Being that it was March when the Upper Peninsula ground was starting to thaw from another cold winter, Terry, an excavator, had his bulldozer on site to clear muddy grounds so equipment could be brought on-site. All exterior scenes at the Soady deer camp were shot at the Bittner family cottage, while indoor scenes were shot in Escanaba on a soundstage. After Einie passed away, his son Terry Bittner inherited the cabin.Įinie, his wife Gladys and Terry were on set for the two and half weeks that filming happened at the cabin. During the 1960s and 70s, it was an eating shack for loggers. The Rapid River cottage, which is on private property, was built by Escanaba local Reinhold “Einie” Bittner in 1964. So when they found the Bittner family cottage through a friend of a friend, they realized it was the perfect extension of Escanaba and set up camp - deer camp, that is. Jeff Daniels and Robert Brown both wanted the film to be as authentic as possible. That is Jeff Daniels’ son! Creating the Escanaba in da Moonlight Deer Camp In the middle of the front row, you can see a child holding a “Buckless” sign. The locals’ job? To stand in the bleachers taunting Daniels’ character for not bagging a buck yet. Each person was charged $2, with the money donated to the school’s athletic budget. Nearly 1,000 Bays de Noc locals flocked to this filming site in March, braving zero-degree temperatures when they joined the outdoor crowd scene from Reuben Soady’s hallucination. Escanaba High School's Athletic Field | 1601 18th Ave. All the money raised at this ticketed event was donated back to the art center along with the proceeds from the Bays’ premier of the movie. Jeff Daniels held a meet and greet here, too, where he signed autographs and took photos with hundreds of U.P. Local casting call auditions took place here. William Bonifas Fine Arts Center | 700 1st Ave. Because the crew liked the decor of the inside, the Swallow Inn was hardly changed for filming. The scene featured three local bartenders and several residents as extras. This bar and grill was used as the Porcelain Bus, a bar where Reuben Soady’s brother Remnar won a case of Leinenkugel's from a promiscuous dancing game with toilet paper and a long doll rod. Included in that mix were two of Daniels’ children and actual Escanaba students. A school bus of local children encourages him to roll down his window, then taunts him for not bagging a buck yet.
#ESCANABA IN DA MOONLIGHT MOVIE#
Speaking of Ludington Street, the main street of downtown Escanaba was used at the beginning of the movie as Rueben Soady (Daniels) drives out of town to the deer camp. The diner’s owner and namesake, Rosy, is an extra in the film and can be seen pouring coffee in the background as the Buckless Yooper drives by.
Jeff Daniels liked the vintage feel of the diner, so it was featured in the movie with no alterations. This diner was a favorite for the producers who ate several meals there while in town for filming. Whether you watch this classic annually, watched it once or it’s still on your bucket list, making a pilgrimage to these filming locations and learning these fast facts are a fun addition to your next trip to the Bays! Here’s where to start: Rosy’s Diner | 1313 Ludington St., Escanaba
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