CHICAGO MEMORIES: DEL CLOSE, THE BLEACHER BUMS, AND THE LOST ERA OF VAUDEVILLE

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22 | 7:00 PM
$8 suggested donation

Directed by Will Clinger

During his tenure as the Host of WTTW’s ‘Wild Chicago’ in the 1990s and early 2000s, Will Clinger and Wild Chicago Producer Harvey Moshman made a series of Chicago-related documentaries entitled ‘Wild Chronicles’. Among them were a remembrance of a celebrated guru of improvisation (THE LEGEND OF DEL CLOSE), a portrait of a famous group of Cubs fans (BLEACHER BUMS: RABID FANS OF WRIGLEY FIELD) and a valentine to a lost era of show business (VANISHING ACT: MEMORIES OF VAUDEVILLE). These documentaries have not been seen by the public since they originally aired over 20 years ago…until now.
Total RT: 86 mins

PROGRAM

In THE LEGEND OF DEL CLOSE, Will Clinger takes us on a guided tour of the strange and influential life led by improv’s maniacal genius. Close was there for the genesis of Second City, conceived the premise for SCTV and served as “House Metaphysician” on Saturday Night Live. Along the way he became the revered mentor to a list of actors that reads like the Comedy Hall of Fame: David Steinberg, John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Gilda Radner, John Candy, Bill Murray, Betty Thomas, George Wendt, Chris Farley and Mike Myers – all came under Del’s potent tutelage. Several of them, including Murray, Harold Ramis, Tim Kazurinsky and the cast of Comedy Central’s Upright Citizen’s Brigade share their memories of Del Close in this film and help build a fascinating portrait of this extremely complicated man. Also featured are film and TV clips and still photos documenting Del’s life and career, including never-before-seen footage of the going-away party thrown for him at the hospital the day before he died.

VANISHING ACT is a poignant look back at the vaudeville days through the eyes of those who experienced it first-hand. Dancer Rudy Horn, acrobat and comic Roland Low, magician Jay Marshall, banjoist Fern Dale, comedian Al Stevens, tap dancer Maceo Anderson of the Four Step Brothers, and child actor George Bruckman share stories of life on the vaudeville stage. All of them are gone now, but their legacy is preserved in this Emmy Award-winning film.

THE BLEACHER BUMS: RABID FANS OF WRIGLEY FIELD is a poignant and sometimes hilarious look back at a time when a seat at Wrigley cost a buck, beer was a quarter and a ragtag band of Chicago loudmouths became the most celebrated fans in the annals of sport. Will Clinger is joined by a group of the original Bums, who reminisce about their heyday in the late '60's and early '70's when they would pull just about any stunt to give the Cubs an edge.  Walking the left field wall, dressing up a dummy like the hated Pete Rose, finding out personal details about opposing players to be used against them in the Not-So-Friendly Confines – it was all aimed at helping the Cubs win a pennant, and in 1969 it almost worked.

WATCH THE TRAILER ➔