Chuck, you seem to be correct. According to this site, the hotel sits in the exact spot you mention. The building is listed as the American Hotel, but it also mentions the theater. It also includes a couple exterior photos.
I would have to agree Memory, this should probably be listed as the Riviera instead of the Marlow. Another thing I had orginally considered putting in my prior post, but didn’t, was that my dad used to tell me the old screen to the drive-in was still back in the woods that now cover the site. But, since my dad’s not always the most reliable source, I didn’t! Maybe someone else that visits this site has heard that rumor too, and can confirm if its true or not.
Lost Memory, when my fathers talks about this drive-in, he always refers to it as the Riviera. I couldn’t tell you though when the name change occured.
Just an update. I said nearly 2 ½ years ago that Gold’s Gym was only expecting to stay in the theater for a short time until they could build their own building. Well, they are still there, and I expect they probably will be for while.
The Varsity is set to reopen tonight. The stage company has renovated one of the theaters and will present their first production there this weekend. They also clean-up the lobby and restored the marquee. The Southern Illinoisanhas an article and video up on their website today about the reopening.
Sorry it took so long for a reply, Lost Memory, but I do believe the Grand is now a triplex. I only saw it advertised in the local paper once that they were now a triplex and then nothing else, so not sure when or how they triplexed it.
I seriously doubt Garrick, the British playwright, is one of the faces. That is unless he was added on later. The building was built, if I remember correctly, for a German theater group. Most likely all the faces would have been famous Germans. Also, the theater only became the Garrick a decade or so after it was built, so it would seem odd that a British playwright would be on a German theater building. I’m not saying its improbably, just seems unlikely.
Micheal, I would like to inform you that while the Orpheum is a good example of a live performance venue, it has been that way for many years. It was actually built as a vaudville house but it did spend some time as a movie theater. The Roberts Brothers purchased it several years ago, mainly because they owned the hotel next door. Nothing at all wrong with that, as the theater hadn’t seen much use in the years before they purchased it. I also don’t think it had been gutted at all.
Smadrian, if I may interrupt your “discussion” with theaterbuff, I’d like to give my take on why the movie palace faded away. I will first say that I haven’t lived in the “great America” theaterbuff lived in, as I was only born in the 1980s. I believe that the movie palaces disapeared due to the free market. People moved, on their own for the most part, to the suburbs and stayed away from the city and the palaces. Without the huge audiences the large theaters needed, they had to go out of business. As the neighborhoods in the city faded away, the neighborhood palaces faded away.
I’d link to the article in the local paper, but they are unreliable as to how long they keep articles on their website so I’ll just review what they plans are right now. The Stage Company plans to build a stage in one of the theaters and move in this fall. It will sit about 140-150. They then plan to work on the bigger theater, seating about 300, and have it ready sometime in the future. They plan to spruce up the small theater in the balconey and show movies in it, possibly foreign films. They plan to work on restoring the lobby, which does appear to need some work as it is painting in what appears to be plan white house paint. They also would like to work on the exterior.
The theater offically was given to the city this week, who then turned it over to the Stage Company. The local news showed the interior, and to my suprise, it appeared to be in great condition. Looked almost like it had been empty a couple weeks, not almost 5 years. Of course I wasn’t there so can’t really say for sure.
The Company claims to already have over $100,000 dollars ready to use, which is probably true considering they have been fundraising for a new home for 3 or so years.
I am pretty sure that that Charlie’s Heating and Air is in the old auditorium. The lobby apparently doesn’t exist anymore. If you look at the building though, it is clearly an older structure and resembles the auditoriums of other theaters that I have seen.
Actually I belive the Hayton is down the street a bit from the coffe house. I live here in Carterville and have always been told that the Hayton was in the building now occupied by an heating and air conditioning company. My father, who was born about the time the Hayton closed can remember going in the building as a kid, and even though it was used for other things, he said the screen was still there. I have no idea if the screen is still there today, but I doubt it is.
Great news! Kerasotas has donated the theater to the city, and the city plans to renovate it and use it as a performance center for local theater groups.
