Esquire Theatre

58 E. Oak Street,
Chicago, IL 60611

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Showing 1 - 25 of 188 comments

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on May 26, 2023 at 9:53 am

Cooper’s Hawk Will Vacate Esquire Theater Space and Close Its Sole Chicago Location, link below:

https://chicago.eater.com/2023/5/25/23737516/coopers-hawk-gold-coast-chicago-wine-closing?utm_campaign=chicago.eater&utm_content=entry&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0a0GvuUGQ58LRbdoVEfbhesqeWsUP47uy-OqsxoYDmoB-eTmllo1ibChI

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on January 19, 2020 at 12:34 am

Click here for an architectural review of the building’s retail conversion.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on December 10, 2019 at 5:59 pm

The former Del Frisco’s is now called Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant. They have an Esquire wine, with an exterior image on the bottle…

https://www.facebook.com/coopershawk/photos/p.10157445231095180/10157445231095180/?type=1&theater

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on September 28, 2019 at 2:58 am

Please update in description, the theatre closed for renovations late January 1988, reopened under Loews and M and R on February 9, 1990. Theatre closed by AMC on September 14, 2006. Just uploaded some material from the Chicago Tribune.

Question is what happened to the orchestra, when I was their in August 1994, it had 6 screens which were on the two old balcony levels. It would of been nice Loews would of built a screen in the old orchestra level.

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on August 19, 2019 at 7:59 pm

Seating capacity of the six auditoriums from Loews Cineplex Directory. 1. 212 Ultra Stereo 2. 245 Dolby SR 3. 214 Dolby SR 4. 224 Ultra Stereo 5. 245 Dolby 6. 238 Ultra Stereo

ridethectrain
ridethectrain on August 19, 2019 at 7:10 pm

Just want to add to the description, the theatre was operated in the 1980’s by Plitt Theatres, when Cineplex Odeon bought the change, the theatre was Loews Theatres entry into the Chicago area.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on January 25, 2019 at 10:31 pm

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House in the shell of the former Esquire building is now permanently closed as of January 2019. Apparently originally announced in November 2018.

Tim O'Neill
Tim O'Neill on February 2, 2016 at 1:33 pm

GONE WITH THE WIND premiered simultaneously at the Woods and Oriental Theatres. Maybe GWTW played at the Esquire later in 1940; I’m not sure.

juliamcfit
juliamcfit on February 2, 2016 at 1:29 pm

Does anyone know the what the premier date for Gone With The Wind was-at the Esquire theater, in 1940? Also the dates for premiers also at esquire in spring, summer 1939. I’m looking for a magazine cover of my grandmother standing in a long line at the Esquire in 1939 or 1940. Any help would be appreciated!

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on November 16, 2015 at 10:16 am

Circa 1937 aerial photo added showing construction of the Esquire Theatre, courtesy of Javier Quevedo.

rivest266
rivest266 on November 23, 2014 at 2:14 pm

February 16th, 1938 uploaded in photo section as well as http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1938/02/16/page/17/

Also: February 2nd, 1990 grand opening ad also in photo section

mo4040
mo4040 on July 16, 2014 at 10:15 pm

Another great movie house shuttered. I remember when the Esquire ran ‘Star Wars’ non-stop in the summer of 1977.

RJT70mm
RJT70mm on November 13, 2012 at 10:28 am

In “the Sound Track Book of the Theatre” published by Motiograph in the late forties there’s an article about the Esqire’s booth and projectionist Lou Malisoff. They had Motiograph K’s, RCA 1050’s and Brenkert Enarcs.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on November 13, 2012 at 3:09 am

Judgement should not be passed until they finish. But to me it looks like this is going to be an extremely clumsy-looking building.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on May 13, 2012 at 2:24 pm

Click here to see Broan’s pictures.

Tim O'Neill
Tim O'Neill on May 13, 2012 at 1:39 pm

Here’s what I usually do with links; I BLUE copy it; then go to my e-mail; click “COMPOSE”; paste link onto page where I would normally type e-mail; send it to myself….and then click link and WALLLLA….there’s the link with photos of video clip….

Broan
Broan on May 13, 2012 at 12:30 pm

Just copy and paste the address, David. I don’t always have time to mess with the HTML link formatting, but the URL address works and that’s what matters.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on May 13, 2012 at 12:22 pm

Broan, your above link is not accessable.
When CT changed their website format, they changed the manner in which links need to be embedded into comments.

Unfortunately I do not know what that requires. Therefore I only attach photos in the Photo Section.

Broan
Broan on May 13, 2012 at 8:14 am

http://calumet412.tumblr.com/post/22916050294/two-interior-photos-of-the-esquire-theater-on-oak

Broan
Broan on August 25, 2011 at 12:55 pm

http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2011/08/25/construction-of-esquire-retail-complex-underway.php

Broan
Broan on July 27, 2011 at 11:44 pm

Here is a 1955 photo of the topiary at the Esquire

CompassRose
CompassRose on February 21, 2011 at 12:42 am

Hmmm. You’re right, it does look like it might say Carnegie. Perhaps the eBay seller got it wrong, or the original newspaper photographer? (The actual caption says the Esquire on Rush, so something is wrong.)

I purchased images from this seller before, and he told me his negatives came from the Sun-Times or the Detroit News.

RickB
RickB on February 20, 2011 at 9:41 pm

There’s a larger version of the picture here right now. Using a zoom function to examine the sign above the admission price, I’m pretty sure that it says “CARNEGIE THEATRE”. The turnstile could be a relic of the Carnegie’s brief early existence as a newsreel theater just a couple years before. What the 12-year-old is doing on Rush Street in the dark is another matter.

Broan
Broan on February 20, 2011 at 8:42 pm

The marble looks like the Esquire though.