Chicago Film Club field trip: “North By Northwest” April 2 at ShowPlace ICON at Roosevelt Road

Directed by Hitchcock—“The Master of Suspense”—and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason, North By Northwest is one of the classiest espionage films ever made. 

Grant plays advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill (ROT) who is mistaken for an American agent and framed for murder. Saint plays the mistress of real spy Mason and is used as bait to catch Grant. 

The movie features some great Chicago locations, including the Ambassador East Hotel, the old LaSalle Street train station, and a glimpse of late-1950s Michigan Avenue. 

The success of this film led to Grant being offered the role of James Bond, which he turned down. Grant thought he was too old to play Ian Fleming’s famous agent 007

If you want to purchase your ticket in advance, click here. Tickets are also available at the theater.

After the movie, depending on interest, we may go into the Lobby Lounge to discuss the film. We did this after All About Eve and it was a lot of fun.

First-timers: Look for me with the meetup sign before the theater entrance.

Screening of Hitchcock's "North By Northwest" December 8, 2015

Hitchcock in the 50s: Northwest By Northwest
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Chicago, IL
When: December 8, 2015
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Hosted by Stephen Reginald

North By Northwest (1959) is one of the classiest espionage films ever made. This thriller stars the very stylish Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason. Grant plays advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill (ROT) who is mistaken for an American agent and framed for murder. Saint plays the mistress of real spy Mason and is used as bait to catch Grant. The movie features some great Chicago locations, including the Ambassador East Hotel, the old LaSalle Street train station, and a glimpse of late-1950s Michigan Avenue. The success of this film led to Grant being offered the role of James Bond, which he turned down. Grant thought he was too old to play Ian Fleming’s famous agent 007.

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.

Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
Once a month we screen a classic film 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.

“Hitchcock in the 50s” film series to launch March 10 with screening of “Stage Fright”

Alfred Hitchcock directing Marlene Dietrich and Jane Wyman
on the set of Stage Fright

The 2015 Film Club is back at The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State St., Chicago. Hosted by Stephen Reginald, the film club will feature “Hitchcock in the 50s.” Alfred Hitchcock films to be screened, include Rear Window, Vertigo, and North By Northwest. Movies will be screened at 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesdays of the month, starting March 11, 2015. Reginald will introduce each film giving background information before screenings, with discussion afterward. Reginald is a freelance writer/editor and popular instructor at Facets Film School in Chicago.


Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most successful directors in the history of film. During the 1950s, Hitchcock, no longer under contract to producer David O. Selznick, was  able to produce and direct properties that he truly believed in. During the 50s, Hitchcock produced some of his most famous and commercially successful movies, including Rear Window and Vertigo. Few directors’ work has be dissected and analyzed the way Hitchcock’s work has. Always focused on entertaining the audience first, “The Master’s” work remains fresh and contemporary and ripe for discussion.

Join us for “Hitchcock in the 50s!”

Stage Fright, one of Hitchcock’s most underrated thrillers features great performances from recent Oscar winner Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding, Richard Todd, and Alastair Sim. Wyman plays Eve Gill, a drama student who becomes a maid to stage star Charlotte Inwood (Dietrich) in an attempt to clear the name of her friend Jonathan Cooper (Todd) who she believes is being framed for murder by Inwood. None of the characters in Stage Fright are what they seem to be, which makes for a very entertaining movie. Filmed in England with a wonderful ensemble cast that also includes Sybil Thorndike, Kay Walsh, and Patricia Hitchcock. Be careful because you may find yourself suffering from stage fright!

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


Other dates and films screened

April 14, 2015                Strangers on a Train
May 12, 2015                 I Confess
June 9, 2015                  Dial M for Murder
July 14.2015                  Rear Window
August 11, 2015            To Catch A Thief
September 15, 2015      The Wrong Man
October 13, 2015           Vertigo
November 10, 2015       North By Northwest

Hitchcock classic “North by Northwest” to be screened at “The Venue 1550” October 11, 2012

The Alfred Hitchcock classic, North By Northwest will be screened at “The Venue 1550,” 1550 S. State St., October 11 at 7 p.m. This is the second in a series featuring movies with a connection to Chicago.

Snack tables are set up inside “The Venue 1550” for your
movie-watching comfort and convenience.

Directed by Hitchcock—“The Master of Suspense”—and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason, North By Northwest is one of the classiest espionage films ever made. Grant plays advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill (ROT) who is mistaken for an American agent and framed for murder. Saint plays the mistress of real spy Mason and is used as bait to catch Grant. The movie features some great Chicago locations, including the Ambassador East Hotel, the old LaSalle Street train station, and a glimpse of late-1950s Michigan Avenue. The success of this film led to Grant being offered the role of James Bond, which he turned down. Grant thought he was too old to play Ian Fleming’s famous agent 007.

