THINK! South Loop

Park Community Church South Loop, 1550 S. State Street (Daystar Center) will be hosting THINK! South Loop for three days: January 24 – 26, 7 – 9 p.m.

A lot of people have issues with Christianity. It’s common for society to see religion as out of touch with reality, regressive, irrelevant. Has science proved Christianity wrong? Why is the church so concerned with human sexuality? If there is a God, why is there so much evil? Whether you’ve been a Christian for a long time and have asked some of these questions or are skeptical of religion, you are invited to join the conversation. Register online at thinksouthloop.com. This event it free, but RSVPs are appreciated. To RSVP click here.

Noirvember starts with “Laura” at the Daystar Center, November 5

The Noirvember film series begins Saturday night with Laura (1944) at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street. The movie begins at 6:45 p.m.

Set among Park Avenue society, Laura concerns the murder of Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney), a beautiful young woman who captivated every man she met. Detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates the murder  by questioning the men in Laura’s life: literary critic Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb) and playboy fiancé Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price). Did they have motives to kill Laura? Hypnotized by Laura’s portrait, as he continues the investigation, McPherson finds himself falling in love. When the case takes a strange turn, the suspense really begins. Filled with witty dialogue and one of the most famous film scores of all time, Laura is considered one of the best films noir ever produced.

The complete schedule for the Noirvember series is listed below. All films begin at 6:45 p.m.

Murder, My Sweet (1945) November 12
Gilda (1946) November 19
Road House (1948) November 26

Halloween film series at Daystar Center starting October 8 with “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir”

The Chicago Film Club’s Halloween series begins with a screening of the classic The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) Saturday October 8, 2016 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State St. All movies start at 6:45 p.m.

A haunted cottage by the sea
When a young widow Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney) rents a house by the sea, she finds that it’s haunted by the ghost of Captain Gregg (Rex Harrison), the home's original owner. The two clash at first, but come to an understanding that turns into friendship and eventually love. When a flesh-and-blood suitor (George Sanders) makes a play for Lucy, what will become of the captain? This beautifully filmed movie (Charles Lang’s black and white cinematography was Oscar nominated) gave Tierney the chance to play a woman of warmth and character, rather than the icy, aloof beauty she was too often cast as.

Gene Tierney as Lucy Muir and Rex Harrison as Captain Gregg in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Top-flight talent
Besides the cast, the film has quite the pedigree. The film score was composed by the legendary Bernard Herrmann (Vertigo, Psycho, Taxi Driver). Charles Lang (Sabrina, Some Like it Hot) was in charge of the black and white cinematography. Lang was nominated for 18 Academy Awards. Film editor Dorothy Spencer (Stagecoach, Foreign Correspondent) worked with some of the best directors in Hollywood, including Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, and Elia Kazan edited the film. Fred Sersen who was in charge of the photographic effects department at Twentieth Century-Fox created the film’s special effects. Sersen won two Academy Awards for Best Effects (Crash Dive, The Rains Came). Gene Tierney’s husband, Oleg Cassini, designed the actress’s costumes. Cassini dressed Jacqueline Kennedy when she was First Lady. And last, but not least, the director Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Makiewicz is most famous for writing and directing All About Eve (1950), but he also directed A Letter to Three Wives (1949), The Barefoot Contessa (1954), Guys and Dolls (1955), Cleopatra (1963), and Sleuth (1972).

Other movies scheduled below:

October 15—The Innocents (1961) starring Deborah Kerr
October 22—The Body Snatcher (1945) starring Boris Karloff  - CANCELED
October 29—Psycho (1960) starring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, and Janet Leigh

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!

Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion

Twice a month we screen classic films and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.

Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.

South Loop Town Hall Meeting April 7 at Daystar School

Third Ward Alderman, Pat Dowell, will be holding a town hall meeting at the Daystar School, 1550 S. State St., April 7, 2015 at 6 p.m. Items on the agenda include a public safety discussion with the 1st Police District, proposed developments at 1411 S. Michigan and 1408 S. Wabash, and an update from Friend of the Parks.

