Esquire Theatre
58 E. Oak Street,
Chicago,
IL
60611
58 E. Oak Street,
Chicago,
IL
60611
28 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 188 comments
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
Click here for an architectural review of the building’s retail conversion.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Better quality grand opening ad below:
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.
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!
Circa 1937 aerial photo added showing construction of the Esquire Theatre, courtesy of Javier Quevedo.
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
Another great movie house shuttered. I remember when the Esquire ran ‘Star Wars’ non-stop in the summer of 1977.
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.
Judgement should not be passed until they finish. But to me it looks like this is going to be an extremely clumsy-looking building.
Click here to see Broan’s pictures.
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….
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.
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.
http://calumet412.tumblr.com/post/22916050294/two-interior-photos-of-the-esquire-theater-on-oak
http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2011/08/25/construction-of-esquire-retail-complex-underway.php
Here is a 1955 photo of the topiary at the Esquire
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.
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.
The marble looks like the Esquire though.