'Somewhere in Time' Filming Locations: How Chicago Welcomed Hollywood Back in 1979
- Chicago Movie Tours
- Apr 27, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 4
Discover where Somewhere in Time was filmed in Chicago and how the 1980 romance helped mark Hollywood's return to the city in 1979.
Although Somewhere in Time (1980) is best known for its Mackinac Island locations, several opening scenes were filmed in Chicago during the summer of 1979.
Those brief moments also capture an important turning point in Chicago movie history, when the city began actively welcoming Hollywood productions again after years of restrictive filming policies.
Where Was Somewhere in Time Filmed?
Most of Somewhere in Time (1980) was filmed on Michigan's Mackinac Island. However, three key scenes were filmed in Chicago during the summer of 1979 before production moved to Michigan.
Chicago locations include:
Richard Collier's Chicago apartment
Lake Shore Drive
A Chicago library where Richard researches Elise McKenna
Christopher Reeve, as Richard Collier, is featured in all three of these scenes: working in a Chicago apartment, driving a convertible along Lake Shore Drive, and researching Elise McKenna (Jane Seymour) in a Chicago library.
Christopher Reeve as Richard Collier in Somewhere in Time, filmed in Chicago in 1979 Christopher Reeve driving on Lake Shore Drive during Chicago filming for Somewhere in Time Christopher Reeve in a library during Chicago filming of Somewhere in Time.
These Chicago scenes, together with the Mackinac Island footage, were filmed during the summer of 1979—a pivotal moment in Chicago film history.
Why Hollywood Returned to Chicago in 1979
Before 1979, Chicago maintained strict control over which films could shoot on location. Under Mayor Richard J. Daley (1955-1976), productions generally had to meet standards that made them suitable for family audiences. In fact, only movies Daley could take his own family to see were allowed to be shot on location here.
But after Daley's tenure, when Jane Byrne was elected mayor (1979-1983), this policy changed. For Byrne, any movie that wanted to film in and around Chicago should do so.
Byrne viewed film production as an economic opportunity, encouraging Hollywood studios to bring jobs and revenue to Chicago. She established an office to assist Hollywood production companies and worked with the Illinois Film Office to lure filmmakers here.
To learn more about how Mayor Jane Byrne transformed Chicago's relationship with Hollywood, read the opening paragraphs of this 1981 newspaper article:
Hollywood Comes to Chicago: A Rare 1979 Documentary
Embedded below is a clip from Hollywood Comes to Chicago (1979), a rare documentary short that sheds light on this "new" period in Chicago's movie history.
In the clip, the cast and crew of Somewhere in Time describe Chicago as an easy and welcoming place to film, thanks in part to the efforts of the Illinois Film Office and its director, Lucy Salinger.
You can watch the full documentary short below, which runs for about 7 minutes. It also features John Landis since The Blues Brothers was shooting here at the same time as Somewhere in Time.
Somewhere in Time certainly was not the largest production to benefit from Chicago's new approach to filmmaking, but it was among the earliest.
Alongside The Blues Brothers, it helped demonstrate that Chicago could support major Hollywood productions—paving the way for decades of movies and television shows filmed throughout the city.
Key Takeaways
Most of Somewhere in Time was filmed on Mackinac Island, Michigan.
Three opening scenes were filmed in Chicago during the summer of 1979.
Mayor Jane Byrne helped make Chicago more welcoming to Hollywood productions.
Somewhere in Time and The Blues Brothers helped usher in a new era of filmmaking in Chicago.
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