Courtesy Chicago Film Tours
During a ride with Chicago Film Tours, groups see clips from 85 movies while passing by 30 authentic locations. One of those famous sites is where one of the first movie stars got his start.“Essanay Studios, founded in 1907, produced the series of Charlie Chaplin comedies, as well as many other silent films,” said John Brinkman, owner of Chicago Film Tour.
This two-hour excursion takes passengers 30 miles through the city, from Uptown to Chinatown to the scenic Lake Michigan lakefront.
“The tour is always evolving to incorporate footage from brand-new movies and rediscovered old gems,” said Brinkman.
Scenes from favorite flicks like “The Dark Knight,” “Road to Perdition,” “The Fugitive,” “The Sting,” “The Untouchables” and “The Break-Up” are part of the tour. And Brinkman suggests that bank travel leaders offer it as a mystery tour with the teaser “We’re going to take the day off,” followed by a day in Chicago where the classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” ends with one of the most famous scenes in a baby boomer’s memory.
“Everyone wants to stand up and dance during the scene where Ferris leads the parade through the streets of Chicago to the Beatles version of ‘Twist and Shout.’ And the people who played Ferris’ parents ultimately got married in real life. We offer all kinds of interesting commentary with the films we feature,” Brinkman added.
New in 2012 is the Chicago Film Tour’s Blues Brothers Experience. Groups take a 90-minute journey with Jake and Elwood, and see the famous sites from the movie and hear the history of Chicago Blues.
Miami
Miami Movie Tours, with luxury vehicles seating 20 to 50 passengers, picks up your group at your location and works with you on desired times, locations and interests, according to partner Jason Davis.
“We really cater to what you want, depending on who is on board,” said Davis. “So many classic movies and television shows were filmed here that everyone probably knows, like ‘Scarface,’ ‘The Bird Cage,’ ‘The Body Guard,’ ‘Burn Notice’ and ‘Miami Vice.’ But a younger crowd might be familiar with ‘Bad Boys’ and ‘Bad Boys 2,’ Miami-made movies that helped put Will Smith’s name on the map.
“And it seems every movie star has left their mark here,” Davis added. “Whether it was Cameron Diaz in ‘There’s Something About Mary’ or Sylvester Stallone in ‘The Specialist,’ this city is just full of show-biz stuff.”
The two-and-a-half-hour tour can also include a cruise by all the celebrity homes in this sunny beach city and includes stories of world-famous celebrities, including Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Muhammad Ali.
“We show the appropriate clips of movies and television shows throughout the tour,” said Davis. “Our customers enjoy seeing how it all fits.”
Los Angeles
Hollywood Movie Tours takes groups on a nearly three-hour tour of this famed area aboard their “movie theater on wheels.”
“On board we show scenes from over 50 films while in front of their filming locations. Some you’ll recognize straight away, and some you’ll probably never want to see again,” said owner Scott Michaels, who is a big fan of horror genres.
With an authentic actor as your guide, classics like “Sunset Boulevard,” “Chinatown,” “Rebel Without a Cause,” “Terminator” and “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” are showcased. The mood turns to laughter with “National Lampoon’s Vacation” and swings into action with “The Day After Tomorrow.”
And who can forget “Pretty Woman” and the hotel fire escape where Julia Roberts and Richard Gere had their final scene?
For those who dare, try Michael’s Halloween Horror Film Location Tour, where flicks like “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and, of course, “Halloween” are on the spooky menu. Guests are also introduced to the house where Bela Lugosi died and are given a copy of his death certificate.
“Movies made Hollywood, and we’ve mapped out tours that showcase some of the best of them,” said Michaels.
