Paradise Theater
231 N. Pulaski Road,
Chicago,
IL
60624
231 N. Pulaski Road,
Chicago,
IL
60624
41 people
favorited this theater
Showing 101 - 125 of 344 comments
LuisV, Thanks for the tip on the Leow’s Kings page. Never thought of it. I was in the King’s about 20 years ago. A friend worked in the NY
land office and had the keys to the place. They got the theater for back taxes. He warned me not to expect much. In one hand he had a flashlight and the other a big club for the rats we might encounter.
It was a “mind opener” to say the least. I could see the beauty that was once there, but it was a sad experience. No rats however. Maybe they were out shopping that day! It will be an amazing feat when it is re-opened. ALl the world will be talking about it. You are right, it is not in a great locale. Was it populated very much back in the 20’s? I hope there is hope for our Uptown when the city and the private sector get together. Didn’t Rapp&Rapp do both?
Hi Bobby, all of your questions are answered on the Loew’s Kings page. In short, the City is providing a combination of cash grants and tax benefits and the developer is putting in money as well, but it is truly a collaborative effort. It is about a 4 year restoration project. Right now there is an exhustive search of the original plans and a survey of what exactly needs to be done; restored or replaced. By 2014 the restoration is supposed to be complete and, quite possibly, it will be Brooklyn that will have the country’s most beautiful restored theater. What makes it all the more remarkable is that the Kings is not downtown or central Manhattan. It’s not even in downtown Brooklyn. It doesn’t even have easy access to the subway (thought it is about 6 blocks away). It is (as was the Paradise and the Uptown in Chicago) one of the most incredible palaces ever built to serve as a neighborhood theater. The Paradise is gone, The Kings has been saved and the Uptown still just sits and waits.
LuisV, What a list! Loews was sure a major player weren’t they??
I was in the Brooklyn Paramount once and it was exciting. Hard to imagine all these palaces were doors away from each other. I didn’t think Leow’s Kings was going forward. Glad to hear it. You can just imagine how frustrated us Chicago people are that our Uptown theater, every bit as grand as the Kings, is in limbo with nothing on the horizon. Who are the people doing the King’s and where is the $$$ coming from? Is it an amusement co.? Jam Amusements own our Uptown, so they would do the work I would think. However, due to this recession, I bet ticket sales are hurting at the concerts, and then there is the problem of getting loans from the banks. That is why I am curious who is paying for the King’s.
There are indeed others: The Center, the original Ziegfeld, Proctor’s 59th Street, The Madison, Loew’s Oriental, RKO Fordham, RKO 23rd Street, RKO 86th Street, The Orpheum, Loew’s Sheridan, and there are a great many more. The only reason that New York today has what I think is the world’s greatest collection of remaining old movie palaces has less to do with the preservation movement than with the sheer volume of what was constructed during its heyday. Many of the world’s most beautiful theaters ever erected were lost, but a great many (as mentioned above) still remain. It is still a struggle however, to create adapative resues for these theaters. Often, it is via general performing arts centers and churches, but live music, discos, retail and, in the case of the RKO Richmond Hill, a flea market that has kept the theater going for decades.
Population density has been the great genesis and the great destroyer of New York theaters. The density allowed for many of these behemoths to be built and at the same time provide the “buying public” for whatever adaptive resuse that would save a theater. However, the increasing livability of New York doomed so many of the old palaces as the land beneath them simply became too valuable.
Luckily, New York has a strong preservation movement and while not all battles are won, there is an impressive record of saved theaters.
That said, it makes me very sad that I never got to see The Roxy or The Capitol.
