State-Lake Theatre
190 N. State Street,
Chicago,
IL
60601
190 N. State Street,
Chicago,
IL
60601
30 people
favorited this theater
Showing 101 - 125 of 163 comments
There’s really nothing Prairie or Sullivanesque about it; it’s pretty strict Neoclassicism/Beaux Arts, much like the Railway Exchange Building only moreso, since it is covered in classical pilasters. Sullivan and Wright probably hated this building.
That’s a beautiful photo, Lost Memory. Not just the theaters, but the cobblestoned street, streetlights, and trolley tracks.
Re : playlist posted by JRS40 : my best friend, who lives in Chicago, once sent me a postcard showing the State Lake. Consistent with 11/21 and 12/7/79, STAR TREK and HALLOWEEN appeared on the marquee.
To which I could add : PRINCE OF THE CITY in early October 1981, RETURN OF THE JEDI, July 1983.
The elevation drawing is good, too. Sort of the Louis Sullivan, American “Prairie School” of architecture ?
Chicago’s been a second home to me, for half my life, to date, ever since my first visit to my best friend there, first weekend of October 1980.
Here is a list of movies that played here from 1964-1980.
1/03/1964 – CLEOPATRA
2/05/1964 – THE VICTORS
3/06/1964 – AMERICA, AMERICA
3/19/1964 – THE PINK PANTHER
5/07/1964 – THE BEST MAN
5/27/1964 – THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
6/12/1964 – VIVA LAS VEGAS
7/03/1964 – ROBIN AND THE SEVEN HOODS
8/05/1964 – THE NEW INTERNS
9/02/1964 – KISSES FOR MY PRESIDENT
9/23/1964 – QUO VADIS
10/15/1964- MARY POPPINS
2/11/1965 – THOSE CALLOWAYS
3/05/1965 – SYLVIA
3/26/1965 – THE TRAIN
5/12/1965 – DR. NO plus FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
6/09/1965 – SHE
6/23/1965 – THE ART OF LOVE
7/28/1965 – A VERY SPECIAL FAVOR
8/20/1965 – MORITURI
9/03/1965 – ONCE A THIEF
9/24/1965 – THE REWARD
10/12/1965- THE GREAT RACE
2/02/1966 – THE UGLY DASCHUND
3/09/1966 – THE CHASE
4/06/1966 – THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS
5/27/1966 – BLINDFOLD
6/09/1966 – BATTLE OF THE BULGE
7/01/1966 – LT. ROBIN CRUSOE U.S.N.
8/05/1966 – ASSAULT ON A QUEEN
8/26/1966 – THIS PROPERTY IS CONDEMNED
9/09/1966 – CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF plus BUTTERFIELD 8
9/30/1966 – THE APPALOOSA
10/19/1966- DEAD HEAT ON A MERRY-GO-ROUND
11/10/1966- TEXAS ACROSS THE RIVER
12/8/1966 – THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD
12/25/1966- FOLLOW ME BOYS
1/18/1967 – PENELOPE
2/07/1967 – TOBRUK
3/03/1967 – THE 25TH HOUR
3/22/1967 – OH DAD, POOR DAD, MAMA’S HUNG YOU IN THE CLOSET AND I’M FEELING SO SAD
4/12/1967 – THE GAME IS OVER
4/28/1967 – CASINO ROYALE
6/21/1967 – DIVORCE – AMERICAN STYLE
7/21/1967 – THE DIRTY DOZEN
9/29/1967 – TWO FOR THE ROAD
10/18/1967- POINT BLANK
11/22/1967- ROSIE
12/6/1967 – MORE THAN A MIRACLE
12/22/1967- VALLEY OF THE DOLLS
3/15/1968 – THE JUNGLE BOOK plus CHARLIE THE LONESOME COUGAR
4/26/1968 – SWEET NOVEMBER
5/17/1968 – THE DEVIL’S BRIGADE
6/14/1968 – THE ODD COUPLE
8/16/1968 – HOW SWEET IT IS
8/30/1968 – WITH SIX YOU GET EGGROLL
9/18/1968 – THE SECRET LIFE OF AN AMERICAN WIFE
10/9/1968 – WEST SIDE STORY
11/8/1968 – THE LEGEND OF LYLAH CLARE
11/22/1968- I LOVE YOU ALICE B. TOKLAS
12/20/1968- BULLITT
3/14/1969 – THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE
4/13/1969 – GOODBYE COLUMBUS
6/05/1969 – TRUE GRIT
7/30/1969 – DADDY’S GONE A-HUNTING
8/20/1969 – HANG EM HIGH plus THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
9/17/1969 – THE RAIN PEOPLE
10/1/1969 – THE CHRISTMAS TREE
10/17/1969- A STRANGER IN TOWN plus THE STRANGER RETURNS
10/29/1969- STAIRCASE
11/11/1969- THE GYPSY MOTHS
11/26/1969- THE UNDEFEATED
12/25/1969- CACTUS FLOWER
2/06/1970 – A DREAM OF KINGS
2/27/1970 – THEY SHOOT HORSES DON’T THEY?
