This Is Marina City
Marina City is more than a structure. It is a strong influence on the architecture of tomorrow and a realistic approach to urban planning.
The Portland Cement Association of Skokie, Illinois, produced this film in 1965. Portland is a type of cement. PCA, according to its website, represents cement companies in the United States and Canada. It conducts market development, engineering, research, education, and public affairs programs.
Written, directed, and photographed by Arthur P. Mandler (1928-2002), the 19-minute film describes how Marina City was planned, constructed, and utilized. It is narrated by former WGN Chicago radio announcer Walt Newton. In November 2010, the film was re-digitized by Peter Bernotas and International Historic Films, Inc. According to Bernotas, it is 16mm IB Technicolor film, about as good as it gets. Just the film stock alone cost PCA $350 in 1965, which would be $2,600 in 2015. Bernotas estimates the print that he re-digitized had been shown on a projector only about 20 times. According to Mark Mandler, the directors son, the film was shot with a wind-up Bolex H-16 camera (like the one below at left) that had three Switar prime lenses on a rotating turret. Arthur Mandler was born in Chicago and moved to Florida in 1971. He died in 2002, leaving a wife, Phyllis, two sons, a daughter, and seven grandchildren. Phyllis Mandler appears in this film. She is, as she describes, the smiling blond looking up at the towers. Arthur himself makes three appearances, walking out onto a balcony 15:40 into the film and again at 16:22, and also walking through the National Design Center.
|