Maddie James
The 1984 film Sixteen Candles was directed by John Hughes and shot in several locations in Illinois, USA. The high school scenes were filmed at Niles East High School, located at 7701 North Lincoln Avenue in Skokie, Illinois. The school ceased operations in 1980 and has since been torn down and replaced by Oaktown Community College. Additional high school scenes were filmed at Niles East's sister school, Niles North High School, also in Skokie. The film also features locations in Evanston, Glencoe, Highland Park, and Winnetka.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the high school | Niles East High School |
| Address | 7701 North Lincoln Avenue, Skokie, Illinois |
| Other schools used for filming | New Trier High School, Niles North High School |
| Suburb | Chicago |
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What You'll Learn
The film's high school scenes were shot at Niles East High School
The high school scenes in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles were primarily shot at Niles East High School, located at 7701 North Lincoln Avenue in Skokie, Illinois. The school was a staple for director John Hughes, who used it in several of his films, including Weird Science and Pretty in Pink. The school has since been torn down and replaced by Oaktown Community College.
Sixteen Candles, which stars Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Schoeffling, and Haviland Morris, is set in a fictional Chicago suburb. While the film was shot at various locations in Illinois, the high school scenes were predominantly filmed at Niles East High School. Both exterior and interior shots were captured at this location, including the auto shop scene where the character Sam agrees to let the Geek pretend he has "bagged" her.
The school, which ceased operating in 1980, served as the unnamed high school in the film. The opening credits sequence even cheekily show someone wearing a pin that reads, "I *sorta* love Evanston," referencing the nearby town. The film also used footage from one of Niles East High School's sister schools, Niles North High School, also located in Skokie. Scenes filmed at Niles North High School include the famous dance scene in the gym.
In addition to the high school scenes, other notable filming locations for Sixteen Candles include the Baker house, located at 3022 Payne Street in Evanston, and Jake's house, located at 1407 Waverly Road in Highland Park. The film also features locations such as Glencoe Union Church, Meadowbrook School, Northbrook Village Hall, and the Skokie Historical Society. These locations contribute to the film's depiction of suburban life and the experiences of teenagers in the 1980s.
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The fictional school was named Shermer High School
The high school featured in the film Sixteen Candles is unnamed, but it was filmed at Niles East High School, located at 7701 North Lincoln Avenue in Skokie, Illinois. The school ceased operating in 1980, and the building has since been torn down and replaced by Oaktown Community College. However, the fictional school in the movie was named Shermer High School.
Shermer High School is a fictional school created by John Hughes for several of his teen movies set in Chicago, including The Breakfast Club (1985), Weird Science (1985), Sixteen Candles (1984), and Ferris Bueller (1987). The name Shermer is derived from a street in the Chicago suburbs near where Hughes lived, but there is no actual high school or town called Shermer.
Glenbrook North High School, located in Northbrook, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, has been associated with Shermer High School. The school, also known as GBN, opened in 1953 as Glenbrook High School and was later renamed Glenbrook North when Glenbrook South High School opened. It is part of the Northfield Township High School District 225 and has been recognised for its academic and athletic achievements.
The use of Shermer High School as a fictional setting in Sixteen Candles allowed John Hughes to craft a fictional Chicago suburb and explore themes related to high school life in the 1980s. The choice of a fictional school name may have provided creative freedom and allowed for a shared universe across his teen films, often inspired by his own experiences in Chicago.
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The school ceased operating in 1980 and was later torn down
The high school featured in the film Sixteen Candles is Niles East High School, located at 7701 North Lincoln Avenue in Skokie, Illinois. The school ceased operating in 1980, and the building was later torn down. In the film, the school is unnamed, but it serves as a prominent location, including during the opening credits sequence. John Hughes, the director, used the school as a filming location for several of his films, including Weird Science and Pretty in Pink, before it was demolished.
