United Artists Theatre

You’re right, CHI74: “THIEF” opened in Chicago on March 27, 1981. It was released by United Artists. However, it did NOT play the United Artists theatre (at least not first run). “THIEF” played at the Chicago, McClurg Court, and Portage theatres in the city, and a number of suburban theatres and drive-ins. At the Chicago theatre, they had a second feature: “THE FUNHOUSE”.

http://cinematreasures.org/news/17472_0_1_0_C/

Shoeshoe14 : Thank you for postinthe link so that we can see the cover that shows how big the UAs marquee was .
It is sad that the UA is no longer their.
That record`s cover brings back a whole lot of good times.
Thank you for posting and thank you for you time :)

I was cleaning out my friend’s record shop last week and saw a cover of some musician named Stephen Alexanderson in a suit, strutting in front of this theatre in a suit. The title was “Let the Music Move Me” and it said Chicago as the studio location and it had United Artists on the marquee. It was from 1977.

Here is a listing of the movies that played here from 1964-1980.

1/03/1964 – FOUR FOR TEXAS
1/24/1964 – LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER
2/26/1964 – SEVEN DAYS IN MAY
4/29/1964 – ADVANCE TO THE REAR
5/20/1964 – WHAT A WAY TO GO
7/15/1964 – GOOD NEIGHBOR SAM
8/19/1964 – A SHOT IN THE DARK
10/21/1964- I’D RATHER BE RICH
11/4/1964 – SEND ME NO FLOWERS
12/25/1964- THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY
1/29/1965 – 36 HOURS
2/19/1965 – HOW TO MURDER YOUR WIFE
5/16/1965 – THE AMOOUS ADVENTURES OF MOLL FLANDERS
6/25/1965 – IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD
6/30/1965 – WHAT’S NEW PUSSYCAT?
9/29/1965 – SHIP OF FOOLS
10/22/1965- VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS plus SEASIDE SWINGERS
10/29/1965- LAUREL AND HARDY’D LAUGHING 20'S
11/5/1965 – KING RAT
11/25/1965- DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE
12/15/1965- MASTER OF HORROR plus MASTER OF TERROR
12/24/1965- THE LOVED ONE
1/28/1966 – A PATCH OF BLUE
3/25/1966 – THE OSCAR
4/22/1966 – THE SINGING NUN
5/13/1966 – THE GROUP
6/17/1966 – THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING, THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING
7/22/1966 – WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
11/4/1966 – THE FORTUNE COOKIE
11/24/1966- ANY WEDNESDAY
12/20/1966- A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
1/25/1967 – FARENHEIT 451
2/22/1967 – NIGHT OF THE GENERALS
3/24/1967 – A COUNTESS IN HONG KONG
4/07/1967 – IN LIKE FLINT
5/24/1967 – THE HONEY POT
6/14/1967 – DON’T MAKE WAVES
6/28/1967 – CAPRICE
7/12/1967 – A GUIDE FOR THE MARRIED MAN
8/09/1967 – THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE
1/05/1968 – COP OUT
1/19/1968 – THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS
1/31/1968 – IN COLD BLOOD
3/20/1968 – A STRANGER IN TOWN
4/12/1968 – THE SECRET WAR OF HARRY FRIGG
5/17/1968 – HALF A SIXPENCE
6/05/1968 – A MINUTE TO PRAY, A SECOND TO DIE
6/26/1968 – WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT?
7/10/1968 – THE DETECTIVE
8/14/1968 – BANDOLERO
9/04/1968 – PRUDENCE AND THE PILL
9/18/1968 – THE STRANGER RETURNS
10/16/1968- FUNNY GIRL
6/18/1969 – THE APRIL FOOLS
7/18/1969 – THAT COLD DAY IN THE PARK
8/13/1969 – CASTLE KEEP
9/10/1969 – THE GAY DECEIVERS
10/1/1969 – TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN
11/11/1969- HAIL HERO
11/21/1969- THE MAD WOMAN OF CHAILLOT
