Chicago Politics Theme in Movies and TVs

With Kelsey Grammer’s new series, “Boss,” about to premiere, Ward Room looks at other movies and TV shows that portrayed Chicago politics.

The new TV series, Boss, will be premiered next Friday on the Starz network. The show will revolve round the story of Kelsey Grammer, a Chicago mayor, who is trying to hide a degenerative brain disease from his family and political rivals. Boss is the first program that has adapted Chicago politics as its theme. However, Chicago politicians have been featured in many TV shows and movies in the past. Here is a list of some of the all-time best movies and TV shows where we get to see a glimpse of Chicago politics.

In Old Chicago: This 1937 melodrama highlights the famous Chicago Fire. Don Ameche played the role of Jack O’Leary, son of the woman whose cow kicked the lantern on a barn and thus started the fatal conflagration. 

Mahogany: Is a story of an ambitious fashion designer, Diana Ross, from the South Side of Chicago. Billy Dee Williams plays the role of her boyfriend, who is running for alderman.

Medium Cool: This film about a television cameraman features footage of the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Good Times (TV): Among the ghetto hustlers the Evans family has to deal with is Ald. Fred Davis, who passes up Florida for a bus driver’s job so he can hire his niece.

Continental Divide: The story revolves around John Belushi who plays the role of Ernie Souchak, a Mike Royko-esque columnist who has to get out of town after he’s beaten up by cops connected to a corrupt alderman he’s investigating.

The Untouchables: Eliot Ness’s anti-bootlegging squad gets its nickname from an alderman who unsuccessfully tries to bribe Ness into calling off his investigation of Al Capone.

E.R. (TV): This T.V show tells the story of Dr. Kerry Weaver who secretly treats an alderman for syphilis and gets a promotion.

The Chicago Code (TV): Delroy Lindo played a sinister, gang-connected alderman whose ward stretched from Cabrini Green to Chinatown.

The Playboy Club (TV): It only lasted three episodes, so we never got to find out whether Eddie Cibrian’s character was elected state’s attorney with the Outfit’s help.

Source: Ward Room, Accessed on October 10, 2011

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