Yes, believe it or not, the Loew’s 175th Street and the Loew’s Valencia (both Wonder theaters) still operate as churches with the 175th Street in a position that it is likely one of the best restored and maintained movie palaces in the country. As a matter of fact, all of the theaters I mentioned above are still operating as successful churches. Other palaces like Radio City, The Beacon, The St George and the Loew’s Paradise (another wonder theater) have been successfully repositioned as performing arts centers. The New Amsterdam, Studio 54 and many others are now back as Broadway theaters. The RKO Keiths Richmond Hill incredibly still goes on as a flea market/bingo hall. The Brooklyn Paramount was used as a gymnasium for many years by Long Island University and is awaiting adaptive reuse. The Loew’s Jersey (wonder theater) is the only palace still used to screen movies, but is doing quite well. The Loew’s Kings (maybe the most spectacular of them all and the the 5th Wonder theater) is being restored to the tune of $70MM. Still in the wings? The amazing Loew’s Canal in Chinatown whose exterior was just landmarked by the city and the Jackson Theater (in Jackson Heights Queens) which the new owner hopes to restore. No city in the country lost as many incredible movie palaces to the wrecking ball as New York did. But due to the sheer magnitude of the amount of theaters erected in the New York, we still have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the number and quality of the palaces that remain. Many cities in America have but one or two remaining palaces and that is very sad. Philadelphia has but one (The Boyd) and it is sadly unrestored. New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are the primary exceptions, but we need to do everything we can to keep what is still left. Truly, theaters will never be built like this again. When they are gone, they are gone forever.
Scott, Oup-s-s-s-!!!!
I did know that. But I realized it after I sent it off. It did open for a brief time. A local woman tried to rent it out and it really never took off. The same reason why the company that called it the New Regal re-habbed it and lost money on it and closed it. Lack of interest and tickets I persume. I never really didn’t understand why Oprah didn’t invest and operate the theater. Being a local gal and all. After all it is quite a landmark on the Southside and would mean more to the people than a school in Africa would. The Paradise NEVER would have made it past the 60’s, unfortuately.
LuisV, You sure know your theaters in NY. Is the Leow’s 175th and the Leow’s Valencia in Queens still operating as churches? I have been to both and my mouth dropped when I entered 175th st. What a wonderful upkeep to a beautiful building. Really was a Wonder Theater! I have to sadly agree with Scott about the Paradise here being saved for a church. Scott “hit the nail on the head”. The area is a ghetto today and no way would a flock pay the high price of keeping it opened and operating. What ever became of Chicago’s Avalon Theater on the Southside of Chicago? Another of Lamb’s creations. It was a major theater/ church/ performing art center.
Now closed I believe. If that couldn’t make it, the Paradise never would have. I wonder if that location on 79th is a ghetto?
It would have been worth a shot anyway. Many an incredible palace in New York was saved by being converted to a church: Loew’s 175th Street, Loew’s Valencia, Loew’s Metropolitan, The Stanley, The Elmwood, The Hollywood. All are still around today because they became churches. It doesn’t always work that way. The RKO Bushwick and Loew’s Pitkin among many others eventually were lost, but the point is that they are kept around long enough to be potentially saved for good. (At least the exterior of the RKO Bushwick and Pitlkin will live on). Instead, with the Paradise, we have nothing but some photos and some memories.
The same held true for the conversion of palaces to discos. Loew’s Commodore (The Saint), The Miller (Xenon), the Gallo Opera House (Studio 54), the Academy of Music (Palladium) and the Forum (Club USA) were all successfully converted to discos and they survived for many more years than they otherwise would have. Ironically, for me, this was how I first saw these theaters and contributed greatly for my appreciation of the palaces of yesteryear. Alas, all but one (Studio 54), eventually met the wrecking ball, but not before I got to see them and enjoy them in a very different way than they were originally meant for.
The sad reality is that virtually none of the old true palaces will ever become venues for showing films again. We have to find creative ways to find new uses for them, whether they be as performing arts spaces (which can include films), churches, or clubs. Unfortunately, the Paradise was never given these options.
Scott, I think you are absolutely correct. It had to be the fondness
factor. They knew I am sure that tv was not to go away anytime soon, and would even grow to make large one screen theaters fade away to dust. It was the old-timers (now us) that came from the west side that had such respect for their beautiful buildings and a long colorful history, they just wanted to “hang-on”. Great point!
