“Jezebel”: A Southern Firebrand’s Descent from Scandal to Redemption

Released in 1938 and directed by William Wyler, Jezebel is a classic Southern melodrama set in 1850s New Orleans. The story follows Julie Marsden (played by Bette Davis), a headstrong and defiant socialite whose fiery temperament often clashes with the rigid codes of the Antebellum South. The film’s central conflict is ignited when Julie, in an act of social rebellion intended to pique the jealousy of her fiancé, Preston “Pres” Dillard (Henry Fonda), insists on wearing a scandalous red dress to the exclusive Olympus Ball, where tradition dictates that unmarried women wear only white.

This act of defiance backfires spectacularly, as Pres, feeling humiliated and pressured by societal expectations, forces Julie to dance through the crowd’s visible disdain before ultimately breaking off their engagement. Following the scandal, Pres leaves New Orleans for the North, leaving a heartbroken Julie to retreat into isolation at her plantation. She spends a year in seclusion, fueled by the hope that he will return and forgive her. However, when Pres finally reappears, he is accompanied by his new Northern wife, Amy, shattering Julie’s illusions and driving her to desperate, spiteful attempts to win him back.

The film reaches its emotional and literal fever pitch as a deadly yellow fever epidemic sweeps through the city. When Pres falls ill, the crisis forces a transformation in Julie’s character.

Will Julie redeem herself in Press’s eye and restore her reputation with her family and friends?

 

Bette Davis, born Ruth Elizabeth Davis (1908 – 1989) was a towering figure of the Golden Age of Hollywood, renowned for her intense acting style and willingness to play unsympathetic, complex characters. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she became the first person to accrue ten Academy Award nominations for acting, winning Best Actress twice for Dangerous (1935) and Jezebel (1938). Her sharp wit and distinctive delivery made her an icon in classics like Dark Victory and All About Eve, while her fierce independence led to a landmark legal battle against the studio system for better creative control. Davis continued to work across film, television, and theater until her death leaving behind a legacy as one of the most decorated and influential performers in cinematic history.

Henry Fonda (1905 – 1982) was a definitive icon of American cinema, celebrated for a career that spanned five decades and a screen presence characterized by quiet integrity and understated strength. After honing his craft in the theater, Fonda transitioned to Hollywood, where he became a favorite of director John Ford, delivering an Oscar-nominated performance as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and portraying the steadfast Juror 8 in the classic courtroom drama 12 Angry Men (1957). While he was often cast as the moral everyman in films like Young Mr. Lincoln and Mister Roberts, he demonstrated his range with a chilling turn as a ruthless villain in Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). Fonda eventually earned a long-awaited Academy Award for Best Actor for his final film role in On Golden Pond (1981), capping off a legacy that solidified him as one of the most respected performers in the history of the silver screen.

George Brent (1899 – 1979) was a versatile and prolific leading man of the Golden Age, best remembered as one of Hollywood’s most dependable “woman's director” favorites and a frequent collaborator with the era’s top actresses. Born in Ireland, he eventually made his way to Warner Bros., where he became the quintessential sophisticated foil to stars like Barbara Stanwyck, Ruth Chatterton, and most famously, Bette Davis, with whom he appeared in eleven films, including Dark Victory (1939) and The Great Lie (1941). Though he often played the role of the steady, gentlemanly love interest, Brent’s career also featured notable turns in adventurous fare and noir thrillers such as The Spiral Staircase (1946). After appearing in scores of features through the 1930s and 40s, he transitioned into television during the 1950s before retiring from the screen to focus on his interests in horse racing and ranching.

 

Jezebel trivia

The "Consolation" Prize: Many film historians believe Bette Davis was offered the role of Julie Marsden as a consolation prize from Jack Warner after she failed to land the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. Ironically, Davis won her second Academy Award for Jezebel, beating out the competition a year before Vivien Leigh’s iconic win.

The Scandalous Red Dress: Although the famous dress Julie wears to the Olympus Ball is described as red to signify her defiance and shame, the film was shot in black and white. To achieve the correct level of dark, satiny contrast against the white gowns of the other extras, the costume department actually used a rust-colored bronze or deep black fabric for the dress during filming.