Annual State of the South Loop Meeting, November 21 9:30 am - 11:00 am

Hear the latest and greatest about the neighborhood at GSLA’s annual State of The South Loop meeting, Saturday, November 21, from 9:30am to 11:00am, Daystar Center, 1550 S. State St. Come mingle with friends and neighbors, then stay for an array of updates and perspectives on everything from real estate development to park programming, and safety to business development.

Agenda (As Of 11/14):

• Welcome And Introductions, Deb Soehlig, Greater South Loop Association Board President
• Caps Update
• Recap And Survey Summary From GSLA’s Nov. 2 Real Estate Development Open House, Josh Ellis, GSLA Board
• Alderman Pat Dowell, 3rd Ward
• Alderman Will Burns, 4th Ward (Tentative)
• State Representative Ken Dunkin, Illinois 5th District
• Harold Ickes Homes Redevelopment Update, Cha Representative (Tentative)
• Great Rivers Chicago Update, Sarah Cardona, Metropolitan Planning Council
• Southloop-Living.Com, Courtney Hunt

“The Curse of the Cat People” screens at Daystar Center October 31,2015

Gothic Noir: The Horror Films of Val Lewton – The Curse of the Cat People
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Chicago, IL
When: October 31, 2015
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Hosted by Stephen Reginald

The Curse of the Cat People (1944)—With the runaway success of Cat People (1942), it was inevitable that the studio executives would demand a sequel. Producer Val Lewton, ever the clever and creative man, produced this psychological masterpiece, which gave Robert Wise his first directorial credit. The film concerns a shy young girl named Amy who imagines that her secret friend is the deceased Irena from the original Cat People. Classic scenes: Amy lost in a snowstorm, as she is “pursued” and an old woman’s scary storytelling.

Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here.The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Simone Simon and Ann Carter

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes as Facets Film School, Chicago.

Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.

Horror classic “Cat People” kicks of “Gothic Noir” film series Saturday, October 3, 2015

Gothic Noir: The Horror Films of Val Lewton
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Chicago, IL
When: October 3, 2015
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Hosted by Stephen Reginald

Cat People (1942)—This is the first horror film Lewton produced and some consider it his best. A young artist, Irena Dubrovna, is convinced that she is the victim of an ancient curse that turns its women into panthers once they enter a romantic relationship. The film contains two classic scenes: One in New York’s Central Park, where one of the main characters finds herself being stalked and another in an indoor swimming pool. These atmospheric scenes made 1940s audiences scream in terror and they still work today in the sophisticated 21st century.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here.The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes as Facets Film School, Chicago.

Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.

Halloween Film Festival at Daystar Center starting October 3, 2015

Gothic Noir: The Horror Films of Val Lewton

Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Chicago, IL
Hosted by Stephen Reginald
Films screen at 6:30 p.m.*

Films screened and discussed:

Val Lewton

Cat People (Jacques Tourneur, 1942) October 3, 2015

I Walked With a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur, 1943) October 10, 2015

*The Leopard Man (Jacques Tourneur, 1943) October 17, 2015 This film screens at 7:00 p.m.

The Seventh Victim ( Mark Robson, 1943) October 24, 2015

The Curse of the Cat People (Robert Wise, 1944) October 31, 2015

“Everything good dies here. Even the stars.”**

Val Lewton is credited with elevating the horror film to artistic levels during the 1940s. At RKO he set a standard few modern horror filmmakers have matched (they certainly haven’t surpassed it). Where other horror films of the period featured creatures and monsters that didn’t exist, Lewton’s films were populated with ordinary people. The horror did not come from monsters or demons, but from neighbors, coworkers, and those in positions of authority. And Lewton knew that nothing on screen could match the horrors conjured up inside the mind of the viewer. By combining believable characters, literate scripts, film noir-like cinematography, and clever editing, Lewton’s films drummed up more suspense and horror than all the monsters on the Universal lot combined…and that was his goal. Not only were Lewton’s films truly frightening, but they explored themes not often associated with the horror genre.

