August 19, 2014

The Red Lion: "Home of the Poet's Pint"



 

The Red Lion Pub in Chicago's Lincoln Park on 2446 North Lincoln Avenue directly across from the Biograph Theatre

The Red Lion Pub has just been rebuilt and reopened after having been closed for 6 long years.  I have been a regular since moving to Chicago in 1988. It's a British pub with a real British pedigree.  The original building was built in 1882 and went through a variety of owners until being purchased in 1984 by prominent local architect and former City Planning Commissioner John Cordwell.  In addition to being the Mayor's point man on urban development in the 1950s, Cordwell had previously been a Royal Air Force pilot shot down over Germany during WWII and served as a Prisoner of War.  He was part of the group that engineered The Great Escape that was later made into the classic Steve McQueen movie.  The character based on Cordwell was depicted on screen by Donald Pleasance. After his years at City Hall and as a successful private sector architect, Cordwell wanted to become a 'publican' so purchased the building across from the Biograph Theatre and opened The Red Lion Pub and served as host until his death in 1999 where he always looked resplendent in RAF mustache and ascot while cradling a glass of the very best port.

John Cordwell aka "Cordwell the Elder"

 
From the very start, The Red Lion was a saloon where conversation reigned as there was no music and only one old TV for watching old movies (usually British and/or War movies) and it quickly became a hangout for writers, actors, professors, politicos, and history buffs. The elder Cordwell was a great storyteller and us younger guys just liked basking in his presence as the local powerbrokers, world leaders, and stars of stage and screen settled in with those who just liked to enjoy a few pints and a good talk into the wee small hours.
Donald Pleasance who played the forger based on John Cordwell in The Great Escape

 
Upstairs in the old building, the Red Lion would host amateur theatricals and became a hangout for many in the theatre community with Brian Dennehy often stopping in. A small theatrical troupe led by Barbara Gaines had the lofty ambition of becoming a Shakespeare Company and back in 1986 held their first production of Henry V on the 2nd floor patio.

Barbara Gaines founder of Chicago Shakespeare Theatre during their inaugural production
of Henry V in 1986 on The Red Lion's upstairs patio.
 
That little troupe that started outside on The Red Lion patio grew to be one the world's preeminent Shakespeare Companies performing in front of 225,000 attendees each year and doing outreach to 40,000 Chicago area school children.  I have much more I want to say about Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and will do so in a couple of upcoming posts.

Colin Cordwell, Red Lion Pub proprietor, aka "First Lord of Chicago Barkeeps"
 
When John Cordwell died in 1999, his son Colin Cordwell took the helm and has been our very charming and gracious host ever since.  One of Colin's highlights was the night Christopher Hitchens stopped in.  Colin and I have long been admirers of  'Hitch' for a variety of reasons and for Colin, like Hitch, a Great War (WWI) poetry aficionado, it was a real treat as they spent an hour and a half volleying passages (over Macallan 18) by Owen, Graves, Sassoon, McCrae, et al.  I wasn't there during Hitch's visit as I was in Baghdad serving in the Army.  When I was home on leave from Iraq in October 2007, my friends hosted a reception for me at The Red Lion and Colin told me of Hitch's visit.  Hitch had been the most eloquent and forceful advocate for the Iraq War and for that he was very dear to me (**see footnote below).     



The late Christopher Hitchens aka 'Hitch' who stopped in one memorable evening
and discussed Great War poetry with Colin over Macallan 18


Not a very good picture taken during a pre-opening party July 11, 2014
Lighting now much more subdued!

The old building had fallen into severe disrepair after 120 years and in 2008 had to be closed down and rebuilt.  There were many complications but finally Colin got a new building erected and opened only about 3 weeks ago. I can report that the new building's interior feels new and different but with the many bookcases bulging and the spruce beams it has the wonderful ambience of a very clubby library.  There is now a little music (such as the Beatles) that hovers unintrusively in the background but it remains a saloon for conversation.  The front room is known as The Great War room with some memorabilia commemorating Colin's grandfather, a highly decorated British soldier, wounded (bayoneted) at Gallipoli. There is a wall devoted to his father's exploits during WWII and upstairs is The Africa Room in honor of his mother, a noted Africa Scholar, with some artifacts from her travels there.

