CINEMARK FAN and I mentioned (on the Pemberton Cinema page) an on-line “pool” as to which Village Theatre will close next. I think that this one will be next. Any takers?
The movie-going experience here is okay, but only just okay. I’d give it two stars out of four. The rest rooms are clean, if a little run-down, same goes for the floors. As stated above, little decor remains. The staff is friendly in that you’ll get a polite “hello” but little else. The auditoriums here are tiny, and the seats resemble those removed from the Belvidere. The popcorn here is okay, somewhat reasonably priced.
But they do charge $2.00-$2.75 less than AMC! My girlfriend and I come here because the parking here is cheaper than at the River East or 600 North. And the Village apparently gets a lot of walk-up trade from the neighborhood. So all-in-all, if you come here “don’t-expect-much-and-you-won’t-be-disappointed.”
It is safe to say then that Village should have just run the Village and Village North. Both are low-cost, both are popular with the locals.
It has been shown that a local company can take over older theatres of it has a solid buisiness plan. Obviously, Village does not and they have no business trying to run a chain.
1) Village? Probably not.
2) Village North? Probably not. It’s still pretty popular in the Rogers Park area of Chicago.
3) Lincoln Village? Possibly. I heard that attendance is not good at this one
4) North Riverside? A good chance. Why go here when you can go to the new Keresotas in Cicero. Or the wonderful Lake Theatre, which is only 2 miles to the north of here.
5) Bloomingdale Court? This would be the one to bet your money on its closing. As you said, unless they switch to a bargain, 2nd run format after the new Stratford Square opens…..
6) Lakehurst? Hard to say. Are there any other cinemas in close proximity to this place?
7) Glenwood? I’m not familiar with this place.
Hey, how ‘bout we get an on-line pool going with the rest of the Cinema Treasures fans? I’ll put $5.00 on the Bloomingdale Court being the next to go (June 2007)!
I went past the corner of Oak and State recently (while I was on my way to the Village Theatre). I noticed that at least a part of the marquee for the Esquire was lit up. What’s up with that?
This is another fine example of a short-lived Cineplex-Odeon Theatre biting the dust. Are ANY of the multi-plexes that C-O opened up between 1986 and 1990 in the Chicagoland Area still open as movie theatres? I can only name the Lincoln Village and the North Riverside, now both operated by Village Theatres. Others like the Burnham, the Bricktown, the Ridge, and the Town & Country came and went so quickly.
I know that this is a little off-topic. I forgot to mention that in addition to the City of Chicago amusement tax, there is also a Cook County amusement tax, which is levied in addition to the City tax. The Cook County amusement Tax is 1% and the City amusement tax is 8%.
The City amusement tax is so high because they wished to avoid an increase in property taxes. For The Three Penny Cinema, that meant losing 71.5 cents for every $6.50 adult ticket and 44 cents for every $4 student, senior and child ticket, according to an article in CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS on the closure of the Three Penny.
For years, the smaller chains and the independents have wanted the
City of Chicago to impose the tax on a “sliding scale”, arguing that the larger chains like AMC and Keresotas are more able to pay this tax, whereas smaller chains like Village and indies like the Three Penny are not.
Is this the “New Amsterdam” which is mentioned in Counting Crows' first big hit single “Mr. Jones” (I was down at the New Amsterdam/Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation…“)?
Any word on what’s been happening lately with this place? I lived in Pittsburgh from 1990-1995 and specifically on Los Angeles Avenue at Neeld Avenue from 1990-1991. This was in Pittsburgh proper, but very close (walking distance) to this theatre.
I don’t think that parking is the sole issue whether or not a theatre can attract big crowds. There are many reasons why a theatre can or cannot draw people. Consider the following cases in Chicagoland:
1) The River East 21 and 600 North Michigan theatres are in congested areas with little street parking. Theatre goers can expect to pay up to $20.00 in using the pay lots in the area. But these theatres are very well served by public transportation and taxis. Many people live in the area and can walk to these theatres. As there’s mid-scale and upscale shopping and dining nearby, people combine these with a trip to the movies. So the River East and the 600 North do very well.