5/01/1970 – WOODSTOCK
6/26/1970 – MYRA BRECKINRIDGE
8/07/1970 – WOODSTOCK
9/25/1970 – THE PEOPLE NEXT DOOR
10/2/1970 – 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
10/23/1970- THE BABYMAKER
11/13/1970- W.U.S.A.
12/25/1970- THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT
2/05/1971 – DOCTOR’S WIVES
3/03/1971 – THE LAST VALLEY
3/19/1971 – THE PRIEST’S WIFE
4/02/1971 – A NEW LEAF
4/30/1971 – THE MEPHISTO WALTZ
5/21/1971 – ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES
6/25/1971 – PLAZA SUITE
7/21/1971 – THE LAST RUN
8/11/1971 – THE RED TENT
8/25/1971 – THE RETURN OF COUNT YORGA
9/22/1971 – THE MARRIAGE OF A YOUNG STOCKBROKER
10/8/1971 – MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE plus THE BUNNY O'HARE MOB
10/22/1971- KOTCH
11/5/1971 – THE FRENCH CONNECTION
12/24/1971- THE GANG THAT COULDN’T SHOOT STRAIGHT
2/04/1972 – THE COWBOYS
3/22/1972 – WHAT’S UP DOC?
5/26/1972 – SKYJACKED
6/23/1972 – PRIME CUT
7/21/1972 – THE LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS
8/04/1972 – THE MAN
8/25/1972 – MELINDA
10/6/1972 – WHERE DOES IT HURT?
10/20/1972- THE VALACHI PAPERS
12/22/1972- THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE
2/16/1973 – THE TRAIN ROBBERS
3/09/1973 – WALKING TALL
3/30/1973 – VAULT OF HORROR
4/13/1973 – FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH
5/18/1973 – HITLER: THE LAST TEN DAYS
6/13/1973 – PAPER MOON
7/18/1973 – DILLINGER
8/24/1973 – ENTER THE DRAGON
10/5/1973 – THE STONE KILLER
11/2/1973 – COFFY plus THE MACK
11/30/1973- DOCTOR DEATH plus TERROR IN THE WAX MUSEUM
12/21/1973- PAPILLON
2/15/1974 – THE EXORCIST
6/14/1974 – TRUCK TURNER
7/26/1974 – BANK SHOT
8/09/1974 – DEATH WISH
9/20/1974 – SAVAGE SISTERS
10/18/1974- AIRPORT 1975
12/20/1974- THE GODFATHER PART II
2/28/1975 – A TOWN CALLED HELL plus HORROR EXPRESS
3/07/1975 – UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT plus THE CHINESE PROFESSIONALS
3/21/1975 – TOMMY
6/20/1975 – BUG
7/04/1975 – CLEOPATRA JONES AND THE CASINO OF GOLD
8/08/1975 – BEYOND THE DOOR
10/12/1975- LET’S DO IT AGAIN
12/19/1975- THE KILLER ELITE
1/23/1976 – PSYCHIC KILLER
2/13/1976 – DOG DAY AFTERNOON
4/09/1976 – SPARKLE
5/14/1976 – GRIZZLY
6/25/1976 – THE OMEN
8/13/1976 – DRUM
9/24/1976 – SPARKLE plus HOT POTATO
10/8/1976 – CAR WASH
12/17/1976- KING KONG
2/20/1977 – BLACK SAMURAI
4/01/1977 – BLACK SUNDAY
5/13/1977 – SINGLE FIGHTER plus MEAN FRANK AND CRAZY TONY
5/27/1977 – DAY OF THE ANIMALS
6/24/1977 – SORCERER
8/05/1977 – SUSPIRIA
9/30/1977 – KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE
10/21/1977- FISTS OF FURY plus THE CHINESE CONNECTION
11/4/1977 – WHICH WAY IS UP?
