Cinema Theater
151 E. Chicago Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60611
151 E. Chicago Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60611
3 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 48 of 48 comments
Tim, do you remember if a movie called “Cutter’s Way” played at the Cinema? It was released in NY under the original (novel) title “Cutter & Bone” in the spring of ‘81, but pulled due to poor reaction. It came out again that summer under the new title, and did better, but not by much. I’m hoping to get a microfilm ad of it if Chicago ever got the movie. I figured that this theater was an art house, and “Cutter” would’ve played here or the Sandburg if released in chi-town.
Hello cinema lovers. My name is Tim O'Neill and I know a thing or two about the Cinema Theatre. It opened on December 26, 1929 and it closed on Sunday, September 13, 1981. I started my movie theatre career at the Cinema on Sunday, March 22, 1981. Six months later the theatre was gone. I was the last usher to work there. Cortez Holland was the last union projectionist. Jerry Usher was the last manager. The crazy beautiful Leslie Lendahl was the last cashier. The last movie was ATLANTIC CITY. It was such a cute little movie house (471 seats, including a 25 seat balcony.) There’s not a day goes by when I don’t think about the Cinema Theatre.
Image about half way down this page:
View link
I wish I’d known of the record run of “Charly” at the Cinema Theatre earlier. I shot an interview of Cliff Robertson at a Friends Of Miegs Field event not far from there, I think at the Ritz. So maybe 2003 or so. Given the time frame of what sadly happened to Miegs.
Robertson was there because he was apparently a pilot. He had a funny story about being mistakenly recognized by children once as JFK, whom I believe he played.
After describing to them that he was really just an actor, a little girl said “no you’re not, you’re Charly and your an idiot!”
Anyway, if we knew at the time of Robertson’s mild connection to the Cinema Theatre, we could have come up with some further banter or sparked some other Chicago area theater memories of his. If he had any. The actors always do.
A “Little Club Cafe (Un Petit Cercle)” featuring dance music and French cuisine was opened at this site in 1924 and is probably the origin of the building. The Cinema operated as an art house even in 1930 with the slogan “The Art Theater of Shadow Silence”. The Cinema was the German-language UFA Cinema from October 1931-May 1932.
I used to work at the Cinema Theatre and the manager’s name was—I’m not making this up—Jerry Usher. I worked there from April 1978 through Aug. of ‘79, when I left for college. I came back and worked Christmas break in Dec. '79/Jan. '80.
I remember we did big business with “Pretty Baby.” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” which played there for what seemed an eternity, was huge. I now see it played for about 5 months. By the way, the Water Tower Theatres did indeed open in 1976 because I saw “Rocky” there.
You’re right. Here is the lineup for the 1980 Oscars. I saw the film in Philly in 1981, so it must have been a re-release.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0149488.html
It may have come out in your area in 1981, Ken, as some films were released slowly throught the nation back then but obviously it was 1980 from the booking list above. Also I double checked and Duvall lost to DeNiro (Raging Bull) and Michael O'Keefe lost supporting actor to Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People). Both were 1980 as well.
The film came out in 1981, I think. The Oscars were awarded at the ceremonies in 1982.
CinemaMary – Unless it was a typo you are mistaken on the opening of Water Tower Theaters. It was 1976 with “Rocky” and “The Seven Percent Solution” as its opening attractions.
David – Actually “The Great Santini” wasn’t a second run. It had its Chicago premiere at the Cinema. The film was made in 1979 but delayed by the studio who didn’t know how to market it. Robert Duvall was nominated for Best Actor for this film in 1980.
P.S. I notcied on the film list above, that in it’s final years the Cinema Theatre must have bounced back & forth from Art films to 1st or 2nd run films to bolster viewership. Kramer Vs. Kramer, Blue Lagoon, & Private Benjiman were all released in the years they are listed as showing. Only the Great Santini appears it was a 2nd run.
Thank you CinemaMary for generously donating the Cinema marquee to the Chicago Historical Society, now History Museum. I’m sure it is a long story. For even storing an item of such size must have been costly.
I have seen it and it is beautiful. Brought back many memories.
Along with the “Gas For Less” sign that adorned Lincoln Ave. a block South of Hutchinson St. for decades.