2) The North Riverside and Lincoln Village have ample parking. Although I haven’t been to these places in a long time, and don’t have attendence figures, there’s gotta be a reason that AMC-Loews jettisoned these theatres. The Golf Glen (now closed) also had more than ample parking.
3) The Music Box Theatre has almost no street parking nor pay lots. Because of it’s specialized programming, it does very well. It is also in close proximity to two major CTA bus lines and the L.
4) The Patio Theatre had several owners come and go and I have no doubt that its near-total lack of parking was a factor. Although reportedly its present closure is because of a dispute the owner has had with the City of Chicago.
5) The Three Penny Cinema, like the Patio, had almost no area parking. Yet due to the high concentration of people living in the area, the right movie would still draw a huge crowd. This place was closed because of the owner’s inability to pay the high City of Chicago amusement tax.
I conclude that parking can be a factor. In areas of concentrated populations, combined with other attractions and decent public transportation, places like the River East and 600 North will draw. In the outlying residential areas, then it becomes an issue. And as far as the Lincoln Village and the North Riverside are concerned, if theatres are not marketed well and operated half-a$$ed, then it means nothing if there’s good parking.
My girlfriend and I had the opportunity to attend the West Towns Choral JOY TO THE WORLD Christmas Concert last night (12-9-06) at the Tivoli. There was an almost capacity crowd back there. And I can tell you that the Tivoli was an absolutely spectacular place to see such a show! The Tivoli is one of the few movie theatres left in the Chicagoland Area with a full, working stage and a fully functional organ. Both were put to good use for the concert. My grilfriend told me she went to the Tivoli a few times in the 1980s and she said that it looks way better now than it did then.
As for the concer itself, it featured a full choir, some barbershop quartet singers, a choral bells ensemble, string ensemble, and brass ensemble. Quite frankly, it was about the best Christmas concert I ever attended (and I’ve been to many). Kudos to the West Towns Choral and Classic Cinemas for a job well done!
http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=us&id=6155 has pictures of the Esquire on it. These pictures include those taken on the final days of operation. Notice how several lights on the still-impressive marquee are burnt-out. But there are also pictures of what the place looked like before plex-ing, including the auditorium. Did retail go in where the old auditorium was?
One can get a sense of what changed and what remained after the plex-ing. The contours of the old auditorium remained. So did the light fixtures in the lobby and the art-deco railings. The small cashier’s station (used on lighter days when the main, outdoor ones weren’t in use) View link and View link is approximately where the entrances to the ladies' and men’s lounges were View link
These are Brian Wolf’s photos and I am grateful that he posted photos of the original auditorium too because I never had the chance to visit this place when it was a single screener.
Purists may bemoan the plex-ing of this place and a lot was lost. But even as a six-plex, I liked the Esquire. It still had nice touches and there was nothing wrong with it that some renovations couldn’t have corrected.
As the band Living Colour once sang “Now you can tear a building down, but you can’t erase the memories.”
In reviewing movie ads circa 1997, the Evanston was a Sony Theatre. But wasn’t the Evanston a Plitt at one time too? I Think also the Varsity and the Coronet were Plitts.
CINEMARK FAN and I mentioned (on the Pemberton Cinema page) an on-line “pool” as to which Village Theatre will close next. I think that this one will be next. Any takers?
Was this theatre designed by the same firm that dd the Burnham Plaza? The style and even color of brick looks similar?
CINEMARK FAN and I mentioned (on the Pemberton Cinema page) an on-line “pool” as to which Village Theatre will close next. Any takers?
Gene-Paul,
I believe that the original plan was to convert it into office space. This was per an article I read in a local newspaper.
I walked by here today. The new front they put on the place looks terrible—really grafted on.
Was this theatre designed by the same firm that dd the Lincoln Village. The style and even color of brick looks similar?
Cinemark Fan,
The movie-going experience here is okay, but only just okay. I’d give it two stars out of four. The rest rooms are clean, if a little run-down, same goes for the floors. As stated above, little decor remains. The staff is friendly in that you’ll get a polite “hello” but little else. The auditoriums here are tiny, and the seats resemble those removed from the Belvidere. The popcorn here is okay, somewhat reasonably priced.