I still say, it would have made a great “house of worship” like the Salem Baptist Church and should have been researched more at the time.
Sell it for $1 like Loew’s did in NY. Think of the demolition costs
that would have been saved, AND we would still have our Paradise!
I never thought of it until you mentioned it. We were lucky to have been in the Paradise until 1956. I am sure you were there many times as I was when the house was empty. Felt like a big vast empty cave most of the time. Never really thought at the time that somebody had to pay the bills to keep this place opened. Strange also that B&K never booked a “sure-fire” hit there that I can remember. Everything went to the Marbro and State theaters. They had all the latest hits from Hollywood. I am sure this was intentional don’t you? So why didn’t they close it earlier if it was suck a drain? Thank goodness they didn’t. I heard a story that one of the Balaban’s didn’t want too. Also he didn’t want stage shows to cease at the Chicago Theatre
until he passed on. Do you think there is merit to this story Scott?
I think his name was Barney.
Scott, Yes I have been in the Leow’s Paradise since it was been re-opened. Once when they were doing the construction just before the finished job and once when they were setting up for a rock hip-hop concert. I JUST WALKED IN AND SMILED…. It usually gets me in (like the American Express card)!! I must say to you it was very bitter-sweet. They did an amazing job of re-furbishing on one hand, and then on the other what could or might have been done to our own palace if the conditions were differently. After all the Bronx Paradise was still showing films in the 80’s even though it was a quad, it was still open!! Waiting for the day to"re-bloom". Ours never really had a chance.
ShawnS, Great photo of a beautiful sign. Ornate as the great theater itself. My only memories of the theater is 1950 onwards to the closing. I assume the shop was closed by then. Good of you to recall the times. He must have loved going to work in such a beautiful building every day!
My grandfather was a violinist and had a studio he gave music lessons at in Chicago in the 30’s. We never put this together before but my mom has always said his studio was in the paradise building. We just showed my mom the pictures of the theater and she thinks that it is where his studio was but its hard to be sure since she has Alzhiemers, but her memorys of before the 50’s seem to be pretty intact.
We still have the signs from his studio that according to her were in the front second story window and over the door. The big window sign (which I have on a wall in our house)says “Paradise Music Shop” the smaller sign says “Music Studio” I was wondering if anyone had ever seen a picture of the store fronts with the paradise music shop sign in a second story window from sometime in the 30’s or a hallway picture with the music studio sign over a door? If so any info would be appreciated.
Here is a current picture of the sign, it is done in gold leaf with a thick bevelled glass front on it
View link
LuisV, I have been to all of the above. I go to NY quite alot. A family member graduated from Fordham in the Bronx. I love Arthur Ave and all the wonderful food. Roberto’s is my favorite. The Botanic Garden and the Zoo are great. You are right, if the area was not stable, the Leow’s Paradise would not be open today. However Chicago does not have the desire or the vison to follow suit. Our crime problem is out of sight. Every night on the tv is the latest number
of drive-bys and mostly winding up dead. No wonder there isn’t any neighborhood theater outside of the downtown or near north that exits. We have the closed Uptown that is close to your Leow’s Kings in size and it remains a question mark. Have you been to Leow’s Jersey? I am hearing great things are happening there. I rank our politcal leaders a BIG FAT 0.
BobbyS, I invite you to stroll through the Bronx on your next visit. Riverdale (in the West Bronx) is one of NY’s finest neighborhoods. Arthur Avenue, right in the center, is a really fun area with a great collection of Italian Restaurants. The areas around Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Zoo and The Botanical Gardens are now thriving. City Island is a New England village with a Bronx zip code. Woodlawn Cemetery is one of the most beautiful and historic in the country. Van Cortlandt and Pelham Bay Parks is two of the largest urban parks in the country and are quite beautiful. Getting back to theaters; The Loew’s Paradise (one of the original 5 Wonder theaters) on the Grand Concourse has now been spectacularly restored and would not have been if not for the Bronx’s turnaround.