Thanks for the clarification. I must have thought Water Tower Place opened in 1979, but maybe that was the year some marble slabs started falling off.
I remember the gigantic Pearson Hotel being torn down in order to build Water Tower Place, and I was still on a bike. Which would have been like
73 or74. So it must have been completed a few years later. The interior of the mall was the showcase at the time.In a perfect world, a replacement Cinema Theatre could maybe have been built into the same space it occupied once that new building was done.
But multi-plexs and video rental stores were definately on the rise at that time. And who’s to say the land owners were ever big movie fans to begin with.
It’s nice the actual vintage Water Tower annex building across from both, has been outfitted with at least live theatre space.
Actually, the demise of the Cinema came about because the owners of the property, a large real estate firm HQ in Toronto, Canada decided to sell the land to the developers and builder of a luxury retail and condo building on this L shaped land. One retail renter is Nieman Marcus on the Michigan Avenue side of the L. The Chicago Avenue side has the luxury condos.
The Water Tower Theatres, which opened in 1979, were not in direct competition with the Cinema Theatre as they generally showed Hollywood first run movies. The Cimema showed so called “Art” films as well as foreign films.
Days before the Cinema was torn down, I managed to save the Marquee along with a few Art Deco lamps. – it’s a long story, folks.
Anyway, in the late 1980’s, the Chicago Historical Society asked if I would donate the Cinema Marquee to them. Needless to say, I was honored and thrilled to do so. You can now see the Marquee in the new lobby and entrance area of the now renamed Chicago History Museum.
I was going to post a picture of the marquee but this program is currently unavailable on Cinema Treasures. C'est la vive.
David, actually the Water Tower Theaters opened at Christmas of 1976 so I don’t know that that was the basis for the Cinema’s demise. I have an old article that states that the area was up for redevelopment for years and that owner Oscar Brotman was running on a month to month lease for the last three years. It sounds to me like developers were intent on putting in retail with no plans whatsoever for a theater. Too bad. I never was in the Cinema though I remember seeing its marquee one time when I was downtown with friends seeing a movie at the Water Tower Theater. I remember the movie was Nicholas Roeg’s “Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession” and I also remember agreeing with my friends that it was too bad there wasn’t a matinee as we could have gone to see it. I never saw the inside naturally. The same goes for the Carnegie which I have never even seen a picture of. Pretty cool you met Fritz Weaver. I remember him most from “Black Sunday” and “Creepshow.”
We used to play in the construction site next door to the Cinema Theatre. One of many, and every mom’s nightmare. The manager came out of the Cinema once because we were chipping concrete off of the theatre’s east elevation. Horsing around in the standing doorframe & gangway of whatever was left after the neighboring building was torn down. I felt guilty I remember. As I was a budding film buff, yet had interrupted a movie experience for others.
I saw “Thieve’s Like Us” at The Cinema with my family. It was my first recollection of product placement in pictures. Coca Cola was often utilized in the film’s early 1920’s Americana theme. In looking at JRS40’s list, I might have seen “Day Of The Dolphin” there as a 2nd run. But we’d already seen it a couple times at the Carnegie. Coincidentally about 3 years ago, I was riding my bike on the lakefront near the chess pavilion, when I thought I’d spotted DOTD actor Fritz Weaver just sitting alone on a park bench. I doubled back and asked “are you?”… and he nodded before I was even done. He shook my hand and said “good eye”. He was in town doing a play. Must have been staying at the Ambassador Hotel nearby.
It was at the Cinema too that I must have been forced to sit through “The Emigrants”, and not the Village Theatre as previously thought.
The Cinema Theatre was next door to the North elevation of the 777 N. Michigan building. One which has long housed the Walgreen’s that young actor Shia LeBeuf was arrested in a few years ago. Kitty corner from the Water Tower.
The Neiman Marcus store is actually on the South end of this block, at the corner of Superior & Michigan. So it’s behind the site of the Cinema, not on it. Unless it’s parking exits on to Chicago Ave. But I think that’s on Superior also.
Down Chicago Avenue to the West across Michigan Ave., was one of Chicago’s rare, lone Jack In The Box restaurants. A narrow bi-level structure that was built out with a Rube Goldberg like, circus interior.
