Thank You To The Anonymous Source Who Contributed The Missing Locations Of The Garment Fire Location And The Chicken Location Plus Added Some Of The Interior Locations From The Movie.
Thank You To Original Chicago Members Gus Lewellen, Vrian Lee Pettice And John Videll For Helping Me Narrow Down The Exact Spot For The Funeral And To Kelli Marshall From The Chicago Movie Tours Website And Adam Selzer From The Mysterious Chicago Website For Getting Me To The Exact Spot.
The Interior Locations Are Listed At The Bottom Of The Page.
Thank You To Owen From The When Write Is Wrong Website For Finding Alderman Marty Swayzak's House
- (0:01) Main Firestation / 3002 W. 42nd Street, Chicago
- (0:02) Going Under The El On The Way To The Fire / They Are Traveling West On W. Leland Avenue And Turn South Onto N. Broadway, Chicago
- (0:03) Apartment Building Fire In Flashback / 410 E. 43rd Street, Chicago
- (0:06) Bar After Graduation / Emmits Irish Pub; 495 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago
- (0:08) Man Gets Blown Into Porche / 4244 S. Drexel Blvd, Chicago
- (0:14) Helen McCaffrey's House / 2834 N. Merrimac Avenue, Chicago
- (0:16) Bull's Boathouse / S. Lumber Street And S. Canal Street, Chicago
- (0:18) Brian McCaffrey's Apartment / Roughly 1505 N. Wicker Park Avenue, Chicago (Note: His Apartment Was Next To The El On N. Honore Street)
- (0:20) Garment Warehouse Fire / Chicago Evangelical Hospital; 5401 S. Morgan Street, Chicago (Note: The Building Has Since Been Torn Down And Has Been Replaced With New Houses. The House Seen In The First Screen Shot Is Still Standing At 938 W. 54th Street)
- (0:49) The Firemen Gathering Up The Live Chickens After A Traffic Accident / N. Canal Street And W. Fulton Street, Chicago (Note: The Camera Is Looking Southeast)
- (0:51) The Building Where The McCaffrey Brothers Race To The Top Of The Stairs With The Hose / 4317 S. Paulina Street, Chicago (Note: This Building Has Since Been Torn Down. The Building In The First Screen Shot Is On The Southwest Corner Of S. Paulina Street And W. 43rd Street. The Building That Has A Long Green Roof Seen Between The Brothers Is Located On S. Paulina Street About Five Houses Down From The Corner Building)
- (0:52) The Save My Baby Fire / E. 50th Street And S. Prairie Avenue, Chicago (Note: The Building Has Since Been Torn Down)
- (0:57) Chinatown Firestation / 212 W. Cermak Road, Chicago
- (1:05) Theatre / Uptown Theatre; 4816 N. Broadway, Chicago
- (1:15) High-Rise Fire / 190 S. Lasalle Street, Chicago
- (1:36) Alderman Marty Swayzak's House / 306 1st Street, Hinsdale
- (1:49) The Firetruck Falls Over And Skids Along The Road / S. Jefferson Street and S. Lumber Street, Chicago
- (1:50) Final Fire Along The River / 2242 S. Grove Street, Chicago (Note: The Building Has Since Been Torn Down)
- (2:04) Funeral Procession Parade / N. Michigan Avenue Going Over The Chicago River, Chicago (Note: They Are Traveling South)
- (2:06) Cemetery For The Funeral / Graceland Cemetery; 4001 N. Clark Street, Chicago (Note: To Find The Exact Spot Within The Cemetery, This Is Just North Of Greenwood Avenue On The West Side Of Ridgeland Avenue. The Marshall Field Grave Is Across Ridgeland From There. The First Screen Shot Is Looking North)
- (2:11) Going To The Fire As The Credits Come Up / West Chicago And N. Lawndale Avenue, Chicago (Note: They Are Heading East On Chicago Avenue)
(Some Interior Locations)
- The Prison Scenes With Donald Sutherland / St. Annes Hospital; 4900 W. Thomas Street, Chicago (Note: The 6th Floor Was Used)
- The Hospital Where The Brothers Fight / The Edgewater Hospital; 5700 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago (Note: The Hospital Has Since Closed)
- The Retirement Party / Wozniak's Hall; 2530 S. Blue Island Avenue, Chicago (Note: The Building Has Since Been Torn Down)
- Swayzak's Office Building / 325 N. Wells Street, Chicago
Backdraft is one of my favorite movies and I enjoy looking at pictures of the filming locations.
