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The CTA on MTV: Rock Videos Featuring the 'L'


Paul Fortini

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We all know that many movies feature the Chicago 'L' prominently including:

1) Risky Business

2) Blues Brothers

3) Advenutes in Babysitting

4) While You Were Sleeping

5) Planes Trains & Automobiles

But did you know some music videos were shot on the 'L'? I found two so far.

1) Survivor's "I Can't Hold Back" (which prominently features car #2690) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaMcsKtBDwE&ob=av2n Note the original fake wood paneling and the orange and brown padded seats!

2) Izzy Stradlin And The Ju Ju Hounds "Shuffle It All", a lesser known gem from the early 1990s, features a lot of 'L' shots http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKBgbbFaF2U&list=LLugSJiZOM9iUqnhHKKiUq4w&index=1&feature=plpp_video

I've got to admit that even though I'm in my late 40s, I'm way more partial to 1990s music than I am 80s tunes.

Anyway, I'd like to know if there are any other videos that feature the 'L' or even CTA buses.

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Are you guys kidding me??? :) Talking about movies, who could forget the famous L train scene in the 1980 movie "The Hunter" starring the late Steve McQueen. They filmed an awesome scene where the bad guy hijacks a NB four car #6000 series train. They enter at the Belmont Red Line stop, the platform scene is then shot at Wilson, they then move to the Lake st. line, where a 2200 series train makes a cameo, they then show the train goin into the subway portal at Armitage. If anyone is familiar with Robert (Bob) Heinlein, retired CTA official, now volunteer at IRM, he along with Robert (Bob) Janz who piloted the hijacked train in the movie were the technical advisors on the film. An incredible stunt was filmed with the stuntman actually hanging off the side of the moving L train over Lake st. on a fake pantograph. Bob Heinlein told me once when I asked him about CTAs role in the film, the stuntman was actually handcuffed to the pantgraph so that he would not fall off the moving train and plunge to the street below. The L cars used for that scene were St. Louis cars #6123/6124/6125/#6126. Elevated cars #6125/6126 were saved and are currently stored at IRM. Other films where CTA trains were used is the 1987 movie "Running Scared" where they used car #6193 to film a crash scene on the Loop L and probably the only existing film of an eight car Skokie Swift train!, imagine that! :) Another famous film is "Cooley High" from 1975, there you see 6000s throughout the movie, they also used CTA GM bus #388 in a cool two minute scene and CTA GMC #1515 makes a quick appearance, one small movie gaff only we true busfans here would have caught!, :) The movie was set in Chicago 1964, GMC #1515 didnt arrive till 1972!. LOL!!! The 1992 film "Mo Money" Damon Wayans films a police chase scene aboard a #2000 series train. The Patrick Swayze film "Next of Kin" used a CTA train in the movie. The 1983 movie "Bad Boys", not the Martin Lawrence version!, this film starred Sean Penn, they used CTA trains in that film. But one film I wish to this day I could find even on VHS! was called "The Million Dollar Rip Off" filmed in 1976. In that movie, the CTA #6000s were practically the stars of the movie! The plot of the movie was a group of female criminals led by a male thief played by the late Freddie Prinze. Their plan was to rip off the CTA rail system cash. They filmed most of the movie on the Loop L, some shots were filmed at Skokie Shops where you could see retired 4000s in the background. I rememeber that film had plenty of CTA 6000 action throughout the movie. They even used the real rail line names in the films script. There was "Code of Silence" with Chuck Norris in 1985 where he films a fight scene on top of a moving 5-50 series train in the Loop. The Dolly Parton movie "Straight Talk" they did a nice shot in the opening of the movie of a 2600 series leaving OHare, plus they use CTA GMC bus #9632 in a couple of scenes. Also check out the 1997 movie "Mercury Rising" with Bruce Willis. They use a 2200 series train and shoot some scenes aboard the train. That clip was filmed along the Kennedy stretch of the Blue Line near Irving Park. I actually witnessed that scene being filmed! As for videos, look up on YouTube, "The Game of Love" by Michelle Branch and Carlos Santana. That music video was filmed in Pilsen, you see 2200s on the Blue Line, but portions of the video itself was filmed on board CTA Flxible #8499! Check it out! pretty cool video! Good song too!

