Hillside Mall Cinemas

4541 Harrison Street,
Hillside, IL 60162

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Brotman & Sherman Theaters, Loews, M & R Theatres

Architects: Jack J. Liebenberg

Firms: Liebenberg and Kaplan

Functions: Church

Previous Names: Hillside Theatre, Hillside Twin

Nearby Theaters

Hillside Mall Cinemas

Originally built in 1962 as a single auditorium theater, the Hillside Theatre was opened July 13, 1962 with Jim Hutton in “The Horizontal Lieutenant”. It was later twinned and finally became a triplex. The Hillside Mall Cinemas was closed by Loews Cineplex in late-2000 and now houses a church, while the adjacent Hillside Mall is now a Carmax used car retailer.

Contributed by Aaron

Recent comments (view all 18 comments)

aek316
aek316 on January 13, 2007 at 2:42 am

I remember seeing The Patriot here weeks before it closed. It was the only showing after 7pm (they were also showing Chicken Run and Thomas the Tank Engine) the box office in the front wasn’t even open, we paid for our tickets at the candy counter. I don’t even think the lights worked in the theater they showed the movie in. I knew the end was definitely near. Sure enough, next time I drove by on 290 it was shuttered. It’d be interesting to see what it looks like on the inside as a church. It’s ironic that there was another theater directly across the expressway and shortly after Hillside Mall closed, so did Hillside Square and it became a church as well. I always thought Hillside Mall was kind of dumpy even when I was a kid. That marquee was so unique though. It’s so unfortunate the church removed it from the building-

300bowler
300bowler on March 28, 2007 at 4:59 pm

Another one of my favorite theatres. Saw 101 Dalmations when I was 5 with my mom and older sister in 1985. RIP Hillside Mall Theatre.

suewendt
suewendt on July 29, 2008 at 6:26 pm

I used to live on Lee Blvd, back in the 70’s, and I could see the huge orb from my bedroom window. I can’t believe that they shut it down. I sure miss that place. We used to skip school at PW and go to the mall and have fries and ketchup. I sure do miss that place. I saw all the Disney movies there. Ah, the memories!! Does anyone know what happened to the orb? Probably destroyed, huh?
Thanks, Sue

rpb
rpb on November 1, 2009 at 6:40 am

This was the “coolest” theatre I was ever in. I loved the “Sputnik atom” margue sign. You saw that thing for miles. My girlfriend and I were tossed out of this theatre when we went to see “Christine”. She decided to throw two huge buckets of popcorn (and they were huge) all over the people seated in front of, and behind us “just for the hell of it”. I went back the next day, by myself, to see the rest of the movie.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on November 10, 2009 at 9:23 am

I thought I posted this comment last night, but I must have only hit “Preview” and forgotten it. Luckily I have a copy.

Photos of the new Hillside Theatre appeared in Boxoffice Magazine, January 7, 1963. The Hillside was designed by the Minneapolis architectural firm Liebenberg, Kaplan, Glotter, & Associates.

aek316
aek316 on August 20, 2010 at 9:06 pm

Hi, I was looking up info about the Hillside theaters online the other day and someone posted on a website thread remebering the Hillsdie Mall that the churches that are currently housed in both former Hillside Theaters are not really operating as churches. Can anyone elaborate on that?

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on May 28, 2011 at 1:48 am

Nice marquee,but quite tacky with the third feature,I know save money leave the marquee alone.rpb.I hope you didn’t marry your “girlfriend”.What a jerk.

rivest266
rivest266 on June 21, 2012 at 12:27 am

This opened on July 13th, 1962. I uploaded the grand opening ad with picture here.

gxceb0t
gxceb0t on February 25, 2017 at 4:01 am

I liked this one – I remember seeing “the buddy holly story” here. Packed audience.

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