But they do charge $2.00-$2.75 less than AMC! My girlfriend and I come here because the parking here is cheaper than at the River East or 600 North. And the Village apparently gets a lot of walk-up trade from the neighborhood. So all-in-all, if you come here “don’t-expect-much-and-you-won’t-be-disappointed.”
Cinemark Fan,
It is safe to say then that Village should have just run the Village and Village North. Both are low-cost, both are popular with the locals.
It has been shown that a local company can take over older theatres of it has a solid buisiness plan. Obviously, Village does not and they have no business trying to run a chain.
CINEMARK FAN:
Well, take your pick:
1) Village? Probably not.
2) Village North? Probably not. It’s still pretty popular in the Rogers Park area of Chicago.
3) Lincoln Village? Possibly. I heard that attendance is not good at this one
4) North Riverside? A good chance. Why go here when you can go to the new Keresotas in Cicero. Or the wonderful Lake Theatre, which is only 2 miles to the north of here.
5) Bloomingdale Court? This would be the one to bet your money on its closing. As you said, unless they switch to a bargain, 2nd run format after the new Stratford Square opens…..
6) Lakehurst? Hard to say. Are there any other cinemas in close proximity to this place?
7) Glenwood? I’m not familiar with this place.
Hey, how ‘bout we get an on-line pool going with the rest of the Cinema Treasures fans? I’ll put $5.00 on the Bloomingdale Court being the next to go (June 2007)!
I went past the corner of Oak and State recently (while I was on my way to the Village Theatre). I noticed that at least a part of the marquee for the Esquire was lit up. What’s up with that?
This is another fine example of a short-lived Cineplex-Odeon Theatre biting the dust. Are ANY of the multi-plexes that C-O opened up between 1986 and 1990 in the Chicagoland Area still open as movie theatres? I can only name the Lincoln Village and the North Riverside, now both operated by Village Theatres. Others like the Burnham, the Bricktown, the Ridge, and the Town & Country came and went so quickly.
This place may still be standing vacant. To view a photo, go to www.deadmalls.com, click on the map of Missouri, then click on the Northland page.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE ABOUT THE RIVER EAST 21
1) It killed the McClurg Court before I ever had the chance to go there. And it’s probably taking patronage away from the 600 North Theatre too.
2) It’s almost always very crowded.
WHAT I DO LIKE ABOUT THE RIVER EAST 21
1) The amenities, including family washrooms, are good.
2) It actually has some ambiance to it, what with murals of famous movie stars, past and present, on the walls of its corridors.
3) The sightlines are good and I don’t feel like the screen is in my face like at the 600 North Theatre.
4) Presentation is good as is the staff.
TheatreBuff1,
I know that this is a little off-topic. I forgot to mention that in addition to the City of Chicago amusement tax, there is also a Cook County amusement tax, which is levied in addition to the City tax. The Cook County amusement Tax is 1% and the City amusement tax is 8%.
The City amusement tax is so high because they wished to avoid an increase in property taxes. For The Three Penny Cinema, that meant losing 71.5 cents for every $6.50 adult ticket and 44 cents for every $4 student, senior and child ticket, according to an article in CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS on the closure of the Three Penny.
For years, the smaller chains and the independents have wanted the
City of Chicago to impose the tax on a “sliding scale”, arguing that the larger chains like AMC and Keresotas are more able to pay this tax, whereas smaller chains like Village and indies like the Three Penny are not.
Hasn’t one of the River Oaks now re-opened? I believe it was done by the same company that has the Lansing.
Is this the “New Amsterdam” which is mentioned in Counting Crows' first big hit single “Mr. Jones” (I was down at the New Amsterdam/Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation…“)?
Any word on what’s been happening lately with this place? I lived in Pittsburgh from 1990-1995 and specifically on Los Angeles Avenue at Neeld Avenue from 1990-1991. This was in Pittsburgh proper, but very close (walking distance) to this theatre.