Cat People

Val Lewton started his movie career working for David O. Selznick as a story editor. Under Selznik’s employ, Lewton had a hand in shaping movie classics like A Tale of Two Cities (1935), A Star is Born (1937), Gone With The Wind (1939), and Rebecca (1940). But working for Selznick, who took all the credit, wasn’t fulfilling. Lewton wanted to produce his own films, based on his own ideas.

In 1942, Lewton was named head of the newly formed horror unit at RKO. At the time of his hire, RKO was in financial straits because of their costly relationship with Orson Welles and the failures of Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons to connect with the public. Lewton’s task was to make horror films that: cost under $150,000 per picture, did not run more than 75 minutes, and used the lurid titles supplied to him by the studio bosses. Starting with Cat People in 1942, Lewton produced a string of successful horror films that helped keep RKO in the black. At RKO, Lewton worked with director Jacques Tourneur (Out of the Past) and gave Robert Wise (West Side Story) and Mark Robson (Champion) their first assignments as film directors. Although not a household name, Lewton left an indelible mark on the horror film genre and influenced numerous filmmakers, including William Friedkin, Martin Scorsese, George Romero, and Alfred Hitchcock to name a few.

Frances Dee leads the way in I Walked With a Zombie.

**Spoken by the character Paul Holland in I Walked With a Zombie (1943)


Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes as Facets Film School, Chicago.

Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.

Alfred Hitchcock's "The Wrong Man" screens at Daystar Center September 15, 2015

When: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street

In 1956, Director Alfred Hitchcock put suspense aside and crafted The Wrong Man based on real-life events. Henry Fonda plays musician Manny Balestrero who is wrongly accused of a series of armed robberies. Filmed in semi-documentary style, Hitchcock directs a very competent cast headed by Fonda and Vera Miles as his grief-stricken wife, Rose. One of the most unusual films in the director’s canon, it’s also one of his most impressive.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. To purchase your ticket in advance, click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.


Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.

The Quiet Workshop at Daystar Center May 30, 2015

When: Tuesday, May 30, 2015 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street

Cost:  The Early Bird rate (by May 16) is $75. Includes all materials, morning pastries, coffee, lunch, and afternoon snack. Childcare available upon request.

Slowing down in order to keep up with our basic needs
Our society is moving at an ever-increasing speed of fast. “If you want to hang on, you better speed up.” is the message of today. And as a result, many in our world find themselves stressed to the max, with calendars filled to the brim. When was the last time, for example, someone told you they were not very busy?

Basic needs never change
It could be useful, however, to remind ourselves that our basic needs never change. The need to be seen and appreciated. The need to belong. The need for nearness and care, and for a little love. This is given only through slowness in human relations. In order to master transformations in our ever-changing world, we have to recover slowness, reflection and togetherness – and thereby find real renewal.

Rediscover centuries-old tools
This is what The Quiet Workshop is all about. We’ll take a relaxed approach to the important topic of soul care, giving you a handful of tools which have been used for centuries in helping busy people step out of the traffic and take time to re-acquaint themselves with their God, their family and neighbors, and most importantly, themselves.

There is more to life than...
All are invited to attend The Quiet Workshop but it’s best suited for those who think to themselves, “There’s gotta be more to life than this…” whatever “this” is. Those in leadership roles at work, in the community, at church, and at home will benefit greatly. The Quiet Workshop also serves as a great introduction to spiritual direction for those interested in being directed or becoming a director.


To register, click here. For additional information, call 312.674.0001.

Free Composting Workshop in the South Loop March 28 at Daystar Center

Click here to download flyer to print and share.

Like to grow things? Like being nice to the earth?

Most of us know that composting is great in so many ways…keeping food waste out of landfills, making really healthy soil for our plants. But maybe you haven’t been able to get your head around how composting in the city might work.

The Alliance for a Greener South Loop is partnering with the Chicago Conservation Corps to present a free composting workshop to help answer all your composting questions and get you thinking about how we can compost right here in the South Loop.

