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An update to the exchange of a year or so ago on old theaters,
 
Last week they tore down the Milford in Chicago, corner of Milwaukee and
Pulaski=Crawford, home of cheap double features for years and from the 50s on,
the principal Chicago venue for Polish movies, with or without subtitles,
almost all the good stuff and a lot of everyday national-cinema-immersion
goodies.  One of the last big shows was the LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT trilogy,
original titles not in my head now (I don't know Polish but I was mad about
Wajda, Cybulski, Zanussi for years...).  This was a series of family comedy
dramas involving two neighboring village/farm families, one Communist, one
militant Catholic, whose kids have a Romeo and Juliet marriage.  The third
part came years later--one of the grandchildren (a WWII baby) was discovered
in Chicago, and when the proud grandparents flew to Chicago to meet her, they
found she was African American. (LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT is the English title of
part 3).  Chicago has a huge Polish population.  When the film company came
here they got lots of TV coverage.  There's a scene in the film where the
characters cruise Milwaukee Avenue (don't know if it features the Milford!)
picking up the delis, restaurants, clothing stores, and so on.  I saw the
movie with a big crowd and it was a great audience experience.  Anyway the
theater got old and died and last week the bulldozers were out.
 
Carol Slingo