In KenMc’s 04/11/09 post of the 1972 picture, “Diamonds Are Forever” is playing at the Woods down the street.
Me and a buddy saw that there multiple times. Jill St. John, Lana Wood, & a lengthy car chase through “old” Vegas with a Mustang ending up escaping on two wheels. A young man’s dreams fulfilled on a daily basis.
Both the Liberty and a theater called the Mint were captured in some B-Roll in an episode of “Snapped” on the Oxygen Network. It originally aired in 12/06.
The Mint was actually having it’s marquee letters changed from a ladder in the brief footage.
Though there seems to be no CT link to a Mint Theatre in Idaho.
Morton Grove is peppered with vintage buildings. Especially in the area North of Main St. where it becomes Lincoln Ave. and continues on Northwest.
The Bringer Inn is over 100 years old & Pequods Pizza appears to be some type of depression era structure at least.
There are also some vintage storefronts and a Moose Lodge etc. around town. But condos are/were springing up rather rapidly in the last few years.
What a great photo & strange coincidence. I saw “On Her Majestys Secret Service” when it first came out, with my father & brother at Chicago’s Granada Theatre.
I have since also read various back stories on the choice of George Lazenby playing James Bond. Apparently British actor Oliver Reed had at one time been considered as a replacement for Sean Connery.
But the studio didn’t think they could counter the varied legendary drinking escapades that Reed was then embarking on, in the press.
Although with Reed’s brooding delivery style, I think he would have been excellent as Bond. Much like Daniel Craig, the current Bond.
I’m not sure how this place ever got away with using a Wells Street address. When it is clearly located on North Ave.
I understand desiring the Pipers Alley tie in, but the original buildings this one replaced wasn’t even really connected to or part of Pipers Alley. It was behind it & next to it. Approximately where the rear of the Aardvark Theatre actually would have been. And that’s a stretch.
This strip of North Ave. had some older 3 flats with various taverns and shops in them before the current building was built. I guess Aardvark Mutiplex wouldn’t have really had the same punch. We should also be thankful they didn’t call it Second City Cinema. Which is even slightly further down Wells Street.
Well I guess that confirms my “Cat People” recollection. I just reread the very first post about this theater. I had no idea of the Herschell Gordon Lewis ownership/connection.
My late father briefly knew or worked with him in the `60’s. My father had worked at/with Vogue Wright, Wernecke, Joy Recording & Fred Niles Studios(now Harpo) back in the day. I wish I’d known of the connection when I lived above the Devon Theatre
Lewis is still alive. I think he released a CD called “The Eye Popping Sounds of Herschell Gordon Lewis.
I’m looking for a possible link with any exterior pictures of the Trianon Ballroom also on 63rd St.
All that seems to ever come up is postcards of the same interior shots.
Exterior shots of the Trianon have proved quite elusive. Thanks.
CT wonders never cease. I had no idea that this hotel was ever part of a theater. I was at a giant garage sale in this very rear parking lot in the early `80’s.
You entered through the tunnel/Clark St. entrance under the hotel. You could tell by the design that something odd had been done. Dumpsters lined the tunnel.
There was a guard rail across the back of the lot, that people from the alley and the then Post Office next door stepped over to access the sale. The alley behind was almost like a street. And about as wide as the side street were around there.
I also moved someone into that hotel about 5-6 years ago. The interior was like something out of “Paper Moon” or “The Sting”. There was a stairwell office with a glass partition that the on-duty hotel staff sat in/behind.
The tall hallways were old hardwood with carpet runners up the centers. The rooms all had operational transom windows above each door. The rooms however were all of about 8 feet wide by 10 feet deep, if that. An old metal frame bed & waterfall dresser were included. The window overlooked the rear lot.
The Post Office next door has since closed to the public, but is maintained as a sorting station. Next to that going South is a twice built McDonald’s with drive thru. Next to that is a condo building that replaced the Playdium Bowling Alley. Where my grandfather sanded the lanes in the 60's. It was open into the70’s.
Did you click on the word “here”?
The link still works for me, and I only have a WebTV server.
QuillHill is only an e-mail address.
The link is above that in the word “here”.
I remember driving past this place a lot in the early 80's. I loved that swooped underside to the marquee.
There was a deserted50’s suburban feel to that stretch of North Ave.
With giant bridal shops & stores that seemed to never have foot traffic.
Also the Wagon Wheel & Randall’s Ribs restaurants, plus Kiddieland weren’t too far away. I think a CVS or Walgreens also replaced the Wagon Wheel.
The Manor going from weddings to wrestling is interesting.