2/10/1978 – SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
5/19/1978 – GREASED LIGHTNING plus A PIECE OF THE ACTION
5/26/1978 – JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS plus THE DEEP
6/02/1978 – THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY
6/16/1978 – GREASE
9/22/1978 – CHEECH AND CHONG’S UP IN SMOKE
10/27/1978- THE WIZ
1/19/1979 – BEYOND AND BACK
2/09/1979 – THE WARRIORS
4/20/1979 – THE EXORCIST
5/25/1979 – ALIEN
8/24/1979 – GAME OF DEATH
9/21/1979 – 7 BROTHERS MEET DRACULA plus MASTER OF FLYING GUILLOTINE
10/5/1979 – APOCALYPSE NOW
11/21/1979- HALLOWEEN plus THE PSYCHIC
12/7/1979 – STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE
1/25/1980 – WINDOWS
2/15/1980 – JAWS 2 plus WHICH WAY IS UP?
2/22/1980 – AMERICAN GIGOLO
3/28/1980 – JESUS
4/04/1980 – LADY AND THE TRAMP plus APPLE DUMPLING GANG RIDES AGAIN
4/25/1980 – ENTER THE DRAGON plus CLEOPATRA JONES
5/09/1980 – FRIDAY THE 13TH
6/13/1980 – THE SHINING
7/18/1980 – CHEECH AND CHONG’S NEXT MOVIE
8/01/1980 – CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND – SPECIAL EDITION
8/15/1980 – THE OCTAGON
8/29/1980 – THE BIG BRAWL
9/19/1980 – WHEN A STRANGER CALLS plus THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY
9/26/1980 – GAME OF DEATH plus RETURN OF THE DRAGON
10/3/1980 – TERROR TRAIN
10/24/1980- THE FIRST DEADLY SIN
11/7/1980 – FADE TO BLACK
11/21/1980- SONG OF THE SOUTH
12/5/1980 – THE OCTAGON/A FORCE OF ONE/GOOD GUYS WEAR BLACK
12/12/1980- POPEYE
GOSSIP COLUMN ITEM:
Chicago Tribune, Friday, June 17, 1960, s. 1, p. 18, c. 1:
Tower Ticker, by Herb Lyon
“… . The 100 Buck ringside seats at the Ingo-Patterson rematch Monday night may go begging, but B. & K.’s Dave Wallerstein is predicting a sellout at the six local movie houses that will crackle with closed circuit TV coverage. The State Lake is already S.R.O… . ”
Thank you, Grand Mogul !
NEWS ITEM:
Chicago Tribune, Sunday, June 1, 1958, s. 3, p. 6, c. 5:
PHIL SILVERS' FRIENDS THINK A LOT OF HIM
by John Fink
Phil Silvers memories of Chicago go back to the heyday of vaudeville. “Chicago was great in vaudeville days,” he says. “It was the center of the Orpheum circuit. One time you could stay six months in Chicago and not repeat a single theater. You played the Palace going west, and when you came back played the State-Lake and Orpheum.”
1951 video clips of the State Lake are available by searching http://www.wttwdigitalarchives.com/searchres.php for 25329 or 25331.