Just saw online that a new sign was added to Powell. It’s an upright marquee in the place of the old one that was removed in the 1960s. I don’t know how close to the original it is, but I really doubt it is close. Here is a link to pics View link
For once Buff I agree with you. Lombard is definely a darker place without the DuPage. Where I must disagree is your wanting to heap all the blame onto Obama. While he must recieve some, you want to give him all the blame. You have never once mentioned any other local, state or national representative for Lombard that you contacted. Lombard is represented by a state governor, a state representative, a state sentator, a U.S. Representative, and another U.S. Senator. All of these people could have potentionaly stepped up to help. Did you contact them too? Or just Obama? The city also has a city council and a mayor. Did you talk to them? While I applaud you trying to get answers, I think you are focusing too much on one man.
Ok, maybe I was wrong. I had never seen those pics before. I saw a pic on landmarks.org though that showed the exterior facade in much worse shape than the pics on that site. Also are you aware that the group that posted those pics are the ones that came up with the plan to demolish the auditorium? Neither did I until it happend.
As to you saying I wanted it demolished, I tell you to look at the Dupage Theater comment board. I pleaded for the theater to be saved and was attacked for it. WHERE IS YOUR POSTING ON THAT BOARD? Oh wait, you where too busy to notice. Just like Mr. Obama, aka TheaterHater. Now you say I tasted blood and I want more. No I don’t want more, I didn’t want this blood.
Also I want to know who these “many in direct communication” are. You are the only one that seems to blame Mr. Obama. Why just him? What about Mrs. Clinton? She’s also running for President. Why not John McCain? He is also a senator and running for President. Did you contact our state governor? I doubt it. Why not our President himself? Seems he must be in on this anti-theater thing too.
Also I have never heard of this thing called Senatorial Decree. I really doubt it even exists. I also think you should just butt out of this, I think you have a vendetta against Mr. Obama. Plus you don’t have even the slightest understanding of the situation. This was not a theater in good condition. Most would say poor condition would even be a strech. It had been triplexed, that is a lot of work to undo. It apparently had lots of water damage. The plan of the auditorium demolision was supported by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois.
Yes! Obama is a theater hating maniac! Thanks for that info! He’s running for president so he can demolish all theaters. Once he’s done with those, I think he will continue on with our libraries. Then possibly hit our hospitals and schools.
Also, I have a great love for Rapp and Rapp. They where born about 10 miles from my home. There father was the contractor who built several of the buildings at the state university down here. Both brothers left several beautiful buildings in their home town, though they didn’t design any theaters in this area. Despite my love, I don’t think that just because the building is by Rapp and Rapp that instantly makes it an international landmark. It makes it important yes, but not so important as to bankrupt a town or state to save it.
Boy I can just see Theater Buff now, sitting there at his computer wearing his aluminum foil suit and helmet to keep the government from beaming its anti-theater radio rays into his head. Buff, most people on here think you are crazy not because you love theaters, but because of your long, rambling posts. Your point gets lost when you start comparing the Dupage to the fall of Rome, the Holocaust, racism, homophobia, government consperacies. Just make a point, and go on, we don’t need the other stuff.
I agree Theatre Neighbor, I really think Theaterbuff needs help. To compare the demolision of this theater to the slaughter of millions of people is just the worst thing I have ever heard. Then to say once confronted with that fact to say “I see no problem comparing the two” is also horrid. I for one am tired of reading your RACIST CRAP! Please seek some help. Also Buff you say people are telling you this isn’t political. Everyone knows it is political, but you are focusing on the wrong level. You say that Sentator Obama should be involved because this is a national and international problem. I once again ask, if he should be invovled, where is President Bush? After all he is head of the national government, and this is a natiaonl problem!
I must agree Life. Before the Dupage comments where shut off, many people where saying they didn’t need any more condo’s downtown. They complained that since the building would be taller than the nearby houses that they would lose there privacy. They said the proposed building was too tall. It would cost too much. Now the city will probably approve this new building. It will probably be just as tall as the one proposed now. It will probably get money from the city. I hope that the people of Lombard realize what this has done to the reputation of there city!
And I do get the point you are trying to make, I just don’t agree with it. What happened here is what has been happening in America for centuries. One great historic structure is torn down to make way for something else. Unfortunely we can’t save every one. I wish we could, but the time, effort and money are just not there. The city said they couldn’t restore it on there own. They went to the state and the federal government for help. The got some money from the state, but it took several years before it ever showed up. They got very little from the federal government. I believe that at the time the money came through Obama was still in the state government, and Lombard is not in his district, so he wouldn’t have been invovled.
