Always an Original: Episode 2 | The Madhouse

Always an Original: Episode 2 | The Madhouse

100 years in the making. The Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. There. Hawks Win! Duncan Keith is hit right in the face. Marian Hossa’s first Blackhawks’ playoff goal! Listen to this crowd! Kane has a hat trick! Goal on his first shot in the National Hockey League! Eddie O! Big save by Belfour! Doug Wilson! Eric Daze! First Blackhawk goal at the new United Center! In Chicago’s Near West Side, on the corner of Roosevelt and Blue Island Avenue, can be found a fragment of history. Echoes of it’s past still linger. For some, it might be easily overlooked, but look closer… there, hidden in plain sight, is evidence that represented a city’s cultural heart for nearly 65 years. What once stood as part of an
art deco temple roughly two miles away housed musical milestones, unforgettable entertainment and athletic exhilaration. Performances that defined eras. Enduring proof that once served
as Chicago’s world stage. A preserved relic of it’s time, it remains a silent witness to the spectacles
that were once forged within it’s walls, and still carry on into generations. From the vision of promoter
Paddy Harmon led to the blueprints that materialized a fortress of
bare steel, concrete and stone. When finished in 1929, it was the world’s largest indoor arena. In the untamed sprawl of
Chicago’s West Side, a battleground where chaos was as unforgiving as the gritty neighborhood it called home. The stadium rose
from the ground to towering trusses stretched overhead, similar to that of a barn. The massive beams did more than hold a roof. Every cheer, every noise ricocheted and multiplied into a cavernous steel cathedral of reverberating fury. Built for function over luxury. No frills, no distractions, no gimmicks. The events it hosted were it’s pure focus. Seats stacked in triple tiers, steep enough, where the crowd appeared to hang over the ice, as if a fierce storm of loyal fans formed over their opponents. At its heart live the Barton pipe organ. The largest ever built with 3663 pipes Strong enough to rattle the stadium like thunder. This was where fans cheer through the national anthem, drowning out the singer with pure passion and pride. When the Blackhawks scored like a well-timed symphony of deafening hysteria, the yachts foghorn, the organs roar
and thousands of voices all erupted like a shockwave
of triumph on Madison Street. Those who felt at first-hand rarely
would it have become a faded memory. It created an experience that lasted a lifetime. This was more than an arena. It was a Madhouse. And a big hello hockey fans from the Chicago Stadium, my, they are inspirational in this building. It’s jam packed and the roar has been
going since 5:00 this afternoon. No building pumps up the volume like this one. A smaller ice surface. The pipe organ. A national anthem that builds to a crescendo. The pipes are built into the rafters. And if they turned it up, full volume would shatter every piece of glass in the building. The fans are going right now,
as the Hawks come on to the ice for a standing ovation. Absolutely love it. There’s nothing like the enthusiasm
generated by the Chicago Stadium, but they say this is the only rink in the NHL
where you can suffer hearing loss. These fans will try to contribute. Can this crowd help the Hawks
as much as the Hawks hope it can help? If this crowd doesn’t get them going The organ, the diesel horn, I’ll tell you, this is one crowd. You’re going to hear a noise. Possibly the biggest crowd ever in this building. Doug Wilson of Chicago Was saying the other day,
if you don’t get pumped up during the playing of the anthem in this building then you’d better check your heartbeat. You may not be alive. It is deafening in the stadium here during the National anthem. They are ready for postseason play in the stands. As I said earlier, in this building, you feel the noise.
and that’s the boat horn from the owner’s yacht.
