Screening of Billy Wilder's "The Apartment" at the Daystar Center December 9

“Holiday” Series: The Apartment (1960)
Where: Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street
When: December 9, 2017
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Hosted by Stephen Reginald


The Apartment (1960) features Bud Baxter (Jack Lemmon) as a lonely office worker in a corporate insurance company in New York City. In an effort to climb the corporate ladder, he lends his Upper West Side apartment to some influential company managers who use if for their extramarital affairs.

The company personnel director, Jeff D. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray) discovers what Baxter is doing, but instead of punishing him, he insists on using his apartment too. Enter elevator operator Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine) who Bud has had his eye on for weeks. Bud is disappointed to discover that Fran is Sheldrake’s latest fling when she stands him up on a date. What happens next is nothing short of amazing.

Directed by Billy Wilder and written by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond, The Apartment won the Best Picture Oscar for 1960 as well as awards for Best Director and Writing.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!

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.

Raiders of the Lost Ark at Daniel Webster Park, Chicago July 17, 2017

The Greater South Loop Association is presenting Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) free of charge at Daniel Webster Park, 1357 S Indiana Ave, Chicago, IL 60605. The movie starts at dusk.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is the first (and best) movie in the Indiana Jones franchise. The film takes place in 1936, five years before the United States entered World War II. Raiders stars Harrison Ford as professor and archaeologist Indiana Jones and Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, daughter of his mentor, Abner Ravenwood. Jones, at the request of the United States Army, is on the hunt for the ancient Ark of the Covenant as described in the Book of Exodus. The Bible describes the Ark as a gold-covered wooden chest that contained the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. When the Israelites carried the Ark into battle, they were victorious. The Nazis are searching for the Ark because they believe whoever possesses it will be invincible. Jones races against time and Dr. Rene Belloq, a competing archaeologist who is working with the Nazis, to get to the Ark first.

Lawrence Kasdan (Fatal Attraction) wrote the screenplay, from a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. Steven Spielberg directed the action-packed adventure that was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The memorable score, featuring “The Raiders March” was written by John Williams and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.

Harrison Ford and Karen Allen pose this shot on the set of Raiders.

Backstory: Tom Selleck was originally cast as Indiana Jones, but had to drop out due to his commitment to the television series Magnum P.I. Debra Winger was offered the role of Marion Ravenwood, but she turned it down. Actress Sean Young auditioned for the part, but Spielberg was set on Karen Allen after seeing her in National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978). Alfred Molina, who played director Robert Aldrich in Feud: Bette and Joan, made his film debut as Satipo in Raiders.

Great films of 1939: "Love Affair" October 1 at the Daystar Center

Great films of 1939: Love Affair
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Chicago, IL
When: October 1, 2016
Time: 6:45 p.m.
Hosted by Stephen Reginald

Love Affair (1939) is the original romance directed by Leo McCarey (The Awful Truth) starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer.

French painter Michel Marnet (Boyer) and American singer Terry McKay (Dunne) meet aboard a transatlantic ocean liner. Both are engaged, but they are attracted to each other and spend considerable time together. They quickly become the talk of the ship so the two try to be more discreet by eating alone and avoiding being seen together. The ship stops in Madeira where they visit with Michel’s grandmother Janou (Maria Ouspenskaya). His grandmother loves Terry and she wants Michel to settle down and marry her.

When they arrive in New York City, Michel and Terry agree to meet at the top of the Empire State Building in six months. Six months is the amount of time Michel needs to decide if he can drop the playboy life and support a relationship with Terry.

Remade with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr as An Affair to Remember (1957) and although charming in its own right, it has nothing on the original, which is rarely seen. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Actress (Dunne), Best Supporting Actress (Ouspenskaya), and Best Writing, Original Screenplay (Mildred Cam and McCarey).

Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress.

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.