CINEMARK FAN—As an update to my above comments, Village did keep places like the Golf Glen and the Burnham clean. And if I owned the Golf Glen, I’d have closed it too after finding out that a new 18(?) screener would be going in at Golf Mill. Perhaps if Village quit boasting about renovations that they couldn’t do and won’t do, and just concentrated on getting good films, keeping thier places in good repair, and advertising, they might be better off. And making incremental repairs to their theatres too!
BTW, how is your theatre chain project for school going? Are you gonna do one on Meridian Theatres?
My assumption is that Keresotes won’t wreck this theatre. The company has had a lot of experience. It first entered the Chicagoland Area via the suburbs and has done okay with those properties. Although there will probably be “teething problems” during this transition period, but that is normal in cases like this.
Keresotas used to run small theatres in the midwest. Keresotas had the Towne in Chillicothe, IL. In Quincy, IL they had the Adams, the State, and the Washington. I’ve been in all of these many years ago. I believe only the Towne remains a cinema and is currently part of the Reynolds Cinema chain.
You are right about it being reasonably close to those two bus lines. The main transportation complaint I’ve heard about this place is that it is a bit of a distance from the nearest L stop. If one is coming from downtown, the north or northwest side, then the Metra is a good way to go, particularly in rush hours.
Both the Woods and the United Artists are featured in the closing sequence of the film ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING. As this film was made in 1987, it would have been during the last days of the UA (the Woods would hang on for about another two years). The camera pans by the UA too quickly. Even in slow motion, the titles on the marquee can’t be discerned. The Woods, however, was showing DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR and THE KINDRED.
In watching this film (BABYSITTING), it’s amazing to see how much of Downtown Chicago has changed for the better since then!
From what I vaguely recall, there used to be a billboard/mural painted on the outside of the building advertising the Nortown. It was quite faded, but still readable. Is it still there?
(As a side note, some years ago the Sun-Times or Tribune did an article on faded mural/billboards of the past still visible. Some included the above-mentioned Nortown, a Fox Deluxe beer ad on Lawrence Avenue, and the Lee Workwear ad opposite Dearborn Station).
I drove by here on 05/28/2006. The Foxfield is still standing, albeit vacant. The marquee says “MOVIES AT FOXFIELD.” Although it was night time, the theatre (from the outside) appears to be in good condition.
Are you the one that has the website www.oldgranadatheatre.com ? That’s where I received the information in my above post.
When I was 17-18 years old, I worked for Andy Frain Ushering and Security. My co-workers and I were always happy when we had a contract for a show at the Granada. We actually preferred working the Granada instead of the Uptown. No offense to those who are fans of that theatre, but we always regarded the Uptown as a cr@phole! In contrast, we regarded the Granada as “Faded Glory” but it was much cleaner. And in retrospect, had M&M been able to retain its liquor license, the Granada might still be with us today. Wy couldn’t Loyola have integrated it into its campus? Many colleges and universities have successfully done this!
Per the above comments comparing the Granada and the Paradise, the Granada’s modernized marquee was certainly the nicer of the two.
Finally, the vintage photo above appears to be taken right about the time of demolition or at least closure. The place looks vacant and the marquee is blank.
Per Life’s Too Short’s comment above regarding Cineplex-Odeon’s operation of the NORTOWN: It seems to me that initially, C-O really did try to make an ernest go of it in the Chicagoland Area. LTS’s post states that C-O did try to operate the Nortown as an attractive place, even after tri-plexing. C-O, from articles I read, renovated a number of theatres in the Chicagoland Area and constructed new ones (most of which have already since closed). So what went so wrong that C-O went into bankruptcy in the 1990s?
And if you really want to see pictures of the Nortown in decay, check out this:
In the late 1970s or early 1980s, a company called “M and M Amusements” took over this place. M and M attempted to clean the theatre up and began booking top-name entertainment at the time. Such bookings included a stage version of Rocky Horror and concerts such as Cheap Trick and Off Broadway USA (“…Stay in time boy/Don’t get out of line boy). M and M ran into trouble with the community because of the lack of parking. The community supposedly claimed that concert-goers were vandalizing the area, damaging automobiles, etc. As a result, M and M lost its liqour license and was unable to book concerts after that. It was a shame too, because it seemed that M and M really tried to make the Granada Theatre work.
Then again, there were all sorts of politics behind the liqour license suspension….