The cozy upstairs  Africa Room



I donated this Dr Johnson portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds that is hanging prominently
over the main floor in a frame I will soon be replacing with something more suitable.


Colin says he feels more like a steward than owner and he is the gracious host that makes you feel even more than welcome...like you belong. For me, it would have a special place in my heart regardless but I did donate a number of my favorite books: Complete Shakespeare, Harvard Classics, and many works either by or about my hero Dr Johnson who, as I noted in a previous post, famously said: "There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn."

Directly across the street from The Red Lion is the famous Biograph Theatre where John Dillinger was gunned down by
G-men in 1934 after 'The Lady in Red' gave him up. That crowd above has assembled around the corpse.
 
**I enlisted in the US Army back in August 2006 after they raised the maximum enlistment age allowing me to serve for the first time since 9/11/2001. While I arrived at my reasons for supporting the Iraq War independent of Hitch, he was the most eloquent, tireless, and fearless spokesman for a cause I strongly believed in.  Hitch, like me, had many friends who were very anti-Iraq war and I always felt a strong connection to him as a comrade in arms, hard-drinking raconteur, and loved his brilliant writings on literature.

***GSL has no financial or official involvement with The Red Lion Pub of any kind.



20 comments:

  1. We have a few pubs here in Victoria but without the Hitchins link.
    It is a great comfort to be able to go for a beverage in style.
    I love ambiance and dark beams period lighting and great service...Mr. HB is a scotch aficionado and drinks Lagavulin...I prefer a French 75.
    If you visit our town you might want to go to Clives, The Bard and The Banker or The Irush Times...

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    1. Hostess, you must bring Mr HB to The Red and we'll get him a wee dram of some Speyside and we'll slip you into a French 75.
      I'll reference your pub list when I make my way to Victoria.
      Slainte'

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  2. Cordwell the Elder sounds like quite the interesting chap. His pub was his blog-passing around interesting stories and encouraging an atmosphere of camaradery
    I have my eye on the comfy chair in the Africa Room....

    ps Hitch was a wonderful writer

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    1. Cordwell the Elder was one of the best storytellers I've ever heard and Colin hasn't fallen far from the tree. Once the crowds die down this winter, I plan on spending a lot of time in that Africa Room curled up with a good book and a stiff drink.
      Bebe, I'll hold a seat for you and Hedge.

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  3. Hitch was a great Ming whether or not one agreed with him. His brother is still active in London though of a different temperament. There's a great show on bbc I player about great poets of the ww1 era that you might enjoy use tunnel bear to confuse your location and you should be able to see it. What a great pub and looks better than most pubs over here!!

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    1. Naomi, yes there were a number of things I had a very different opinion from Hitch but I greatly admired his courage, towering intellect, and relentless zeal in pressing his case. I have read a fair bit of Peter's writings too and find myself in close alignment with much of what he says.

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  4. I'd like to doll up and head over to your pub this evening, I know MrBP would gladly accompany me and I'd have a hard time peeling him away from the sounds of it. What a brilliant place and what a history you have there GSL, it must indeed feel like home.

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    1. It does feel like home Dani and that's exactly what I told Colin at that 'Homecoming' party prior to the official opening. I think you, MrBP, and a Young Rascal or 2 would have a wonderful time on a long weekend trip to Chicago this Fall. Your enchanting Colour Story needs to be seen and heard in The Red Lion.

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  5. What a wonderful spot. I have yet to find a place locally to drop in when I'm seeking good conversation. Hitch was one of a kind: what a delightful evening that must have been.

