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Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple, famed for its concrete design and lack of religious iconography, appears mostly in documentary film, including one narrated by Brad Pitt. Exterior of Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple, Oak Park, IL. I recently took a guided in-depth tour  of Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple in Oak Park, IL, about 9 miles west of Chicago.   Here are three tidbits I learned about it: Still used for its original purpose—the oldest Wright building to do so Constructed of concrete since funds were slim and concrete was cheap Eschews religious iconography for precise geometric proportions   Fascinating! But is Unity Temple in any movies? Eh, not so much. Is Unity Temple in Any Movies? Naturally, Unity Temple pops up in documentaries on Wright's architecture  and in PBS specials like The Most Beautiful Places in Chicago . But to date, I've not found it represented in any narrative films—like these Wright buildings: Ennis House : House on Haunted Hill (1959), Blade Runner (1982), The Rocketeer (1991) Guggenheim Museum : Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Manhattan (1979), Men In Black (1997) Marin County Civic Center : Gattaca (1997), THX 1138 (1971) Unity Temple's onscreen destiny so far, it seems, lies within the documentary form. See Wright's Guggenheim Museum in the sci-fi comedy Men in Black . Narrating Unity Temple Onscreen The most recent documentary devoted to Unity Temple is called Frank Lloyd Wright’s Modern Masterpiece: Unity Temple (2021) and is directed by Lauren Levine. The 55-minute film focuses on the painstaking—and quite expensive ($25 million)— two-year restoration process  of the Wright church. When deciding on narration for the film, Levine wanted to avoid a traditional documentary approach, so she "searched for relevant Frank Lloyd Wright quotes that would infuse the story with a bit of insight into Wright’s process and philosophy." Those quotes—like this one—she would weave into the film's transitional moments: "The mission of the architect is to help people understand how to make life more beautiful, the world a better one for living in, and to give reason, rhyme, and meaning to life." But who would speak these words within the documentary? Enter Brad Pitt. Shifting Complications of Star Power Frank Lloyd Wright’s Modern Masterpiece: Unity Temple is narrated by Brad Pitt, an actor whose interest in architecture is well-documented. Recall his and (now ex-wife) Angelina Jolie's private tour in 2006 of Wright's Fallingwater house in Pennsylvania. The two-hour tour ended with a private birthday party for Pitt in Fallingwater's living room. In 2008, after Hurricane Katrina, Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation worked alongside an architectural firm to build environmentally friendly homes in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. The intent was to build 150 safe, affordable houses for families who lost everything in the hurricane. But years later, because of foundational problems and decay, the project faced several class-action lawsuits . Speaking of lawsuits, Pitt's personal life, we should note, has also recently drawn controversy , including allegations of domestic violence. As a result, cultural dialogue around the actor these days has shifted. It is more cautious, with some critics warning audiences not to be fooled by Pitt's hollow attempts at public redemption . So while the latest onscreen representation of Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple adds a layer of Hollywood star power, it is, for some anyway, now a more complicated one. The documentary on Wright's Unity Temple is now streaming on Apple TV .