I seem to recall that this place may have opened a little before 1991. My then-girlfriend and I used to see movies here all the time. I vaguely recall that it was also known as Century Square. Century Square is the Big Box shopping center adajacent to Century III Mall.
CINEMARK FAN—As an update to my above comments, Village did keep places like the Golf Glen and the Burnham clean. And if I owned the Golf Glen, I’d have closed it too after finding out that a new 18(?) screener would be going in at Golf Mill. Perhaps if Village quit boasting about renovations that they couldn’t do and won’t do, and just concentrated on getting good films, keeping thier places in good repair, and advertising, they might be better off. And making incremental repairs to their theatres too!
BTW, how is your theatre chain project for school going? Are you gonna do one on Meridian Theatres?
Well at least they clean the floors and washrooms….
Hey, that’s just what the article says. I know Village’s track record. Anybody know how they’re doing with the North Riverside and Lincoln Village?
Well at least this place and the Village North will probably be around a little longer.
Life’s too Short:
My assumption is that Keresotes won’t wreck this theatre. The company has had a lot of experience. It first entered the Chicagoland Area via the suburbs and has done okay with those properties. Although there will probably be “teething problems” during this transition period, but that is normal in cases like this.
This theatre should be updated. It should be listed as a Kerasotes theatre.
They’ve already taken off the AMC logo, which was visible from the Kennedy Expressway and the Metra UP Northwest Line.
Cinemark Fan,
Keresotas used to run small theatres in the midwest. Keresotas had the Towne in Chillicothe, IL. In Quincy, IL they had the Adams, the State, and the Washington. I’ve been in all of these many years ago. I believe only the Towne remains a cinema and is currently part of the Reynolds Cinema chain.
Soxfan,
You are right about it being reasonably close to those two bus lines. The main transportation complaint I’ve heard about this place is that it is a bit of a distance from the nearest L stop. If one is coming from downtown, the north or northwest side, then the Metra is a good way to go, particularly in rush hours.
Both the Woods and the United Artists are featured in the closing sequence of the film ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING. As this film was made in 1987, it would have been during the last days of the UA (the Woods would hang on for about another two years). The camera pans by the UA too quickly. Even in slow motion, the titles on the marquee can’t be discerned. The Woods, however, was showing DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR and THE KINDRED.
In watching this film (BABYSITTING), it’s amazing to see how much of Downtown Chicago has changed for the better since then!
Per that Sun-Times article, it was to have become a furniture store.
The FILM LITERATURE LIBRARY lists the following articles in VARIETY about the Essaness Chain:
1) Ingram, B. Essaness will run 89-screen Carisch Minneapolis circuit. Variety 330 Mar 30 (1988): 7 + [2p].
2) Chicago Essaness chain to buy Theater Operators Inc. of Montana. Variety 331 May 4 (1988): 8.
3) Odeon/Plitt buys 41 Essaness screens in Metro Chicago. Variety 323 May 14 (1986): 3+ [2p].
4) Essaness Theaters acquires 15-screen chain in Wisconsin. Variety 320 Oct 2 (1985): 5 + [2p].
Apparantly, Essaness was active up to and after the C-O/Plitt takeover.
The FILM LITERATURE LIBRARY lists the following articles in VARIETY about the Essaness Chain:
1) Ingram, B. Essaness will run 89-screen Carisch Minneapolis circuit. Variety 330 Mar 30 (1988): 7 + [2p].
2) Chicago Essaness chain to buy Theater Operators Inc. of Montana. Variety 331 May 4 (1988): 8.
3) Odeon/Plitt buys 41 Essaness screens in Metro Chicago. Variety 323 May 14 (1986): 3+ [2p].
4) Essaness Theaters acquires 15-screen chain in Wisconsin. Variety 320 Oct 2 (1985): 5 + [2p].
Apparantly, Essaness was active up to and after the C-O/Plitt takeover.
The FILM LITERATURE LIBRARY lists the following articles in VARIETY about the Essaness Chain:
1) Ingram, B. Essaness will run 89-screen Carisch Minneapolis circuit. Variety 330 Mar 30 (1988): 7 + [2p].
2) Chicago Essaness chain to buy Theater Operators Inc. of Montana. Variety 331 May 4 (1988): 8.
3) Odeon/Plitt buys 41 Essaness screens in Metro Chicago. Variety 323 May 14 (1986): 3+ [2p].
4) Essaness Theaters acquires 15-screen chain in Wisconsin. Variety 320 Oct 2 (1985): 5 + [2p].