I don’t think that parking is the sole issue whether or not a theatre can attract big crowds. There are many reasons why a theatre can or cannot draw people. Consider the following cases in Chicagoland:
1) The River East 21 and 600 North Michigan theatres are in congested areas with little street parking. Theatre goers can expect to pay up to $20.00 in using the pay lots in the area. But these theatres are very well served by public transportation and taxis. Many people live in the area and can walk to these theatres. As there’s mid-scale and upscale shopping and dining nearby, people combine these with a trip to the movies. So the River East and the 600 North do very well.
2) The North Riverside and Lincoln Village have ample parking. Although I haven’t been to these places in a long time, and don’t have attendence figures, there’s gotta be a reason that AMC-Loews jettisoned these theatres. The Golf Glen (now closed) also had more than ample parking.
3) The Music Box Theatre has almost no street parking nor pay lots. Because of it’s specialized programming, it does very well. It is also in close proximity to two major CTA bus lines and the L.
4) The Patio Theatre had several owners come and go and I have no doubt that its near-total lack of parking was a factor. Although reportedly its present closure is because of a dispute the owner has had with the City of Chicago.
5) The Three Penny Cinema, like the Patio, had almost no area parking. Yet due to the high concentration of people living in the area, the right movie would still draw a huge crowd. This place was closed because of the owner’s inability to pay the high City of Chicago amusement tax.
I conclude that parking can be a factor. In areas of concentrated populations, combined with other attractions and decent public transportation, places like the River East and 600 North will draw. In the outlying residential areas, then it becomes an issue. And as far as the Lincoln Village and the North Riverside are concerned, if theatres are not marketed well and operated half-a$$ed, then it means nothing if there’s good parking.
My girlfriend and I had the opportunity to attend the West Towns Choral JOY TO THE WORLD Christmas Concert last night (12-9-06) at the Tivoli. There was an almost capacity crowd back there. And I can tell you that the Tivoli was an absolutely spectacular place to see such a show! The Tivoli is one of the few movie theatres left in the Chicagoland Area with a full, working stage and a fully functional organ. Both were put to good use for the concert. My grilfriend told me she went to the Tivoli a few times in the 1980s and she said that it looks way better now than it did then.
As for the concer itself, it featured a full choir, some barbershop quartet singers, a choral bells ensemble, string ensemble, and brass ensemble. Quite frankly, it was about the best Christmas concert I ever attended (and I’ve been to many). Kudos to the West Towns Choral and Classic Cinemas for a job well done!
Wasn’t Village supposed to do uprgrades to Stadium Seating to
this theatre?
Just like they were supposed to do at (fill-in-the-blank) Theatre and (fill-in-the-blank) Theatre and (fill-in-the-blank) Theatre?
A Projectionist,
This might help: View link
http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=us&id=6155 has pictures of the Esquire on it. These pictures include those taken on the final days of operation. Notice how several lights on the still-impressive marquee are burnt-out. But there are also pictures of what the place looked like before plex-ing, including the auditorium. Did retail go in where the old auditorium was?
One can get a sense of what changed and what remained after the plex-ing. The contours of the old auditorium remained. So did the light fixtures in the lobby and the art-deco railings. The small cashier’s station (used on lighter days when the main, outdoor ones weren’t in use) View link and View link is approximately where the entrances to the ladies' and men’s lounges were View link
These are Brian Wolf’s photos and I am grateful that he posted photos of the original auditorium too because I never had the chance to visit this place when it was a single screener.
Purists may bemoan the plex-ing of this place and a lot was lost. But even as a six-plex, I liked the Esquire. It still had nice touches and there was nothing wrong with it that some renovations couldn’t have corrected.
As the band Living Colour once sang “Now you can tear a building down, but you can’t erase the memories.”
Remember the episode of SEINFELD in which Elaine tries to save seats for everyone? I beleive she ends up giving them all away!
The term “road show” is used quite often on Cinema Treasures. What exactly was a “road show” as pertaining to movies?
Century is now part of Cinemark.
But just how much of what is photo'ed in Russell Phillips remains, espeially now that it’s a GAP store?
In reviewing movie ads circa 1997, the Evanston was a Sony Theatre. But wasn’t the Evanston a Plitt at one time too? I Think also the Varsity and the Coronet were Plitts.
According to the above, Loews at one point had this theatre. Prior to that, wouldn’t it have been a C-O/Plitt or M&R?