Chuck, you seem to be correct. According to
this site, the hotel sits in the exact spot you mention. The building is listed as the American Hotel, but it also mentions the theater. It also includes a couple exterior photos.
I would have to agree Memory, this should probably be listed as the Riviera instead of the Marlow. Another thing I had orginally considered putting in my prior post, but didn’t, was that my dad used to tell me the old screen to the drive-in was still back in the woods that now cover the site. But, since my dad’s not always the most reliable source, I didn’t! Maybe someone else that visits this site has heard that rumor too, and can confirm if its true or not.
Lost Memory, when my fathers talks about this drive-in, he always refers to it as the Riviera. I couldn’t tell you though when the name change occured.
Just an update. I said nearly 2 ½ years ago that Gold’s Gym was only expecting to stay in the theater for a short time until they could build their own building. Well, they are still there, and I expect they probably will be for while.
The Varsity is set to reopen tonight. The stage company has renovated one of the theaters and will present their first production there this weekend. They also clean-up the lobby and restored the marquee. The Southern Illinoisanhas an article and video up on their website today about the reopening.
Sorry it took so long for a reply, Lost Memory, but I do believe the Grand is now a triplex. I only saw it advertised in the local paper once that they were now a triplex and then nothing else, so not sure when or how they triplexed it.
I seriously doubt Garrick, the British playwright, is one of the faces. That is unless he was added on later. The building was built, if I remember correctly, for a German theater group. Most likely all the faces would have been famous Germans. Also, the theater only became the Garrick a decade or so after it was built, so it would seem odd that a British playwright would be on a German theater building. I’m not saying its improbably, just seems unlikely.
Micheal, I would like to inform you that while the Orpheum is a good example of a live performance venue, it has been that way for many years. It was actually built as a vaudville house but it did spend some time as a movie theater. The Roberts Brothers purchased it several years ago, mainly because they owned the hotel next door. Nothing at all wrong with that, as the theater hadn’t seen much use in the years before they purchased it. I also don’t think it had been gutted at all.
Smadrian, if I may interrupt your “discussion” with theaterbuff, I’d like to give my take on why the movie palace faded away. I will first say that I haven’t lived in the “great America” theaterbuff lived in, as I was only born in the 1980s. I believe that the movie palaces disapeared due to the free market. People moved, on their own for the most part, to the suburbs and stayed away from the city and the palaces. Without the huge audiences the large theaters needed, they had to go out of business. As the neighborhoods in the city faded away, the neighborhood palaces faded away.
I’d link to the article in the local paper, but they are unreliable as to how long they keep articles on their website so I’ll just review what they plans are right now. The Stage Company plans to build a stage in one of the theaters and move in this fall. It will sit about 140-150. They then plan to work on the bigger theater, seating about 300, and have it ready sometime in the future. They plan to spruce up the small theater in the balconey and show movies in it, possibly foreign films. They plan to work on restoring the lobby, which does appear to need some work as it is painting in what appears to be plan white house paint. They also would like to work on the exterior.
The theater offically was given to the city this week, who then turned it over to the Stage Company. The local news showed the interior, and to my suprise, it appeared to be in great condition. Looked almost like it had been empty a couple weeks, not almost 5 years. Of course I wasn’t there so can’t really say for sure.
The Company claims to already have over $100,000 dollars ready to use, which is probably true considering they have been fundraising for a new home for 3 or so years.
I am pretty sure that that Charlie’s Heating and Air is in the old auditorium. The lobby apparently doesn’t exist anymore. If you look at the building though, it is clearly an older structure and resembles the auditoriums of other theaters that I have seen.
Actually I belive the Hayton is down the street a bit from the coffe house. I live here in Carterville and have always been told that the Hayton was in the building now occupied by an heating and air conditioning company. My father, who was born about the time the Hayton closed can remember going in the building as a kid, and even though it was used for other things, he said the screen was still there. I have no idea if the screen is still there today, but I doubt it is.
Great news! Kerasotas has donated the theater to the city, and the city plans to renovate it and use it as a performance center for local theater groups.