A Master of Perfection: Director William Wyler was notoriously nicknamed “40-Take Wyler” due to his perfectionism. This film marked the beginning of a legendary (and often volatile) professional and personal relationship between Wyler and Davis; she later credited him with being the director who helped her realize her full potential as an actress.

The Legend of the Fever: While the film’s climax focuses on a yellow fever epidemic, the production itself was quite healthy. However, the film is credited with being one of the first major Southern Belle dramas to focus heavily on the gritty reality of nineteenth-century medical crises, blending high-society melodrama with a survivalist medical thriller.

 

Click HERE to watch the movie on the Internet Archive.

Click HERE to join the discussion on May 18, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. CDT. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation with a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

 

Discussion questions

The Symbolism of the Red Dress: In the context of 1850s New Orleans society, the red dress incident serves as the film's catalyst. How does Julie’s decision to wear the dress reflect her character’s internal conflict between her desire for independence and her need for social validation? Was her act one of genuine bravery or merely a self-destructive whim?

Gender Roles and Social Codes: Pres Dillard represents a more modern, Northern-influenced perspective on business, yet he adheres strictly to Southern codes of honor regarding women’s behavior. How do the era's shifting social expectations create the friction that drives Julie and Pres apart? Does the film suggest that these rigid codes are ultimately more dangerous than the yellow fever epidemic?

The Nature of Redemption: By the end of the film, Julie makes the ultimate sacrifice to nurse Pres on the fever island. Is this transformation a believable character arc, or is it a desperate attempt to maintain control over him one last time? Does the film view her redemption as a triumph of her spirit or a tragic submission to the Jezebel label?

Amy vs. Julie: Amy is often portrayed as the perfect Northern wife—composed, forgiving, and rational—in contrast to Julie’s fire-and-brimstone Southern personality. In the final confrontation between the two women, who holds the true power? Discuss how the film handles the dynamic between the traditional wife and the fallen woman.

 

Barbara Stanwyck ensnares men with her beautiful “Baby Face”

Baby Face (1933) is an American pre-Code drama directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent. The supporting cast includes Theresa Harris, Henry Kolker, Margaret Lindsay, Nat Pendleton, and John Wayne in an early screen performance.

The Ascent of Lily Powers

Set during the Prohibition era and the Great Depression, Baby Face introduces the audience to Lily Powers (Stanwyck), a young woman living a difficult life in a dreary industrial town in Pennsylvania. Forced into dire circumstances by her unscrupulous father, Lily is trapped in a life of exploitation and hardship. Her only source of intellectual and emotional guidance comes from an unlikely friend, an older, philosophical cobbler, who encourages her to reject her current predicament and seize control of her own destiny by embracing a ruthlessly self-serving worldview.

An Ambitious Relocation

Motivated by a fierce desire to escape her past, Lily leaves her small town with her loyal friend, Chico (Harris), heading for the promise of a big city—New York. She quickly sets her sights on the Gotham Trust Company, a towering symbol of wealth and power. Armed with her intelligence, ambition, and striking beauty, Lily makes a calculated decision to use her charm and sexuality as her primary tools for advancement.

Climbing the Corporate Ladder

Lily begins her calculated ascent within the bank, moving systematically from department to department. As she progresses, she encounters a succession of influential men, each of whom she manipulates and seduces to secure promotions and financial gain. Her ruthless ambition leaves a trail of ruined careers and personal scandals in her wake, as the men she uses are unable to resist her influence.

The Height of Power and a New Test

Lily’s relentless climb eventually brings her face-to-face with the bank’s President, a man who is both powerful and intrigued by her unique drive. For the first time, her single-minded focus on material success and power is challenged by a more complex emotional dynamic. As financial disaster threatens the bank and her new life, Lily must face a crucial test of her values, forcing her to decide what truly matters to her and if her carefully constructed world is worth the price she has paid.

