My Mom lived in Fort Madison, Iowa during the 1940’s-early 1950’s. An avid moviegoer, she mentioned the Strand frequently. It appeared to be her movie theatre of choice. Thanks for the information about it.
My Mom lived in Fort Madison, Iowa during the 1940’s-early 1950’s. An avid moviegoer, she mentioned the Orpheum frequently. Thanks for the information about it.
The Holiday Theatre was a one-screen indoor movie theatre; it has since been converted into several screening rooms. There is a listing on this site concerning the Holiday.
When the open house was held after the rehab in the 1990s attendees were not allowed backstage or in the orchestra pit (we were allowed in most of the public areas), so I can’t add anything about it.
Concerning hauntings, or “hauntings” at the Oriental Theatre/Ford Center for the Performing Arts, usually a news piece or radio spot will pop up about the alleyway in back of the Theatre being the spot of ghostly activity over the years (they usually are broadcast or written about around Halloween). You may wish to check the archives of the Chicago Tribune or Chicago Sun-Times on that story.
The stories are good enough for me – I stay out of that alleyway just in case.
For some reason my family and I never got to the Sauk Trail Drive-In (we usually went to the Holiday Theatre), but it certainly was a landmark in our area and a lot of people visited it over the years. Yes, I believe there was a cameo-like depiction, in neon (red or orange), of a Native American in profile on the street side. Not only is there housing on its site, but there is also a senior center. As with the drive-in in Monee, IL, I always thought that they were charming but antiquated concept and not a real good use of land.
A friend and I saw “The Godfather” at the Cicero Twin Drive-In. It was a very oddball, strange setting in which to see the classic Francis Ford Coppola film. I don’t remember a lot about the place but I do remember thinking that, due to the sheer amount of acreage used that it was kind of an antiquated though charming concept.
The Glenwood Theatre is a bit off the beaten path for me, but the last time I drove by it does look deserted. There is no lack of traffic in the area that could attract people into this facility for whatever purpose. Too bad.
Didn’t like this theatre at all; the chairs were uncomfortable and there was a LOT of concrete used on this project. No wonder it took years for them to demolish it.
I really enjoyed seeing films at the Nortown in Chicago Heights. Unlike the Lincoln-Dixie Theatre the Nortown had a parking lot (gravel I believe) and for what was (I presume) an independent movie theatre got some great bookings. I saw movies at the Nortown right until they decided to close up shop.
I take it back – I was in the lobby of the Oriental/Ford Center for the Performing Arts on a first-day-of-ticket-promotion for “Ragtime” where I received all sorts of gifts for attending. The lobby/ticketing area was ornately carved wood (or so it appeared), no coloring, very aged-looking. Unless it was utilized elsewhere, I don’t remember seeing it again once the rehab job was completed.
Description of the Glenwood Theatre as I knew it: beige everything, touches of woodwork. Somehow it reminded me of someone’s home. There was a space in the front of the theatre where lobby cards promoting the film could be set up. I believe it had a curtain that opened when the feature presentation began.
Yes, the Glenwood Theatre was originally a single-screen movie theatre, and a good one in its time. The last time I was at the Theatre it was was raining and the theatre proved to have quite a serious roof leakage problem, and the ladies' room really needed to be rehabbed. I have not been there for many years principally due to what appears to be ownership issues. I have followed their story over the years – a church wanted to purchase it and there seemed to be some issues over the theatre having a liquor license. As far as I know it was always the Glenwood Theatre and didn’t operate under any names.
I think I read in the entry about River Oaks that it was named after one of the corporate owner’s spouses. I was in the Diana Cinemas many times. The Diana was in an enclosed mall, Washington Square Mall, which went into a precipitous decline and the better-known national stores left and were either replaced by entrepreneurs (nothing wrong with that) or nothing at all (a problem). The bookings were good at the outset, but the decline of Washington Square Mall affected the Diana Cinemas and their bookings. One of the last times I was in the Mall it was a very hot day, the Mall was not running any air conditioning, and there were very few stores open in it. I think that may have been the period when the Diana reverted to dollar movie showings. No surprise when the Mall was torn down. When the Diana was getting good film bookings I liked it, but when things went south at Washington Square Mall, I didn’t. Description of the Diana? Red plush everything.