I was given a 1958 postcard which has a nice color photo of the front of the State Lake Theater at night. It’s interesting to note that the street lights are the exact same style as the lights in Bryan Krefft’s photo at the top of this page. It’s also nice to know that the Wurlitzer organ from this theater is still in existence.
I agree Fantastic! I do not know how you do it but keep on doing it!
Very good footage great find and thank you for posting it :)
Fantastic! Dates to 1957, judging by the marquees
View link
Enter the word theatre in the search function, follow the prompts, then scroll through the results until you find the color footage of the State-Lake’s marquee running.
I have to agree with the post left above.
Another thing that I think should have eather ben reworked or just left out of the plan was the" art piece" that sticks out from the side of the bulding i don`t know if it is just me or the fact that it is new but i agree that thay could have done the config a little bit better maybe thay could have had a marquee with something like the “Radio City Music Hall” has in New York, i mean that it is(in my POV) the best of the two worlds.Information and Art. “Form follows function”! Thank You.
The new State Street Studio in the former lobby is nearing completion, and I, for one, really hate it.
Here is a Tribune article on it, and here are photos and further commentary.
The State Lake opened with a Chicago-built W. W. Kimball pipe organ of 3 manuals. This organ was replaced by a Style 240 3 manual 13 rank Wurlitzer in late 1927. The console was factory finished in white. The dummy facade pipes on the chambers were typical of the period. Landsburgh did similar touches at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco and tt the Hill Street Theatre in LA.
This organ was eventually sold to Vern Gregory in California where it was installed for a number of years in the San Francisco Avenue Theatre. The organ was removed from the Avenue in late 1983 and eventually was installed in the tiny Town Theatre in San Jose', CA.
When Indian films took over that theatre, that was the end of the State-Lake Wurlitzer in that building.
It is my understanding the organ has been sold and shipped to a buyer in Florida.
Confidential to Nick Coston: could you contact me directly? A mutual friend is trying to contact you. My e-mail is listed under my name below. Best Wishes
Will
Brian: Mason began working in 1929. He did contribute to the Gateway project. But it would be more accurate to state that he was being groomed for the future at that time.
The State-Lake’s marquee along with the Chicago and Loop theater marquees can all be seen in the Lee Marvin movie “Prime Cut”.
You know…
Mason Rapp was born in 1906, so he would have been 13 years old when this was built, and 11 when it was in planning. I think it’s rather unlikely that he was an architect at this time. And I have an article stating it was a project of C.W. and George Rapp. This also throws some doubt on the Gateway, since he’d have been 23 at that time. It is possible, though, I suppose.
HOUDINI’S picture “The Grim Game” was released in October of 1919.
HOUDINI played this Theatre May 14-19th 1923.
In “IMAGES of AMERICA: CHRISTMAS ON STATE STREET 1940s and BEYOND” by Robert P. Ledermann, there are a number of pictures of downtown movie theatres. On page 78, the Chicago and Loop theatre; the Chicago is playing “TONY ROME” with Frank Sinatra. Page 80 has the Chicago and State Lake; on the marquee: “REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE”. Page 81 has another shot of the State Lake, showing “ALL ABOUT EVE”. Finally, there is a picture of a 1955 movie directory listing from- maybe- the Sun Times. The Oriental theatre is showing “THE TENDER TRAP”. The ad says 98 cents to 5 P.M.
Rapp & Rapp moved their offices to the State-Lake building as of 1918.
To any/all having an interest in vaudeville:
My Grandmother Capitola De Wolf and her sister Georgette, performed as the “De Wolf Girls” in 1919 at the State-Lake.
I’d be interested in hearing from anyone having family connection to Vaudeville from the late 1800s to 1923.
Even better is, if you look between the middle and last streetlight, you’ll see a sign for WCFL. Ah, the days when ‘CFL and WLS battled it out for AM rock supremacy!
Bryan’s 1964 postcard picture actually appears to have been taken around May 29th, 1963. The Paul Newman picture that opened that day was “Hud”. “Mondo Caine” had opened in the US April 3, 1963 and “Dr. No” opened May 8th, 1963. Great picture!