I have a very fond memory of the United Artitsts Theatre. Back in the summer of 1980 I was watching Channel 2 news and Gene Siskel was doing a report on the cult classic I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. Both he and Roger Ebert were labeling the movie as the worst movie of all time. Mr. Siskel was so incensed by the movie that he took a camera crew to the United Artists Theatre and stood outside the box-office and tried to talk patrons out of going inside. Of course, they didn’t listen to him. Later, Gene took his case to a Plitt Theatre executive and this particular executive agreed to pull the film out of the United Artists “in the best of the public interest.” What a crusader!
Hello cinema lovers. My name is Tim O'Neill and I know a thing or two about the Cinema Theatre. It opened on December 26, 1929 and it closed on Sunday, September 13, 1981. I started my movie theatre career at the Cinema on Sunday, March 22, 1981. Six months later the theatre was gone. I was the last usher to work there. Cortez Holland was the last union projectionist. Jerry Usher was the last manager. The crazy beautiful Leslie Lendahl was the last cashier. The last movie was ATLANTIC CITY. It was such a cute little movie house (471 seats, including a 25 seat balcony.) There’s not a day goes by when I don’t think about the Cinema Theatre.
To Cinemark Fan, Oh Contraire. I have a photo copy of a Chicago Sun-Times June 20, 1969 movie ad that shows MACKENNA’S GOLD playing at the Chicago Theatre in “70mm Super Panavision Stereophonic Sound Technicolor.” I would venture a guess that the State-Lake had a bigger screen. I did see APOCALYPSE NOW in 70mm at the State-Lake on opening day, October 5, 1979. I paid a then unheard-of $5.00 for the ticket. That’s the kind of day that I will never have again.—Tim O'Neill
I have a very fond memory of the United Artitsts Theatre. Back in the summer of 1980 I was watching Channel 2 news and Gene Siskel was doing a report on the cult classic I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. Both he and Roger Ebert were labeling the movie as the worst movie of all time. Mr. Siskel was so incensed by the movie that he took a camera crew to the United Artists Theatre and stood outside the box-office and tried to talk patrons out of going inside. Of course, they didn’t listen to him. Later, Gene took his case to a Plitt Theatre executive and this particular executive agreed to pull the film out of the United Artists “in the best of the public interest.” What a crusader!
Hello cinema lovers. My name is Tim O'Neill and I know a thing or two about the Cinema Theatre. It opened on December 26, 1929 and it closed on Sunday, September 13, 1981. I started my movie theatre career at the Cinema on Sunday, March 22, 1981. Six months later the theatre was gone. I was the last usher to work there. Cortez Holland was the last union projectionist. Jerry Usher was the last manager. The crazy beautiful Leslie Lendahl was the last cashier. The last movie was ATLANTIC CITY. It was such a cute little movie house (471 seats, including a 25 seat balcony.) There’s not a day goes by when I don’t think about the Cinema Theatre.
To Cinemark Fan, Oh Contraire. I have a photo copy of a Chicago Sun-Times June 20, 1969 movie ad that shows MACKENNA’S GOLD playing at the Chicago Theatre in “70mm Super Panavision Stereophonic Sound Technicolor.” I would venture a guess that the State-Lake had a bigger screen. I did see APOCALYPSE NOW in 70mm at the State-Lake on opening day, October 5, 1979. I paid a then unheard-of $5.00 for the ticket. That’s the kind of day that I will never have again.—Tim O'Neill