The 1961 made-for-television documentary Chicago: First Impressions of a Great American City, which captured the city’s skid rows, narcotics raids, and stockyards in an impressionistic style, is scheduled for a screening at Northwestern University’s Block Cinema on Nov. 5, according to the Chicago Tribune. Directed by British filmmaker Denis Mitchell as a co-production between the BBC and Chicago’s local ABC affiliate WBKB, the black-and-white film was suppressed shortly after its production due to intense political backlash and criticism from civic leaders who viewed its warts-and-all portrayal as a distortion of the metropolis.
Mayor Richard J. Daley and Network Executives Condemn the Film
Upon its completion, the documentary drew immediate and vituperative responses from city leadership and broadcasting executives alike. Mayor Richard J. Daley called the project a “monstrosity” and threatened physical retaliation against those responsible for its creation. Local newspaper reports at the time labeled the project a “libel on the metropolis of the Midwest.” ABC President of News James Hagerty recommended that the production be “filed and forgotten,” admitting that he based his judgment on the reports of trusted colleagues rather than viewing the film himself.
Studs Terkel and Denis Mitchell Shape an Unprecedented Urban Portrait
Behind the scenes, media personality and historian Studs Terkel guided Denis Mitchell away from areas typically showcased by the administration, steering the British filmmaker toward diverse neighborhoods, stockyards, and corporate spaces. Working with portable, handheld cameras that allowed for a roving and observational style, Mitchell adopted a non-linear approach that omitted traditional voiceover narration. Instead, the soundtrack featured uncredited recordings of everyday citizens interspersed with abrupt cuts between poetry readings, vaudeville performances, and door-to-door salesmen. Northwestern University curator Michael Metzger noted that the documentary deliberately showed a city through differences by taking viewers across various spaces, creating an unprecedented view of the city that was both immersive and provocative.
Executive Organizes Private Screenings After Television Broadcast Gets Blocked
Despite heavy political pressure that successfully buried the film’s broadcast in the United States, television executive Sterling “Red” Quinlan organized small private screenings months after the controversy erupted. Tribune columnist Frances Coughlin attended one such viewing and described the project as “tender, brutal, lyric, evil, ironic and imaginative — and, in consequence, a highly impressive documentary.” The film eventually aired five years later on WFLD, then a small UHF channel, where it made minimal impression before disappearing entirely from public view for decades. Studs Terkel frequently brought up the documentary in later years, lamenting the controversy that kept it out of circulation and cementing its status as a lost artifact of Chicago media history.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Lost Chicago Documentary
When and where is the upcoming screening taking place?
The documentary will screen at 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 at the Block Museum of Art, located at 40 Arts Circle Drive in Evanston. The event is free to the public, and additional information is available at blockmuseum.northwestern.edu.
Who was involved in making the 1961 film?
The documentary was directed by British filmmaker Denis Mitchell as a co-production between the BBC and Chicago ABC affiliate WBKB, with Chicago historian and media personality Studs Terkel acting as a local guide.
Why was the documentary suppressed for decades?
Mayor Richard J. Daley strongly condemned the film as a monstrosity, and network executives faced intense pressure from local politicians and citizens who objected to its focus on skid rows, narcotics raids, and slaughterhouses.