware of that; I haven't been to this site in several years. But last year, obviously, it wasn't sealed off because they filmed various scenes there with actors Heath Ledger and Gary Oldman. Click here to be sure to read about this in my "Dark Knight" blog.

Notice the words "U.S. Post Office" on the building. In the movie, it is the "Gotham Bank" where Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, and clown bandits perform their bank robbery scenes.

 

PICTURE 10

Here unfortunately is a closer look at where the movie was filmed. I wanted to take a picture of the steps that Gary Oldman is walking up in the movie. But now it is closed. How many times I walked up those same stairs ! This is the same entrance where you will also see Heath Ledger and his clown bandits entering the "Gotham Bank".

 

PICTURE 11

I tried to show a glimpse of those stairs, but the fence link is blocking the view. Drat, my mistake !!!

PICTURE 12

This picture doesn't do the Sears Tower justice. You have to have been here with me to really see how spectacularly tall and beautiful the Sears Tower looks from this spot !!! That's almost pure genius of Hollywood to have Batman standing on its top !! ( You see the Chicago flag on the left, the State of Illinois flag in the center, and you barely see the U.S. flag through the tree on the right. )

 

PICTURE 13

Here is one of the entrances to Lower Wacker Drive that Batman may drive in. It's right behind the Old Main Post Office or "Gotham Bank". I remember when I was little in the 1960's, my father would drive my family and me to church EVERY Sunday, using this entrance of Lower Wacker Drive. I remember it being so exciting taking a Sunday drive through Lower Wacker Drive ! Little did I know that a movie would be filmed on this very road !

 

PICTURE 14

This is the Chicago River just steps from the entrance to Lower Wacker Drive in the picture above. You can see that many of the windows are broken on the Old Main Post Office. The new Main Post Office is now across the street from here.

 

PICTURE 15

Here's a beautiful building one block away from the Post Office that may be in the movie. I couldn't help taking a picture of it. Notice how HUGE it is? I couldn't fit the whole building into the picture. It really does take up the whole square block !!!

 

When the movie actually comes out on July 18, I will update my Dark Knight blog with the places that are actually in the movie !

                        

The pictures are numbered. So please leave a comment with the picture's number included for reference. Thanks for your comments !

Notice that there is another Starbucks across the street from the CPS Headquarters at the green light. If you haven't seen my hilarious blog on Starbucks, well, this just proves what it says. Click here to see my very funny Starbucks blog.

Posted: 5/23/2008 at 19:49

Read 292 times | 7 comments | Leave Comment | Report

McSpocky™	Awesome blog... Thanks for all of your hard work. :)
MARGARITA
	Reply | Comment | Message | Delete | Block | Spam | 6/3/2008 12:54:33 PM
SUPERMAN	Great Photos
	Reply | Comment | Message | Delete | Block | Spam | 5/26/2008 11:56:05 PM
Beretta	Awesome photos Joyce, made me feel like I was right there. You have a great talent.
	Reply | Comment | Message | Delete | Block | Spam | 5/26/2008 3:22:15 PM
Julie	simply impressive
	Reply | Comment | Message | Delete | Block | Spam | 5/24/2008 7:52:25 PM
Molej	Wonderful pictures of a wonderful city. The policeman in one of the pictures is on a Segway.
	Reply | Comment | Message | Delete | Block | Spam | 5/24/2008 7:14:14 PM
Dale	Hi Joyce! I wanted to tell you that I think you take really good pics. I am not much for big cities, so Chicago(mailnly the downtown areas) is not really my thing. Driving in downtown Chicago makes me crazy, so I usually have my hubby drive if we need to go. I don't mind driving to my mother-in-laws house(she lives close to Comisky-oops, US Cellular Field!). We live in Joliet(close to JJC). Again, nice pics. Thanks for the updates on the movie & keep the pictures coming!
	Reply | Comment | Message | Delete | Block | Spam | 5/24/2008 6:43:22 PM Janet I don't think I have ever seen an IMAX film. Isn't it thrilling to see your home town/city up on the screen? It kinda makes you fill with pride for them to choose that location. I am glad you shared the trailer. Thank you!