Apparantly, Essaness was active up to and after the C-O/Plitt takeover.
The FILM LITERATURE LIBRARY lists the following articles in VARIETY about the Essaness Chain:
1) Ingram, B. Essaness will run 89-screen Carisch Minneapolis circuit. Variety 330 Mar 30 (1988): 7 + [2p].
2) Chicago Essaness chain to buy Theater Operators Inc. of Montana. Variety 331 May 4 (1988): 8.
3) Odeon/Plitt buys 41 Essaness screens in Metro Chicago. Variety 323 May 14 (1986): 3+ [2p].
4) Essaness Theaters acquires 15-screen chain in Wisconsin. Variety 320 Oct 2 (1985): 5 + [2p].
Apparantly, Essaness was active up to and after the C-O/Plitt takeover.
From what I vaguely recall, there used to be a billboard/mural painted on the outside of the building advertising the Nortown. It was quite faded, but still readable. Is it still there?
(As a side note, some years ago the Sun-Times or Tribune did an article on faded mural/billboards of the past still visible. Some included the above-mentioned Nortown, a Fox Deluxe beer ad on Lawrence Avenue, and the Lee Workwear ad opposite Dearborn Station).
So then there were 2 theatres named Highland Park? The one on Central Ave. and the one on Deerpath Road? Obviously they were not related.
So then there were 2 theatres named Highland Park? The one on Central Ave. and the one on Deerpath Road? Obviously they were not related.
How is this cinema doing considering the new multi-plexes that have opened up here?
Cinemark Fan,
I drove by here on 05/28/2006. The Foxfield is still standing, albeit vacant. The marquee says “MOVIES AT FOXFIELD.” Although it was night time, the theatre (from the outside) appears to be in good condition.
Charles DuPont,
Are you the one that has the website www.oldgranadatheatre.com ? That’s where I received the information in my above post.
When I was 17-18 years old, I worked for Andy Frain Ushering and Security. My co-workers and I were always happy when we had a contract for a show at the Granada. We actually preferred working the Granada instead of the Uptown. No offense to those who are fans of that theatre, but we always regarded the Uptown as a cr@phole! In contrast, we regarded the Granada as “Faded Glory” but it was much cleaner. And in retrospect, had M&M been able to retain its liquor license, the Granada might still be with us today. Wy couldn’t Loyola have integrated it into its campus? Many colleges and universities have successfully done this!
Per the above comments comparing the Granada and the Paradise, the Granada’s modernized marquee was certainly the nicer of the two.
Finally, the vintage photo above appears to be taken right about the time of demolition or at least closure. The place looks vacant and the marquee is blank.
Per Life’s Too Short’s comment above regarding Cineplex-Odeon’s operation of the NORTOWN: It seems to me that initially, C-O really did try to make an ernest go of it in the Chicagoland Area. LTS’s post states that C-O did try to operate the Nortown as an attractive place, even after tri-plexing. C-O, from articles I read, renovated a number of theatres in the Chicagoland Area and constructed new ones (most of which have already since closed). So what went so wrong that C-O went into bankruptcy in the 1990s?
And if you really want to see pictures of the Nortown in decay, check out this:
View link
In the late 1970s or early 1980s, a company called “M and M Amusements” took over this place. M and M attempted to clean the theatre up and began booking top-name entertainment at the time. Such bookings included a stage version of Rocky Horror and concerts such as Cheap Trick and Off Broadway USA (“…Stay in time boy/Don’t get out of line boy). M and M ran into trouble with the community because of the lack of parking. The community supposedly claimed that concert-goers were vandalizing the area, damaging automobiles, etc. As a result, M and M lost its liqour license and was unable to book concerts after that. It was a shame too, because it seemed that M and M really tried to make the Granada Theatre work.
Then again, there were all sorts of politics behind the liqour license suspension….
I seem to recall that this place may have opened a little before 1991. My then-girlfriend and I used to see movies here all the time. I vaguely recall that it was also known as Century Square. Century Square is the Big Box shopping center adajacent to Century III Mall.
The nearest theatres are the Melrose Park and the Pickwick. Even the new Golf Mill theatres won’t harm this place’s attendence.
Why did Regal sell this after only two years?
This theatre did in the nearby Foxfield.
Per the map, this place was just west of the Charlestowne Mall. So it probably didn’t make sense for CC to continue operating it.