Des Plaines Theatre
1476 Miner Street,
Des Plaines,
IL
60016
1476 Miner Street,
Des Plaines,
IL
60016
20 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 75 of 110 comments
I would disagree with placing a permanent ‘open’ status on the DP Theater at this time. Reason being, the current owner seems to occasionally screen films but does not promote them on the marquee. You usually have to go to their website for any information on what is being shown – and that is infrequently.
Recently, a group called Deep Green had come to an agreement with the owner to screen English movies on weekends, beginning in May. Their plan was to alternate adult-themed films with childrens/family fare the following weekend. Last weekend was to feature Leonard DiCaprio’s “11th Hour”, while this weekend’s film, “Bee Movie” (with the voices of Jerry Seinfeld, et al) was postponed to the following weekend due to worries over the swine flu. Initial agreements are to have films run on weekends at least through June. See this article.
View link
Well, if the DPTPS does decide to get rolling again, let’s hope that someone does some updating of the website. A good chunk of the newspaper articles links don’t work anymore. ;–)
No, the New Years Eve festivities were rentals by the DP Special Events Commission. The last shows DPTPS did were the Pickwick and Masonic Temple shows. Shows were ceased because they didn’t really do much to further the cause. A relaunch and reimagination of DPTPS should be coming soon.
And on another front, it seems like the Preservation Society hasn’t done much of anything in the past two years. It’s unknown if they even made enough to cover the rental of the Pickwick when the Silent Movie Society did a showing two years ago.
I am aware of the 2008 New Years screening of HSM2, did they rent the theater again last month as well? I didn’t see any advertising for it….
Scratch that – the correct link is View link
View link
The New Years Eve show was one such rental.
Another update:
It seems as if the owners have occasionally been screening Hindi/Bollywood films from time to time. Most recently they advertised a film that screened only between Jan 30 – Feb 1. They don’t use the marquee at all. It still lists advertising for the Des Plaines Journal.
An interesting ad can be found on the website – they’re opening the theater to be rented. It still seems that it’s still split into two screens. It’s sad that someone didn’t think to knock out that wall as the Portage did to open up the entire space. Has anyone even seen the inside of the building at all recently?
A
Ah, thanks. Saw Ravi Shankar & a real early stage version of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Auditorium.
Ravi Shankar used a really strong, on-stage incense that worked it’s way up to the balcony. And about knocked us out.
They are not, since they’ve never showed film on a regular basis.
Interesting. I hadn’t known that the owner could pass in theory pass along a tax break, let alone write his losses off in the bigger picture.
I’m still surprised the village doesn’t snatch it up. Of course who has almost 4 mil. lying around.
Do you happen to know how the Arie Crown or Auditorium Theatre’s in Chicago are listed on Cinema Treasures? Thanks.
Government facilities are tax exempt, as are non-profit entities. As for the building’s assessed value, records show that it was billed approximately 70,000 in taxes this year. Keep in mind that the owner owns a number of businesses and properties, and if this enterprise is losing money, he may be able to write it off on his income taxes.
What you say about hypotheticals is true. A private owner can also let not-for-profits use it and write it off as a donation in kind. And a village owned situation, as exists in many theaters, they certainly can use it for any purpose they see fit at any rate they see fit. Des Plaines did buy a storefront building two doors from the theater for future redevelopment not long ago. The vacant storefront there is currently being used for FEMA offices after the flooding.
Greetings BWChicago. I guess I thought that if the village owned it, they wouldn’t have to charge potential tenants as much in rent as the current owner might have to, in order to keep up with his own taxes. Which surely must be high if if’s valued at 3.7 mil. Epecially if the buildings largest space/tenant goes largely unused. Then the only ground floor tenants are the restaurants. Are those rental apartments above everything?
Would the village have to pay the same taxes as a regular owner? If it was partly used for community use, it must be partly tax exempt somehow.
Also hypothetically if the village owned it, they could use or lease the theatre space out for community theatre events, etc. I thought they could pt mini Des Plaines museums in any vacant storefronts. I didn’t know there were only 2, and both were active restaurants.
I drove by the Des Plaines a few months back after a car show at the Metra station. I seem to remember the marquee was lit, but only advertised a phone number, no movies.
Well, there’s only the two storefronts, and they don’t seem to have any trouble keeping them filled, actually – a Mexican restaurant and a Thai restaurant. And if the government owned it, what kind of taxes would be paid? The theater is barely used now and is up for sale for $3.7 million – I don’t expect it to sell any time soon. It is scheduled to hold another New Years show.