 

Theresa Harris and Barbara Stanwyck

Click HERE to watch the movie on the Internet Archive.

Click HERE to join the online discussion on Monday, November 17, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Baby Face trivia

• Helped Trigger Strict Censorship: Baby Face is widely considered one of the most notorious films of the Pre-Code Hollywood era and was cited as a major catalyst for the strict enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code (the Hays Code) in 1934. The film’s frank depiction of a woman using sex to advance her career was deemed scandalous by censors and moral reformers.

• The Censored Ending and Rediscovery: The version initially released to theaters had a heavily censored ending imposed by the Studio Relations Committee (the enforcement arm of the Code), which showed the main character, Lily, reformed and losing her ill-gotten gains. The original, uncensored ending—which was much less punitive and suggested she was rewarded—was presumed lost for decades until a complete pre-release print was discovered in the Library of Congress in 2004.

• Early John Wayne Role: Look closely at the cast list! A young John Wayne, years before he became a major star, appears in an early, uncredited role as one of the Gotham Trust Company employees—specifically, one of Lily Powers’ initial romantic conquests within the bank.

• The Power of Philosophy: In the initial, uncensored cut of the film, Lily’s philosophical cobbler friend quotes German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, encouraging her to reject traditional morality and become a “master” of her own life. Censors forced this Nietzschean dialogue to be rewritten and dubbed over to remove the immoral suggestion and replace it with a more conventional lesson about taking the “right way” to success.

 

Discussion questions

1. Morality and Agency: Lily Powers is often cited as a classic example of a "fallen woman" in film, yet she is also one of the few women in Pre-Code Hollywood to successfully gain and hold power. Do you view Lily as a victim of her circumstances who is simply fighting back, or as a cold manipulator who willfully exploits others? How does the film challenge or reinforce traditional ideas about female morality and agency?
2. The Role of Men and Institutions: The film portrays the men in Lily's life—from her father to the bank executives—as easily corrupted by their own desires and entitlement. Does Baby Face suggest that these powerful men and the institution (the Gotham Trust Company) are inherently weak or corrupt, and that Lily is merely taking advantage of a pre-existing moral rot?
3. The Impact of Censorship (Pre-Code vs. Post-Code): Considering that this film was a major reason the Production Code was strictly enforced, how does the Pre-Code version's ending (if you are familiar with it) fundamentally change the film's message compared to the censored version? Does the original ending support a truly anti-moral message, or is it simply a more realistic portrayal of consequences?
4. Economic and Social Commentary: The film is set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and touches on themes of wealth inequality and the struggle for survival. To what extent is Lily Powers a product of the economic despair of the time, and how does her ruthless pursuit of money reflect a cynical view of the American Dream during this period?
5. Lily's Relationship with Chico: Lily's only constant, trusted relationship is with her African-American friend and eventual maid, Chico (Theresa Harris). Given the rigid racial and social hierarchies of the 1930s, how is their relationship portrayed differently from Lily’s relationships with the white men in the film? Does their bond offer a commentary on class, race, or female solidarity in a world of male exploitation?

Dorothy McGuire descends "The Spiral Staircase"

The Spiral Staircase (1946) is a psychological suspense film directed by Robert Siodmak starring Dorothy McGuire, George Brent, and Ethel Barrymore. Dore Schary produced the film; the screenplay was by Mel Dinelli, the music by Roy Webb, and the cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca.

The setting is a small New England town during the early 20th century terrorized by a serial killer targeting handicapped women. McGuire stars as Helen, a mute since childhood, after she witnessed her parents burn to death in a fire. She is employed by Mrs. Warren (Barrymore), who insists that Helen leave town because she fears she could be the killer’s next victim. Does Mrs. Warren know who the killer is? Mrs. Warren is a widow with two sons: Professor Albert Warren (Brent) and Steven Warren (Gordon Oliver). Albert is Mrs. Warren’s stepson, the son of her husband’s first marriage. Steven is her biological son.

Dorothy McGuire walks home in the dark.