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    1. Jen, you'd be right at home in The Red...we'll be busy getting everything arranged to host the 'Engage The Fox' authoress that is causing a stir.
      Now what's this business of "comments off" at Hotel de Ram'...? I may need to have a word with the concierge and just let her know that if there is a recently de-commissioned boyfriend having hissy fits like a little girl then I can send over a couple of my boys to teach him some manners.

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  6. How nice to have such a storied pub at your disposal, and one that has reopened with enough "improvements" to still be recognizable and keep the ambiance much as it was when you first frequented the joint.

    I am so tired of having old favorites close for "updating" or "renovation" only to have them reopen
    with all of their charm having been stripped away. Who do these places think they'll be catering to?

    I bet any evening in the company of the esteemed Mr. Hitchens would have been an evening of sparkling and witty conversation not to be forgotten for a very long time.

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    1. CD, Based on your delightful blog posts, I can tell that The Red is a pub where you'd feel right at home. It is unfortunately true about how old favorites can get overdone into glossy cash cows by restaurant/nightclub hustlers looking to make their front end money, flip it, and then run out the door as the place burns down. Cordwell the Elder walked away from a lucrative career in real estate development to create something special as a labor of love. Colin is a former teacher who likes nothing more than to have a chat with a new acquaintance about literature, history, politics. etc. His wounded in action grandfather is honored in the front room, his prisoner of war father is honored on a wall, and his late mother is honored upstairs in the Africa Room. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that The Red Lion prospers long into the future.

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  7. what a wonderful story! you are doing your friend great justice with these wonderful and loving posts! I am coming with Dani and Mr. BP. I will bring my own (para)military man!

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    1. Now Wendy, you and Dani need to plan a trip to Chicago by years end. I can guarantee you that with my input on itinerary you'd both (and also MrBP & Barry) would have one of the best trips you've ever had. I've always said that from mid-September to Christmas Eve is the very best time to be in Chicago.

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  8. You should write copy for The Red! Such a beautiful tribute to the family and their heritage you have written!
    I would love to take a turn upstairs in The Africa Room in that cozy chair with a good book and a glass of Cab on a winter's eve! How lovely to have The Red in your zip code and I am sure they are grateful for you,too!
    Bless you for your service to our country,G!

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    1. Thank you my dear Trudye! I should mention that we have an IV medical conference being scheduled late Fall in that Africa Room. I'll be sure to hold rezzies for you & Dr G and have a well pored Cab waiting for in that cozy chair.

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  9. What a fascinating place - I can see why it's your home away from home. Love the background on the hosts, and it sounds like such a wonderful place to while away the hours. It's so rare to find institutions like this nowadays - everyone does a full scale renovation every 3-5 years trying to attract the hip crowd, and kills the character in the process.

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    1. I know what you mean Heidi and stopped keeping up with "the new hot restaurant/bar" scene about 10 years ago. Right now The Red is getting some of that hip crowd since there has been a lot of buzz and it's crowded every single night so I only stop in once a week. Once the hipsters move on, the days get shorter, and their is a nip in the air we can get down to some serious Public Housing.

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  10. What a great post! I wish I could visit this pub this weekend. It seems like just the place for me. I was a fan of Christopher Hitchens' writing in Vanity Fair. He was always controversial but so intelligent and convincing. The pieces he wrote about his battle with cancer I found very moving. He is missed!

    Don't you hate it when the hipsters take over a place that's close to your heart? That's happened to a few places here in Park Slope and it drives me crazy. I want them to take their facial hair and plaid shirts and fakery and move their party somewhere else. (Apologies if you have a beard. Ha.) XO, Jill

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    1. No beard here but I do too often let myself get a little grubby from time to time.

      Jill, weren't you who Spike Lee was railing at over "Brooklyn Hipsters" disrespecting HIS neighborhood??? Actually I think you may be the among the even less fashionable click who so horribly "gentrify" (hipsters say this word in a disdainful tone as if it's synonymous with torturing puppies) a neighborhood by fixing up old lodgings, being gainfully employed in the private sector, paying taxes, and raising children to become responsible citizens.

      You should hang your head in shame!

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