Hollywood in Chicago? Yes! For a brief time in the early 1900s Chicago had the distinction of being the film making capital (before Hollywood took over). During that time, Chicago had the greatest number of film production companies. Essanay Studios in the Uptown neighborhood was the largest studio and put the city in the center of world movie making.
The studio was founded in 1907 by George Spoor and Gilbert Anderson and was originally called the Peerless Film Manufacturing Company. That same year, the name was changed to Essanay (S and A for Spoor and Anderson). The studio’s first location was on Wells Street, but in 1908 it was moved to Argyle Street in Uptown.
Essanay produced silent films featuring stars such as Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, George Periolat, Ben Turpin, Colleen Moore, Francis X. Bushman, Florence Oberle, and Rod La Rocque. Spoor and Anderson received Oscars for their pioneering film work at Essanay Studios. The studio eventually also expanded to an additional location in Niles, California.
The Chicago studio produced famous movies such as the first American Sherlock Holmes (1916); the first American Christmas Carol (1908); and the first Jesse James movie, “The James Boys of Missouri.” They also produced some of the first cartoons in the world. Dreamy Dud was a popular cartoon produced by Essanay.
Essanay’s biggest star was Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin starred in 14 short comedies for Essanay (in both Chicago and California locations) in 1915. This included Chaplin’s 1915 film “The Tramp.”
Chaplin left the studio in 1916 and Essanay struggled financially since it lost it’s number one star. Essanay merged with V-L-S-E Incorporated in 1918 and was eventually absorbed by Warner Brothers in 1925.
Today, what’s left of Essanay Studios in Chicago is a landmark building at 1345 W. Argyle St. in Uptown and the Essanay lot is home to St. Augustine College, which named its’ meeting hall the Charlie Chaplin Auditorium.