An indoor maze that you had to walk partially through to even order your food. The giant clown head speaker was deep inside this maze.
It later became an Arbys, then was torn down in the `90’s & is now the Ralph Lauren Cafe. Which speaks for itself development wise. Behind that was the old Club Alabam, whose rooftop sign was still above the first Giordano’s on Rush. That has since moved across Rush when it’s quarters along with Golden Bear restaurant, “a honey of a place where food was fun”, came down for the Comp USA, now also gone. Whew!
I’m sure the 1981 closing of the Cinema Theatre was helped along with the inclusion of a multi screen in the then new Water Tower Place a block North. It think it opened in 1979. But it’s possible the theatre portion was a added a little later.
Here are the bookings for the Cinema Theater from 1964-1980.
1/3/64 – LORD OF THE FLIES
2/21/64 – LADIES WHO DO
2/28/64 – BILLY LIAR
3/13/64 – NIGHT AFFAIR plus CONFESS, DR. KORDA
3/20/64 – TO BED OR NOT TO BED
5/1/64 – HIGH AND LOW
5/15/64 – AMERICA, AMERICA
5/22/64 – A JOLLY BEDFELLOW
5/29/64 – LOVERS OF TERVEL
6/5/64 – THE ORGANIZER
7/10/64 – DOCTOR IN DISTRESS
7/24/64 – PRIZE WINNING SHORTS
7/31/64 – WHEN COMEDY WAS KING plus DAYS OF THRILLS AND LAUGHTER
8/7/64 – SEDUCED AND ABANDONED
10/9/64 – STORY OF A SECRET MISSION
10/16/64- THE THIRD SECRET
10/23/64- ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO
12/11/64- PRIZE WINNING SHORTS
12/18/64- BIG PARADE OF COMEDY
12/25/64- THE LUCK OF GINGER COFFEY
1/15/65 – BATTLE OF A SIMPLE MAN
1/27/65 – THE FINEST HOURS
2/5/65 – THE AMOROUS GENERAL plus BATTLE OF THE SEXES
2/19/65 – BEBO’S GIRL
2/26/65 – PSYCHO
3/5/65 – NOTHING BUT A MAN
4/16/65 – CHASE A CROOKED SHADOW plus LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN
4/23/65 – THE SOFT SKIN
5/7/65 – THAT MAN FROM RIO
6/18/65 – THE COOL WORLD
7/2/65 – LOOK BACK IN ANGER
7/9/65 – JIGSAW
7/16/65 – THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE
7/23/65 – HE WHO MUST DIE
8/13/65 – NOBODY WAVED GOODBYE
8/27/65 – BACKFIRE
9/17/65 – ROTTEN TO THE CORE
10/15/65- MY NIGHTS WITH FRANCOISE plus MY DAYS WITH JEAN MARE
11/5/65 – HEAVEN ABOVE plus CHASE ME CHARLIE
11/12/65- SATURDAY NIGHT BATH AT APPLE VALLEY
11/19/65- RED DESERT
12/10/65- ALL THESE WOMEN
12/17/65- MALAMONDO plus LOVE THE ITALIAN WAY
12/31/65- DOUBLE BARRELED DETECTIVE STORY
1/14/66 – HIGH INFIDELITY
1/28/66 – MAMELE plus PURIMSPEILER
2/4/66 – DAVID AND LISA plus LORD OF THE FLIES
2/11/66 – HOW NOT TO ROB A DEPARTMENT STORE
2/18/66 – THE LEATHER BOYS
3/18/66 – THE RAILROAD MAN
4/1/66 – RAPTURE
4/22/66 – DARLING
5/6/66 – A PATCH OF BLUE plus SHIP OF FOOLS
5/13/66 – ITALIANO BRAVA GENTE
5/20/66 – MURDER MOST FOUL
5/27/66 – IMPOSSIBLE ON SATURDAY
9/2/66 – THE GIRL GETTERS
9/16/66 – UP TO HIS EARS
9/30/66 – TOKYO OLYMPIAD
10/7/66 – MANDRAGOLA
10/14/66- NORTH BY NORTHWEST
10/28/66- MALE HUNT
11/4/66 – THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING, THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING
11/11/66- STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF
