Chicago IL, USA

  
The movie THE UNTOUCHABLES tells the true story of agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) who in 1930 assembles a team to put the notorious crime boss Al Capone (Robert De Niro) behind bars. The screenplay was based on the book of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley from 1957.
     

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Filming started on 18 August 1986 in Chicago. The location shoot included several historical landmarks. When a building did not exist anymore or had been altered beyond recognition, a similar location in the city was chosen. After filming on more than 25 locations in Chicago was completed, production moved to Montana in October 1986 to film the shoot-out at the border.
We were in town for only three days and visited only a small amount of the locations.

In his search for policemen that can be trusted Eliot Ness meets officer Jimmy Malone (Sean Connery) at night on the North Michigan Avenue Bridge. The bascule bridge dates from 1918 and was named after the street it is part of.

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North Michigan Avenue Bridge, Chicago, 7 June 2017

An example of a location that no longer exists is the Lexington Hotel where Al Capone resided from 1928 until he was arrested in 1931. The hotel was closed in 1980. During filming the building was in a deplorable state and would be demolished in 1995. The Roosevelt University at 430 South Michigan Avenue was chosen to represent the hotel, even though the building dates from 1945.

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Roosevelt University, Chicago, 8 June 2017

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Roosevelt University, Chicago, 8 June 2017

The confrontation between Eliot Ness and Al Capone in the lobby of the hotel was also filmed at the Roosevelt University. We asked the concierge if it was alright to take pictures. It turned out that he was present on the day these scenes were filmed. He joked that he almost had a part in the movie: he had to prevent people from using the elevator.

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Roosevelt University, Chicago, 8 June 2017

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Roosevelt University, Chicago, 8 June 2017

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Roosevelt University, Chicago, 8 June 2017

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Roosevelt University, Chicago, 8 June 2017

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Roosevelt University, Chicago, 8 June 2017

Agent George Stone (Andy Garcia) and accountant Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith) join the team. Their approach becomes successful and they are soon known as "The Untouchables". The first raid is on the post office across the street of the headquarters. These scenes were filmed at South LaSalle Street. The Rookery Building, left on the screenshots, has had multiple functions but was never a police office. In the background the Chicago Board of Trade Building can be seen. The post office in reality is the City National Bank and Trust Company Building.

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South LaSalle Street, Chicago, 7 June 2017

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City National Bank and Trust Company
Building, Chicago, 7 June 2017

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South LaSalle Street, Chicago, 7 June 2017

Union Station, Chicago,
7 June 2017

Looking for Walter Payne (Jack Kehoe), Al Capone’s bookkeeper, Eliot Ness and George Stone end up in a shoot-out at Union Station at 225 South Canal Street. Among the travellers, who have no idea what is going on, is a young mother trying to get her pram up the stairs. Eliot Ness wants to help her but at the same time the gunfight starts. The following scene, when the pram is rolling down the stairs, is an homage to the silent classic Battleship Potemkin (1925) by Sergei Eisenstein.
The station has two almost identical staircases that lead to the platforms. For the movie only the stairs on the right (as seen from the Great Hall) were used. The building opened its doors in 1925 and was designed by Daniel Burnham, also one of the architects of The Rookery Building. The train station is featured in several movies. There is a small exhibition in the Great Hall about the productions that were filmed here and travel in films in general.

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Union Station, Chicago, 7 June 2017

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Union Station, Chicago, 7 June 2017

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Union Station, Chicago, 7 June 2017

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Union Station, Chicago, 7 June 2017

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Union Station, Chicago, 7 June 2017

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Union Station, Chicago, 7 June 2017

Screenshots © Paramount Pictures