12/5/1969 – THE GOOD GUYS AND THE BAD GUYS
12/19/1969- BOB AND CAROL AND TED AND ALICE
3/11/1970 – JENNY
3/27/1970 – MAS*H
6/25/1970 – CATCH 22
10/16/1970- DIARY OF A MAD HOUSEWIFE
12/4/1970 – THE SAND PEBBLES
12/18/1970- BREWSTER McCLOUD
1/13/1971 – I LOVE MY WIFE
2/10/1971 – LITTLE BIG MAN
4/30/1971 – SUMMER OF 42
7/02/1971 – CARNAL KNOWLEDGE
9/24/1971 – THE TOUCH
10/13/1971- WEST SIDE STORY
10/27/1971- T.R. BASKIN
11/24/1971- 200 MOTELS
12/22/1971- STRAW DOGS
2/16/1972 – CABARET
5/26/1972 – PLAY IT AGAIN SAM
7/06/1972 – PORTNOY’S COMPLAINT
8/03/1972 – CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
8/25/1972 – THE SALZBURG CONNECTION
9/08/1972 – BLUEBEARD
10/4/1972 – DELIVERANCE
12/22/1972- JEREMIAH JOHNSON
1/17/1973 – SHAFT plus SHAFT’S BIG SCORE
1/31/1973 – BLACULA plus SLAUGHTER
2/14/1973 – THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN
3/21/1973 – SLITHER
4/13/1973 – HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER
5/23/1973 – A WARM DECEMBER
6/13/1973 – THE CHINESE CONNECTION
5/29/1973 – THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE
7/20/1973 – BADGE 373
8/03/1973 – SSSSSSS
8/24/1973 – FOX STYLE
9/07/1973 – LADY KUNG FU
9/23/1973 – TRIPLE IRONS
10/7/1973 – WILLARD plus BEN
10/19/1973- CHARLEY VARRICK
11/2/1973 – TRICK BABY plus HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER
11/16/1973- THE DON IS DEAD
12/19/1973- THAT MAN BOLT
1/25/1974 – THE KARATE KILLER plus KUNG FU – THE INVISIBLE FIST
2/08/1974 – Mc Q
3/08/1974 – SUGAR HILL
3/29/1974 – CONRACK
4/26/1974 – THE GODFATHER plus LADY SINGS THE BLUES
5/10/1974 – CHINESE HERCULES
5/24/1974 – THE TAKE
6/21/1974 – CLAUDINE
9/13/1974 – ENTER THE DRAGON plus THE CHINESE PROFESSIONALS
10/4/1974 – THE LONGEST YARD
10/25/1974- COLD SWEAT
11/15/1974- EARTHQUAKE
3/07/1975 – CLAUDINE plus SOUNDER
3/21/1975 – THE YAKUZA
4/11/1975 – THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD
5/23/1975 – MANDINGO
6/20/1975 – JAWS
12/5/1975 – ABDUCTION
12/19/1975- YESSONGS plus DEATH OF THE RED PLANET
12/25/1975- LUCKY LADY
2/20/1976 – MANSON
2/27/1976 – MAHOGANY plus MANDINGO
3/05/1976 – THREE THE HARD WAY plus THE DRAGON DIES HARD
3/12/1976 – THOU SHALL NOT KILL plus KARATE 1 ON 1
3/19/1976 – CHINO plus NO WAY OUT
4/09/1976 – FAMILY PLOT
5/21/1976 – ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
6/18/1976 – MIDWAY
8/13/1976 – THE GUMBALL RALLY
8/20/1976 – THE EXORCIST
9/03/1976 – SURVIVE
10/1/1976 – BEYOND THE DARKNESS plus TERROR FROM UNDER THE HOUSE
10/15/1976- MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH plus POLICE WOMEN
10/22/1976- RETURN OF A MAN CALLED HORSE plus THUNDERBOLT & LIGHTFOOT
11/5/1976 – SHOUT AT THE DEVIL
11/19/1976- NORMAN IS THAT YOU? plus AMAZING GRACE
12/10/1976- SUPER WEAPON plus SOMETHING CREEPING IN THE DARK
12/25/1976- THE SHAGGY D.A.
1/14/1977 – THE RIVER NIGER
1/28/1977 – SWASHBUCKLER plus CAR WASH
2/18/1977 – NETWORK
3/04/1977 – ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 plus HIGH VELOCITY
3/18/1977 – KILLER FORCE plus ABBY
3/25/1977 – SLAPSHOT
5/06/1977 – THE CHINESE CONNECTION plus FISTS OF FURY
5/13/1977 – THE CAR
6/03/1977 – THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE plus THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN
6/10/1977 – THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE
6/17/1977 – THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT
7/29/1977 – STAR WARS
12/23/1977- TELEFON