All the action takes place during one day, which adds to the film’s increasing tension. The cast also features Kent Smith, Elsa Lanchester, Sara Allgood, and Rhonda Fleming.

Robert Siodmak (1900 – 1973) had a very successful career in Hollywood and is best known for his thrillers and films noir. He signed a seven-year contract with Universal and directed The Killers (1946), the film that made Ava Gardner a star. He worked with some of the top movie stars during Hollywood’s Golden Age, including Deanna Durbin, Gene Kelly, Burt Lancaster, Dorothy McGuire, Yvonne de Carlo, Olivia de Havilland, and Barbara Stanwyck. Often compared to Hitchcock in his prime, he never got the recognition that the Master of Suspense did, but most of his films hold up remarkably well and are worth watching.

Dore Schary (1905 – 1980) was an American screenwriter, producer, and studio executive. Schary was a journalist and acted in bit parts on Broadway. Schary wrote screenplays for all the major studios before becoming a film executive with David O. Selznick’s Vanguard Films where he oversaw the production of I’ll Be Seeing You (1944), The Farmer’s Daughter (1947), and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947). He moved on to the head of production for RKO where he produced Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) and Crossfire (1948). Schary left RKO and went to M-G-M to be vice president in charge of production in 1948 and immediately clashed with studio head Louis B. Meyer. Things came to a head with Meyer resigning and Schary made the head of the studio. After a series of film flops, Schary was fired from M-G-M in 1957. Schary went on to have success writing and producing shows on Broadway including Sunrise at Campobello (1958-59). He went on to write and produce the film version to great success.

Mel Dinelli (1912 – 1991) was an American writer for theater, radio, and film. Dinelli wrote the screenplays for The Window (1949), The Reckless Moment (1949), Cause for Alarm! (1951), Beware, My Lovely (1952), Jeopardy (1953), and Lizzie (1957).

Roy Webb (1888 – 1982) was an American film music composer. Webb was born in New York City and conducted on Broadway before moving to Hollywood in the late 1920s where he became the music director at RKO where he stayed until 1955. He was nominated for seven Academy Awards for his film scores including scores for My Favorite Wife (1940), I Married a Witch (1942), and The Enchanted Cottage (1945). Other famous film scores include Notorious (1946), Out of the Past (1947), I Remember Mama (1948), and Teacher’s Pet (1958). A graduate of Columbia University, Webb wrote the fight song “Roar, Lion Roar” in 1925.

Nicholas Musuraca (1892 – 1975) was a cinematographer best known for his work at RKO where he helped establish their house style. Musuraca filmed producer Val Lewton’s famous horror film Cat People (1942) and the film noir classic Out of the Past (1947), and director George Stevens’s I Remember Mama (1948). Other movies he filmed include Deadline at Dawn (1946), The Locket (1946), and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947).

McGuire at the movies

Dorothy McGuire (1916 – 2001) was an American theater and film actress. McGuire developed an interest in acting at a young age. At 13, she made her stage debut in A Kiss for Cinderella in Omaha, Nebraska, her hometown. Henry Fonda, also from Omaha, was her costar. As an adult, she achieved fame on Broadway in Claudia”(1941 to 1943). In 1943, she starred in the film version with Robert Young that was a huge success. She reunited with Young for The Enchanted Cottage (1945) and replaced Gene Tierney in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945). She was nominated for Best Actress in Gentleman’s Agreement (1947). Some of her other films include Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), Trial (1955), and Friendly Persuasion (1956). McGuire made several popular films for Walt Disney including Old Yeller (1957), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), and Summer Magic (1963).

George Brent (1904 – 1979) was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor. Brent went to Hollywood in 1930 and appeared in supporting roles in several films. In 1931, he signed with Warner Bros. where he played opposite Barbara Stanwyck in So Big! (1932). That same year he co-starred with Stanwyck again in The Purchase Price. In 1933 he appeared in the musical classic 42nd Street, The Keyhole with Kay Francis and Stanwyck again in Baby Face. He made a string of pictures with Bette Davis: Jezebel (1938), Dark Victory (1939), The Old Maid (1939), The Great Lie (1941), and In This Our Life (1942). Brent continued acting in movies and television till 1978, a year before he died of emphysema.

