"Celebrating 125 Years of Chicago's 'L' trains" (Five minutes - Premiered June 2017) A look at Chicago's network of elevated transit lines, which first opened to the public on June 6, 1892. Produced for the daily documentary series "Through the Decades" on the Decades Network.
Selected documentaries and non-fiction video
JOHN OWENS
"1968: A Year of Strife" (47 minutes - Premiered January 2018) It was a year of turmoil, change and revolution. This was 1968, one of the most explosive years in the 20th Century. Narrated by Bill Kurtis for the Decades Network.
"Blues Camp In Chicago" (Nine minutes - Premiered November 2011) A visit to a blues camp in Chicago, where children and teens are taught the basics of the blues by professional musicians. Produced for the Chicago Tribune.
"Conversations About Studs" (22 minutes - Premiered October 2004) Friends and colleagues look back at the life of Studs Terkel, the legendary Pulitzer Prize-winning oral historian, actor, broadcaster and activist. Produced for Chicago Tribune and WGN-TV's "People to People".
"The City's Pastime (42 minutes - Premiered June 2004) An off-beat history of Chicago baseball, from the preps to the pros. Narrated by Rick Kogan, produced for CLTV and the Chicago Tribune. (Won Chicago/Midwest Emmy for Best Documentary of Historic Significance for 2004/2005)
"The Best 10-Year-Old Hoops Player in the U.S." (Three minutes - Premiered March 2010) Chicagoan Jaylin Fleming is regarded by some as the most talented basketball player in the country, and he is routinely scouted by colleges and some professionals. And Jaylin Fleming is only 10 years old. Produced for the Chicago Tribune. Over 8.3 million views on YouTube.
"1968: The DNC" (47 minutes - Premiered August 2018) A look back at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where police and protestors battled in the streets, while the Democratic Party unraveled over Vietnam. Produced for the Decades Network.
"Buck O'Neil And Black Baseball In Chicago" (30 minutes - Premiered February 2009) A profile of legendary former Negro League manager and Chicago Cubs scout Buck O'Neil and his role in the rich history of African-American baseball players in Chicago. Produced for WYCC-PBS and the Chicago Baseball Museum.
"Blues Clubs In Chicago" (Eight minutes - Premiered November 2011) Chicago is the world's mecca for the blues. But in the 21st century, most of the blues clubs have moved from the city's South and West Sides to the prosperous North Side. Produced for the Chicago Tribune.
"Gangsters and Grifters" (Eight minutes - Premiered in December 2015) A look back at gangland violence in Chicago during the first half of the 20th century, as seen in recently unearthed photos from the period. Produced for the Chicago Tribune. Over 1.3 million views on YouTube.
"Lost Friends" (52 minutes - Premiered May 2014)Eight students from Chicago share their stories about losing friends to street violence in the city. Produced for the Chicago Tribune.
"The Eastland Disaster: New look at 100-year-old tragedy" (Seven minutes - Premiered July 2015) Over 800 people died when the S.S. Eastland capsized in the Chicago River on July 24, 1915. Now, 100 years later, recently unearthed photos from the Chicago Tribune and recently discovered film from various newsreel sources have given historians a new look at this American maritime tragedy. Produced for the Chicago Tribune.
"Off-Loop, On Stage" (46 minutes - Premiered October 2004) A history of the vibrant Chicago theater scene, which has produced a variety of talents from venues like the Steppenwolf Theatre, Second City and the Goodman Theatre. Produced for CLTV and Chicago Tribune. (Nominated for Chicago/Midwest Emmy for Best Documentary of Historic Significance for 2004/2005)
"The Angel Of Lower Wacker Drive" (Premiered November 2013) For the past 12 years, Dr. Patrick Angelo has delivered meals and warm clothes twice weekly to the homeless living on Lower Wacker Drive in Chicago. Produced for the Chicago Tribune.
"Starstruck In Chicago" (Six minutes - Premiered May 2013) Historians and movie experts look back at vintage celebrity spotting in Chicago, as pictured in recently unearthed photos from the archives of the Chicago Tribune.
