Repeating the plunge

Car hurls off Marina City for an ad this time

One of the most spectacular movie stunts ever filmed in Chicago was restaged Sunday when a black Oldsmobile Cutlass smashed through the cables on the 17th floor of Marina City and executed a graceful somersault -- plunging 180 feet into the center of the Chicago River.

The stunning splash was a re-creation of a similar scene shot 27 years ago during Steve McQueen's final film, "The Hunter."

But this was no movie remake. Sunday's take will be part of a million-dollar-plus commercial for Allstate Insurance in which two drivers get into a fender-bender on Wacker Drive after being distracted by the river plunge.

Stephanie Simpson, an art director at the Leo Burnett ad agency, envisioned a commercial that would pay homage to great Hollywood chase scenes while ending up with one of those realistic crashes featured in Allstate's ads.

Doing research, she discovered "The Hunter" stunt and found it was filmed right across the river from her office. The rest is history. The shoot also borrowed from "The French Connection," transposing its famous under-the-L-tracks chase to Lake Street between LaSalle and Wabash.

Those scenes, filmed Saturday, proved even more challenging than Sunday's dive, said director Phil Joanou.

"The jump was something we had total control over. The really tough part was closing off five city blocks and racing 75 mph under the tracks and making sure that no civilians got out on the street."

Joanou, director of several feature films, including "Gridiron Gang," said, "We're trying to create a cinematic experience. If I were shooting this for a $50 million movie I wouldn't be doing it any different."

agolab@suntimes .com