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January 2006, Week 1

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Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
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Prof Steven P Hill <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 7 Jan 2006 00:41:23 -0600
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Dear colleagues:

In addition to Chicago-related films of the most recent couple of decades, one could also look back at a few golden oldies, like
"In Old Chicago" (Fox, 1938), one of a cycle of major historical and Americana films produced by Daryl Zanuck and directed by 
Henry King.

Thinking back to "Great McGinty" (Paramount, 1940), Preston Sturges's first directing job, I seem to recall that political comedy by 
implication or in fact was set in Chicago.  And tracing back to Sturges's earlier script, "Power and the Glory" (Fox, 1933), I also 
wonder whether the big capitalist in that film built his industrial empire in Chicago.  (Sturges himself had Chicago ties.)

If Upton Sinclair's muck-racking novel, "The Jungle" (1906),  was made into an early silent film (surely it must have been), its setting
would have been the Windy City.   Chicago writer Ben Hecht's texts yielding "Front Page" (UA, 1930) and "Gaily Gaily" (?, 1960s)  again 
would be closely linked with the city where Hecht rose to literary fame.

Last,  "Mister Cory" (Universal,  c.1955), a very obscure, seemingly unpromising collaboration of Blake Edwards and Tony Curtis, turned 
out to be more interesting than I'd expected.   If memory serves, it was set partly in Chicago.

Best wishes to all,
Steven P Hill,
University of Illinois (Champaign).
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