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Thanks sw4400 and CTA5750

But after seeing those two videos on You Tube, and vividly remembering Survivor's song from the MTV days, I'm wondering if anybody else remembers any other music videos that featured the 'L'.

Oh wait, CTA 5750, thanks for letting me know about the Santana/Branch song "The Game of Love" I've got both the "Supernatural" and "Shaman" albums. It was a smart move for Carlos Santana to align himself with the popular stars of the day for those CDs! Who'd'a'thunk he'd have the biggest hit of his career ("Smooth" featuring Rob Thomas) 30 years after appearing at Woodstock.

Anyway, here's the clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UIojGDIBvI And you're right, awesome scenes aboard #8499.

So if any music fans out there recall any others, please let us know.

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  • 4 weeks later...

After seeing "The Fugitive" on AMC recently and getting a good look at the Kimble/Sykes fight, the scene was shot in car #3224.

Did you see how easy he took that window out with his feet?. No muscle into it at all! I highly doubt CTA window break out that easily!

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Great chase seen in movie "Running Scared" with Billy Crystal

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/pete-hyams-making-running-scared-car-chase-222400163.html

We all know that many movies feature the Chicago 'L' prominently including:

1) Risky Business

2) Blues Brothers

3) Advenutes in Babysitting

4) While You Were Sleeping

5) Planes Trains & Automobiles

But did you know some music videos were shot on the 'L'? I found two so far.

1) Survivor's "I Can't Hold Back" (which prominently features car #2690) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaMcsKtBDwE&ob=av2n Note the original fake wood paneling and the orange and brown padded seats!

2) Izzy Stradlin And The Ju Ju Hounds "Shuffle It All", a lesser known gem from the early 1990s, features a lot of 'L' shots http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKBgbbFaF2U&list=LLugSJiZOM9iUqnhHKKiUq4w&index=1&feature=plpp_video

I've got to admit that even though I'm in my late 40s, I'm way more partial to 1990s music than I am 80s tunes.

Anyway, I'd like to know if there are any other videos that feature the 'L' or even CTA buses.

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Ill take a pass on Common, thanks!

Maybe someone can do a remix of Dr. Hartley taking the RavensRyan RavenSton to Isabella station to get to his apartment at Sheridan and Thorndale, while stopping off at Cabrini Green to see JJ and the rest of the Evans family having Good Times, all set to rap. Is that the definition of OLD SCHOOL?

BTW, the L doesn't run on top of the people saying "You are watching Channel 11" anymore.

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You forgot the movie "The Fugitive". It features a scene in which Harrison Ford(Richard Kimble) fights the one-armed man aboard a 3200-Series Railcar.

It's funny because, its one of my Top favorite films that were shot in Chicago, used to watch it everyday, I heard "Next Stop, Balbo Station, BALBO", and it was never an "Balbo Stop". Wow, 3200s were spanky brand new on that film.

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Remember 1997 movie "Soul Food" when they showed 2200 Budd car when Armad and his 2 friends got off the train Looked like between California or Damen Blue Line Station (O'Hare branch), plus later when Cousin Faith got ripped off by her producer and Miles came and back her up, it was shown 5300/or 6000 Flx and 4400 RTS come from opposite way.

Other movie from 1996 called "Family Thing" with James Earl Jones/ Robert Duvall, 1st when Robert (Earl) waiting for lunch with James (Ray), you seen M.A.N. 4000/ RTS 4400, then when Earl was about to be carjacked, I believe it was a Green Line (Elevated) either on 63rd or Lake St, then you seen couple 5300s Flxs, And where Ray lived at next to I believe Green Line or Pink Line tracks, when Virgil's little girl staring out of Window at a train when Virgil told her to get off the window so no one on Train see her, It was a only 2-Car of 2400s.

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In the 1991 movie "Backdraft" theres some CTA action. As Billy Baldwin is coming down a flight of stairs from his bldg. They show a 2200 series on the head end paired with a 2600 passing on the Blue Line south of Damen. In this same scene youll hear a bus which sounds like a Flyer D901, sounded like #9919 which I recall had a louder 6V92 sound to it. In some fire engine scenes youll see CTA repainted GMCs along Archer ave. The firehouse where the movie was filmed is at Engine #65/Truck #52 at Archer/Sacramento/42nd st. in the Brighton Pk. neighborhood.