Join an amazing line-up of composting Ambassadors and sustainable farming and gardening Leaders, like the innovative vertical farm The Plant and the nation’s first industrial worm composting facility, Nature’s Little Recyclers, to learn about the power of composting.This hands-on workshop will introduce various types of composting and current systems in place for city-dwellers to use. Learn step-by-step how to set up a personal worm composting bin, work with food waste-hauling companies like Pleasant Farms, Waste Management and Collective Resources, and the latest on outdoor composting City ordinances. Walk away with a Composting Toolkit, a chance to win free starter-kits, and other materials to succeed!

Invited Speakers include:

Erlene Howard – Owner, Collective Resource, Inc.
Meghann Maves – Total Recycling Program Manager, Waste Management
Neale Baldyga – Sustainability and Green Space Coordinator, Columbia College
John Mulrow – Interim Executive Director, The Plant
Jonathan Scheffel – Farmer, Pleasant Farms
Ed Hubbard – CEO/Founder, Nature’s Little Recyclers
Gail Merritt – Founder, The Alliance for the Greener South Loop

FREE Composting Workshop in the South Loop

Saturday, March 28, 2015
1:00 – 4:00 pm
Daystar Center
1550 S. State St.
Chicago, IL  60605

RSVP HERE

Questions? Contact: SouthLoopComposting@gmail.com

Daystar Center Benefit Concert March 7: Two Local Bands, One Great Cause!

On Saturday, March 7, 2015 at 6pm, the Daystar Center invites you to join in a night of inspiring music while supporting their community-building efforts. 

 

There are so many reasons to attend:

·       Enjoy awesome music from both bands in two sets.

·       Relish a bonus collaboration set where the bands join together for an improvisational jam session.

·       Be one of the first to hear about and see the future of Daystar Center! They will be making a big announcement and releasing a new website during the concert. 

·       General admission is only $15 and includes complimentary appetizers and BYOB. If you’d like, bring wine or beer to enjoy during the show. For an even better deal, advance tickets are 2 for $20 online only.

·       The concert is conveniently held at 1550 S. State Street in the Auditorium space located through Overflow Coffee Bar. Overflow will be open during the concert if you’d like to purchase a beverage or food.

 

Renegade Lightning Rebellion has been bringing their indie chamber-rock sound to Chicago and surrounding areas since summer 2011. This six-piece outfit performs an eclectic batch of songs that reflect such diverse influences as contemporary Indie music (Of Montreal and Dirty Projectors), classic jazz (Miles Davis and Charles Mingus) and classical chamber music. RLR has captivated audiences throughout Chicago with their deft handling of sudden shifts in energy and instrumentation – the band, almost all multi-instrumentalists, swap freely between such unique instruments as upright bass, oboe, trumpet, violin and accordion.

 

The Under Lines Quartet is a jazz group based out of Chicago, Illinois.The group is made up of guitarist Alex Ispa-Cowan, saxophonist Con Campbell, drummer Josh Calef, and bassist Jake Hawrylak. The group performs a mix of original compositions and their own take on jazz standards.

 

The Daystar Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting arts and culture. The Center’s events gather culture-lovers together and connect audiences with local artists. The Center hosted its first concert in 2012 and currently hosts theatre, musical, and film events multiple times per month. Event details can be found at http://www.daystarcenter.org/events.html.  

 

Please call (312) 674-0001 for questions and to purchase tickets over the phone.    

GSLA’s Annual State of the South Loop Meeting November 15, 2014

The Greater South Loop Association’s (GSLA) annual State of the South Loop meeting is set for Saturday at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State St., 9 to 10:30 a.m.

One of the hot topics for this year’s meeting is the proposed Lucas Narrative Arts Museum. The museum site will encompass two parking lots just south of Soldier Field. Bob O’Neil from the Grant Park Conservancy and Cassandra Francis of Friends of the Parks will be discussing the museum proposal.