Every time they score and at the start of the game That goes off and that can scare you. Listen to the crowd. They’re all on their feet! No one is left. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s Chicago Stadium. That’s hockey. There’s one thing that you know,
if you’re from here, there’s no place that’s quite like Chicago. Have you ever been inside the madhouse and heard just how loud the crowd goes? See, back in the day, and across the street. They cheered so loud our troops
heard it from across the sea. They filled the rafters with battle cries and laughter. And show the world what it means to be free. There’s something sacred in our voices
that’s powerful enough to alter the fate of the game. To any rookie that’s never been to chi-town. Once you have, you’ll never be the same. Oh, say, can you scream your lungs to the brink of collapse. Both those in the nosebleeds and those kissing the glass. Because every one of us bleeds. And some of us lose teeth. But everybody screams while they sing to the flag. To this day we amplify the echoes that have lasted our tradition is to be heard in the future, from the past. It makes you wonder whether fans get energy from the players, or whether players get their energy from the fans. It’s a musical performance, but it’s one that needs to be done properly. Oh, say, can you see. By the dawn’s early light. I mean, of course we all sing it as kids, you know, and I sometimes say I feel guilty making a career of singing a song that we learned in first grade. What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? The very first time was, I was a graduate student at Loyola. They had no PA announcer. And I said, why doesn’t somebody do that? So I just kind of volunteered and started doing it. Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight? Before the game, I would, press the button and play a cassette of Kate Smith singing the national anthem. And, one day I hit the button and it just… It just gobbled it up. And so everyone was looking around, and I thought, I know the song, so what the heck? So I just sang it. O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming. The Chicago Stadium had special memories
for everyone who grew up in Chicago. It was a place that hugged you back. And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air. I would say that the anthem became an, an event unto itself. By the mid 80s, solidly. Gave proof through the night That our flag was still there. The routine was pretty similar. I mean, it was almost exact game from game. Park in three and a half. Walk up to the, the press box area and
then walk all the way around and then come over to where the organ loft was and the entrance was just really bizarre. It was a cage and a gate that you had to crank open. And then the steepest metal ladder. To me, it was like, I don’t know, it was like
walking into the Roman Colosseum. Oh, say, does that star spangled banner yet wave It was always a buzz and an anticipation. Because it was very theatrical. The crowd was always was always ready for the game. The explosion didn’t happen right away. Or the land of the free and the home of the brave. I’ll tell you, this is one crowd you’re going to hear a noise, possibly the biggest crowd ever in this building for a hockey game. I think it you could anticipate that, the crowd wasn’t ready to just throw in the towel. Down 0-2 in a best of seven. It was the first time I had ever heard kind of….. A weird rumbling. With the first notes they just exploded. Oh, say can you…. And it became, “Wait a minute here. Let’s. Let’s win this thing.” What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s… It was spontaneous. It was honest. It was a true emotion. And then the next night, it happened again. It worked for game three, so they went nuts. And it worked for game four. And this crowd began a roar as the Blackhawks came out onto the ice surface. And they will continue to roar. As a matter of fact, they will undoubtedly be roaring right through the anthem as they did the other night. You get the person next to you losing their mind. You can’t help but get excited. That’s what really fueled it. And it has kept that eternal flame going even to today. Through the National Hockey League’s all star fans. It’s the National Hockey League’s all star building,
and it’s the 42nd NHL All Star Game. I could sense that it was very special. I knew that it was important before I began singing. I will tell you that, when the crowd is making that much sound, measured at 110dB, it’s difficult to hear yourself. One would think the world’s largest
theater organ would be easy to hear. of the free.. and the home of the brave! I, I remember I was drenched with sweat. I really started sobbing. Every local and national newscast opened and closed with that video, and then it hit me, you know, I said, well, I think I did some pretty good today. YOu do ? Never, They said there was no no picture taken. Announcer: Up the middle is Stan Mikita. Mikita coming up to center ice. Mikita has two defensemen to try to beat. He beats one. He beats two. He scores! Number 500! The place went nuts. Lot of, hats on the ice. It wasn’t a hat trick,
but they were throwing something. Harvey Wittenberg: his 500th National Hockey League goal STAN MIKITA! Stan spent his entire career here. Rightfully so. Should be looked upon as
the greatest Blackhawk ever. To honor Stan, in the fall, as soon as
we get our schedule, we’re going to have a Stan Mikita night. and his number the first number
in the history of the Blackhawks. At that time will be retired. And it was the first game
