Shirley MacLaine Thrown Out of The Bicycle Casino

Veteran actress Shirley MacLaine was recently thrown out of The Bicycle Casino. The event was captured on film, and if you don't believe it, you can see it when the movie comes out early next year. It is a feature film called Carolina, a romantic comedy directed by Marleen Gorris, who won an Academy Award for best foreign film in 1995 for Antonia's Line.

A few weeks ago, Hollywood descended on the Bike. With enough trailers and trucks to fill a back lot, the cast and crew of Carolina, which also features Julia Stiles, took up positions in various areas of the casino. Early one morning, the production company took over the tournament area of the main poker floor and the front entrance of the casino. The lights were bright enough to daze the Welcome Center staff, but the crew was very cordial and worked cooperatively with the casino personnel to bring the complicated operation off without a hitch.

Customers were understanding about the disruption of their play time, and the cards continued to be dealt as if nothing were happening. Poker players are used to a lot worse. Several of the Bike's employees were also hired as extras in the film.

The filming, which took place right in the middle of the casino's largest tournament of the year, Legends of Poker, presented something of a logistical nightmare for floormen, dealers, and customers. Satellites and the Nooner tournaments had to be moved into the ballroom. In addition, when the film crew moved outside to the front of the casino, all incoming traffic had to be diverted to the VIP parking lot. All and all, though, Bike employees said the experience was fun and exciting.

Just as Bike employees learned something about filmmaking, the film crew had their eyes opened about poker. Many of them had no idea about card clubs in the Los Angeles area, and were so intrigued that they were anxious to return in their off-hours to check out the action, just as Bike employees will be first in line to check out their "home" when Carolina comes out in early 2002.

As for Miss MacLaine being thrown out, that was one of the scenes, and is unlikely to ever happen in real life. The Bicycle Casino said it looks forward to her next visit, and thanked the entire crew of the Carolina Gone Asunder production company for making the lives of its employees a little more exciting than usual.