Interesting. I didn’t think that the marquee overhang had been added after 1982. Ricky’s restaurant is just to the left with the broiled foods signage above their window.
I think there was a tavern called Reflections just a few doors South of that art studio awning. Reckless Records is just South of that. I think there is also an old bi-level parking garage building in the next building South. Possibly with some white terra cotta details.
I didn' realize that the blade letters were removed prior to `82. For the record, that used car lot pictured is also now gone. Maybe within the last 3-4 years.
Note to CT administrators: The opening theatre description by Bryan Krefft needs to have the year of the fire changed from 1996 to 1966.
Great picture Ken Mc. What was the source for it?
The picture is pre-1966, as that is the Carnegie that burned down.
We lived in the building just East,(to the left), of the corner building with the turret style wrapaound bay windows, in the lower left hand corner.
That building housed Gus' & the first incarnation of Jay Emerick’s many taverns.
Jay still has a place called Jay’s Amore in the West Loop. He also was involved in Face’s in the `70’s.
The Singapore Room was indeed a restaurant. That giant marquee had neon monkeys on timers that ran up the sides.
Yep, the yellow one in front of the orange Dodge is the Pinto.
Alas, it was alledgedly the metal bolts on the gas tank straps that punctured the tanks upon rear end collisions. The subsequent recall replaced them with plastic bolts. Which doesn’t exactly sound safer, but apparently was.
P.S. Can you post the pic of the Norshore from American Classic Images to the Norshore page? Feed the addiction. Thanks.
FYI. There’s a great b&w daytime shot of the Norshore, within that “American Classic Images” site where everyone’s pulling pictures from as of late.
It has a towering presence that must have been awe inspiring at the time.
I can’t post anything from my WebTV server except comments. So if anyone can do the honors, it would be appreciated.
Is the Ramova still standing?
Last I drove by it had a “Property of City Of Chicago” metal sign attached to the front. I think the buildings on either side may have also been gone.
In KenMc’s 04/11/09 post of the 1972 picture, “Diamonds Are Forever” is playing at the Woods down the street.
Me and a buddy saw that there multiple times. Jill St. John, Lana Wood, & a lengthy car chase through “old” Vegas with a Mustang ending up escaping on two wheels. A young man’s dreams fulfilled on a daily basis.
Both the Liberty and a theater called the Mint were captured in some B-Roll in an episode of “Snapped” on the Oxygen Network. It originally aired in 12/06.
The Mint was actually having it’s marquee letters changed from a ladder in the brief footage.
Though there seems to be no CT link to a Mint Theatre in Idaho.
Thanks for the Trianon info. I’ll hunt down a copy.
Morton Grove is peppered with vintage buildings. Especially in the area North of Main St. where it becomes Lincoln Ave. and continues on Northwest.
The Bringer Inn is over 100 years old & Pequods Pizza appears to be some type of depression era structure at least.
There are also some vintage storefronts and a Moose Lodge etc. around town. But condos are/were springing up rather rapidly in the last few years.
What a great photo & strange coincidence. I saw “On Her Majestys Secret Service” when it first came out, with my father & brother at Chicago’s Granada Theatre.
I have since also read various back stories on the choice of George Lazenby playing James Bond. Apparently British actor Oliver Reed had at one time been considered as a replacement for Sean Connery.
But the studio didn’t think they could counter the varied legendary drinking escapades that Reed was then embarking on, in the press.
Although with Reed’s brooding delivery style, I think he would have been excellent as Bond. Much like Daniel Craig, the current Bond.
BWChicago, unfortunately the 11/10/08 link reverts back to the CT/Wilson Avenue Theater page. Is there another link perhaps?
What are the other Water Tower Theatre’s, that were located upstairs and inside of the Water Tower Place Mall listed under on CT?
I’m not sure how this place ever got away with using a Wells Street address. When it is clearly located on North Ave.
I understand desiring the Pipers Alley tie in, but the original buildings this one replaced wasn’t even really connected to or part of Pipers Alley. It was behind it & next to it. Approximately where the rear of the Aardvark Theatre actually would have been. And that’s a stretch.
This strip of North Ave. had some older 3 flats with various taverns and shops in them before the current building was built. I guess Aardvark Mutiplex wouldn’t have really had the same punch. We should also be thankful they didn’t call it Second City Cinema. Which is even slightly further down Wells Street.
I like the tag line on that vintage ad. A “Safe” Place for Your Family.
Reactivate Notification Status.
Well I guess that confirms my “Cat People” recollection. I just reread the very first post about this theater. I had no idea of the Herschell Gordon Lewis ownership/connection.
