Exactly, who knew it was gutted? But more importantly-when? If it closed as a theater, and was still built out as one inside, who pulled permits to gut it out, and how soon after the closure?
In a perfect world, any permit that was applied for at that address should have raised a red flag to the Alderman. Who in turn would hopefully then make a trip over there to see what’s going on. If for not other reason than to see if possibly any ornementation from the original theater had only been covered over during the muliplexing.
Then possibly there could have been a limit applied to the extent of the gutting. I’m fine with the use of it not as a theater is what its future holds. But if any aspects of it’s former interior could have been preserved to just showcase in the new usage, that ship has no sailed.
I do understand about the hesitancy for Landmarking to not be as strict on the protection of interiors. But I think that when it comes specifically to old theaters, there should be an extra effort made by municipalities to protect whatever may still exist of any original ornamentation.
Otherwise developers will just cointinue to gut to the brick, and that’s it. Gone forever.
I know the Village was multiplexed quite some time back. But very often when that was done to small theaters, they just dropped the ceilings and the old interiors remained up in newly created catacombs.
In this instance, and again a perfect scenario, there might have been a chance to see what was left of the original theater. And moniter the gut job accordingly. I just have a sense that it went forward unwatched because so much time had passed. And with the surprise win of a new Alderman, the decisions may have been even more hasty.
In theory, when any new interior buildout moves forward and the gut was under the radar, the permits department would say: “Wait a minute, what happened to the existing interior that was on file?”
It would be interesting to know what the time frame was on the tear out. And if it was done legally via proper building permits.
If it was after the Landmarking process had been started by the new Alderman, and the city somehow wasn’t informed I would imagine there could be hefty fines to be paid that could affect any sale of the building.
I would think the Alderman would have at least toured it once when making the case to Landmark the property.
There could also be a gray area over whether any of the original theater interior ornamentation (ceiling etc) was removed in the most recent tear out. Ornamentation that may have previously been only encapsulated, when it was multiplexed.
Though Chicago Landmarking does seem kind of loose as to interior preservatons.
In any event, it sound as if it is much further from becoming a theater again than anything else. Since it’s not turnkey anymore as they say.
To paul2, there is a store opening in Skokie (on Oakton) called Bob’s Newstand.
They specialize in vintage newspapers & magazines. Copies from specific dates bought as gifts for birthdays & anniversaries etc.
Perhaps you could purchase a Chicago newspaper from that day, and the films at the Music Box would be listed inside.
There is a brief exterior shot of the Capri Cinema marquee in the Harrison Ford film “Regarding Henry”, circa 1991.
It can be found on YouTube sorted chronologically in parts.
Ford’s child like character is wandering the city unsupervised and enters one of the porno houses.
He is then shown to be uncomfortable in what he sees on screen.
The underside of another marquee is shown in the foreground, but the theater name is not visible.
The Capri however seems to be the establishing shot for the area he is in.
I was asked by a friend to clarify my 12/08 post about the Terminal’s giant neon marquee being turned back on.
During WWII, some theaters and other venues that would hold large amounts of patrons, were ordered to leave their outdoor signage turned off.
In an effort to not make such buildings that would be full of people stand out as targets, in the event of an enemy air raid.
That is what was mentioned in the PBS “Remembering Chicago” show.
Which BTW is back in rotation now. Updated with a 2nd volume, and again for sale during the many WTTW/PBS subscription drives.
What’s the current name of the theatre? I would think any potential buyers might want to read the current CT page about it.
Unless it’s specifically not named for a reason.
I don’t know why I just remembered this. But I think when we saw “Robocop” here, they ran trailers for “Alien Nation” with James Cann.
And one of the scenes showed a mall parking lot that looked almost like the one we’d just come in from.
I think it was a scene with ET’s Leeza Gibbons as a newscaster, saying something about President Reagan to establish a time reference.
Wow. Welcome news for downtown.
It’s a shame a new building had to be built though, when we had all those beautiful theaters sitting there vacant as recent as 25-30 years ago.