Just saw online that a new sign was added to Powell. It’s an upright marquee in the place of the old one that was removed in the 1960s. I don’t know how close to the original it is, but I really doubt it is close. Here is a link to pics View link
For once Buff I agree with you. Lombard is definely a darker place without the DuPage. Where I must disagree is your wanting to heap all the blame onto Obama. While he must recieve some, you want to give him all the blame. You have never once mentioned any other local, state or national representative for Lombard that you contacted. Lombard is represented by a state governor, a state representative, a state sentator, a U.S. Representative, and another U.S. Senator. All of these people could have potentionaly stepped up to help. Did you contact them too? Or just Obama? The city also has a city council and a mayor. Did you talk to them? While I applaud you trying to get answers, I think you are focusing too much on one man.
Ok, maybe I was wrong. I had never seen those pics before. I saw a pic on landmarks.org though that showed the exterior facade in much worse shape than the pics on that site. Also are you aware that the group that posted those pics are the ones that came up with the plan to demolish the auditorium? Neither did I until it happend.
As to you saying I wanted it demolished, I tell you to look at the Dupage Theater comment board. I pleaded for the theater to be saved and was attacked for it. WHERE IS YOUR POSTING ON THAT BOARD? Oh wait, you where too busy to notice. Just like Mr. Obama, aka TheaterHater. Now you say I tasted blood and I want more. No I don’t want more, I didn’t want this blood.
Also I want to know who these “many in direct communication” are. You are the only one that seems to blame Mr. Obama. Why just him? What about Mrs. Clinton? She’s also running for President. Why not John McCain? He is also a senator and running for President. Did you contact our state governor? I doubt it. Why not our President himself? Seems he must be in on this anti-theater thing too.
Also I have never heard of this thing called Senatorial Decree. I really doubt it even exists. I also think you should just butt out of this, I think you have a vendetta against Mr. Obama. Plus you don’t have even the slightest understanding of the situation. This was not a theater in good condition. Most would say poor condition would even be a strech. It had been triplexed, that is a lot of work to undo. It apparently had lots of water damage. The plan of the auditorium demolision was supported by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois.
Yes! Obama is a theater hating maniac! Thanks for that info! He’s running for president so he can demolish all theaters. Once he’s done with those, I think he will continue on with our libraries. Then possibly hit our hospitals and schools.
Also, I have a great love for Rapp and Rapp. They where born about 10 miles from my home. There father was the contractor who built several of the buildings at the state university down here. Both brothers left several beautiful buildings in their home town, though they didn’t design any theaters in this area. Despite my love, I don’t think that just because the building is by Rapp and Rapp that instantly makes it an international landmark. It makes it important yes, but not so important as to bankrupt a town or state to save it.
Boy I can just see Theater Buff now, sitting there at his computer wearing his aluminum foil suit and helmet to keep the government from beaming its anti-theater radio rays into his head. Buff, most people on here think you are crazy not because you love theaters, but because of your long, rambling posts. Your point gets lost when you start comparing the Dupage to the fall of Rome, the Holocaust, racism, homophobia, government consperacies. Just make a point, and go on, we don’t need the other stuff.
I agree Theatre Neighbor, I really think Theaterbuff needs help. To compare the demolision of this theater to the slaughter of millions of people is just the worst thing I have ever heard. Then to say once confronted with that fact to say “I see no problem comparing the two” is also horrid. I for one am tired of reading your RACIST CRAP! Please seek some help. Also Buff you say people are telling you this isn’t political. Everyone knows it is political, but you are focusing on the wrong level. You say that Sentator Obama should be involved because this is a national and international problem. I once again ask, if he should be invovled, where is President Bush? After all he is head of the national government, and this is a natiaonl problem!
I must agree Life. Before the Dupage comments where shut off, many people where saying they didn’t need any more condo’s downtown. They complained that since the building would be taller than the nearby houses that they would lose there privacy. They said the proposed building was too tall. It would cost too much. Now the city will probably approve this new building. It will probably be just as tall as the one proposed now. It will probably get money from the city. I hope that the people of Lombard realize what this has done to the reputation of there city!
And I do get the point you are trying to make, I just don’t agree with it. What happened here is what has been happening in America for centuries. One great historic structure is torn down to make way for something else. Unfortunely we can’t save every one. I wish we could, but the time, effort and money are just not there. The city said they couldn’t restore it on there own. They went to the state and the federal government for help. The got some money from the state, but it took several years before it ever showed up. They got very little from the federal government. I believe that at the time the money came through Obama was still in the state government, and Lombard is not in his district, so he wouldn’t have been invovled.