Coronet Theatre
817 Chicago Avenue,
Evanston,
IL
60202
817 Chicago Avenue,
Evanston,
IL
60202
4 people
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Showing 26 - 33 of 33 comments
I think that there were Essaness and Plitt ads near eachother in major Chicago papers at least until the mid 80’s.
Yes, it was a Plitt theater in the late ‘70s (a friend ushered there very briefly, I remember seeing his Plitt paycheck). Plitt bought the ABC theaters in and around Chicago (maybe elsewhere too). If they bought Essaness it would have been in 1980 or after; I think Essaness was still operating the Woods at least up till then.
The Coronet was, at one point I believe, operated by Plitt. Sometime during the late 1970s or early 1980s, the Coronet began to show “X” rated films—and saw a substantial increase in patronage! That is, until those movies became available on home video.
I lived in Rogers Park (a neighborhood in Chicago just to the south of Evanston) from 1996-1999 and again from 2001-2003. During the late 1990s, I remember the buzz on how the Coronet was to have become the new concert venue. But, of course, it was not to be.
I do know that the Coronet was about the last theatre in Chicago to retain “Balaban & Katz” on its marquee. But can anybody tell me whether or not this theatre was a Plitt? Or an Essaness? And can someone tell me if Essaness and ABC all became part of Plitt?
Only one of many through the years.
…and JC, I’ll bet you were a good-looking candy girl…
The big missing piece of history here is that it was the home of the Northlight Theater Company for many years, in between careers as a movie house and a concert hall. They spent a good amount of money to convert it…and it worked well for their purposes. I saw some unremarkable play there with my family during this period. I’m not sure why they moved out…maybe the city got on their case about something…or they built a new building. It did well with the concerts after Northlight moved on…had some great ones. But, the residents around there were nervous about the crouds that came out of the place at night…and that was the end of that. It sat around for a few years…and eventually was replaced by a condominium building, in keeping with the redevelopment angle that city government is pushing. This was a building that, while unremarkable, had a lot of history and certainly could have been reused. If nothing else, the crown-shaped sign out front was great!
This was a nice small theater, right around the corner from where I grew up.
For a short period in ‘67-68 I was a candy girl here.
During the ‘50s and '60s this was THE place to go for foreign or art films in the area.
Obviously, I have many fond memories of this theater.
Anyone have information about the Stadium Theatre in Evanston IL? Who was the arhchitect? I toured it yesterday. It has been chopped up into four parts now. Sad but it has a horrid mold problem.