1/20/1978 – THE SPY WHO LOVED ME plus WILLIE DYNAMITE
1/27/1978 – MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE plus THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM plus THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES plus CRY OF THE BANSHEE
2/10/1978 – COMA
3/17/1978 – THE FURY
5/12/1978 – ALICE, SWEET ALICE plus BARE KNUCKLES
5/19/1978 – FM
5/26/1978 – DEVIL WOMAN plus DRAGONS NEVER DIE
6/02/1978 – THE END
6/09/1978 – GOOD GUYS WEAR BLACK
6/16/1978 – JAWS 2
8/11/1978 – EYES OF LAURA MARS
9/01/1978 – BLACK CAESAR plus CLEOPATRA JONES
9/08/1978 – CARRIE plus AUTOPSY
9/29/1978 – BARRACUDA plus TOWING
10/6/1978 – BLOODBROTHERS
10/13/1978- LADY SINGS THE BLUES plus MAHOGANY
10/20/1978- FRIDAY FOSTER plus SHEBA BABY plus FOXY BROWN
10/27/1978- THE DEVIL’S RAIN plus VIRGIN WITCH
11/3/1978 – THE BUS IS COMING
11/17/1978- BLACKJACK
12/22/1978- INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS
1/26/1979 – ANIMAL HOUSE
2/16/1979 – FORCE TEN FROM NAVARONE plus TALES FROM THE CRYPT
2/23/1979 – FASTBREAK
3/23/1979 – HAIR
4/06/1979 – CIRCLE OF IRON plus BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY
5/04/1979 – LOVE AT FIRST BITE plus BLACULA
5/25/1979 – PHANTASM plus THE PREMONITION
6/08/1979 – JAWS
6/22/1979 – ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ
7/27/1979 – PATRICK plus SCREAMS OF A WINTER NIGHT
8/03/1979 – NORTH DALLAS FORTY
8/17/1979 – FISTS OF FURY 2 plus YOUNG DRAGON
8/31/1979 – RICHARD PRYOR – LIVE IN CONCERT
9/21/1979 – ROCKY II plus ACROSS 110TH STREET
9/28/1979 – THE WARRIORS plus CHEECH AND CHONG’S UP IN SMOKE
10/5/1979 – JAGUAR LIVES plus 7 BROTHERS MEET DRACULA
10/19/1979- METEOR
11/2/1979 – COFFY plus THE MACK
11/9/1979 – KILLER FISH plus SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER
11/16/1979- IN SEARCH OF HISTORIC JESUS
11/21/1979- ARABIAN ADVENTURE plus BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY
11/30/1979- THE STUD plus THE SILENT PARTNER
12/7/1979 – ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ plus SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER plus CHEECH AND CHONG’S UP IN SMOKE
12/14/1979- 1941
1/04/1980 – THE GLOVE plus EMMA MAE
1/18/1980 – THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE
2/01/1980 – A FORCE OF ONE
3/07/1980 – THE VISITOR plus THE GODSEND
3/28/1980 – THE CHANGELING
4/25/1980 – APOCALYPSE NOW
5/02/1980 – KILL OR BE KILLED
5/16/1980 – THE LONG RIDERS
6/06/1980 – AMERICAN GIGOLO plus THE WARRIORS
6/13/1980 – THE ISLAND
6/27/1980 – BRUBAKER plus ALIEN
7/04/1980 – AIRPLANE plus BINGO LONG TRAVELLING ALL-STARS AND MOTOR KINGS
7/11/1980 – I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE plus PENITENTIARY
7/18/1980 – FRIDAY THE 13TH plus THE WARRIORS
7/25/1980 – DRESSED TO KILL
8/29/1980 – THE OCTAGON plus A FORCE OF ONE
9/12/1980 – THE BOOGEYMAN
10/3/1980 – MY BODYGUARD plus VANISHING POINT
10/10/1980- RICHARD PRYOR – LIVE IN CONCERT plus DETROIT 9000
10/17/1980- SCHIZOID plus THE GODSEND
10/24/1980- GLORIA plus WHOLLY MOSES
10/31/1980- THE MACK plus J.D.’S REVENGE plus YOUNGBLOOD plus SCREAM, BLACULA SCREAM
11/7/1980 – THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES plus BUCKTOWN plus COOLEY HIGH plus TRUCK TURNER
11/14/1980- THE ELEPHANT MAN
11/21/1980- BORDERLINE plus RAISE THE TITANIC
11/28/1980- COFFY plus MADHOUSE plus SHEBA BABY plus SLAUGHTER’S BIG RIP-OFF
12/5/1980 – ALLIGATOR plus FADE TO BLACK
12/19/1980- NEW YEAR’S EVIL