"Oil Safari" (72 minutes - Premiered July 2006) Gasoline at a Chicago-area gas station is traced to its international sources --from Iraq to Venezuela to Louisiana to Southern Illinois -- revealing the gripping stories of lives that are touched -- for better and worse -- by a tank full of gas. Produced for WYCC-PBS, Chicago Tribune and Link-TV. (Nominated for Chicago/Midwest Emmy for Best Documentary of Current Significance for 2006/2007.)
"The Power Of The Pulpit" (30 minutes - Premiered in February 2005) - A look at Chicago's long-influential African-American clergy and its role in the city's political scene. Produced for Chicago Tribune and WGN-TV's "People to People."
"Behind The Scenes at 'Blue Man Group'" (Five minutes - Premiered September 2012) Go behind the scenes at "Blue Man Group" with the show's longtime musical director/drummer, Jeff Quay, who has been with the show since its Chicago opening in October 1997. Produced for the Chicago Tribune.
"Kenwood's Journey" (53 minutes - Premiered October 2014) High school students from Chicago's Kenwood Academy get the chance of a lifetime -- the opportunity to play at Chicago's Symphony Center, with the help of jazz pianist Jason Moran. Produced for Chicago Tribune and aired on WYCC-PBS. (Won Chicago/Midwest Emmy for Best Documentary of Cultural Significance for 2014/2015)
"Chicago Under The Gun: 2013" (28 minutes - Premiered January 2014) A look at the impact of gun violence in Chicago's neighborhoods, as seen through the eyes of its victims and their families. Narrated by Rick Kogan for the Chicago Tribune. Over 760,00 views on YouTube. (Nominated for Chicago/Midwest Emmy of Topical Significance for 2013/2014)
"Reginald Robinson And The Music Called Ragtime" (29 minutes - Premiered in April 2005) Reginald Robinson taught himself how to play ragtime while growing up poor on Chicago's West Side. He became a concert master of this music, who was awarded a MacArthur Foundation genius grant. Produced for WYCC-PBS and the Chicago Tribune.
"Dick Tracy Leaps Into Action" (Seven minutes - Premiered October 2016) Colleagues and relatives of cartoonist Chester Gould talk about his landmark comic strip "Dick Tracy" and its lasting influence on pop culture, almost 90 years after it debuted on Oct. 4, 1931. Produced for the daily documentary series "Through the Decades" on the Decades Network. Narrated by Bill Kurtis.
"Remembering Riverview" (Five minutes - Premiered June 2011) A former employee of Chicago's Riverview Park (1903 - 1967) leads a group of actors on a tour of the site where the legendary amusement park once stood. Produced for the Chicago Tribune.
"The Chicago River": New symphony based on vintage photos (Five minutes - Premiered May 2013) A preview of Orbert Davis' new jazz symphony, "The Chicago River", inspired by vintage photos of the reversal of the Chicago River in the early 20th Century. Produced for the Chicago Tribune.
"Under Wraps" (15 minutes - Premiered May 2015) A look at the current state of shuttered urban movie palaces and how these venues can be repurposed in the 21st century. Produced for the Chicago Tribune.
"Century of Progress, 80 years later (Five minutes - Premiered in May 2013) Historians comment on rarely seen images of the 1933-34 Century of Progress World's Fair, which first opened on Northerly Island in Chicago on May 27, 1933. The images are from the Chicago Tribune's archive of glass plate and 4 x 5 negatives.
Road Rituals on Lower Wacker Drive" (Five minutes - Premiered July 2015) On a subculture of motorists who race and do car stunts on Chicago's Lower Wacker Drive during the late night and early morning hours, even though their actions aren't legal and have raised the concern of city officials. Produced for the Chicago Tribune.
"Football In Chicago" (122 minutes - Premiered January 2007)Chicago's colorful football history, from late 19th century to the early 21st century, from the preps to the pros. Produced for WYCC-PBS and the Chicago Tribune. (Nominated for National Sport Emmy for Best Broadband Documentary for 2006/2007)
"Women Crossing Borders" (30 minutes - Premiered November 2005) Profiles of six female immigrants who traverse cultures and deal with adversities as they attempt to establish themselves in America. Produced for Chicago Tribune and CLTV.