"Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Adapts" --Motto for the 1933-34 Chicago World's Fair.

The Century of Progress International Exhibition hit Depression-era Chicago like a ton of bricks in 1933, presenting a promise of an exciting, better, future through super-science!

Located at the then-new Burnham Park, along the Lake Michigan shoreline between 12th and 39th Streets, it took the progressive themes of 1893's World's Columbian Exhibition to new levels.

So, it was only logical that the exhibits would include a showcase for one of the most-popular fictional characters of the era--Buck Rogers, whose 25th Century-based exploits had reached Harry Potter-level popularity, even though he had been introduced to the public only five years earlier!  Buck's comic-strip ran in newspapers in every major city, and the radio show based on it was among the highest-rated programs, adult or children's, on the air!

The Buck Rogers Theatre was located on Enchanted Island, the kid-oriented section of the Fair.  Besides a gift shop selling Buck toys, clothing, and comics to fairgoers, it's primary attraction was a 10-minute movie filmed at the Action Film Studios in Chicago. The one-reel film starred John Dille Jr., the son of National Newspaper Service president John Dille, as Buck. (The Chicago-based National Newspaper Service syndicated the Buck strip, and handled merchandise licensing.)  Wilma was played by Dille, Jr's girlfriend, and the film's director Harlan Tarbell (who was also a noted stage magician), played Dr. Huer in an ill-fitting bald skullcap.

Despite somewhat-hammy acting and primitive special effects, including a pretty extensive battle between fleets of spaceships, the movie was a major hit.  When the Exhibition closed, the movie was re-used for in-store presentations in department stores' toy sections to promote Buck Rogers merchandise!  It was retired from public screenings when the Buck Rogers movie serial starring Buster Crabbe debuted in 1939, to avoid confusing the audience with two radically-different live-action Bucks!

Since then, it sat in the Dilles' Chicago basement until 1983, when the daughter of the "star" found the cannister while reorganizing, and donated the film to UCLA's FIlm Archive, who restored it. The movie is presented as the video attachment to this article.

Tune in tomorrow to It Came from Chicago! for...the other incarnation of Buck Rogers with a totally-different Chicago connection!

And check out the Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention this weekend!  After all, Buck Rogers began as a pulp character!