Cinestage Theatre
186 N. Dearborn Street,
Chicago,
IL
60601
186 N. Dearborn Street,
Chicago,
IL
60601
16 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 50 comments
I saw the original 70mm Cinerama showing of 2001 A Space Odyssey at the Cinestage in 1968. It was a reserved seat showing and souvenier program books were sold. I still have my program book along with several Chicago Tribune Cinestage ad clippings. Does anyone have any interior photos of the Cinestage? I remember the design being very clean and simple, and not an extremely large looking space, compared to the sister Michael Todd next door.
Considering it was a reserved seat, Cinerama showing, actually ten weeks was a rather short run. It was the only film I ever saw there.
Sorta surprized to see a 10 week run on “ICE STATION ZEBRA”,while I liked the movie, i always assumed it was one of those one week runs and it gone films.Of course it is Chicago,and was probably only playing at the Cinestage.
Chicago’s CINERAMA Theaters
Palace
Opera House
McVickers
Cinestage
Edens
Michael Coate has done a great amount of research to come up with what CINERAMA movies played when at what theaters around the United States and Canada. These are the CINERAMA films that played at the Cinestage. Thanks Michael
All these films were in 70mm
This had been Michael Todd’s theater. When he left CINERAMA, he wanted to come up with “CINERAMA out of one hole” and he came up with TODD-AO. Years later his theater ended up having CINERAMA and it did come out of one hole, the answer was 70mm CINERAMA.
MEDITERRANEAN HOLIDAY, December 25, 1964, 13 Weeks, 70mm
GRAND PRIX, January 25, 1967, 24 Weeks, 70mm
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, April 11, 1968, 36 Weeks, 70mm
ICE STATION ZEBRA, April 17, 1969, 10 Weeks, 70mm
KRAKATOA, EAST OF JAVA, June 26, 1969, 12 Weeks, 70mm
I saw my first x-rated movie here in 1971. i think it was called Hot Connections and was about a telephone repairman named George. I was just 18 that day and when I walked in and saw what was going on up on the screen I just thought I LOVE THIS.
Here is the interior of the Selwyn, circa 1920s:
http://tinyurl.com/phpfuw
Thanks CW, always wondered about that.
Having heard many Chicagoan say the name and having been a regular visitor to the Windy City for decades, I have never heard it pronounced anything other than “Cin-eh-stage.” Perhaps some did mockingly when it showed X-rated fare, but not to my knowledge.
Was this theatre pronounced “SINstage” or “SIN-EHstage”??
There is a framed B/W picture of the Cinestage hanging in the Chicago Cultural Center. Second floor West walkway from the Washington Street side.
It is among other a few other Chicago buildings hanging in the walkway.
The picture appears to be mid `70’s complete with an AMC Gremlin parked in front. A portion of the Cinestage marquee is visible, along with the actual word Porno spelled out.
On the first floor walkway there is a much larger exhibit of historic Chicago buildings & landmarks.
Here’s a vitage ad: Chicago’s Cine-Stage Theatre Accepting “Exodus” Reservations by Mail
View link
Duh! Catherine! The caption says 1982. I’d better get back to work!
The picture seems to indicate that this place was once known as “Michael Todd’s Cinestage”.
A photo of the Todd/Cinestage can be found here: View link
Judging by the automobiles in the foreground, I’d say that the photo was taken in the early 1980s.
You can also see the Thompson Center, then known as the State of Illinois Building, under construction in the background. Who agrees with me that this is the worst building ever built in Chicago (The Thompson Center, not the theatres!)?
The strip screen mentioned above was actually a Cinerama screen (not Todd-AO) that was installed for the roadshow engagement of Kubrick’s 2001 a Space Odyssey.
Cinemark Fan,
So some decent films did play here then. By the way, check out the posting on the main page of Classic Cinemas vs. Village Theatres. I think you might find it interesting and what your opinion would be.
To Paul:
M&R opened the Dearborn Cinemas in November 85. My brother saw Aliens (for the fourth time I think) here in 86. The Hitcher was also shown here earlier that year. Other movies played at Dearborn: Manhunter, Star Trek 4, Angel Heart, Extreme Prejudice, The Hidden, Red Heat etc…. I gathered those up through earlier microfilm research. Hope this helps.
1) The “Also Known As..” should include the Dearborn Cinemas name.
2) I’m going to the Harold Washington Library and search microfilm on the Dearborn Cinemas. I would like to veruify the movies the Dearborn showed.
3) I’ve often heard complaints on Cinema Treasures that cinemas are torn down and replaced with something bland. Fortunately, these theatres were replaced by a performing arts venue, the Goodman Theatre. I’ve attended several plays at the Goodman and it is a terrific facility.
Would you believe?—-David Niven at the Cinestage? Chicago Tribune, Sunday, April 13, 1958, s. 7, p. 13, c. 1:
NIVEN, STAR OF ‘AROUND WORLD’ WILL VISIT CITY
David Niven, who stars as the intrepid Phileas Fogg in “Around the World in 80 Days,” which is in its second year at the Cinestage theater, will arrive in Chicago tomorrow for two days. His visit will include a visit to the Cinestage and press, TV, and radio interviews. This will be Niven’s first visit to Chicago.
It was written in the introductory comments at the top of the page that the CINESTAGE was Chicago’s first 70mm-equipped theatre. Actually, the first such venue in Chicago was the MCVICKERS (at least commercially).
Films would show exclusively at one theater in a given city and tickets were sold as reserved seats well in advance, much like a traveling show. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_show
The term “road show” is used quite often on Cinema Treasures. What exactly was a “road show” as pertaining to movies?
You mean like the Gene Siskel Film Center, or a premium-style muliplex?
Along with its neighbor to the South. the Michael Todd, this theatre was re-invented by M&R as the Dearborn Cinemas. As I recall, expectations of the combined theatre were quite high. M&R initially tried to get better bookings into the Dearborn.
However, things didn’t pan out that way and soon the Dearborn was back to showing second-rate fare. Kung-Fu, blaxploitation, and porno films were no longer profitable for theatre owners to show by 1985-1987 (due to the proliferation of VCRs). So, a lot of cheapie slasher/horror flix were shown here. Perhaps the North Loop Area wasn’t yet ready for a cinema. I would think that a cinema there now, showing premium fare, would do well.
I saw “Lawrence of Arabia” three times at the Cinestage in 1962 or ‘63 when it was first released (before the film was shortened by about 25 minutes). I remember all the stir it created because many film fans did not want to see the shortened version. Finally, a “restored” version came out many years later.
The theater being plain and simple but classy. There were no ornate decorative walls or lobby. The screen was partially curved (not deep like Cinerama or Todd-AO). I was quite impressed by the sound system as well as the bright, sharp picture. I think the curtain was gold and I don’t remember a “stage” at the Cinestage (unless it was behind the floor-to-ceilng screen).
I seem to recall that Hal Holbrook performed his road show version of “Mark Twain Tonight” at the Cinestage sometime in the sixties. I didn’t see it, but I remember thinking how odd that a one-man live show would be at the Cinestage.