Ethel Barrymore and McGuire

Ethel Barrymore (1879 – 1959) was an American actress whose career spanned more than six decades. She was the sister of actors John and Lionel Barrymore, the aunt of John Drew Barrymore, and the great-aunt of Drew Barrymore. Barrymore established herself as a major Broadway actress in the 1920s and appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1924. Barrymore made 15 silent movies and appeared in the early talking picture Rasputin and the Empress (1932) with her brothers John and Lionel. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in None but the Lonely Heart (1944) co-starring Cary Grant. She was nominated for three more Best Supporting Actress Oscars for The Spiral Staircase (1946), The Paradine Case (1947), and Pinky (1949).

A cautious McGuire navigates The Spiral Staircase

The Spiral Staircase trivia:

• Ingrid Bergman was originally considered for the role of Helen.
• The Killer’s eyes are those of director Robert Siodmak.
• The silent film being watched by Dorothy McGuire’s character is D.W. Griffith’s The Sands of Time (1922).
• Included among the American Film Institute’s 2001 list of 400 movies nominated for the top 100 Most Heart-Pounding American Movies.

To watch the film on YouTube, click the link below.

To join us on Zoom for a discussion of the film on November 24, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click on the link to the Chicago Film Club.

Discussion questions:

1. What genre category do you think this film fits? 
2. Some have called it a horror film. Is that a fair assessment?
3. What did you make of the dynamic between the two brothers?
4. Did you wonder if Mrs. Warren knew who the murderer was?
5. Was the romance between Helen and Dr. Parry believable?

Classic Movies to watch during COVID-19: “The Spiral Staircase”

The Spiral Staircase (1946) directed by Robert Siodmak is one of my favorite films. During this time when most of us are confined to our homes, I thought it would be interesting to review this classic.

The Spiral Staircase is based on the novel Some Must Watch (1933) by British Author Ethel Lina. Screenwriter Mel Dinelli, changed the location from Britain to early 20th century Vermont. The plot focuses on a young woman named Helen (Dorothy McGuire) who suffered a childhood tragedy that left her mute. She is employed by Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore), a rich old woman who is bedridden and in need of constant medical attention. The Warren home is a large Victorian mansion with lavish furnishings and a spooky spiral staircase that goes down to the cellar. It is also secluded and isolated from the town. The Warren’s employ Mr. and Mrs. Oates, a husband and wife team (Rhys Williams and Elsa Lancaster) of handyman and housekeeper respectively. Mrs. Warren has two sons: Professor Albert Warren (George Brent) and Steven Warren (Gordon Oliver) who has just returned from a trip abroad. Albert, who is the older brother, is actually Mrs. Warren’s stepson by her husband’s previous marriage. Also living in the Warren home is Blanche (Rhonda Fleming), Professor Warren’s secretary.

Helen (Dorothy McGuire) watches a silent film while a murder takes place in the hotel.

The movie begins with Helen attending the showing of a silent movie in a downtown hotel. It’s a great scene for a couple of reasons. It establishes the time period and showcases what the silent movie experience was like. It also helps to establish the mute Helen’s character; she is living in a kind of silent movie of her own.

At the conclusion of the film, the constable (James Bell) arrives at the hotel after a handicapped woman staying there has been murdered. Two other women have been murdered recently and it appears that all the dead women had some kind of physical handicap or deformity. The constable advises Helen to go home before sundown as he suspects the town is being terrorized by a serial killer. Just as she’s about to walk home, Helen meets Dr. Parry (Kent Smith) who offers her a ride in his carriage. It is obvious by the way Helen and Dr. Parry interact that they enjoy each other’s company. Helen accepts the ride, but about halfway home, a young boy stops the carriage and begs Dr. Parry to come to his house to attend to his ailing father even though Dr. Harvey (Erville Alderson) is the boy’s father’s physician. Dr. Parry relents to the boy’s pleas, which leaves Helen to walk the rest of the way on her own. As Helen gets closer to the Warren home, the sky turns dark and it begins to rain. In her hurry to get into the house, she drops her key. As she scrambles to find it on the wet ground, a sinister-looking figure is seen lurking behind a tree, stalking Helen. Fortunately, she finds the key and gets into the house safely, but now we know that whoever the murderer is, sees Helen as a potential victim.