Sadly, the location filming in Chicago of the 1961 movie A Raisin in the Sun echoed the racism in the play. A Raisin in the Sun onstage. Wikimedia Commons. When I started teaching general literature courses in graduate school, I often assigned Lorraine Hansberry's play A Raisin in the Sun as an example of contemporary American drama. The 1959 play was the first Broadway production penned by a Black woman and the first with a Black director, Lloyd Richards . A Raisin in the Sun always went over well with my Texas students—as did clips from its 1961 film adaptation, co-starring Sidney Poitier, who died today at age 94 . At the time, I had no idea I'd one day live near this movie's locations and then dive into its poignant production history. Chicago Filming Locations In the summer of 1960, the cast and crew of A Raisin in the Sun began filming on location in four areas of Chicago: University of Chicago Michigan Ave. Kitty Kat Club (a gay nightclub on 611 E. 63rd) 4930 W. Hirsch St., featured below Screenshot, trailer A Raisin in the Sun (1961) 4930 W. Hirsch Street, Chicago, IL. Google maps. Situated northwest of Chicago's South Loop, this house on W. Hirsch St. serves as a major plot point in A Raisin in the Sun . To recap: The Younger family receives a life insurance check for $10,000 after the death of the father. The matriarch uses part of this money for a down payment on a new house. Instead of resettling her family in a Black neighborhood, she opts for an all-white one. The property there, after all, is cheaper. But, as you might imagine in 1950s America , the Younger family quickly runs into a roadblock. The neighborhood's white residents are vehemently opposed to an interracial population. The Younger house in relation to Chicago's South Loop. A "Black Movie" on Our Street? According to the Black newspaper The Chicago Defender and contemporary industry reports, the Chicago location filming of A Raisin in the Sun eerily echoed the play's narrative. During an exterior shoot at a West Side Chicago home, "neighbors in the block began registering objections to the jam of sepians [Black people] on scene, while others protested because they thought the neighborhood was being invaded by sepians" (Oct. 15, 1960). More specifically, one neighbor contacted  the homeowner, scared "they were selling their house to 'Negroes.'” The house in question—4930 W. Hirsch Street (see above)—belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Casaccio, a middle-class Italian family with two sons. The Casaccio's neighbors, as the book Chicago Whispers describes , clearly did not want "a 'Black' movie on their street." As a result, cast and crew were reportedly "forced out of the neighborhood"—an ordeal that imitated the real-life Chicago experiences that inspired Hansberry's play. Production also apparently faced bigotry when the University of Chicago stipulated the movie could shoot on school grounds only "if the institution’s name was not used." Kitty Kat Club: Hollywood's Choice On a more positive note... Ad in the 'The Chicago Defender' from Feb. 21, 1961. A Raisin in the Sun  also filmed scenes at Chicago's Kitty Kat Club , a gay nightclub located at 611 E. 63rd. No longer in existence, the club was once known as "a haven for gay South Siders and its on-the-pulse music programs." Hoping its ties to the 1961 movie might increase business, the Kitty Kat Club owners promoted their establishment alongside the film . The gay nightclub took out ads in The Chicago Defender reading: "Hollywood's Choice, Make It Yours" "Where Scenes from A Raisin in the Sun Were Filmed" (I haven't looked at data, but I'm guessing attendance went up at the Kitty Kat Club in the early 1960s?!) RIP, Sidney Poitier, and thank you for your stellar body of work, even amidst seemingly insurmountable odds. Correction : an earlier version of this post inadvertently cited the Casaccio family as participants in the neighborhood protests when, in fact, they owned the house that is shown in the film. Poitier onstage with co-stars Ruby Dee and Louis Gossett, Jr. Wikimedia Commons

The movie studio didn't want it, but Harrison Ford had other plans for his beard. Warner Bros. was not happy Harrison Ford insisted on donning a beard to play Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive , the action-thriller partially filmed in Chicago. Says Ford, the studio "paid for the face they wanted to see, so they were very concerned about that."⁣ ⁣ But according to an interview from Los Angeles Daily News (29 Aug. 1993), Ford had two reasons for keeping the beard: ⁣ First, Kimble had "little time between the escape and the end of the movie to meet the obligation of disguise." Shaving off a beard would easily change his appearance, Ford believed.⁣ Second, the beard sets up Kimble as "slightly idiosyncratic, a character a bit outside the medical establishment, which comes to play later on in the story."⁣ Does Ford's beard here work for you?