Hitchcock’s “Shadow of a Doubt” to screen October 14, 2014 at Daystar Center

When: Tuesday, October 14, 2014 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street

A Personal Favorite
Considered Alfred Hitchcock’s personal favorite of all his films, Shadow of a Doubt (1943), is also the only film he ever shot entirely on location. Hitchcock picked Santa Rosa, CA, because it exemplified, at least it did in 1942, the ideal American town. Film critic Bosley Crowther said in his review of the film, “The flavor and ‘feel’ of a small town has been beautifully impressed in this film by the simple expedient of shooting most of it in Santa Rosa, Calif.”

No Prima Donnas
One of the reasons Shadow of a Doubt was Hitchcock’s favorite was due to the cast. Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotton, although movie stars, weren’t prima donnas. The director was impressed with Wright’s professionalism and preparation for her role. Cotton thought Hitchcock was one of the easiest directors he ever worked with. The two hit it off from the start and remained great friends for the rest of their lives. The rest of the supporting cast, Henry Travers, Patricia Collinge, Hume Cronyn, and MacDonald Carey were all pros, with Cronyn, prior to this film, a stage actor, made his movie debut in Shadow of a Doubt. He too, along with his wife, Jessica Tandy (Tandy would  appear in The Birds some 20 years later.) remained friends with Hitchcock for the rest of his life.

Teresa Wright

Idolizing Uncle Charlie
When Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotton) travels west to visit his sister and her family, the sleepy town of Santa Rosa is never the same. Handsome and debonair, Uncle Charlie is idolized by his young niece Charlene “Charlie” Newton (Teresa Wright) who has become disenchanted with her small-town life. Uncle Charlie represents glamour and excitement to young Charlie and she craves his attention.

Word of Mouth
As word spreads about a man they call the Merry Widow murderer, Charley suspects that he and her beloved uncle to be one in the same. But when a government agent investigating the case befriends her, Charley is faced with some tough choices. Does she cooperate, putting her uncle at risk, and upsetting her mother? By getting closer to her uncle, does she put her own life in jeopardy?

Where Evil Lurks

With the help of playwright Thorton Wilder (Our Town) and screenwriter Sally Benson (Meet Me in St. Louis), Hitchcock created a truly suspenseful film. Shadow of a Doubt demonstrates one of Hitchcock’s favorite themes: evil can lurk in the most unlikely and innocent of places…within our own towns or cities and in the midst our own families.

Joseph Cotton

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
fans. Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. To purchase your ticket in advance, click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.


Backstory: Teresa Wright was nominated for Academy Awards for her first three film roles. It’s a record that stands to this day. She won for her performance in Mrs. Miniver (Best Supporting Actress). Shadow of a Doubt was only her fourth film where she was top billed. Wright was a legitimate stage actress, understudying for Martha Scott who was the original Emily in Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. She originated the role of Mary Skinner in the Broadway production of Life With Father, the role Elizabeth Taylor played on the screen.

Greater South Loop Association Community Meeting Saturday September 20 at Daystar Center

Click here to visit the Greater South Loop Association Web site.

Hitchcock’s “Saboteur” to screen September 9, 2014 at Daystar Center

When: Tuesday, September 9, 2014 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1942 thriller stars Priscilla Lane and Robert Cummings. Cummings plays Barry Kane, a Los Angeles aircraft factory worker who suspects the plant has been bombed by a foreign agent. Kane’s best friend is killed in the conflagration and is wrongly accused of sabotage. Along the way, Kane meets a model Patricia (Pat) Martin (Priscilla Lane). The two begin a cross-country journey in an attempt to prove Kane’s innocence and to stop more bombings planned throughout the United States.

All-American cast

Hitchcock chose an all-American cast to move the narrative along at breakneck speed. The film features some amazing set pieces, as well as some great on-location filming at Boulder Dam, New York’s Radio City Music Hall, and the Statue of Liberty. The climatic scene atop the Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic in all of cinema.

No looking back

New York Times movie critic Bosley Crowther said in his May 8, 1942 review that “Saboteur is a swift, high-tension film which throws itself forward so rapidly that it permits slight opportunity for looking back.”

Behind the scenes at the Sutton mansion

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats.