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It's funny because, its one of my Top favorite films that were shot in Chicago, used to watch it everyday, I heard "Next Stop, Balbo Station, BALBO", and it was never an "Balbo Stop". Wow, 3200s were spanky brand new on that film.

They were still being delivered during the filming... The movie was released August 6, 1993, so filming for it either began in early 1993 or late 1992. The 3200's were delivered during the years 1991-1994.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I was looking up on the Hulu movie website and found the 1976 movie "The Million Dollar Rip Off". Some good CTA L scenes in the opening of the movie. It drags until 38 min. later when they show a good scene filmed at Skokie Shops with retired 4000s still on the tracks in this scene, some 4000s off their trucks too. Some good shots of the 6000s and 5-50 series cars.

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I was looking up on the Hulu movie website and found the 1976 movie "The Million Dollar Rip Off". Some good CTA L scenes in the opening of the movie. It drags until 38 min. later when they show a good scene filmed at Skokie Shops with retired 4000s still on the tracks in this scene, some 4000s off their trucks too. Some good shots of the 6000s and 5-50 series cars.

I had talked it up on the CTA Tattler. The scene where someone tried to hijack the train and said it was going to Wrigley Field actually happened to me once. However, in neither instance does that work when the perp isn't in the front car. In my case, the train continued toward Harlem and Lake. IIRC, that movie also illustrated pulling the cherry.

Next I mentioned the current commercial where a bottle cap placed near the map of a 2600 series car turns it into the Silver Bullet Express.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Next I mentioned the current commercial where a bottle cap placed near the map of a 2600 series car turns it into the Silver Bullet Express.

Took about 20 minutes of searching on Youtube, but I found that commercial:

For those of us who don't watch television. Haven't watched a whole 30 minute show in YEARS!

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Took about 20 minutes of searching on Youtube, but I found that commercial:

http://youtu.be/IsqXh9n0rew

For those of us who don't watch television. Haven't watched a whole 30 minute show in YEARS!

As noted on the CTA Tattler, if the first word is El the second one should have been tren.

I also mentioned somewhere that I wore out a remote control. I might have watched 7 shows in 30 minutes.

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Perhaps it is the pain meds I took this evening for my arthritis (left knee) and degenerative disc condition (lower back), but for some reason I couldn't find that post on the CTA Tattler. First I found via Google the old Blog page, which had a link to the Tribune. Then there I had to look for the CTA Tattler.

Dammit, isn't anything easy tonight?

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Perhaps it is the pain meds I took this evening for my arthritis (left knee) and degenerative disc condition (lower back), but for some reason I couldn't find that post on the CTA Tattler. First I found via Google the old Blog page, which had a link to the Tribune. Then there I had to look for the CTA Tattler.

Dammit, isn't anything easy tonight?

The reference was to the post on Is it "El" or 'L." Also I noted that the caption on the YouTube was El.

I started going off on the Spanish tangent here.

I had mentioned the Coors Light Express in connection with the Tattler's Oscar week, but you are the first to have found the YouTube.

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Here's a cta commercial for the soda/jazz fans. Then there's the CTA Take It commercials. There were two different versions of these I have on tape. The other one has a more relaxing jazz theme. Looking on Youtube, I see there were other versions I haven't seen until now (rock version) or a (Christmas version) And we can't forget the 'I've been everywhere" commercials. Although I thought I remember a faster one. There's a slower version here that seems to have a few different scenes that I don't remember.
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... Then there's the CTA Take It commercials

...

Reminds me that there was an RTA commercial, about 1976, with a version of "I Get Around" but not the Beach Boys words, also one shot was of a rotating head sign with the new RTA slate blue background.

I'll bet there is not a YouTube of that.

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Your bet seems to be correct, as I have looked both on YouTube, as well as Google searches, and not found the commercial.

Steve Dahl's parody song 'RTA' takes a bit of a dig at that ad, though, in the line "RTA! How will I get around?".

I think that really was a dig at the RTA's commercial, rather than a coincidence, as I have somewhere an old RTA ad poster, that says "Going your way" and pictures various transit scenes (Forget what, though. Haven't been able to find it since I moved back in mid-2010). The end of the RTA song, he dismissively sings "Going my way for me, HUH?".

Pretty clever, really!

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