My late father briefly knew or worked with him in the `60’s. My father had worked at/with Vogue Wright, Wernecke, Joy Recording & Fred Niles Studios(now Harpo) back in the day. I wish I’d known of the connection when I lived above the Devon Theatre
Lewis is still alive. I think he released a CD called “The Eye Popping Sounds of Herschell Gordon Lewis.
I’m looking for a possible link with any exterior pictures of the Trianon Ballroom also on 63rd St.
All that seems to ever come up is postcards of the same interior shots.
Exterior shots of the Trianon have proved quite elusive. Thanks.
CT wonders never cease. I had no idea that this hotel was ever part of a theater. I was at a giant garage sale in this very rear parking lot in the early `80’s.
You entered through the tunnel/Clark St. entrance under the hotel. You could tell by the design that something odd had been done. Dumpsters lined the tunnel.
There was a guard rail across the back of the lot, that people from the alley and the then Post Office next door stepped over to access the sale. The alley behind was almost like a street. And about as wide as the side street were around there.
I also moved someone into that hotel about 5-6 years ago. The interior was like something out of “Paper Moon” or “The Sting”. There was a stairwell office with a glass partition that the on-duty hotel staff sat in/behind.
The tall hallways were old hardwood with carpet runners up the centers. The rooms all had operational transom windows above each door. The rooms however were all of about 8 feet wide by 10 feet deep, if that. An old metal frame bed & waterfall dresser were included. The window overlooked the rear lot.
The Post Office next door has since closed to the public, but is maintained as a sorting station. Next to that going South is a twice built McDonald’s with drive thru. Next to that is a condo building that replaced the Playdium Bowling Alley. Where my grandfather sanded the lanes in the
60's. It was open into the70’s.Did you click on the word “here”?
The link still works for me, and I only have a WebTV server.
QuillHill is only an e-mail address.
The link is above that in the word “here”.
That combined with the vintage rooftop signage is a true throwback to another era. Thanks for posting that.
Complete with an AMC Hornet moved twice, into a fire lane. Enough said.
I remember driving past this place a lot in the early
80's. I loved that swooped underside to the marquee. There was a deserted50’s suburban feel to that stretch of North Ave.With giant bridal shops & stores that seemed to never have foot traffic.
Also the Wagon Wheel & Randall’s Ribs restaurants, plus Kiddieland weren’t too far away. I think a CVS or Walgreens also replaced the Wagon Wheel.
The Manor going from weddings to wrestling is interesting.
Interesting. I didn’t think that the marquee overhang had been added after 1982. Ricky’s restaurant is just to the left with the broiled foods signage above their window.
I think there was a tavern called Reflections just a few doors South of that art studio awning. Reckless Records is just South of that. I think there is also an old bi-level parking garage building in the next building South. Possibly with some white terra cotta details.
I didn' realize that the blade letters were removed prior to `82. For the record, that used car lot pictured is also now gone. Maybe within the last 3-4 years.
Note to CT administrators: The opening theatre description by Bryan Krefft needs to have the year of the fire changed from 1996 to 1966.
Great picture Ken Mc. What was the source for it?
The picture is pre-1966, as that is the Carnegie that burned down.
We lived in the building just East,(to the left), of the corner building with the turret style wrapaound bay windows, in the lower left hand corner.
That building housed Gus' & the first incarnation of Jay Emerick’s many taverns.
Jay still has a place called Jay’s Amore in the West Loop. He also was involved in Face’s in the `70’s.
The Singapore Room was indeed a restaurant. That giant marquee had neon monkeys on timers that ran up the sides.
FYI. There’s a 1983 picture of the Fine Arts facade on the American Classic Images site, should anyone want to post it that is able.
Yep, the yellow one in front of the orange Dodge is the Pinto.
Alas, it was alledgedly the metal bolts on the gas tank straps that punctured the tanks upon rear end collisions. The subsequent recall replaced them with plastic bolts. Which doesn’t exactly sound safer, but apparently was.
P.S. Can you post the pic of the Norshore from American Classic Images to the Norshore page? Feed the addiction. Thanks.
FYI. There’s a great b&w daytime shot of the Norshore, within that “American Classic Images” site where everyone’s pulling pictures from as of late.
It has a towering presence that must have been awe inspiring at the time.
I can’t post anything from my WebTV server except comments. So if anyone can do the honors, it would be appreciated.
Is the Ramova still standing?
Last I drove by it had a “Property of City Of Chicago” metal sign attached to the front. I think the buildings on either side may have also been gone.
Reactivate Notification Status.