ReplyDeleteI have two questions:
When you mention the Garment fire/old St. Anne's hospital and the "Save my baby fire", are they at the same location?
Do you know the location of the scene prior to the end credits when the fire engines are driving straight towards the Chicago skyline in the end credits?
I would appreciate the info.
Thank you.
Hi,
DeleteThanks for the nice comments. I hope to add more pictures for this movie soon.
To answer your questions I found the ending street for you (Chicago Avenue) and added it to the site. The save my baby fire and the garment factory fire are in two different locations.
Chas,
ReplyDeleteI caught this movie on TV the other day. Hadn't seen it in years. Good movie. Anyway, after watching I immediately went to your site to see if you had this film listed and, of course, you did. Sweet! Thing is, I'm surprised you have no listing (or even a mention of, along with a "Still searching for this location") for the house where Swayzak (J.T. Walsh) lived. This is the place where Donald (Robert DeNiro) got impaled on the fence out front. Have you ever searched for and/or found this place? A house number is visible in the movie; it's 306.
Owen
I was just wondering where is the fire house that Brian runs to after his car won't start?
ReplyDeleteThanks.
It is the main firehouse or the first one I mentioned. It would have been a very long run though.
DeleteIn scenes that were filmed but cut - Brian actually catches the El (filmed at)at the Madison and Wells station. then arrives on a run to work - late.
DeleteThe final scene where the fire truck pulls out of the station for the last time in the movie, it appears to pull out on a big boulevard. If you look at the fire station location at S Sacramento Ave & W 42nd St on google maps, the street looks completely different. Is this because of new construction in the area over the lat 20 years, or is it a simple movie edit?
ReplyDeleteThanks
The shot of the fire truck pulling out of the station and the shot through the fire truck's windshield are two different locations.
DeleteJust wondering if anyone knew the bar or club brian was at when swayzak got his picture taken with him and the fat chic fell off the chair?
ReplyDeleteThat was on a boat on the Chicago River.
DeleteA firefighter buddy and I were poking around in the building on Cermak used for the Chemical Plant fire. We found a building right across the alley from there that was also abandoned. It was the building used for the Garment Factory. We found the hole cut in the floor for the "You Go, We Go" scene. We also found a trash bag full of scripts and screen shot paperwork, which I still have to this day.
ReplyDeleteWould you be willing to part with one? My father is a firefighter, I loved watching this movie with him, I am visiting this weekend...
Deletebmollenhauer, would you be interested ingetting rid of that stuff? I am looking for any photos or memoribila from this movie. Please email me at bengel2658@yahoo.com if you would like to get rid of any of that stuff.Thank you very much,92fspx4
ReplyDeleteLocker room scenes were shot on the second floor of an unused firehouse at 14th and Michigan in Chicago. It is now the Chicago Firehouse restaurant.
ReplyDeleteThe party boat with Swayzak was The Spirit of Chicago which is berthed at Navy Pier.
Fire Department repair shops was located at 31st and Sacramento in Chicago but has since been relocated to Fleet Maintenance a huge facility at North and Throop in Chicago.
Roof caving in scene was shot on the roof of a parking garage at The South Loop Marketplace at Roosevelt and Clinton in Chicago. This location has been demolished.
Elevator Shaft scene was a set built and slowly lowered into the Main North High School pool at 9511 West Harrison in DesPlaines, IL.
Interiors for the chemical factory, Stephen carrying kid out of fire, office fire that burned Tim and a few others were done at the Chicago Studio City located at 5660 West Taylor in Chicago. The building that housed the actual fire scenes has been torn down because of unsafe conditions.
The interior of the Chinatown firehouse (De Niro office) was an out of service fire house located at 43rd and Paulina.
I'm pretty sure the final scene leaving the station before credits is at chicago and lamon, not chicago and lawndale. 4900 w. chicago.
ReplyDeleteThe chemical fire was filmed at the old Cuneo Press bldg.,which was the scene of a major 5-11 fire on April 14,1989.The fireboat used was the Joseph Medill,Engine 37,which now is a stripped hulk in Escanaba,Mi.