Maybe this facility could display some sort of tribute/photo gallery of what the old downtown theaters looked like back in their heyday.
Any ideas on the basis for the Dishman name?
Also, it’s funny to see the 1984 photo with the gun store sign on the side of the building. Since the Dishman blade itself actually looks like the barrel of a Glock.
It should be mentioned that in the link that CWalczak posted, there is another great website embedded within the readers comments section at the bottom of the article.
It includes some great pictures of the Granada and even it’s interior.
So be sure to read all the way down.
It seems there’s no mention in the article on what happened or why the non for profit effort failed. Though it seemed as recent as 2008 if I read correctly.
FYI. MSN Entertainment News posted a story that singer Amy Winehouse was charged this Wednesday in connection with an assault at a Milton Keynes Theater last Saturday.
MSN cited media reports that the altercation took place after she heckled a performance.
Though neither theater appears to currently have live performances.
Let’s hope she wasn’t heckling a movie.
I see that there are recent remakes of of St. Trinian’s films too.
I remember the original ones with Alistair Sim.
It would be a shame if they can’t make it. The closest competition is miles away. I’m guessing Webster Place. There’s no reason up to and including a poorly run place, that Piper’s Alley couldn’t stay in business. Wells Street still bustles with an eclectic crowd.
I can only guess that by running the older films, that that is their shot at being a revival house. Maybe they are unable to acquire or afford 1st run films or something.
Also this week all the old Second City alum were in town for it’s 50th.
So that may have had something to do with it. But that’s a stretch. If they had run “Home Alone”, “Strange Brew” or the like, I would see the connection.
It will be interesting to see what develops.
But if anyone who runs it is reading, get your hands on “Miracle On 34th Street”, “Scrooge”(1970 version) and whatever else you can dig up. Even the Pickwick is running “It’s a Wonderful Life”. For free no less.
FYI to all. The “Remembering Chicago” series is back in rotation on WTTW/PBS Channel 11 currently. Lots of glimpses of dowtown theatre footage from long ago. And references to the live shows that would follow the films at many.
Benny Goodman, Stooges, Les Brown etc.
I remember when this aired. It should be posted over on the Colonial/Iroquois page too.
I posted in Nov. 2008, a story of a woman who used to always walk around that site in “Widow’s Weeds”, when my grandmother was a child. Some type of mourning veils.
FYI. I’ve been perusing a June 3rd, 1965 Chicago Daily News.
It shows the LaGrange Theater located at 84 South LaGrange Road. Not 80 South as currently used.
I also just added a drive-in called the 66 Drive-In, located at Route 66 & LaGrange Rd. An intersection touched on in Gary Rickert’s May 31st 2007 post as Ogden(66) & LaGrange Rd.
And not mentioned by name or as a drive-in.
It’s possible the ownership was then the same, as they were both playing the same film “Circus World” starring John Wayne.
If that 66 Drive-In went by another name I hope the CT admins catch it. Cause I couldn’t find another one.
I’m looking at a June 3rd, 1965 Chicago Daily News that lists it’s name as only the “Palace Theatre, Randolph at LaSalle”. “My Fair Lady” is the film.So maybe “Palace” should be added as one of it’s former names.
This is a lttle off topic but not really. I toured the Sanfillipo Mansion near Barrington in 2005. Had I been up on my CT reading back then, I would have known to asked the more than gracious host to point out the various architectual gems saved from the Granada. There were numerous pipe organs, Victrola’s & kaliopies throughout. Even a fully equipped retro diner.
The grounds had an outbuilding that had a reconstructed 1890’s indoor fairgrounds with a working carousel from the era.
Their was white terra cotta stone work that adorned some of the building’s interior. So I wonder if that was some of it.
It was an all day affair celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Ford Thunderbird. They even allowed the number 50 to be spelled out on the sprawling lawn in parked Thunderbirds. Photographed from a helicopter no less.
Hauntingly, a playerless pipe organ that rose from a stage floor in the house gave us a concert at the end. We also toured the pipe organ mechanicals room. Like the Granada, it’s fascinating what men could build.
