This theatre was a landmark on the NW side of Chicago for many years. In a way, it was a shame what Coperincus did to the exterior. I loved the old marquee, especially the vertical one. It was so tall, it could be seen from the Kennedy Expressway, the L (now the Blue Line), and what is now METRA/Union Pacific NW line.
After Copernicus took over, it was still used for mainstream movies for awhile. They used a portable sign in place of the marquee and the entrance had been moved to the side.
Perhaps the Gateway’s greatest moment was in 1975 when JAWS had an amazing run there. It played at the Gateway for nearly the entire year
I hope that “Concerned Taxpayer” doesn’t discover this theatre! He’ll fight to have this one demolished too! (Look at the postings for the Dupage Theatre and you’ll find out what I’m talking about!).
I hope that the Arcada can be successful. It blends in beautifully with its surroundings.
Brendan, I did not find that Tribune aticle. But in reply, consider that the place was built in 1988 and has already had 4 owners/operators (per my comment above). It puzzles me too that the South Loop area has become so popular, yet no one has been able to make a success of this place. Watch, this place will close and then in a few years, someone like Loews or AMC will announce plans for a mega-plex in the South Loop (There’s a lot of vacant land at Clark and Roosevelt, right across from the new Target store).
By the way, I don’t think that the 600 North theatre is obsolete. I go there often and it appears to do good business.
I was at the theatres outside the mall on their last night of operation. The final movie was “Thin Red Line” with John Travolta, John Cuscak, and many more!
But the Rolling Meadows Theatre wasn’t really all that close to Woodfield or One Schaumburg Place/Streets of Woodfield. And as noted above, it showed art and “indie” films—which the other theatres in the area didn’t do.
Just what we need, more condos! However, as I said in my previous post, I’m not sure if the Crocker would have succeeded as a cinema or as a performing arts venue. The relatively new Casino Theatre didn’t make it. And for performing arts, the Hemmens is nearby.
What might have been done? How ‘bout “adaptive re-use” in which historical elements including the marquee are retained? How 'bout a movie themed restaurant or cafe? Or a nice banquet hall as was done with a theatre in Quincy, IL?
Per Life’s Too Short comment, the Plaza was okay when it was new, though certainly of no aesthetic merit, but it did get rundown very quickly. It really wasn’t needed, due to the Lincoln Village being right across the street. When I went to see “The Lost Boys” there, I was on a date and we were the only two people in that particular auditorium (and the movie had started already by the time we arrived!).
The Drury Lane opened recently. The first musical was “The Full Monty”. The play was quite successful. and the new Drury Lane Theatre at Water Tower Place received rave reviews.
I believe that the Congress Theatre, during the 1970s and 1980s, was known as the Mexico Theatre. They took the letters down from the vertical marquee and stored them right on the regular marquee! You could easily see this from the nearby L (which is now called the Blue Line).
In the early to mid-1980s, I beleive, the Sheridan made one last attempt at showing mainstream movies. This theatre was easily seen from Wrigley Field’s upper deck, 1st base/right field side.
In 1981, the Chicago Theater was cleaned up somewhat to show a restored print of Abel Gance’s 1928(?) silent classic “Napoleon.” Carmine Coppola (Frances Ford’s father) conducted the Illinois Symphony Orchestra to accompany this. As I was working for Andy Frain Ushering at the time, I was able to work at this and get paid to see it, whereas the public was charged $25.00!
The Aardvark was actually known as the Aardvark-Termite Twin. This was back when Wells Street was considered somewhere between “funky” and “tacky”. Unlike today in which it is now yuppified. A wax museum also was located on Wells Street. Piper’s Alley (no, not the Loews theatre) was considered kind of funky too.
To see great photos of this place as it existed in 2002, go to the following website http://www.geocities.com/chucksphotospot Then click on “Urban Exploration”, and then “Hilltop Drive-In. This guy has great pictures of urban ruins!
