“On Location . . . Uptown, Chicago” is another exhibit of History TV - an online history museum of the Uptown Chicago neighborhood. Check it out here. There’s something about a visit to a familiar movie location. All over the world, watching a movie is people’s way to immerse themselves in a story. When you visit a location where a movie has been filmed, you have the stark realization that something real took place there. Cameras, film crews, famous stars, directors and extras once stood where you stand, and walked where you walk, captured for eternity on film.
A Century of over 480 Movies and Television Shows have been filmed “on location” in Uptown, Chicago. The exhibit featured above identifies those Uptown locations and more. Below are two great examples:
Scene from “Medium Cool” (1968):
"Beyond the age of innocence... into the age of awareness"
"This is probably the only footage of the inside of The Electric Theatre/Kinetic Playground, 4812 N Clark St in Chicago, which featured some of the best Rock bands on earth at the time! It opened on April 5, 1968, the day after the assassination of Martin Luther King. Because of the civil unrest in the wake of the death of Rev. King the city was under a curfew but attendance was still strong on opening night."
“The film itself is a semi-fictional document of Chicago in 1968, culminating in the action around the Democratic National Convention.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywPan19kvyI
Scene from “Soul Survivors” (2001):
"The World of the Dead and the World of the Living . . . are About to Collide."
Somewhere between Heaven and Hell is the mythical place where this scene takes the movie audience. It was filmed on location in the Uptown Theatre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAzvQCdtGi8
More fine work from Dave Stratis.
ReplyDeleteThree points though.
No mention of "The Hunter" from 1980 which had a great chase scene filmed from about 4100 to 4200 Kenmore. Showed Buena Circle Park in its decrepitude and the surrounding area. If you weren't around Uptown then rent the movie and gaze upon the Uptown of old that some people glorify. For most people who lived here then life was "nasty, brutish and short".
By the way the rumor that I was the screaming little ginger haired girl on the train is completely false. The rumor that I was one of the gangbangerish "extras" hanging out on the street as Steve McQueen parked his car.........no comment.
Second, "Medium Cool" has some great scenes shot around Clifton and Montrose prior to Truman College being built.
Third, "A Family Thing" has some great shots of the area around Broadway and Wilson. Unfortunately, if my memory is correct the area still looks about the same as it did then.
So endeth the lesson.
Shia LaBeouf sprinted down the auxiliary stairs of the Wilson station and hopped into a Porsche in 'Eagle Eye'. The Wilson Broadway Mall is captured in all of its glory.
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