Join the Chicago Film club, join the discussion
The Chicago Film Club is for classic movie fans. Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. To purchase your ticket in advance, click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Hitchcock’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith to screen July 8, 2014 at Daystar Center

When: Tuesday, July 8, 2014 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street

Yes, a Hitchcock Screwball Comedy
In 1940, Alfred Hitchcock’s third American film, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, was a screwball comedy. Yes, that’s right a screwball comedy. And it starred Carole Lombard, who had recently been proclaimed the “Screwball Girl” in a Life magazine profile. Few classic movie fans are familiar with this Hitchcock comedy, even though it was a critical and commercial hit, making its debut at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.

Typically screwball
The plot is typical for a screwball comedy. Ann (Lombard) and David (Robert Montgomery) Smith, discover that through a technicality their marriage isn’t legal. After David admits to his wife that if he had it to do all over again, he wouldn’t get married, Ann decides that she doesn’t want to be married either. What follows is a series of events in which each spouse tries to make the other jealous. Ann starts dating David’s law partner Jeff Custer (Gene Raymond) and David takes a room at his club and starts to hang out with a philandering Chuck Bensen (Jack Carson), which leads to some of the film’s funniest moments.

Carole Lombard and Alfred Hitchcock look at the script

His kind of actress
Alfred Hitchcock loved Carole Lombard. She was his type of actress: beautiful, smart, earthy, and blonde. The Hitchcock family rented Lombard’s house after she and Clark Gable were married in 1939. The Hitchcock’s and the Gable’s became fast friends and it was inevitable that the director and actress would work together. Unfortunately, Lombard would make one movie after Mr. and Mrs. Smith, dying tragically in a plane crash the next year, after a successful war bond drive during World War II.


Award-winning script writer
The script written by Oscar winner, Norman Krasna (Hands Across the Table, Bachelor Mother, It Started with Eve, Princess O’Rourke) is quite good and Lombard and Montgomery have great on-screen chemistry and deliver good performances. Raymond is perfect as Montgomery’s strait-laced college chum and partner. The film is peppered with some great character actors like Carson, Lucile Watson, Charles Halton, Esther Dale, and Betty Compson.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith proved that Hitchcock, the master of suspense, could be successful in any genre he put his mind to.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats.

Join the Chicago Film club, join the discussion
The Chicago Film Club is for classic movie fans. Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. To purchase your ticket in advance, click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Lombard and Anne Shirley in Vigil in the Night

Backstory: Mr. and Mrs. Smith opened on February 20, 1941 at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. Hitchcock and Lombard had hoped to get Cary Grant to costar, but he was not available. Some Hitchcock critics say that Mr. and Mrs. Smith was a critical and financial flop. This is not true. Audiences were delighted to see Lombard in a comedy after starring in two heavy dramas (Vigil in Night and They Knew What They Wanted). Hitchcock’s first three American films were all solid commercial successes.

“Rebecca” to launch “Hitchcock in the 40s” film series May 13, 2014

When: Tuesday, May 13, 2014 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street


Hitchcock comes to America
By the late 1930s, Alfred Hitchcock had established himself as a major film director in his native England. The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes, Hollywood came calling. Independent producer, David O. Selznick put Hitchcock under exclusive contract in 1939 and the director moved to Los Angeles with his family. Hitchcock cemented his place in movie history with his first American feature, Rebecca.
After the successes of the

The search for the second Mrs. De Winter
Rebecca was released in 1940, but was in production during 1939, the same year Selznick’s epic Gone With The Wind was released. Many actresses vied for the female lead. However the desire to find a “new star” didn’t turn into the crazy spectacle like the search for Scarlet O’Hara. Many established actresses auditioned for the role, including Margaret Sullivan, Loretta Young, and Scarlet herself, Vivian Leigh. A 16-year-old Anne Baxter tested for the lead, and tested well.

A David O. Selznick production
Although Hitchcock was the director, Selznick was in control of the production and the casting. Originally, he wanted Olivia De Havilland for the second Mrs. DeWinter. Unfortunately, she was contracted to star in another film, plus, when she found out her younger sister Joan Fontaine was under consideration for the role, she was reluctant to pursue it seriously.