11/18/66- DIABOLIQUE
12/16/66- I AM A CAMERA plus MILLER’S BEAUTIFUL WIFE
12/23/66- GIGI plus THE KING AND I
12/30/66- A MAN AND A WOMAN
4/5/68 – 17
4/26/68 – THE JOKERS
5/3/68 – LIVE FOR LIFE
5/17/68 – FESTIVAL
5/24/68 – CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS
7/12/68 – YOU’RE A BIG BOY NOW
7/26/68 – THE FIFTH HORSEMAN IS FEAR
8/30/68 – THE TWO OF US
12/6/68 – ACCIDENT
12/13/68- RACHEL, RACHEL
12/20/68- THE SOUND OF MUSIC
12/27/68- CHARLY
10/17/69- FINNEY
10/31/69- CRAZY WORLD OF LAUREL & HARDY plus 1 HOUR WITH W.C. FIELDS
11/14/69- 491 plus NIGHT GAMES
11/21/69- MORE
12/26/69- Z
10/14/70- THE WILD CHILD
11/19/70- THE SIDELONG GLANCES OF A PIGEON KICKER
12/18/70- THE TWELVE CHAIRS
1/29/71 – I NEVER SANG FOR MY FATHER
4/23/71 – TRISTANA
5/14/71 – ANNA CHRISTIE plus GRAND HOTEL
5/21/71 – NINOTCHKA plus MATA HARI
5/28/71 – ANNA KARENINA plus CAMILLE
6/4/71 – GUESS WHAT WE LEARNED IN SCHOOL TODAY?
6/18/71 – THE BODY
6/25/71 – TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN plus WHAT’S UP TIGER LILY?
6/30/71 – THE CLOWNS
8/7/71 – DEATH IN VENICE
10/1/71 – ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF IVAN DENISOVICH
11/12/71- THE ANONYMOUS VENETIAN
11/24/71- DEEP END
12/10/71- CRY UNCLE
12/17/71- SHAFT plus WHERE’S POPPA?
12/25/71- THE DEVILS
2/11/72 – MURMUR OF THE HEART
3/17/71 – THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS
6/9/72 – THE TROJAN WOMAN
6/30/72 – LE BOUCHER
8/4/72 – THE CANDIDATE
10/13/72- TOKYO STORY
10/20/72- GRAND HOTEL plus ANNA CHRISTIE
10/27/72- A SEPERATE PEACE
12/15/72- SAVAGE MESSIAH
1/3/73 – LE BOUCHER plus MURMUR OF THE HEART
1/12/73 – THE EMIGRANTS
5/25/73 – I LOVE YOU ROSA
7/13/73 – LE BOUCHER plus MURMUR OF THE HEART
7/20/73 – MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
8/3/73 – A DOLL’S HOUSE
8/24/73 – O LUCKY MAN
9/14/73 – HEAVY TRAFFIC
9/28/73 – LE BOUCHER plus MURMUR OF THE HEART
10/5/73 – HAROLD AND MAUDE
10/26/73- THE NEW LAND
12/21/73- THE LONG GOODBYE
1/23/74 – THE TALL BLONDE MAN WITH ONE BLACK SHOE
3/1/74 – MEAN STREETS
3/22/74 – THE PEDESTRIAN
4/19/74 – SUMMER WISHES, WINTER DREAMS
5/24/74 – THIEVES LIKE US
6/14/74 – DAY OF THE DOLPHIN
6/21/74 – THE LONG GOODBYE plus GUMSHOE
7/3/74 – MALIZIA
7/26/74 – GOING PLACES
8/30/74 – LE PETIT THEATER
9/27/74 – THE RUSSIAN BALLET FILM FESTIVAL
10/18/74- LACOMBE LUCIEN
11/22/74- LE SEX SHOP plus LOVES OF A BLONDE
12/13/74- NOTORIOUS plus REBECCA
12/22/74- SCENES FROM A MARRAIGE
3/14/75 – A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE
5/30/75 – STAVISKY
6/20/75 – A BRIEF VACATION
9/12/75 – STAVISKY plus MURMUR OF THE HEART
9/19/75 – A DELICATE BALANCE
9/26/75 – THE HOMECOMING
10/3/75 – RHINOCEROS
10/10/75- BUTLEY
10/17/75- LUTHER
10/24/75- LE SECRET
11/7/75 – A BRIEF VACATION plus MURMUR OF THE HEART
11/14/75- CONDUCT UNBECOMING
12/5/75 – LE CHAT
12/25/75- LIES MY FATHER TOLD ME
2/6/76 – HESTER STREET
4/16/76 – SEVEN BEAUTIES
6/10/76 – THE MAGIC FLUTE
8/6/76 – FACE TO FACE
9/24/76 – LET’S TALK ABOUT MEN
10/15/76- THE CLOCKMAKER