I was able to work on the radio. And so I was thrilled. I’m 26 years old and I’m doing
my first NHL game, and I’m out of my mind, and they’re retiring the jersey
of a legend who I grew up watching play hockey for the Blackhawks. And as soon as I got this jersey, I put it on, and I’m thinking
to myself, it’s retired now. You’re not going to need it anymore. And, you know, maybe
somebody else would enjoy it. And I handed the jersey to my dad, as a way of saying thank you
for what you’ve done for me. I think that was probably, if not
the proudest moment of my life. It was one of the one of the better ones. In the third period, which, We’re now at the 8:56 mark. Bobby Hull scoring from Balfour and Hay to make it one nothing Chicago. Announcer: Well that was quite a demonstration Announcer: Well that was quite a demonstration by the Blackhawk fans. All set to start play again. This is the story of an immigrant
who sat 100ft above the ice and played the world’s greatest organ with 3000 some odd pipes. He played so loud in quiet riots by shattering the lights, but he played too much, and they had to ban him from playing Three Blind Mice. You see, a sound wave doesn’t disappear. Like a legacy. It lingers. Mr. Melgard knew this all too well
and told his story with only 9 fingers Who knew the the son of a blacksmith
would play such angelic tones. And the monster that Barton built
to rattle you so loud from your bones. Now it’s fitting that he played an organ in the heart of the city. Little did he know that he would become a part of it. While most people inside the madhouse are patients. Al gave it life. And in turn, became the heart of it. He fell in love with music on the south side by the lake in the city of Big Shoulders, where
his parents raised him to be great. So here’s a moment of silence for Chicago’s organ beater, who knew more than most what it means to have what it takes. Hi, I’m Ron Bogda and I used to be the organist at the old Chicago Stadium. I, took over when Al Melgard retired. I started taking lessons from Al Melgard about, 1957. Grew up in Oak Park and coincidentally, right down the street from Al Melgard. I remember one day, I went in for a lesson. Al said to me, I got time after your lessons over. Let’s go down to the stadium and I’ll turn it on and you can play it. So we just jumped in the car and drove down the street. Walked in the place and. Wow. It’s empty. We can go up to the organ. He can turn it on. It was really quite a sensation. And because of his association with the Barton Company, he was, finishing up a contract and committed to be their organist
exclusively for the first 6 months, which was one of the reasons he was not available when the stadium first came online. They had Ralph Emerson come in as a
concert artist to dedicate the organ. and so forth, six months or so when he moved to California. And that’s when, Al came and took over the work at the stadium. There was, a couple of real big organs built within about two years, both before the stadium went up. And they both had five manual Wurlitzer organs. So when Paddy Harmon decided
he was going to build a new building, Well, we got to do better than these guys. So they created this six manual organ, which was done in collaboration
with Dan Barton from the Barton Organ Company. There were, four chambers. And in the center the blower room and the relay room,
which were the controls for the organ. So it was intended to be spread out over the building to give maximum coverage. And because it was so high when you looked up there, all you saw was it looked like, gee, there’s a wooden floor hanging from the ceiling. You could feel the vibrations of the organ. Suppose I was playing something loud
for some reason, and you just, you know, were leaning on a railing over here or this or that. You you could feel it, and Oh, it was loud. Had the potential to be very, very, very loud. The console, of course, was at the end of the building. As you played, You were sending the electrical signal
from the console through the cable up the wall, across the ceiling
to the center of the building. When you first play it, the first sensation is, and then you hear it. And if you’re playing something that’s fast,
you just play, play, play. Don’t listen. Just play it. I would play while the building is filling up. And I never left the bench until the game was over. And they’re turning the lights off. I used to get a lot of requests for a happy birthday. So I just play happy birthday sometime. It’s got to be somebody’s birthday in that building. Stan Mikita was one of the outstanding players at the time. And so I would play, Czechoslovakian music. You know, he’d look up, Say they’re moving down the ice. It’s a breakaway. I could play bum, bum bum bum you know, build up. Let’s get the audience clapping. Mail would come in and it would say, Al Melgard Chicago Stadium. And that’s all that was on the envelope. Come with a $0.02 stamp. The officials don’t like that. Dear Mr. Dutton, In an endeavor to put a stop to
the practice of throwing things on the ice. Instructions have been issued to organist Al Melgard that in the future, he has to refrain from playing “Three Blind Mice” or doing anything else which might prejudice the fans against the officials or incite them into throwing things on the ice. If you have any suggestions that would be helpful to us, we would be grateful to have same. Yours truly, William J. Tobin. It’s been a great ten years here. had a lot of good friends. A lot of good teammates. Probably played in front of the best fans in the world. Nervous. Scared. Fear of not producing. Even fear of disappointing Even our fans. Which in my heart I was still a hawk but at the time You know, got traded to Montreal. And they’re going to play a