Judith Anderson and Joan Fontaine

The lead roles are set
For the role of Maxim DeWinter, Selznick originally wanted Ronald Coleman, who turned it down. Second choice was William Powell, but he wanted too much money, $200,000 to be exact. Lawrence Olivier, hot off of his success in Wuthering Heights, agreed to play Maxim for $100,000. He had hoped to have Leigh, his lover in real life, as his costar, but Selznick never thought Leigh was right for the part. However, Selznick agreed to test her. It’s clear from those tests (which still exist) that Selznick’s instincts were correct. Both Hitchcock and Selznick were happy with casting Olivier, but they still needed to cast the second Mrs. DeWinter. After reviewing all the screen tests it came down to Fontaine and Baxter, with Fontaine finally snagging the role (At 16, Baxter was considered too young). The pivotal role of the menacing Mrs. Danvers went to Judith Anderson. George Saunders, Gladys Cooper, Nigel Bruce, Florence Bates, and Reginald Denny rounded out the supporting cast.

Hitchcock at the helm
Although Rebecca was directed by Hitchcock, Selznick’s influence is everywhere. The production is posh Rear Window). Even with Selznick’s micro-management, Hitchcock’s hand is clearly seen. The performances he elicits from Fontaine, in her first major role, and the way he captures Olivier’s dark side as Maxim are clearly the result of Hitchcock’s masterful direction. Many of the supporting cast, including Nigel Bruce, George Saunders, and Leo G. Carroll would appear in future Hitchcock films to great effectiveness.
and the crew used is all Selznick, including musician Franz Waxman (when Hitchcock had more control of his films, he would use Waxman to score

The main cast  in a pivotal scene 

Award-winning success
Alfred Hitchcock was brought to America with all the great fanfare a showman like David O. Selznick could muster. The pressure was on both Selznick, to reproduce the success of the colossal Gone With The Wind and Hitchcock, to live up to the publicity stoked by Selznick. Rebecca proved the hype wasn’t misplaced. The film was an enormous success both critically and financially. It would go on to receive 11 Academy Award nominations, winning for cinematography, black and white, and Best Picture of the Year. Hitchcock was nominated for Best Director, but lost out to John Ford for The Grapes of Wrath.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats.

Join the Chicago Film club, join the discussion
The Chicago Film Club is for classic movie fans. Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here.To purchase your ticket in advance, click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

“What’s Up Doc?” final film screened in screwball comedy series April 12, 2014

When: Saturday, April 12, 2014 4:00 p.m.
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street

I can’t think of a better film to end our screwball comedy series than with What’s Up Doc? This modern comedy classic directed by Peter Bogdanovitch is a homage to the screwball comedies from the 1930s and 40s. It owes much of its plot and structure to Howard Hawks’s Bringing Up Baby, but it more than stands on its own merits.

Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal, in their first screen pairing, play Judy Maxwell and Howard Bannister respectively. Judy is a free spirit and college dropout who seems to create trouble wherever she goes. Howard is a Ph.D. and musicologist from the Iowa Conservatory of Music, engaged to Eunice Burns (Madeline Kahn) who is a bit controlling, to put it mildly. The trouble all begins in San Francisco when four identical overnight bags get mixed up. Of course Judy and Howard’s bags are part of the mix up and their lives become entangled from there on in.

Streisand and O’Neal were at the top of their box office appeal in 1972, and Bogdanovitch exploits this. Like screwball comedies past, there are inside jokes, and allusions to other films, all with great good humor. Apart from the stars, Bogdanovitch assembled some of the best character actors available, including Kenneth Mars, Austin Pendleton, Sorrell Brooks, John Hillerman, Graham Jarvis, and Mabel Alberston to name a few. Kahn, in her movie debut, all but steals the picture. As the constantly unhinged Eunice Burns, Kahn is pitch-perfect. Annoying to both O’Neal and Streisand’s characters, she is never annoying to the audience. When I first saw the film in theaters, audiences howled with laughter every time Kahn was on the screen.