If it was fully renovated & updated as recently as 1999, it should be able to be kind of a turn key operation to start running films again. The official website at the top of this page still shows it owned by the same owners as the Rotunda Theatres.
Who are adverstising all first run at their other theaters on the same site.
If they still don’t own it, Why not rent it back to them for a low fee and show some of those first run films there also? It would keep it open and in the public eye. And also make it appear more viable to any investors who might be willing to take a chance on it.
Sitting empty (or filmless) just adds to the stigma. The only upside is it appears they still are doing open mic events with bands etc. If that information is as current as the other half of the page on their website.
Chicago and Evanston Illinois had a number of theatre’s that tried the revival house concept in the late 70's & early80’s. The Parkway, Varsity, Coronet, Music Box & others.
They would run different double features every day and/or every other day of old Sci-Fi, classic comedy’s, Hitchcock thrillers etc. Even midnight shows at some. Some had old cartoons & newreels deliberately added in for schtick.
They would print & place full color calenders in the Reader newspaper each week. With all the old taglines blazing across each page.
As someone else posted, the novelty crowds were there at first. And mind you this was also the era when the VCR & VHS rental was starting to go full steam.
It was great for just a few years. But eventually the theaters couldn’t hang on with only that. It seemed that was the last gasp for some of them.
The Varsity, Coronet & Park West for sure. The Music Box is still around, but is more of a true arthouse theater now. With occasional revival films and/or hometown premieres.
If there was a way to sell the movie tickets far in advance like stage plays & musicals, maybe someone could get a revival house to fly full time. But whose going to buy tickets to an old movie, and then remember to go on a regular basis?
Exactly, who knew it was gutted? But more importantly-when? If it closed as a theater, and was still built out as one inside, who pulled permits to gut it out, and how soon after the closure?
In a perfect world, any permit that was applied for at that address should have raised a red flag to the Alderman. Who in turn would hopefully then make a trip over there to see what’s going on. If for not other reason than to see if possibly any ornementation from the original theater had only been covered over during the muliplexing.
Then possibly there could have been a limit applied to the extent of the gutting. I’m fine with the use of it not as a theater is what its future holds. But if any aspects of it’s former interior could have been preserved to just showcase in the new usage, that ship has no sailed.
I do understand about the hesitancy for Landmarking to not be as strict on the protection of interiors. But I think that when it comes specifically to old theaters, there should be an extra effort made by municipalities to protect whatever may still exist of any original ornamentation.
Otherwise developers will just cointinue to gut to the brick, and that’s it. Gone forever.
I know the Village was multiplexed quite some time back. But very often when that was done to small theaters, they just dropped the ceilings and the old interiors remained up in newly created catacombs.
In this instance, and again a perfect scenario, there might have been a chance to see what was left of the original theater. And moniter the gut job accordingly. I just have a sense that it went forward unwatched because so much time had passed. And with the surprise win of a new Alderman, the decisions may have been even more hasty.
In theory, when any new interior buildout moves forward and the gut was under the radar, the permits department would say: “Wait a minute, what happened to the existing interior that was on file?”
It would be interesting to know what the time frame was on the tear out. And if it was done legally via proper building permits.
If it was after the Landmarking process had been started by the new Alderman, and the city somehow wasn’t informed I would imagine there could be hefty fines to be paid that could affect any sale of the building.
I would think the Alderman would have at least toured it once when making the case to Landmark the property.
There could also be a gray area over whether any of the original theater interior ornamentation (ceiling etc) was removed in the most recent tear out. Ornamentation that may have previously been only encapsulated, when it was multiplexed.
Though Chicago Landmarking does seem kind of loose as to interior preservatons.
In any event, it sound as if it is much further from becoming a theater again than anything else. Since it’s not turnkey anymore as they say.
To paul2, there is a store opening in Skokie (on Oakton) called Bob’s Newstand.
