Big Al's Place: Moose Jaw, Canada aka "Little Chicago?"

In A Nutshell

Years after his release from Alcatraz, bedeviled by hallucinations fueled by untreated, late-stage syphilis, Al Capone wanders the overgrown grounds of his Miami Beach estate, ruminating with ghosts. Tomorrow will bring his forty-eighth birthday and one week later he will be dead. Between then and now sprawls an epic life, from the wild streets of turn-of-the-century Brooklyn, to a bloody Saint Valentine’s Day that shocked the world; here is the glamorous ascent and shocking decline of America's true king of crime.

Some History

Jim VanBebber's 2004 feature, The Manson Family, was hailed as, "Crucial," by Peter Travers in Rolling Stone's four-star review. It inspired Roger Ebert to proclaim, "...it has an undeniable power and effect...it exists in a category of one film - this film." The film's successful theatrical release brought further critical acclaim and Manson then went on to thrive on home video, including as the centerpiece of Visions of Hell: The Films of Jim VanBebber, a mid-career retrospective DVD box set released in 2008.

Capone first met VanBebber at Wright State University when both men were enrolled in the Motion Pictures Production program headed up by Academy Award nominated documentary filmmakers Jim Klein and Julia Reichert. When, in junior year, the class was divided into small groups with the purpose of producing a short film, VanBebber, with partners Marcello Games and cinematographer Mike King, decided to shoot a full length feature. That film, 1988's Deadbeat at Dawn went on to earn true cult status, playing to crowds on 42nd Street and on many waning drive-in screens before landing on cable's The Movie Channel where it debuted on Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater, hosted by Joe Bob Briggs, who had singled out Deadbeat in his nationally syndicated four-star review.

With funds derived from the sale of Deadbeat, King, Games and VanBebber began their follow up production, The Manson Family, which brings us full circle

6/28/10

Moose Jaw, Canada aka "Little Chicago?"

Apparently, according to writer Rebecca Lawrence, underneath the town of Moose Jaw, Canada lies a series of tunnels with a vague link to Al Capone. At least that's how they're playing it. These tunnels have now become a tourist attraction where, with the help of a group of actors, that questionable 'history' is revealed.

The tour takes you behind Main Street where ‘Miss Fanny’ leads you through several different rooms – including a secret bar. The premise is that visitors are bootleggers hoping for some illegal alcohol. You are left with the impression that Al Capone frequently travelled to Moose Jaw and are even taken into his ‘office’ to see his suits.

There isn’t actually any real proof to say Al Capone did travel to the city but the tunnels would have been perfect for storing alcohol. Moose Jaw was also popular because of its red light district on River Street (now a popular shopping area). As a result of Moose Jaw’s link to Chicago and the transporting of illicit alcohol, the city did become known as ‘Little Chicago”.

If you take the tour with a pinch of salt, it tells a great story and it’s certainly an entertaining way to spend an afternoon if you find yourself in Moose Jaw.

You can find an entire article on the tunnels here.