See my comments on the Roosevelt Theatre pertaining to this picture http://members.aol.com/citypan/BLK3791789.JPG photo of “Block 37”, on which the United Artists stood. The photo appears to be taken immediately prior to the demolition of every building seen on the block. On the right in the distance (on Randolph, the street that the taxi is not on) can be seen the blank marquee for the UA.

Volumes could be written on not only the failure of “Block 37”—indeed they have—but on the failure of State Street Mall too. But, thanks to the revivals of the Oriental and the Cadillac Palace, and the addition of the Goodman, this corner is a lot more vibrant than as shown in the picture.

(And yes, Paul F., I do remember the scene in “Adventures In Babysitting” when the car passes by the still-open UA and the Woods).

At what movie theatre did glamorous Marilyn Monroe make her only Chicago stage appearance?

CHICAGO TRIBUNE, Thursday, March 19, 1959, ad announcing:

Scoop! Today Only IN PERSON MARILYn MONROE, on stage! One Appearance Only at 12 Noon!

NOTE: She was in Chicago for the World Premiere of the Billy Wilder comedy, “Some Like It Hot.”

I’m pretty sure in my early years I recall my mother taking me to this theater and we saw my very first 3-D film which was “Friday the 13th 3-D”.

Short 1927 video clips of the United Artists marquee can be seen by searching http://www.wttwdigitalarchives.com/searchres.php for 26128 or 26129. A 1954 color view can be seen by searching for 25332.

Brian Wolf is a mad man…a posting mad man that is…

Incidentally, all of these comments are being generated by the fact that they are finally building something on Block 37. A friend of mine who should know says it is some sort of public transit center.

View link

Go to this link and enlarge the United Artists Theatre picture found there to full screen dimensions. Notice that the organ grill designs have a goddess head incorporated into them. I found one of them intact in the rubble while the building was coming down.

I should see if THS wants the thing now that I am talking about it. It certainly doesn’t do much good sitting in storage.

What an idiot I was to be crawling around in that place during demolition. One falling chunk of steel would have been the end of me.

How strange it was to look out the ports of the intact projection booth (complete with Playboy Magazines) to see Marshall Fields.

Yessir, Life’s too short, it IS crazy – and wild, too, but energy costs were considerably cheaper back then. We’ve got SDG&E and you probably have Con Ed, both ripoffs these days. But in the good ol' days… Really wish you could see the multitude of bright yellow chase lights that I mentioned in my 6/18 post about the MAHP video, “Chicago Trolleys.” It was a special treat for the eyeballs. WOW!