This is a pretty decent theater and it’s in good shape. But then again, it is only 10 years old. I hope that Loews doesn’t run it into the ground like they seem to be doing with the Esquire.
My only complaint about the 600 North is that the auditoriums are shallow (only about 10 rows deep) and wide. I feel like I’m sitting right on top of the screen! And woe be to those who have to sit in the first three rows or on the sides!
Pertaining to my above comments, it appears to me that Village is slowly but surely cleaning up its theaters. Village just doesn’t have the capital that Loews or AMC does. In addition to the rest rooms being clean, the past two times I’ve been in the Burnham, my feet didn’t stick to the floors. My friend lost his book in the theater and the manager gladly went with him, flashlight in hand, to help him look.
Another thing too I noticed is NO COMMERCIALS. Although you get the by-now-standard 15-20 minutes of previews, the Burnham doesn’t have ads for Coke, Pepsi, etc. People, if you want to continue to have alternatives to Loews and AMC, then get out there and patronize smaller chains like Village and Classic Cinemas and indpendent theaters. The more you patronize smaller chains, the more money they can put into their theaters and the more money they can spend on getting good bookings.
Circa 1977 or 1978, the Commodore close “for renovations.” When it re-opened several months later, it was showing porno films in 3D! Yes 3D! I remember one of the films was “Capitol Hill Girls.” I was going to nearby Gordon High School at the time and would pass by everday on the bus. Too bad I was only a freshman or sophomore and was therefore too young to get in!
Per Sensible Cinemas website (the above link), the Park Forest Theatre is under new management. However, niether phone number shown is a working number—both have been disconnected with “no further information”. Presumably, that means the Park Forest Theatre has been closed.
This theatre was probably built in the early 1960s and was owned/operated by M&R. It was also one of M&R’s worst theatres in the Chicagoland Area as it was FILTHY and had become somewhat of a hangout. The last movie I saw here was “Christine” (1983) and the theatre closed a few years after that. Towards the end, M&R renamed it the Niles Square Cinema, but apparently that didn’t help much.
It is interesting that of all the theatres that once operated in the Niles/Morton Grove area, only the Golf Glen remains.
Also, if this place screened an art film, they would probably get a lot of students, especially from Columbia College. I attended Columbia in the mid-1980s and would go to the Fine Arts, which was on Michigan Avenue, if I had a few hours between classes.
The Burnham Plaza is an excellent example of a theater that SHOULD be doing better than it is. I was there to see “The Interpreter” and I saw that the place “could” have a lot of potential. The South Loop is a burgeoning area. There are a lot of bars and restaurants nearby. It is close to the ‘L’. And there are at least three colleges nearby-Columbia College, DePaul and Roosevelt (the theatre does offer discounts to college students).
However, the theatre isn’t very old (17 years) and it’s already had four owners—Cineplex Odeon, Loews-Cineplex, Meridian, and Village. A disused soft drink machine in the lobby still has the Cineplex-Odeon Logo on it. Although Village Theatres has kept open theatres no one else wanted, they’ve done so on the cheap. Although the Burnham Plaza is kept somewhat clean-especially the restrooms, it looks “tired” already and it could really use an update. Plus, Village doesn’t advertise its theatres in the paper!
I too believe in historic preservation. But I really wonder whether or not the Crocker could have made it as a movie theatre again. After all, the nearby Casino Theatre closed after a very short run (1994-2002). And it was a much newer theatre. This is surprising, given that Classic Cinemas is usually a good chain.
I believe that if the Crocker could have been saved, it should have been done so a la the Warner Center in Pittsburgh (ie conversion to retail and restaurant use, while retaining the marquee). Perhaps condos could have even been included in the design.
This theatre was a landmark on the NW side of Chicago for many years. In a way, it was a shame what Coperincus did to the exterior. I loved the old marquee, especially the vertical one. It was so tall, it could be seen from the Kennedy Expressway, the L (now the Blue Line), and what is now METRA/Union Pacific NW line.