ReplyDeleteThe elevator shaft scene was shot in the high dive well of Rehm Pool in Oak Park! The scene was built over the top. As the fall weather had gotten much cooler the week of filming, the crew needed to put hot packs atop the water. Outstanding crew & cast! Fabulous Chicago film!!!
ReplyDeleteSuzanne Vestuto
Retired Staff Liaison
Village of Oak Park
Any idea if the fierfighter uniforms that were worn were made buy rubin brothers?
ReplyDeletethey were made by rubin brothers ... I heard they filmed the elevator at rhem pool in oak park also .
ReplyDeleteCheck out all these behind the scenes pictures from the set of Backdraft provided by the screenwriter himself! Great on location shots.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/gregorywidenwriter
Media is reporting that one of the fire stations used in filming has burned down today. The address given is 1401 S. Michigan Ave but that's not one of them shown on this page. When, if at all, was this firehouse used in the movie?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-extraalarm-fire-burns-at-south-loop-eatery-20141210-story.html
I believe it was some interiors faked from the main fire station or from the interiors for the Chinatown scenes. It is too bad it caught fire.
DeleteThe 1401 Station was where Brian points out the old hayloft and is with Jennifer.
DeleteDo you have any shots of the scenes filmed at St. Anne's? The hospital closed in 1988, but I went to school there and worked there for a few years so I'd be interested in seeing the shots.
ReplyDeleteThe main building is still on 4950 W Thomas, but it is a retirement home now.
I think that other sorts of web site enthusiasts should certainly think about this blog site as a model. Remarkably clean and straightforward design and style, and moreover superior articles! You are a guru in this issue :)
ReplyDeleteWarehouse Chicago
Backdraft is I think on of the coolest movies. Cause it reminds me that there are Men & Women out there everyday saveing life's and putting theirs on the line to save others........
ReplyDeleteI think that other sorts of web site enthusiasts should certainly think about this blog site as a model. Remarkably clean and straightforward design and style, and moreover superior articles! You are a guru in this issue :)
ReplyDeleteRefrigerated Warehouse Chicago
The closing scenes inside the engine as it travels on a boulevard were filmed along Douglas Boulevard between Kedzie & Homan. The film then moves to an aeriel that filmed on Chicago Avenue.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWfm7NIUKYU
ReplyDeleteThank you. I enjoyed the video.
DeleteYou’re welcome!
DeleteWe live close to the McCaffery house and remember sitting in the backyard while copters hovered over the filming. Didn't know until the movie came out that was happening, back in the pre-internet days!!
ReplyDeleteThe Edgewater Hospital, the place where Tim was hospitalized was demolished.
ReplyDeleteThe "main" Edgewater hospital building has not been demolished - only buildings to the west have been - the hospital is being re-purposed into residential housing
ReplyDeleteThank you for the heads up!
DeleteI was in the old firehouse at 14th and Michigan, while they were filming. They used the building for multiple scenes. All of the male actors were present, including Donald Sutherland who's hand had so much makeup on that he had a hard time signing an autograph.
ReplyDeleteThey were all very kind, especially Ron Howard. It was a fun experience.
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ReplyDeletei am a massive universal studios fan and backdraft is up there in my top films list, was any of the movie shot at universal do u know?
ReplyDeleteand this is an amazing site I love to know abouts the location shoots and other movie stuff ie photos etc, keep up the good work
ReplyDeleteIn Chicago this week, and I hit all the major Spot for filming, 2242 south Grove street one of the buildings I believe is still standing.
ReplyDeleteInteresting spoof I found out. The graduation party scene at Emmit’s brain and Tim would never have been able to run to the first fire. The distance was several miles away.
Also the scene when they are on the boat and 17 is heading to the high rise fire which is the location of that bridge?
Thanks for posting this info. I just want to let you know that I just check out your site and I find it very interesting and informative. I can't wait to read lots of your posts. Doo Serie
ReplyDeleteJust that I love this movie watched it many times. I lived on 38 and Sacramento back then. And in the 60’s I lived at 950 W. 54th st. So right at the corner of Morgan. We lived right across the street from that hospital. Very cool.
ReplyDelete