We do documentaries.

There is nothing better than telling the story of a person, a place, or a time. Know of something interesting that needs its story to be told? Let us tell that story. Not only will we tell the story, but we'll tell it in a compelling, honest way that will seal the legacy that the place, person, or time deserves.

A project about the old Coliseum Ballroom in Benld, IL, was begun last October. This video will explore bands and individuals who performed there from its inception in 1924 until the 1980’s when it ceased to be a dance hall. Bands from the Big Band era performed there, bands like the Dorsey Brothers, Sammy Kaye, Guy Lombardo, and many other well-known bands of the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. When rock and roll hit the mainstream, the Coliseum kept on rolling with performers like Fats Domino, Ike and Tina Turner, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Joey Dee and the Starliters, Johnny and the Hurricanes, the Bob Kuban Band, and many others. In later years, the Guild became a regular among a host of other well-known bands, both regional and national. It was one of the Midwest’s best kept secrets on the music scene.

The Coliseum Project

The project will take at least a year, and if you have a story to share about a group you saw perform there, we’d like to hear it. If you have any photos taken at the Coliseum, we’d love to use them and give you credit. And, especially if you have any 16mm, 8mm, or Super 8 film, we’d love to copy it and include it in the film. If anyone ever took a photo of the signature wall backstage, it’s worth its weight in gold because it has since been covered up. In short, we want your help in putting this story together. We’re not adverse to accepting donations as well, because right now we’re footing the whole bill. If you’d like to donate anything (money, photos, film, stories), please contact us on our website www.soundandimage.org. Or you can call Jim Marcacci at 217-825-4111 or email Bruce Logsdon at fandangobruce@yahoo.com. Thanks, and you can keep up with the latest on this documentary by checking our website.