10/29/76- COUSIN, COUSINE
5/13/77 – THE MARQUIS OF O
6/3/77 – MAN ON THE ROOF
6/22/77 – BLACK AND WHITE IN COLOR
8/19/77 – PARDON MON AFFAIRE
10/14/77- SHORT EYES
11/9/77 – EQUUS
12/16/77- 1900
2/3/78 – THE LACEMAKER
3/24/78 – THE SERPENT’S EGG
4/14/78 – THE AMERICAN FRIEND
4/21/78 – STROSZEK
5/5/78 – PRETTY BABY
8/4/78 – DEAR INSPECTOR
9/29/78 – A WEDDING
12/1/78 – VIVA ITALIA!
12/15/78- STROSZEK plus THE AMERICAN FRIEND
12/20/78- DAYS OF HEAVEN
3/9/79 – NO TIME FOR BREAKFAST
3/23/79 – THE INNOCENT
6/15/79 – FEDORA
6/27/79 – MALICIOUS
7/13/79 – LA CAGE AUX FOLLES
12/21/79- KRAMER vs KRAMER
5/9/80 – STAY AS YOU ARE
6/13/80 – WHOLLY MOSES
7/2/80 – THE BLUE LAGOON
8/8/80 – THE FIENDISH PLOT OF DR. FU MANCHU
8/29/80 – THE GREAT SANTINI
10/10/80- PRIVATE BENJAMIN
12/19/80- SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES
Thanks Bryon for letting me know where the Cinema marquee is. I must visit it in the “new” museum.
The Cinema’s marquee is now hanging in the lobby of the Chicago History Museum.
Here is a strange montage featuring what appears to be the Cinema
Here is a profile from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency’s HAARGIS system. It includes a small picture.
I intentionally booked Louie Malle’s “Atlantic City” as the final film for the Cinema Theatre because of the urban destruction/development theme, and because the final scene is of a wrecking ball tearing down a beautiful older building.
I think I may have a photo of the Cinema marquee on the last day. I’ll post it, of course.
And there’s a very long story as to how the Chicago Historical ended up with my Cinema Theatre marquee, but they do have it. I donated it with great pleasure to the CHS. It’s currently on display in one of their exhibits.
The Cinema was another popular art house in the 60’s and 70’s along with the Carnegie and the Playboy. Films that played at the Cinema usually settled in for a long run. “Charly” played for a record 54 weeks. Mel Brooks once sat in the small balcony to watch his movie “The Twelve Chairs”. In the late 70’s redevelopement kept threatening the existence of the Cinema but it carried on. In late 1979 and early 1980 house records were broken with “Kramer vs Kramer”. Sadly just over a year later the Cinema fell victim to the redeveloper. The doors closed for the last time in September of 1981. Ironically the final movie was “Atlantic City” which told the story of redevelopement.
The Cinema was a small art deco “art house” owned by Brotman and Sherman Theatres. It was known for its bad sightlines and great marquee. There were two extremely small balconies on either side of the projection booth. It was somewhat redecorated in 1978 for the world premiere of Robert Altman’s “The Wedding,” which was attended by the entire cast. The Cinema’s sister theater was the Carnegie, located at Rush and Oak. The Carnegie was Brotman and Sherman’s “flagship” theater which they built to their specifications after the old Carnegie burned in the Mr. Kelly’s fire. The Carnegie is now a restaurant.