good game in front of them, you know. I thought once I stepped on the ice
or going up the stairs, I’d be okay. No, I was nervous the whole time. The fact that I wanted to play so well
and play so good and help our team, our new team winning, but at the same time my heart was still here. (Announcers in French) When I got traded back here in ‘95, when I put the sweater back on, the colors were right. There were 21 stairs. 21 stairs Oh my goodness. The walk up. There were 21 stairs going down. And believe it or not, same number going back up. Going up the stairs, you knew if you had your legs or not that night that was when you’re going to be a gladiator. The gladiators are coming to the
surface or coming up from from underneath to do battle. And we thought we had a 1 or 2 goal lead
before the puck was even dropped, just because of the adrenaline that you get. It was one thing going up. It was one thing going down. and down was way more dangerous. You would hesitate the whole line would stop. Trying to get down those stairs to the dressing
room was a pain in the you know what. I hated those. That was probably the worst thing about the whole place, having to go up those stairs, and then down those stairs. You slipped a lot. You are on skates right? You would fall once in a
while, but you got used to it. Coming up the stairs probably took five years off my career. If you look in today’s game, the way they do it, on the you know, the television, they’ll show down the hallway. Usually it’s the starting goaltender
leads the team on to the ice. And then after that, it’s kind of up
to the players who wants to, you know, be in what order. Everybody would fall in line exactly
the way they knew where they should be. And, would be, of course, Tony
and then the other goaltender, and then I’d be behind that. and it just it was like a routine like everybody knew when they were going,
who they were following. I would always go out right behind the goaltender, Eddie would go first and I would go out second. The organist, you know, Frank Pellico
knew that we were on our way up. and as the organ got louder, the fans got louder. And it was just something that it made your blood boil. And going up those steps was like a slingshot for me. It was going to a place you love to be. There’s no there’s no better place than the ice. When I picked up the biscuit behind
our net and started down the ice, I could hear the seats go clattering
and the people getting out of their seats. The further I went, The faster I went and the louder they got. And by the time I got to the other end, releasing a cannonball at the opposition goal I could hear all those 22,000 people and a roar, that you… You can’t imagine. Announcer: This place is literally shaking with excitement. Bobby Hull from his own blue line, the Golden Jet driving at center in on the Ranger defense. And it wasn’t so much that I was the first to break 50 goals, but it was the tremendous ovation that the Chicago fans gave me. Getting set he may pass or shoot. He drives one down. Scores! And the crowd goes wild. Here in Chicago, Bobby Hull has broken the all time scoring record of 51 goals in a single season and the crowd are going crazy. The ice is being completely littered with hats and popcorn and papers and rubbers and shoes. A blistering drive by number 9 Bobby Hull, who now is being congratulated by
all his teammates on the far side. My linemates, who didn’t have to be on the ice at that time, Chico Maki and Phil Esposito. I went back to the bench to see them and they said, “Bobby, do you feel the same way we do?” I said, “if you’ve got goosebumps
the size of robin’s eggs, yes, I do.” If you saw that one, you saw hockey history in the making. You may never, ever see that again in your lifetime. Here he comes, out on the ice again,
and the crowd get up and holler again. There’s another hat coming out on the ice. I’ve never heard a larger one anywhere in sports. That was likely the most important night of my career. Mayhem Pandemonium Battle War Rock-and-roll Electricity Excitement I think one of the greatest kept secrets is Chicago Stadium. I always call it the “Old Barn” on the west side. The stadium was one of the greatest
buildings ever built for sports. There were so many unique things about the stadium, and one was gate three and a half. It was just one of those great things you walked into the stadium and
it just had a musty smell about it. That’s where I snuck in all my friends, my relatives just pay the guy at the door and you’re going to get in. See, in the old days, the fire codes were not like today. This is a small ice rink. You you can’t hide from us. When you came out of the corner, with the puck, you were at the net right away. It was built more like a Roman Colosseum type, where everyone was looking on top of you. You have the mezzanine and then the first balcony and the second balcony. Straight up. And the noise would go up, and hit the balconies and reverberate down and it was ommmm up and down The energy from people is
really, I think is really infectious. The sound just bounced and stayed in there. I was right next to Billy Reay. I had to lean over Billy, I said,
“was it this loud when we played?” He said, “Bobby, when you would get three the roof would come off” When they say madhouse on Madison, it’s… I don’t know if that’s a fitting description or if it’s doesn’t fit it enough. But I would say more often than not
