AMC Oakbrook Center 4
300 Oakbrook Center,
Oak Brook,
IL
60523
300 Oakbrook Center,
Oak Brook,
IL
60523
8 people
favorited this theater
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Balaban & Katz Circuit launched it December 25th. 1964 with Send Me No Flowers with Doris Day in attendance, the theatre was supposed to be the way theatres would look in the year 2014 and a time capsule was place there to be opened in 50 years.
Cinemas 1-4 reopens tonight at 7pm with “Avengers: Age of Ultron showing in all 4 screens. The theater is called the AMC Oakbrook Center 4. The 12 screen theater will open next year on an outlot, complete with three levels of parking underneath (reminiscent of the late M&R/Loews Evergreen).
AMC is reopening this theatre in April 2015. Not sure how many auditoriums but they are putting recliner seats and a bar in. AMC is also building a new theater at Oakbrook in the parking lot area, 12 screen location.
AMC is building a new 12 screen theatre here and will reopen the 1-4 this summer after renovations. After the new theatre is built the 1-4 will remain open.
One of the first films was The Last Emperor. It took awhile but we would sell out all the time. People found house. GC’s Yorktown was our competior. We had. just opened Rice Lake in Wheaton a great looking Cineplex House.I loved to make the theatre recording each week. I recall once calling 1-4 the Olympia Dukasis theatre all screens played her movies. Dad,Look who’s Talking,Steel Magnolias.As everyone on this site would say workng in the theatres was the best jobs I ever had. It was a experince to go see a movie if the movie did not play at least 16 wks it was a bomb.Empire played for 50 weeks in a 1000 seat house. Top Gun played 40 weeks and still sold out. Played the movie Tucker and I found Tucker cars to park out front opening week. Man I miss that.
Given that people had such a hard time finding 1-4, it doesn’t make sense that it would be reopened. I seem to recall that it was unprofitable, due to high rent.
Oak brook 1-4 was pretty nice when I opened it, But it had many problems right away. The lights under the stairs leading into the lobby never worked. They forgot to add my managers office (never in the blue print)but it in the booth then added a tube system to the box office the never worked very good. I has $5000 stuck in the tube. You had to go outside and take a elevator to the third floor for the HVAC SYSTEM. and the candy counter and front doors needed to be locked with chains.
Did it say what company was thinking of building or running the theatres.
Is there any word on the fate of the 50-year time capsule I mentioned in this earlier comment? As Boxoffice said it was to be installed on December 16, 1964, it’s now almost time to open it.
I read online in the Tribune that a proposal is on the table to build new cinemas at the mall. If this goes through, they will also reopen oak brook 1-4! Under the plan, 1-4 would show first run movies until the new structure is built. Once the new building opens, 1-4 would remain open as an art house. I really hope this happens. 1-4 was a nice theater from what I recall and it would bring an old cineplex odeon theater back to life!
3 cinemas on Christmas Day 1987. Ad in photo section
The opposite side of 1-4 always had stores. At least I’ve always remebered stores on the other side. Although maybe they should’ve had an entrance there, since it was soooo hard 4 people to find.
I managed this theatre for extended periods in 1975-76. After many years in exhibition, I have never managed a nicer venue. In so many ways it was the perfect auditorium. Too bad it was ruined by the splitings. You folks who worked this theatre after it was split don’t have any idea what a magnificent presentation the Oak Brook provided. Breath taking presentation from start to finish.
Tnash, Thanks I found it. looks like I worked there a ways before you guys.I was the manager at 1-3 in 1985 till I opened the new complex 1-4 in 1987 making the old theatres 5-7. I later worked for Kerasotes theatres with another manager that had worked at oabrook for AMC HER NAME IS Dawn Messer.
Here is a link to the fb group https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/527684100582418/?fref=ts
theaterlifer: The group is called former employees of oakbrook (IL) theater
Tnash, I can’t seem to find the Facebbok page
FYI,
This opened on December 25th, 1964. I uploaded an grand opening ad with a picture in the photo section for this cinema.
Hey!!
In response to a question posed earlier, 1-4 has not been redevolped. I’m not sure if it will, since customers had such a hard time finding it
Here is a link to the Boxoffice item I cited in a previous comment. There is an artist’s rendering of the original Oakbrook Cinema.
Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t there always stores on the oppisite side of the theater? When I was last at the mall 2 or so years ago, I did see the box office covered up. I guess whether they built in the theater space or not, sadly I don’t think it’s ever goign to function as atheater again. Sad story indeed. All the old Cineplex’s are almost gone…
Sad Story!
The “upper” section of Oak Brook 1-4 was converted into stores, which face the opposite side of the theatre. The box office was finally covered up a few years back. The food court area opposite seems to be having issues (McDonald’s pulled out and a brand new sushi joint closed just a year after opening). It’s too bad. I saw many flicks here as a kid, including some of the Star Wars re-releases at the standalone theatre in the parking lot.
Does anyone know if Oak Brook 1-4 was converted into anything or is it still unoccupied?