Helen walks the rest of the way home by herself.

Safe inside the house we learn some more about the Warren family. We discover that there is tension between the stepbrothers. It seems that Steven and Blanche had a relationship in the past. Steven just back from Europe seems to want to rekindle that relationship. This situation makes Blanche uncomfortable since she’s employed by his stepbrother, the professor. As the storm rages outside, you get the sense that one is brewing inside this home as well. In the meantime, Mrs. Warren’s condition seems to be getting worse. Dr. Parry is called to treat her, which pleases Helen.

Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore) is fearful of Helen’s life

During Dr. Parry’s visit, it is discovered that the ether, used to revive Mrs. Warren from her spells, has gone missing. The matriarch accuses Nurse Barker (Sara Allgood) of taking it. This is the last straw for Nurse Barker who quits after being accused, leaving Helen to tend to Mrs. Warren by herself. Just before Dr. Parry leaves, Mrs. Warren begs him to take Helen away from the house; she senses some harm will come to her if she stays. He agrees and leaves to attend to another patient, but promises to come back for Helen as soon as he’s done. Professor Warren orders Mr. Oates to go to a neighboring town to get some more ether, a task he’s not keen to do on a stormy night.

Helen on the creep spiral staircase

One by one, people exit the house leaving Helen alone with Mrs. Warren. Not only is Helen isolated because of her inability to speak, but she’s isolated in the huge Warren house during a furious rainstorm. Will she survive the night?

Siodmak is compared to Alfred Hitchcock in his ability to build suspense and it’s a fair comparison. The tension rises to a surprising and satisfying (for me) climax. The film’s production values are first-rate. The cinematography by RKO’s legendary Nicholas Musuraca (I Remember Mama) created the perfect mood with light and shadow. The music is by another RKO contract employee, Roy Webb (Notorious). All these elements work together to create the perfect blend of mystery and suspense.

McGuire is amazing as Helen, acting with her eyes and body since she doesn’t speak. Barrymore gives her usual cantankerous old-woman-sick-in-bed characterization, but it totally works here. Brent is properly reserved as the professor hiding a family secret. The rest of the supporting cast has some great moments, including Lancaster as the housekeeper with a soft spot for brandy and the constable fearful of the Warren’s harmless bulldog.

Helen, Professor Warren (George Brent), Blanche (Rhonda Fleming), and Steve Warren (Gordon Oliver)
in a dream sequence

If I had to classify The Spiral Staircase, I’d call it gothic film noir. The remoteness of the setting and the moody photography combine to make that tag make sense.

I guarantee that The Spiral Staircase will not disappoint. It has so many virtues that it’s worth more than one viewing to realize them all.

Let me know what you think of this classic.

You can watch The Spiral Staircase on YouTube.



The Spiral Staircase
Directed by Robert Siodmak
Produced by Dore Sherry
Screenplay by Mel Dinelli
Cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca
Music by Roy Webb
Released February 6, 1946

Chicago Film Club Holiday Movie: "My Reputation" December 10 at Daystar Center

Annual Holiday Film: My Reputation
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Chicago, IL
When: December 10, 2016
Time: 6:45 p.m.
Hosted by Stephen Reginald


My Reputation (1946) stars Barbara Stanwyck as Jessica Drummond, a widow with two young sons who falls in love with an army officer (George Brent). This romance comes too soon, according to her domineering mother (Lucile Watson) and Jessica’s upper-class Chicago friends. Fortunately for Jessica she has a supportive best friend in Ginna Abbot (Eve Arden) who helps her navigate this new chapter in her life. With major action set during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, My Reputation is a worthy choice as this year's holiday movie.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!

Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion

Twice a month we screen classic films and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.

Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.