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  Happy Birthday, Chicago! (1987)

  American Way, Arts & Culture, Chicago, Communities, Performance, Wild Chicago

  Celebrate Chicago’s birthday in 1987 with a variety of skits!

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  [Nightlife in Chicago 1948]

  American Way, Arts & Culture, Chicago, Chicago Politics, Communities, Performance, Wild Chicago

  See what the nightlife scene in downtown Chicago was like in 1948 – in spectacular technicolor!

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  Views of Roosevelt College

  American Way, Arts & Culture, Black, Chicago, Communities, Guerrilla Television, On the Media, Performance, War and Peace, Wild Chicago

  Witness silent film footage of Roosevelt College in its early days as filmed by some of its first students!

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  The Roosevelt Experiment

  American Way, Arts & Culture, Black, Chicago, Chicago Politics, Communities, Harold Washington, On the Media, Politics, Videomakers, War and Peace, Wild Chicago

  Why and how did an integrated college in a segregated city start in downtown Chicago just as World War II was ending? In 1984 an independent documentary filmmaker, Jeff Spitz, found old pictures and film footage about Roosevelt University including a magazine article that referred to the school as “The Roosevelt Experiment.”

  Tapping the memories of former students who crossed the color line, particularly Blacks and Jews, the film blends archival images and interviews into an exploration of race, racial quotas and democratic ideals. Former students recall being questioned during an anti-communist investigation that targeted their school.

  Chicago Mayor Harold Washington, a former student council president, shares poignant memories of getting into political
  arguments in the cafeteria. He called it an “insane but interesting place.”

  Shortly after the film’s release Spitz returned to City Hall to interview Mayor Washington about fairness, diversity and clashing visions of government. Mayor Washington’s additional commentary appears at the end of the video.

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  [Sun-Times sale – Royko on Ch. 2 – ‘Nightline’ 2/9/84]

  American Way, Communities, On the Media, Politics, Wild Chicago

  See what various newspapermen, and even the late film critic, Roger Ebert, have to say about media mogul Rupert Murdoch!

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  Royko At His Best

  American Way, Arts & Culture, Black, Chicago, Chicago Politics, Communities, On the Media, Performance, Politics, Sex, Drugs, & Rock 'N Roll, Sports, TVTV, War and Peace, Wild Chicago

  Some of the newspaper columns written by Mike Royko are reenacted, parodied, and read live on stage!

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  I Married a Munchkin

  American Way, Arts & Culture, Chicago, Communities, Making it in Hollywood, On the Media, Performance, Politics, Tom Palazzolo, Wild Chicago

  I MARRIED A MUNCHKIN presents the life and times of Mary Ellen St. Aubin, a woman small in stature who lived large. She and her husband, Parnell St. Aubin–one of the original Munchkins from The Wizard of Oz–were in show business for much of their lives, until they retired to run the legendary Midget Club on Chicago’s South Side.

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  [Pledge 1996]

  American Way, Arts & Culture, Chicago, Communities, Performance, Wild Chicago

  Will Clinger promotes a “pledge drive” – and sails the waters of Lake Michigan on a boat!