Chicago Movie Tours offers guided walking tours and virtual tours that inspire locals and visitors to discover Chicago through film (and sometimes TV). Led by a Ph.D. with 20 years of experience, our public and private tours will always teach you something new about Chicago and movies, guaranteed. (Yep, guaranteed!) From Fairground to Film Set: Midway, Movies, and 1893 World's Fair Take This Tour Chicago Film. Expert Insight. Hi, I'm KELLI , a Ph.D. and the founder of Chicago Movie Tours. After years of teaching film, I launched Chicago Movie Tours to bring my expertise beyond the classroom and into the city streets. Drawing on my background as an educator and Ph.D., I lead tours and talks that reveal how Chicago’s onscreen locations connect to its rich culture and history. Whether you're a local or a visitor, with me, you'll always discover something new about the city—and its ties to film! Guest Reviews Tommy From Fairground to Film Set average rating is 5 out of 5 As knowledgeable as I thought I was about movies (especially those with Chicago connections), I learned so much more from my recent Chicago Movie Tours event with host Kelli. Even with things I kind of knew before, I was able to look at them in a new light. Engaging, detailed presentations and an eagerness to answer questions made this a top-notch experience. Highly recommended. Robert Bender Wizard of Oz in Chicago average rating is 5 out of 5 The tour is a fantastic dive into the production of The Wizard Of Oz and the toll the cocaine movement took on famous early twentieth-century Hollywood film stars. For those who like the dark details, the tour dispels many myths and discloses secrets hidden behind the studio's production of The Wizard Of Oz, and it exposes the dark backdrop that makes the movie such a vivid Technicolor success to audiences. Cristen Art of Ferris Bueller average rating is 5 out of 5 I did one of the Ferris Bueller's Day Off tours and found it an absolute delight. Clearly a lot of research has been put into crafting this tour; despite claiming not to be an art expert, she did a very credible job of relating the history of the paintings and how their use in the film helps to further character development. Though the tour touches on everything from Chicago history to fine art to film, the delivery is fun and enjoyable, with something for everyone. It's the best type of tour where you learn a lot, but you don't FEEL like you're learning. Note that there IS a lot of standing/walking and you move through the museum fast. However, she was extremely conscientious about the needs of her guests and was constantly checking not just on our comfort, but also to make sure that she moved her group through the museum without blocking/annoying any other patrons. I had a great time and will be back to check out her other tours! In the News

Every Wednesday, join us in guessing the Chicago-based movie or television show from one screenshot. Visit our archive to play the ones you missed! One-Shot Wednesday On Wednesdays, guess the Chicago-based movie or television show from one screenshot. Miracle on 34th Street Miracle on 34th Street (1994) is a Christmas movie co-written by John Hughes. It is about a young girl who, with the help of a man claiming to be Santa Claus, restores belief in the magic of Christmas for a skeptical lawyer and others in New York City. Today's #OneShotWed shows the exterior of Chicago's James R. Thompson Center, purchased by Google in 2023. In the movie, the building functions as Shoppers' Express, a toy store. While John Hughes did not direct Miracle on 34th Street , he was influential on the look and lighting, American Cinematographer reports: "Hughes wanted to be able to turn the color off of his TV and have the film look like the original — have it look like a 1940s black-and-white movie.” Have you watched this version in black and white? Welcome to One-Shot Wednesday! Think you’re a Chicago screen buff? On Wednesdays, we post one still from a movie or TV show filmed or set in the Windy City. Your mission? Guess the title! You've already seen this week’s image above. If you're feeling nostalgic, explore the full archive of past challenges to keep the fun rolling. Psst: you're on screenshot: 84 Access Archive

Every Wednesday, join us in guessing the Chicago-based movie or television show from one screenshot. Visit our archive to play the ones you missed! One-Shot Wednesday On Wednesdays, guess the Chicago-based movie or television show from one screenshot. The Beast The Beast is an A&E crime drama series starring Patrick Swayze and Travis Fimmel. The series, which ran for only one season, featured Swayze's final acting performance before his death in 2009. Much of the pilot takes place in and around Chicago, including this shot on Lake Michigan with the skyline in the distance. Welcome to One-Shot Wednesday! Think you’re a Chicago screen buff? On Wednesdays, we post one still from a movie or TV show filmed or set in the Windy City. Your mission? Guess the title! You've already seen this week’s image above. If you're feeling nostalgic, explore the full archive of past challenges to keep the fun rolling. Psst: you're on screenshot: 84 Access Archive