After Copernicus took over, it was still used for mainstream movies for awhile. They used a portable sign in place of the marquee and the entrance had been moved to the side.
Perhaps the Gateway’s greatest moment was in 1975 when JAWS had an amazing run there. It played at the Gateway for nearly the entire year
I hope that “Concerned Taxpayer” doesn’t discover this theatre! He’ll fight to have this one demolished too! (Look at the postings for the Dupage Theatre and you’ll find out what I’m talking about!).
I hope that the Arcada can be successful. It blends in beautifully with its surroundings.
Per Life’s Too Short’s comment: I beleive Meridian Theatres went into bankruptcy due to failure to pay city & county amusement taxes.
This would be a good cinema for a small chain like Village, or (even better) Classic Cinemas to take over.
Brendan, I did not find that Tribune aticle. But in reply, consider that the place was built in 1988 and has already had 4 owners/operators (per my comment above). It puzzles me too that the South Loop area has become so popular, yet no one has been able to make a success of this place. Watch, this place will close and then in a few years, someone like Loews or AMC will announce plans for a mega-plex in the South Loop (There’s a lot of vacant land at Clark and Roosevelt, right across from the new Target store).
By the way, I don’t think that the 600 North theatre is obsolete. I go there often and it appears to do good business.
I was at the theatres outside the mall on their last night of operation. The final movie was “Thin Red Line” with John Travolta, John Cuscak, and many more!
But the Rolling Meadows Theatre wasn’t really all that close to Woodfield or One Schaumburg Place/Streets of Woodfield. And as noted above, it showed art and “indie” films—which the other theatres in the area didn’t do.
Just what we need, more condos! However, as I said in my previous post, I’m not sure if the Crocker would have succeeded as a cinema or as a performing arts venue. The relatively new Casino Theatre didn’t make it. And for performing arts, the Hemmens is nearby.
What might have been done? How ‘bout “adaptive re-use” in which historical elements including the marquee are retained? How 'bout a movie themed restaurant or cafe? Or a nice banquet hall as was done with a theatre in Quincy, IL?
My Dad worked here as an usher. He said that this theater was unusual because when one entered the auditorium, one was actually facing the audience.
Per Life’s Too Short comment, the Plaza was okay when it was new, though certainly of no aesthetic merit, but it did get rundown very quickly. It really wasn’t needed, due to the Lincoln Village being right across the street. When I went to see “The Lost Boys” there, I was on a date and we were the only two people in that particular auditorium (and the movie had started already by the time we arrived!).
The Drury Lane opened recently. The first musical was “The Full Monty”. The play was quite successful. and the new Drury Lane Theatre at Water Tower Place received rave reviews.
I believe that the Congress Theatre, during the 1970s and 1980s, was known as the Mexico Theatre. They took the letters down from the vertical marquee and stored them right on the regular marquee! You could easily see this from the nearby L (which is now called the Blue Line).
In the early to mid-1980s, I beleive, the Sheridan made one last attempt at showing mainstream movies. This theatre was easily seen from Wrigley Field’s upper deck, 1st base/right field side.
In 1981, the Chicago Theater was cleaned up somewhat to show a restored print of Abel Gance’s 1928(?) silent classic “Napoleon.” Carmine Coppola (Frances Ford’s father) conducted the Illinois Symphony Orchestra to accompany this. As I was working for Andy Frain Ushering at the time, I was able to work at this and get paid to see it, whereas the public was charged $25.00!
The Aardvark was actually known as the Aardvark-Termite Twin. This was back when Wells Street was considered somewhere between “funky” and “tacky”. Unlike today in which it is now yuppified. A wax museum also was located on Wells Street. Piper’s Alley (no, not the Loews theatre) was considered kind of funky too.
To see great photos of this place as it existed in 2002, go to the following website http://www.geocities.com/chucksphotospot Then click on “Urban Exploration”, and then “Hilltop Drive-In. This guy has great pictures of urban ruins!