As a screwball comedy, What’s Up Doc? is so good that if released in the late 1930s or early 40s, audiences would have responded to it the way they did My Man Godfrey, The Awful Truth, and The Lady Eve.

Backstory: This was Peter Bogdanovich’s homage to the screwball comedies of the 1930s and 40s, as well as a tribute to directors Howard Hawks, Leo McCarey, and Preston Sturges.

Trivia: Madeline Kahn was nominated as Most Promising Newcomer, female by the Foreign Press Association (Golden Globes). The Writers Guild of American (WGA), USA awarded What’s Up Doc? Best Comedy Written for the Screen (Buck Henry, David Newman, Robert Benton). The film’s first 2 weekends broke the Radio City Music Hall house record that had stood since 1933.

Ryan O’Neal and Barbra Streisand talk under the table.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats.

Join the Chicago Film club, join the discussion
The Chicago Film Club is for classic movie fans. Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here.To purchase your ticket in advance, click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

“The Lady Eve” 5th film in Screwball Comedy series screened March 11, 2014

When: Tuesday, March 11, 2014 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street

The Lady Eve (1941) Father and daughter con artists (Charles Coburn and Barbara Stanwyck) travel on transatlantic cruise ships swindling rich passengers in card games. When the two spot a big fish Charles Poncefort Pike (Henry Fonda), heir to Pike Ale—“The ale that won for Yale”—they decide to take him for all he’s worth. But when the daughter falls in love with their mark, things get complicated and hilarious. Preston Sturges directed his first big-budget hit with with amazing results. A critical and financial success, the New York Times declared The Lady Eve the best picture of 1941, above Citizen Kane! Once you see this film you’ll understand why they came to that amazing conclusion.

This was Preston Sturges’s third film as both writer and director and his first big-budget production, with A-list movie stars. After the critical and financial successes of The Great McGinty and Christmas in July, both released in 1940, Paramount gave Sturges free rein to craft The Lady Eve. For his leads, Sturges got Stanwyck and Fonda. From all accounts, both stars enjoyed working with each other and with Sturges. Sturges wrote The Lady Eve with Stanwyck in mind after he saw her performance in Remember the Night the year before. Sturges was so impressed with her characterization in that film that he knew she would be ideal as Eve.

Fonda, who had four films in release in 1940, including The Grapes of Wrath, was happy to star in a comedy. As Charles Pike, Fonda showed his lighter side, being especially deft at physical comedy. Fonda’s numerous pratfalls are one of the film’s major delights. Bosley Crowther in theNew York Times said, “No one could possibly have suspected the dry and somewhat ponderous comic talent which is exhibited by Henry Fonda as the rich young man.” As Eve, Stanwyck is one part of a trio of card sharks mixing it up with rich swells, like Pike, traveling by ocean liner. Along with her father, “Colonel” Harrington (Charles Coburn) and their “butler” Gerald (Melvin Cooper), Eve sees Pike as an easy mark.

A publicity shot during the filming of The Lady Eve

The Lady Eve is filled with a host of great character actors, most of which became part of the “Sturges Stock Company.” This stock company included William Demarest, Eric Blore, and Robert Grieg. The latter two appeared in Sturges’s Sullivan’s Travels, also released in 1941.

When the movie was opened, Crowther, declared Sturges, “the most refreshing new force to hit the American motion pictures in the past five years.” He went on to say that a “more charming or distinguished gem of nonsense has not occurred since It Happened One Night.”

The Lady Eve is not only one of the best screwball comedies, but one of the best American films ever made.

Henry Fonda said Barbara Stanwyck was his favorite leading lady.

Backstory: Preston Sturges wrote the screenplay for Remember the Night with Carole Lombard in mind. He was disappointed that Paramount didn't secure her services, but when he saw Stanwyck in the lead, he was impressed. Stanwyck told Sturges that no one writes comedies for her. Sturges said he would write one for her; that screenplay was The Lady Eve.

Join the Chicago Film club, join the discussion
The Chicago Film Club is for classic movie fans. Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. Tickets are $5 general admission; $3 for students and seniors.To purchase your ticket in advance, click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.