They specialize in vintage newspapers & magazines. Copies from specific dates bought as gifts for birthdays & anniversaries etc.
Perhaps you could purchase a Chicago newspaper from that day, and the films at the Music Box would be listed inside.
There is a brief exterior shot of the Capri Cinema marquee in the Harrison Ford film “Regarding Henry”, circa 1991.
It can be found on YouTube sorted chronologically in parts.
Ford’s child like character is wandering the city unsupervised and enters one of the porno houses.
He is then shown to be uncomfortable in what he sees on screen.
The underside of another marquee is shown in the foreground, but the theater name is not visible.
The Capri however seems to be the establishing shot for the area he is in.
I was asked by a friend to clarify my 12/08 post about the Terminal’s giant neon marquee being turned back on.
During WWII, some theaters and other venues that would hold large amounts of patrons, were ordered to leave their outdoor signage turned off.
In an effort to not make such buildings that would be full of people stand out as targets, in the event of an enemy air raid.
That is what was mentioned in the PBS “Remembering Chicago” show.
Which BTW is back in rotation now. Updated with a 2nd volume, and again for sale during the many WTTW/PBS subscription drives.
What’s the current name of the theatre? I would think any potential buyers might want to read the current CT page about it.
Unless it’s specifically not named for a reason.
Is it me, or is there no CT page for this particular theatre?
I checked all 378 Plaza’s listed, and nothing in Burlington KS pops up. Just curious.
I don’t know why I just remembered this. But I think when we saw “Robocop” here, they ran trailers for “Alien Nation” with James Cann.
And one of the scenes showed a mall parking lot that looked almost like the one we’d just come in from.
I think it was a scene with ET’s Leeza Gibbons as a newscaster, saying something about President Reagan to establish a time reference.
Wow. Welcome news for downtown.
It’s a shame a new building had to be built though, when we had all those beautiful theaters sitting there vacant as recent as 25-30 years ago.
Maybe this facility could display some sort of tribute/photo gallery of what the old downtown theaters looked like back in their heyday.
Oh…duh, A.T. Dishman. Guess I should read ALL the past posts first.
Any ideas on the basis for the Dishman name?
Also, it’s funny to see the 1984 photo with the gun store sign on the side of the building. Since the Dishman blade itself actually looks like the barrel of a Glock.
It should be mentioned that in the link that CWalczak posted, there is another great website embedded within the readers comments section at the bottom of the article.
It includes some great pictures of the Granada and even it’s interior.
So be sure to read all the way down.
It seems there’s no mention in the article on what happened or why the non for profit effort failed. Though it seemed as recent as 2008 if I read correctly.
FYI. MSN Entertainment News posted a story that singer Amy Winehouse was charged this Wednesday in connection with an assault at a Milton Keynes Theater last Saturday.
MSN cited media reports that the altercation took place after she heckled a performance.
Though neither theater appears to currently have live performances.
Let’s hope she wasn’t heckling a movie.
I see that there are recent remakes of of St. Trinian’s films too.
I remember the original ones with Alistair Sim.
It would be a shame if they can’t make it. The closest competition is miles away. I’m guessing Webster Place. There’s no reason up to and including a poorly run place, that Piper’s Alley couldn’t stay in business. Wells Street still bustles with an eclectic crowd.
I can only guess that by running the older films, that that is their shot at being a revival house. Maybe they are unable to acquire or afford 1st run films or something.
Also this week all the old Second City alum were in town for it’s 50th.
So that may have had something to do with it. But that’s a stretch. If they had run “Home Alone”, “Strange Brew” or the like, I would see the connection.
It will be interesting to see what develops.
But if anyone who runs it is reading, get your hands on “Miracle On 34th Street”, “Scrooge”(1970 version) and whatever else you can dig up. Even the Pickwick is running “It’s a Wonderful Life”. For free no less.
FYI to all. The “Remembering Chicago” series is back in rotation on WTTW/PBS Channel 11 currently. Lots of glimpses of dowtown theatre footage from long ago. And references to the live shows that would follow the films at many.
