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Chicago! (1965)

1965 · Short film · 25 min

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Synopsis

This 1965 episode of “America!,” a series of travel films about American sites hosted by Jack Douglas, shows the history and landmarks of Chicago, “a man-made wonder of the world.” The film begins with the host narrating about Fort Dearborn in 1820, where the city began; it was ravaged by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, although the Old Water Tower (1:10) survived. A view of the Chicago skyline on Lake Michigan (1:20). The Chicago River (2:00); the “Skyline Queen” cruise boat docking at the corner of State Street and Wacker Drive; the world’s largest post office and Eisenhower Expressway (2:25); the Temple Church, the world’s tallest church (2:31); Marina City, at the time the world’s tallest residential apartment buildings (2:58); the Wrigley building (3:11). A taxi drives along State Street; signs for Maxwell Street (3:48), home to an open air market. The Chicago Fire Academy (4:28) on West Dakota near the O’Leary house and barn, which supposedly started the 1871 fire. The “Tongues of Flame” statue outside the academy (4:47). Firemen climb ladders and fall off the side of a building (5:18). Quinn’s Snorkel, an automatic ladder system invented by Fire Commissioner Robert J. Quinn (5:36). Lieutenant Robert Maloney explains the snorkel system. The pump room of the Ambassador Hotel (6:37); Gaslight Club on East Huron Street, the first key club in America; the original Playboy Club at 116 East Walton (6:48); the Kungsholm Restaurant; a Fred Harvey Scandanavian chain with a…

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Details

Running time
25 minutes
Collection
Ephemeral Films

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