that it was a big disadvantage for the opposition teams coming into the old stadium. If you can’t get excited to
play a hockey game in this building, then you’re in the wrong league. You know, the fans you got right on top of you, the rink is smaller, but hey,
this is what it’s all about, and I love playing here. We used to sit down in the dressing room. And we would hear the people stamping their feet. You could feel the building was rattling
and, coming up those stairs, and all of a sudden there’s like, a crescendo. Steve Larmer was next to me, and there was just like this buzz. The whistle. It felt like a whistle in your ear. I said, “Can you believe this?” He was going, “What?” Well if you weren’t ready to play
in the old Chicago Stadium, you were by the time the
National Anthem was finished. That’s for sure. There’s something magical
about when you step on the ice, and you hear the crowd here. You never had to worry
about getting up because you just stand there for the anthem and you’re ready to roll. We think we have the greatest fans in the world here in Chicago. And man, when they play the national anthem… When they finish playing that national anthem, and they let out that yell… the roof just seemed to be shaking. a player couldn’t be lifted by the reaction of the fans here in Chicago, there would be something wrong with them. It got you in the game right away. Get there before the anthem, because that’s the start of an unbelievable thing. When I was sitting there with Dale, we needed our headsets because we couldn’t hear each other
sitting shoulder to shoulder. And that organ was piped in through the whole building. And the building shook. The anthem? Dynamite. I wait everyday to see if it’s going to be louder the next day, and it is. The only thing louder than
the organ, are the fans out here. If you didn’t get goose pimples, you were in trouble. The old Chicago Stadium was one in a million. Just think of all the great games and great players that have played in that building. Remember the roar. I’ll tell you one thing. I’ll never forget it. Welcome to the madhouse Mythic Stadium, just west on Madison. The Blackhawks’ nest where Chi-towns best bend both sticks and blades as they etch hockey history into ice. Listen. Roar. that means time to get that game face on. Since the first 16 slid onto the rink in 1926, that Blackhawks jersey transform men into legends wild and smiling goalie Charlie Gardiner winning games on pure defense despite death on his doorstep. Camaraderie and territoriality a tendency towards victory, leading Mush March’s winning overtime goal and roar! Stanley Cup 1934. Sacrifice and sweat. Part of the original six. No! You can’t touch this excellence. Doc rOmnes, big train Conacher, Goalie iron Mike Karacas cracked his foot and still took the cup in ‘38. Roar. This is just how Chicago rolls with the punches, toils despite the tribulations and still strikes goals. glory. The point of it all. Pride guiding their glide. The 40’s ushers in the next league, the pony line, the Bentleys and Mosienko. Tricks up his sleeve, striking three goals in 21 seconds. while goalie Al Rollins wins MVP. Fans gathering generation after generation, their cheers, claps and stomps invoking earthquakes in the Great Lakes. The madhouse shakes. a million bucks on the line when the Golden Jet, Red and spider hit the rink. Superstars at every rotation. O.G. game face Mr. Glenn Hall never put a mask on. Stern stare. He blocked pucks with only his glare. Scooter line, carrying on the torch. Diesel Doug, ken Wharram, and master scoring Stan Mikita Stosh. Stanley Cup of ‘61. Roar. honoring the Blackhawk crest with each decade. M.P.H. crew, Martin, Pappin & Hull kept fans gasping as they gassed passed every speed limit. Maggie Keith, Denis Savard, Big Al, Tony 0, Edzo names ingrained in every fan’s memory along with that maddening roar, the madhouse full of maniacs and magicians bellowing the anthem before each match. As organist Al Melgard hypnotizes by synchronizing chords with the scoreboard. Pride swelling, opponents sweating. Bring it. gotta be in the zone because
you can’t even hear yourself think. Went up against J.R. Roenick, Blackhawks winning 11 games straight. Ice cold form along the skate floor. Chelios, and Sutter. Eddie the Eagle. Grandpa Larmer. Something innate. in their balance of strength and grace, this game, called hockey a duality, ebbs and flows, loss and infamy. Ghost of the madhouse reborn in the 21st century. Bring in a new dynasty dripping in Blackhawks iconography, relentless. this tendency towards victory. Blackhawks originality 1926 to today. 100 years in the making. Madhouse still shaking. Roar.

The Madhouse dives into the legacy of the Madhouse on Madison, one of hockey’s most electric and iconic arenas.

It explores the history behind its legendary anthem, the emotion of its jersey retirements, and the unforgettable moments that defined generations of fans. Through archival footage and firsthand stories, the film captures the chaos, energy, and deafening roar that made the building come alive.

Players, broadcasters, and fans reflect on what it felt like to be inside when the place was truly rocking. It’s a celebration of a building that wasn’t just an arena — it was a moment that fans needed to be apart of.

Produced by Sergio Lozano, who has witnessed three decades of Blackhawks history firsthand as a day-one United Center employee and scoreboard operator for both the Bulls and Blackhawks.

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