Benny Goodman, Stooges, Les Brown etc.
I remember when this aired. It should be posted over on the Colonial/Iroquois page too.
I posted in Nov. 2008, a story of a woman who used to always walk around that site in “Widow’s Weeds”, when my grandmother was a child. Some type of mourning veils.
FYI. I’ve been perusing a June 3rd, 1965 Chicago Daily News.
It shows the LaGrange Theater located at 84 South LaGrange Road. Not 80 South as currently used.
I also just added a drive-in called the 66 Drive-In, located at Route 66 & LaGrange Rd. An intersection touched on in Gary Rickert’s May 31st 2007 post as Ogden(66) & LaGrange Rd.
And not mentioned by name or as a drive-in.
It’s possible the ownership was then the same, as they were both playing the same film “Circus World” starring John Wayne.
If that 66 Drive-In went by another name I hope the CT admins catch it. Cause I couldn’t find another one.
I’m looking at a June 3rd, 1965 Chicago Daily News that lists it’s name as only the “Palace Theatre, Randolph at LaSalle”. “My Fair Lady” is the film.So maybe “Palace” should be added as one of it’s former names.
This is a lttle off topic but not really. I toured the Sanfillipo Mansion near Barrington in 2005. Had I been up on my CT reading back then, I would have known to asked the more than gracious host to point out the various architectual gems saved from the Granada. There were numerous pipe organs, Victrola’s & kaliopies throughout. Even a fully equipped retro diner.
The grounds had an outbuilding that had a reconstructed 1890’s indoor fairgrounds with a working carousel from the era.
Their was white terra cotta stone work that adorned some of the building’s interior. So I wonder if that was some of it.
It was an all day affair celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Ford Thunderbird. They even allowed the number 50 to be spelled out on the sprawling lawn in parked Thunderbirds. Photographed from a helicopter no less.
Hauntingly, a playerless pipe organ that rose from a stage floor in the house gave us a concert at the end. We also toured the pipe organ mechanicals room. Like the Granada, it’s fascinating what men could build.
Cue Track: “Burn Down The Mission"
-Elton John/Bernie Taupin.
If it was fully renovated & updated as recently as 1999, it should be able to be kind of a turn key operation to start running films again. The official website at the top of this page still shows it owned by the same owners as the Rotunda Theatres.
Who are adverstising all first run at their other theaters on the same site.
If they still don’t own it, Why not rent it back to them for a low fee and show some of those first run films there also? It would keep it open and in the public eye. And also make it appear more viable to any investors who might be willing to take a chance on it.
Sitting empty (or filmless) just adds to the stigma. The only upside is it appears they still are doing open mic events with bands etc. If that information is as current as the other half of the page on their website.
Chicago and Evanston Illinois had a number of theatre’s that tried the revival house concept in the late
70's & early80’s. The Parkway, Varsity, Coronet, Music Box & others.They would run different double features every day and/or every other day of old Sci-Fi, classic comedy’s, Hitchcock thrillers etc. Even midnight shows at some. Some had old cartoons & newreels deliberately added in for schtick.
They would print & place full color calenders in the Reader newspaper each week. With all the old taglines blazing across each page.
As someone else posted, the novelty crowds were there at first. And mind you this was also the era when the VCR & VHS rental was starting to go full steam.
It was great for just a few years. But eventually the theaters couldn’t hang on with only that. It seemed that was the last gasp for some of them.
The Varsity, Coronet & Park West for sure. The Music Box is still around, but is more of a true arthouse theater now. With occasional revival films and/or hometown premieres.
If there was a way to sell the movie tickets far in advance like stage plays & musicals, maybe someone could get a revival house to fly full time. But whose going to buy tickets to an old movie, and then remember to go on a regular basis?
I wish some millionaires would approach the seller and tell him they’d buy it only if it REMAINS a functioning drive-in.
Some of the photos and links about the reuse are now dead. Did this place ever actually get torn down?
According to the website you just posted, both theatres are to be restored. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what comes out of their upcoming event.