This is a pretty decent theater and it’s in good shape. But then again, it is only 10 years old. I hope that Loews doesn’t run it into the ground like they seem to be doing with the Esquire.
My only complaint about the 600 North is that the auditoriums are shallow (only about 10 rows deep) and wide. I feel like I’m sitting right on top of the screen! And woe be to those who have to sit in the first three rows or on the sides!
Pertaining to my above comments, it appears to me that Village is slowly but surely cleaning up its theaters. Village just doesn’t have the capital that Loews or AMC does. In addition to the rest rooms being clean, the past two times I’ve been in the Burnham, my feet didn’t stick to the floors. My friend lost his book in the theater and the manager gladly went with him, flashlight in hand, to help him look.
Another thing too I noticed is NO COMMERCIALS. Although you get the by-now-standard 15-20 minutes of previews, the Burnham doesn’t have ads for Coke, Pepsi, etc. People, if you want to continue to have alternatives to Loews and AMC, then get out there and patronize smaller chains like Village and Classic Cinemas and indpendent theaters. The more you patronize smaller chains, the more money they can put into their theaters and the more money they can spend on getting good bookings.
Circa 1977 or 1978, the Commodore close “for renovations.” When it re-opened several months later, it was showing porno films in 3D! Yes 3D! I remember one of the films was “Capitol Hill Girls.” I was going to nearby Gordon High School at the time and would pass by everday on the bus. Too bad I was only a freshman or sophomore and was therefore too young to get in!
Per Sensible Cinemas website (the above link), the Park Forest Theatre is under new management. However, niether phone number shown is a working number—both have been disconnected with “no further information”. Presumably, that means the Park Forest Theatre has been closed.
This theatre was probably built in the early 1960s and was owned/operated by M&R. It was also one of M&R’s worst theatres in the Chicagoland Area as it was FILTHY and had become somewhat of a hangout. The last movie I saw here was “Christine” (1983) and the theatre closed a few years after that. Towards the end, M&R renamed it the Niles Square Cinema, but apparently that didn’t help much.
It is interesting that of all the theatres that once operated in the Niles/Morton Grove area, only the Golf Glen remains.
Also, if this place screened an art film, they would probably get a lot of students, especially from Columbia College. I attended Columbia in the mid-1980s and would go to the Fine Arts, which was on Michigan Avenue, if I had a few hours between classes.
The Burnham Plaza is an excellent example of a theater that SHOULD be doing better than it is. I was there to see “The Interpreter” and I saw that the place “could” have a lot of potential. The South Loop is a burgeoning area. There are a lot of bars and restaurants nearby. It is close to the ‘L’. And there are at least three colleges nearby-Columbia College, DePaul and Roosevelt (the theatre does offer discounts to college students).
However, the theatre isn’t very old (17 years) and it’s already had four owners—Cineplex Odeon, Loews-Cineplex, Meridian, and Village. A disused soft drink machine in the lobby still has the Cineplex-Odeon Logo on it. Although Village Theatres has kept open theatres no one else wanted, they’ve done so on the cheap. Although the Burnham Plaza is kept somewhat clean-especially the restrooms, it looks “tired” already and it could really use an update. Plus, Village doesn’t advertise its theatres in the paper!
I too believe in historic preservation. But I really wonder whether or not the Crocker could have made it as a movie theatre again. After all, the nearby Casino Theatre closed after a very short run (1994-2002). And it was a much newer theatre. This is surprising, given that Classic Cinemas is usually a good chain.
I believe that if the Crocker could have been saved, it should have been done so a la the Warner Center in Pittsburgh (ie conversion to retail and restaurant use, while retaining the marquee). Perhaps condos could have even been included in the design.
DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHY THIS THEATRE CLOSED AFTER SUCH A SHORT RUN? CLASSIC CINEMAS USUALLY RUNS GOOD THEATRES.