Just a thought, if the Des Plaines had some success with the New Years/Disney HSM2 showing, maybe the managemnent would consider events of the same genre. The Music Box Theatre in Chicago had good success with some “Grease” sing-a-longs. Even a “Wizard of Oz” sing-a-long might garner some viewership not normally prone to come out to the movies.
It could still share the theatre with the Indian films if all scheduled correctly.
Odd to read the city council wouldn’t purchase such a historic building when it had the chance to. If for no other reason, than to have a hand in regulating and revitalizing all the other storefronts within the building.
It could have been a flagship Des Plaines Cultural Center of sorts. Building out any vacant storefronts as they come & go, to highlight Des Plaines history. Also the Village would be more able to offer tax breaks to potential tenants on land it owns.
The 1935 modernization of the Des Plaines Theater was by Pereira & Pereira
Here is the link to the other write-up. It was written on March 14th, not March 12th. My bad. ;)
View link
I’ve looked at the information from ADLABS online and yes, it’s a big Indian movie chain, but I looked around at both their website and the blurb from the Des Plaines Journal, and there’s nothing there that says it’s going to be a Hindi/Bollywood multiplex. I’m wondering if it’s a different ADLABS that’s going in there. Golf Mill already has the multi-screen theater running which pulls a decent attendance, but what I’m wondering about is the fact that the Des Plaines, under the Indian ownership, did not EVER look busy. It wasn’t open seven days a week, and pretty much shut down in January. The sad thing about the Des Plaines/Niles area is that there is no second run theaters close by. With the economy the way it is now, obviously a two or three dollar theater would do good business.
The current owner of the Des Plaines, according to a March 12, 2007 article, is now open to the idea of special movie presentations etc. at the theater. The Des Plaines Theater Preservation group claimed to have wanted to do more film showings but ownership decided to stop the ‘sharing of the wealth’ after the group (and others) assisted in refurbishing the theater several years ago. From what I’ve seen lately, the exterior (both upstairs and downstairs) have seen better days. When I see the overall condition of the exterior I automatically get flashbacks to the way the Patio looks on Irving Park and Austin nowadays. I certainly don’t want to see the Des Plaines fall apart again. It’s been that way before, and honestly, hasn’t been well taken care of in years. One only needs to look at the Portage Theater and the successes it’s having right now to say ‘this could be done with the Des Plaines."
Let’s hope so. Let’s hope that FINALLY someone can get an agreement and do something with the theater again. Interestingly enough, “High School Musical 2” didn’t do too bad, attendance-wise, during Des Plaines' New Years festivities.
Keep your fingers crossed.
The theater may not have shown anything until just after new year. Also, the Golf Glen is being renovated and reopened by the largest theater chain in India. This seems likely to impact the theater’s future. View link
I don’t know if anyone’s noticed, but it looks like the Des Plaines Theater is shut down. Now, I might be wrong, but they’ve been advertising the same film (a Hindi film) since early January. Granted, the theater is only open on weekend evenings, but in driving in the area during those times it seems to be closed.
Does anyone have any information regarding the status of the theater?
If the Indian owners don’t want to keep the place open (not enough attendance to keep the lights on perhaps?) why don’t they sublet the theater back to individuals who can bring some income to the place? I realize it might not happen, but one can always hope.
Also, the Des Plaines city council turned down a request for the city to possibly buy the building from the current ownership, which is sad givin their desire to continue to build more high-rise condo buildings. With the closing (again) of the Sugar Bowl restaurant, and Sims Bowl across the train tracks for sale, it seems there will be no change for the theater itself. And some historical landmarks of the downtown area are slowly fading away.
New Years Eve saw the theater rented by AM1300 (Radio Disney) for a screening of High School Musical 2 as part of the city’s new years festivities. There are no other plans for any other screenings at the theater at this time. Sad isn’t it?
Eric
Here is a small update regarding the Des Plaines Theater ~
The Des Plaines Theater Preservation Society held a fundraiser at the Pickwick Theater, featuring memorabilia and a program of silent comedies. They have nothing planned so far for any future fundraisers (according to the lack of information on their website), and the Pickwick attracted a modest (if not sold-out) crowd. Unfortunately they do not update their site much.
The Indian ownership still runs Hindi and Bollywood films, tho not on a seven-day basis.
Photos of this theater are HERE
Here is a March 1960 ad from the Arlington Daily Herald:
http://tinyurl.com/2se7bw
Here is a photo of the 1982 fire from the Herald:
http://tinyurl.com/3cccwv
The fire was later determined to have been started when ashes from an incinerator were dumped into a cardboard box. Brilliant idea.