Essanay Studios

Essanay Film Manufacturing Company used a large complex at 1333-45 W. Argyle Street with several stages and office spaces for film production. The site had indoor rooms with modern lighting as well as an outdoor area for daylight shooting.

George Kirke Spoor and Gilbert M. Anderson founded the company in 1907 and produced over 1400 films there for about ten years. The business closed its doors in Chicago after the end of World War I.

The company produced films with an in-house ensemble of young actors who later became famous and shaped American silent cinema. Today an official plaque marks the former production site and the people who worked there.

The site is on Argyle Street in the Uptown neighborhood and is reachable by public transport, although no film production takes place there anymore. Visitors can see the exterior facade and learn more about the history of Chicago's silent film era.

An early short film starring Ben Turpin brought in thousands of dollars within a short time, even though production costs were only a few hundred dollars. Such profit margins made the company one of the most profitable studios of early American cinema.

Location: Chicago

Inception: 1907

Founders: George Kirke Spoor, Broncho Billy Anderson

Industry: filmmaking

Address: 1333-45 W. Argyle St.

GPS coordinates: 41.97250,-87.66389

Latest update: December 20, 2025 15:22