The southern suburbs of Chicago finally got a first-run movie theatre when River Oaks opened up their movie theatre. Though it was well out of my way, I remember it quite fondly and luckily missed the period when it was in decline. Someone had some comments about the local police of the era and I had a good chuckle. Does anyone have any thoughts about why movie theatres seem to run well for a while, then go into decline?
The Davis Theatre wasn’t exactly in my neighborhood (I’m from the suburbs) but when a Fred Astaire retrospective was booked there I made the pilgrimage in the early 1980s. I was there one time more, both times before the theatre was split up. It was nice, had good sight lines and sound, and was very large-sized. Nice lobby.
I saw quite a few films right up to the closing of the Fine Arts complex (just once in what was the Studebaker); there were issues of renovation that needed to be addressed, but I loved the place. I hope it re-opens.
I saw “Bye Bye Birdie” at the Chicago Theatre (the town in which I lived didn’t get first bookings of films so we came to downtown Chicago to see movies). A long time elapsed, into the mid-1980’s I believe when a friend and I saw Liza Minnelli perform at the Chicago (her Dad had worked there before he became a film director). The theatre was in some need of rehabbing but nothing that couldn’t be done with reinvestment, which is what happened. The Chicago Theatre is a difficult theatre to do theatrical shows in (I saw “My Fair Lady” on tryout tour with Richard Chamberlain as well as “South Pacific” with Robert Goulet) as I believe it has a very small orchestra pit – the latter show had a four-piece combo as I remember!
My Mom lived in Fort Madison, Iowa during the 1940’s-early 1950’s. An avid moviegoer, she mentioned the Strand frequently. It appeared to be her movie theatre of choice. Thanks for the information about it.
My Mom lived in Fort Madison, Iowa during the 1940’s-early 1950’s. An avid moviegoer, she mentioned the Orpheum frequently. Thanks for the information about it.
The Holiday Theatre was a one-screen indoor movie theatre; it has since been converted into several screening rooms. There is a listing on this site concerning the Holiday.
I hope so, too (ghosts not invited – ha!).
Yes, that must be it. I have never been at the Limelight/Excalibur either for the same reason.
When the open house was held after the rehab in the 1990s attendees were not allowed backstage or in the orchestra pit (we were allowed in most of the public areas), so I can’t add anything about it.
Concerning hauntings, or “hauntings” at the Oriental Theatre/Ford Center for the Performing Arts, usually a news piece or radio spot will pop up about the alleyway in back of the Theatre being the spot of ghostly activity over the years (they usually are broadcast or written about around Halloween). You may wish to check the archives of the Chicago Tribune or Chicago Sun-Times on that story.
The stories are good enough for me – I stay out of that alleyway just in case.
For some reason my family and I never got to the Sauk Trail Drive-In (we usually went to the Holiday Theatre), but it certainly was a landmark in our area and a lot of people visited it over the years. Yes, I believe there was a cameo-like depiction, in neon (red or orange), of a Native American in profile on the street side. Not only is there housing on its site, but there is also a senior center. As with the drive-in in Monee, IL, I always thought that they were charming but antiquated concept and not a real good use of land.
A friend and I saw “The Godfather” at the Cicero Twin Drive-In. It was a very oddball, strange setting in which to see the classic Francis Ford Coppola film. I don’t remember a lot about the place but I do remember thinking that, due to the sheer amount of acreage used that it was kind of an antiquated though charming concept.
The Glenwood Theatre is a bit off the beaten path for me, but the last time I drove by it does look deserted. There is no lack of traffic in the area that could attract people into this facility for whatever purpose. Too bad.
Never got into the Lincoln-Dixie Theatre.
Didn’t like this theatre at all; the chairs were uncomfortable and there was a LOT of concrete used on this project. No wonder it took years for them to demolish it.