Niles East High School was not the only educational institution to feature in Sixteen Candles. The film also includes scenes shot at Niles North High School, another school in Skokie, and Meadowbrook School. The latter was used for the famous dance scene in the gym, while the former was used for interior and exterior shots.
Hughes was known for incorporating locations from his hometown of Chicago and its suburbs into his films. The fictional Chicago suburb he crafted for Sixteen Candles included locations in Evanston, Glencoe, Highland Park, Northbrook, and Skokie. The film's high school was in Skokie, a suburb of Chicago with a rich history and cultural significance.
The choice to use Niles East High School as a filming location holds significance for Hughes's body of work. The school's exterior can be spotted in other Hughes films, such as Weird Science and Pretty in Pink, creating a sense of continuity and shared universe within his filmography. This unnamed high school in Sixteen Candles was given the name Shermer High School in other Hughes films, further emphasising the interconnectedness of his films.
While the original building of Niles East High School no longer stands, its legacy in cinematic history remains. Its role in Sixteen Candles and other John Hughes films has cemented its place in popular culture, even after its demolition. The site of the former school is now occupied by Oaktown Community College, continuing its educational purpose in a new form.
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New Trier High School was also used for filming
The 1984 film Sixteen Candles was filmed at several locations in Illinois, including Niles East High School, which was located at 7701 North Lincoln Avenue in Skokie. The school ceased operating in 1980, and the building has since been torn down. John Hughes, the film's director, also used footage of the school's exterior in Weird Science and Pretty in Pink.
New Trier High School, located at 385 Winnetka Avenue in Winnetka, Illinois, was also used for filming Sixteen Candles. The school has appeared in other films by John Hughes, including Home Alone and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
In addition to these high schools, several other locations in Illinois were used for filming Sixteen Candles. These include the Baker house, located at 3022 Payne Street in Evanston, and Jake's house, located at 1407 Waverly Road in Highland Park. Other locations include Glencoe Union Church, Meadowbrook School, Niles North High School, Northbrook Village Hall, Skokie Historical Society, and Sycamore Lane in Glencoe.
The film's unnamed high school is often referred to as Shermer High School, a name that John Hughes gave to the school in several of his teen movies, including The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, and Ferris Bueller. However, there is no actual high school or town called Shermer.
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The film was shot in various locations across Illinois
The film Sixteen Candles was shot in various locations across Illinois, including Evanston, Glencoe, Highland Park, Skokie, and Northbrook. The unnamed high school in the film is Niles East High School, located at 7701 North Lincoln Avenue in Skokie, Illinois. The school ceased operating in 1980 and has since been torn down, but it was also used for filming in other John Hughes films, including Weird Science and Pretty in Pink.
The exteriors and some interior scenes of the Baker house were filmed at 3022 Payne Street in Evanston, Illinois. Jake's house is located at 1407 Waverly Road in Highland Park, Illinois. The scenes where Anthony Michael Hall is driving the Rolls with Jake's girlfriend were filmed on Oakton Street in front of Skokie's Village Hall and further east near Kilbourn.
The film also features locations such as Glencoe Union Church, Meadowbrook School, New Trier High School, Niles North High School, Northbrook Village Hall, the Skokie Historical Society, and more. John Hughes crafted a fictional Chicago suburb for the film, and some of his other films set in Chicago include The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller, and Home Alone.
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Frequently asked questions
The film 'Sixteen Candles' was filmed at Niles East High School, located at 7701 North Lincoln Avenue, Skokie, Illinois. The school ceased operating in 1980 and has since been torn down and replaced by Oaktown Community College.
Yes, some scenes were also filmed at Niles East's sister school, Niles North High School, also in Skokie. Additionally, New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, was used for filming.
No, the high school in 'Sixteen Candles' was unnamed. However, the school in several of John Hughes' other films, including 'The Breakfast Club', 'Weird Science', and 'Ferris Bueller', was named Shermer High School. Shermer is a street in the Chicago suburbs near where Hughes lived.