“The Venue 1550” is a unique, comfortable space. Overflow Coffee Bar will be open before each screening. You can grab a beverage, snack, and bring it to the movie. Snack tables are positioned next to setting spaces for your convenience.


Order Tickets in Advance or at the Door
Movie admission is $7 per film or $20 for all four. To purchase tickets, click here. Tickets are also available at the door.

Post a Flyer!
Download, print, and post a flyer in your building or office by clicking here.

Film Club coming to “Venue 1550” at the Daystar Center

A new film club is coming to “Venue 1550” at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State St. Chicago. Hosted by Stephen Reginald, the film club will feature four classic films having connections with Chicago. Some like Henry Hathaway’s Call Northside 777 were shot entirely on location in the city, while others like Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, features several critical scenes in the windy city. Films will be screened at 7 p.m. on the second Thursdays of the month, starting September 13, 2012. Reginald will introduce each film giving background information before screenings, with Q & A afterwards. Reginald is a freelance writer/editor and popular instructor at Facets Film School in Chicago. He was also the original host of Meet Me at the Movies.

Chicago on film
Chicago and the movies go way back. Charlie Chaplin and Gloria Swanson, two movie icons from the silent era, started their film careers here. Both Chaplin and Swanson worked at Essanay Studios on West Argyle, now St. Augustine College. Essanay was a bustling place in the early days of the twentieth century. It was a glimpse of Hollywood before there was such a place. But the harsh Midwestern winters made year-round moviemaking in Chicago impractical. Film studios and their stars eventually moved west. The rest, as they say, is history. Even though Chicago’s movie-making glory days are long gone, the city has always been a favorite subject of filmmakers. Celebrate the movies and Chicago with special screenings of these classics:

September 13
Call Northside 777 (1948)—Directed by Henry Hathaway and starring James Stewart, this semi-documentary style film is based on a true story, filmed entirely on location in Chicago. Stewart plays P.J. McNeal, a reporter for the Chicago Times who attempts to find new evidence in an 11-year-old cop killer case. McNeal comes to believe that Frank Weicek, the convicted murderer, took the fall for someone else and was falsely imprisoned. The movie features beautiful black and white cinematography and great Chicago locations. See how the city has changed (and remained the same) since 1948.

October 11
North by Northwest (1959)—Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason, in one of the classiest espionage films of all time. Grant plays advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill (ROT) who is mistaken for an American agent and framed for murder. Saint plays the mistress of real spy Mason and is used as bait to catch Grant. Featuring some great Chicago locations, including the Ambassador East Hotel, the old LaSalle Street train station, and a glimpse of late-1950s Michigan Avenue. The success of this film led to Grant being offered the role of James Bond, which he turned down, thinking he was too old to play Ian Fleming’s famous agent 007.

Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, and Ralph Bellamy in
His Girl Friday

November 8
His Girl Friday (1940)—Directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell His Girl Friday is an adaptation of the Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur classic Broadway smash, The Front Page. Grant plays Walter Burns, a Chicago newspaper managing editor and Russell is Hildy Johnson an ex-reporter for the same paper and Burns’s ex-wife. On the eve of her marriage to a new man, Burns tries to convince Hildy to come back to the paper…and him. Considered one of the greatest classic screwball comedies of all time, His Girl Friday is filled with non-stop one liners and the fastest dialogue ever recorded on film!

Tony Curtis, Jack Lemon, and Marilyn Monroe
in Some Like It Hot

December 13
Some Like It Hot (1959)—Directed by Billy Wilder and starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, this classic was voted funniest film of all time by the American Film Institute. Curtis and Lemmon play Chicago musicians who accidentally witness the Saint Valentine’s Day massacre of 1929. The men disguise themselves as women and travel south with Sweet Sue’s all-girl band in an attempt to avoid “Spats” Colombo and his gang who are determined to kill them. Monroe—the band’s vocalist—and the “girls” become bosom buddies along the way, which leads to some hilarious situations and some unusual conclusions.

Order Tickets in Advance
Movie admission is $7 per film or $20 for all four. To purchase tickets, click here.

“Venue 1550” is a unique space in the DayStar Center located at 1550 S. State St. “The Venue” hosts musical concerts, documentary films, lectures, and community meetings. For more information on utilizing this space for yourself or your organization, please call 312.674.0001.