I really enjoyed seeing films at the Nortown in Chicago Heights. Unlike the Lincoln-Dixie Theatre the Nortown had a parking lot (gravel I believe) and for what was (I presume) an independent movie theatre got some great bookings. I saw movies at the Nortown right until they decided to close up shop.
There was a family named Stevens who owned hotels in Chicago; try this link to a story from Chicago Magazine about them.
View link
Additionally, the Chicago Historical Society may assist you. They are on North Avenue in Chicago.
Good luck.
Considering this theatre – and its predecessors' – tragic histories, this theatre has to be haunted!
I take it back – I was in the lobby of the Oriental/Ford Center for the Performing Arts on a first-day-of-ticket-promotion for “Ragtime” where I received all sorts of gifts for attending. The lobby/ticketing area was ornately carved wood (or so it appeared), no coloring, very aged-looking. Unless it was utilized elsewhere, I don’t remember seeing it again once the rehab job was completed.
I seem to remember that the Homewood Theatre only ran movies at night and that parking could be a problem.
I can’t believe it, but I never got into the Homewood Theatre and have been regretting it ever since.
Description of the Glenwood Theatre as I knew it: beige everything, touches of woodwork. Somehow it reminded me of someone’s home. There was a space in the front of the theatre where lobby cards promoting the film could be set up. I believe it had a curtain that opened when the feature presentation began.
Yes, the Glenwood Theatre was originally a single-screen movie theatre, and a good one in its time. The last time I was at the Theatre it was was raining and the theatre proved to have quite a serious roof leakage problem, and the ladies' room really needed to be rehabbed. I have not been there for many years principally due to what appears to be ownership issues. I have followed their story over the years – a church wanted to purchase it and there seemed to be some issues over the theatre having a liquor license. As far as I know it was always the Glenwood Theatre and didn’t operate under any names.
I think I read in the entry about River Oaks that it was named after one of the corporate owner’s spouses. I was in the Diana Cinemas many times. The Diana was in an enclosed mall, Washington Square Mall, which went into a precipitous decline and the better-known national stores left and were either replaced by entrepreneurs (nothing wrong with that) or nothing at all (a problem). The bookings were good at the outset, but the decline of Washington Square Mall affected the Diana Cinemas and their bookings. One of the last times I was in the Mall it was a very hot day, the Mall was not running any air conditioning, and there were very few stores open in it. I think that may have been the period when the Diana reverted to dollar movie showings. No surprise when the Mall was torn down. When the Diana was getting good film bookings I liked it, but when things went south at Washington Square Mall, I didn’t. Description of the Diana? Red plush everything.
The southern suburbs of Chicago finally got a first-run movie theatre when River Oaks opened up their movie theatre. Though it was well out of my way, I remember it quite fondly and luckily missed the period when it was in decline. Someone had some comments about the local police of the era and I had a good chuckle. Does anyone have any thoughts about why movie theatres seem to run well for a while, then go into decline?
The Davis Theatre wasn’t exactly in my neighborhood (I’m from the suburbs) but when a Fred Astaire retrospective was booked there I made the pilgrimage in the early 1980s. I was there one time more, both times before the theatre was split up. It was nice, had good sight lines and sound, and was very large-sized. Nice lobby.
I saw quite a few films right up to the closing of the Fine Arts complex (just once in what was the Studebaker); there were issues of renovation that needed to be addressed, but I loved the place. I hope it re-opens.
Never got into the Monroe Theatre – again, it must have been the bookings = but worked at the Xerox Centre for a while.
I saw “Bye Bye Birdie” at the Chicago Theatre (the town in which I lived didn’t get first bookings of films so we came to downtown Chicago to see movies). A long time elapsed, into the mid-1980’s I believe when a friend and I saw Liza Minnelli perform at the Chicago (her Dad had worked there before he became a film director). The theatre was in some need of rehabbing but nothing that couldn’t be done with reinvestment, which is what happened. The Chicago Theatre is a difficult theatre to do theatrical shows in (I saw “My Fair Lady” on tryout tour with Richard Chamberlain as well as “South Pacific” with Robert Goulet) as I believe it has a very small orchestra pit – the latter show had a four-piece combo as I remember!