Marina City stars in its first movies
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Goldstein was Philip Kaufman’s first film and it included scenes at Marina City. Kaufman would go on to direct Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Right Stuff, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and Henry & June. He would also write for the Raiders of the Lost Ark films.
But in 1964, he made Goldstein, a low-budget, 85-minute black-and-white film about a prophetic old man that won the Prix de la Nouvelle Critique award at Cannes Film Festival.
The film starred Lou Gilbert as the old man, Ellen Madison, Ben Carruthers, Second City alumni Del Close, Severn Darden, Anthony Holland, and Jack Burns. Noted Chicago writer Nelson Algren also made an appearance, as himself. Scenes were filmed inside an apartment at Marina City in either late 1963 or early 1964.
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Frames from Philip Kaufman’s 1964 film Goldstein, which includes scenes filmed at Marina City.
1. Base of east residential tower. 2. Balcony of east-facing apartment in east tower. 3. Hallway of what is probably a two-bedroom apartment. 4. Living room. 5. Central hallway.
Watch Marina City scene from Goldstein. Warning: Mature content.
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Around May 1964, scenes were filmed at Marina City for Mickey One, which was released the following year by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Arthur Penn, whose work includes The Miracle Worker, Bonnie and Clyde, and Alice’s Restaurant.
The film starred Warren Beatty as a nightclub comic fleeing the Detroit Mob for Chicago. (Yes, you read that correctly.)
Scenes were filmed inside a residential unit and corridor, at the skating rink, the west tower parking ramp, and on the Chicago River. For the scene at the skating rink, a large animated artwork was constructed and then destroyed by fire for the movie.
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Frames from 1965 film Mickey One. (Top right) Exterior set constructed on skating rink. (Lower left) Warren Beatty in front of a Marina City apartment. (Lower right) Rare close-up view of large billboard near west tower for Seay & Thomas Inc., a Chicago real estate firm that would be hired 24 years later to sell the commercial property at Marina City.
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Exterior Marina City scene from Mickey One featuring Warren Beatty as Mickey, Alexandra Stewart as Jenny, noted Japanese actor Kamatari Fujiwara (1905-1985) as “The Artist,” and the Chicago Fire Department.
Interior Marina City scene from Mickey One with Beatty and Hurd Hatfield (1917-1998) as Mr. Castle.
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