Believe it or not, there are still people who are afraid to go to Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan because they still remember it from the old days. Same story for the Bronx. It’s been an amazing rebound. You should pop up there on your next visit. :–)
I have to agree with you LuisV on some parts and with Scott on others. Bronx and other buroughs are better than 20 years ago.
But I wouldn’t stroll down the streets in the Bronx at any time.
Scott is right about Chicago. I feel the same because we both “lived it”. Maybe a new mayor is a good thing. New blood and all that. We need a person of vision. Bring back the showmen of yesteryear…
Hi Scott, believe it or not, the gentrification is city wide. Bushwick (once one of NY’s most notroious neighborhoods) is now projected to be the next Williamsburg (which also used to be a horrible area). West and East Harlem, Hell’s Kitchen, the Lower East Side, Downtown Brooklyn, Chinatown, Park Slope, Long Island City, and so many other neighborhoods that no one would live in by choice years ago are now highly desired. Brand new neighborhoods have also been created in the Financial District out of obsolete, but beautiful, pre war office buildings. FiDi is now one of the city’s fastest growing neighborhoods. the South Bronx is thriving with no abandoned buildings and virtually no remaining empty lots.
Why? It all boils down to people feeling safe. When you feel safe, you ride the subway and there is safety in numbers. You walk the streets and patronize local retailers at all hours. You have kids and send them to the increasingly good public schools. Companies stay and expand because employees increasingly love the urban environment (as opposed to the sterile suburban one). That is what needs to happen in Chicago. As much as Giuliani loves to take credit, the changes were already under way under the previous mayor Dinkins. Giuliani managed to ostracize more than half of the city in his quest for safety and we were gladly rid of him. Bloomberg, to his great credit has dramatically lowered crime (in a near depression) WITHOUT controversy. It obviously can be done; it just takes the right man/people.
Scott, I think you are recalling the Paradise correct. I do remember the upper levels of the theater being rather plain compared to the rest of the theater. And there were hallways all over the place. I
think sometimes the balcony was closed and roped off, but we as kids always found a way to “get up there” and we did. I do remember one time being at the Marbro and coming down from the balcony going around the “Balcony Closed” sign and being yelled at from the mananger. I guess the only way a patron of today has that feeling is in an upper seat in today’s stadium seating style. Boy did they miss alot!!!!!
LuisV, New York is working better than Chicago granted. But if you never walked on our West Side or for that matter South Side, you would be taking your life at hand. Bronx is safer than where Scott,
Scrabbie and myself grew up. Leows Paradise made a wonderful comeback. Chicago needs a firm mayor who will deal with the many problems that our neighhoods face. It has been in a mess for 50 years. Almost like it was intended to be. Like a plan that was hatched. Maybe Rahn Emmanuel is the answer. People say he gets the job done. And boy do we need to get the job done. I myself feel it
is a lost cause. How can you reverse a downward move to the gutter?
Hi Scott, it is just the opposite in New York. The urban areas, almost without exception, are better today than when I was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s. Crime, murder and fire were rampant back then. Times Square was a cesspool of filth and danger. The middle class voted with their feet and left the city by the hundreds of thousands. But starting with the Dinkins administration in the early 90’s, the city recovered. Today, there are few neighborhoods in the city that I would be uncomfortable walking in. There are virtually no abandoned buildings. Virtually all neighborhoods have been revived. Crime is at record lows. You can ride the subway without fear at any time. Times Square has been converted into a theme park of sorts with the Broadway Theater thriving as never before. The population continues to rise as families increasingly decide to raise their children in an urban environment and take advantage of some great public schools.
I have been to Chicago several times and I love it, though I must admit that my visits have been limited to the main tourist areas along the Magnificent Mile and the Loop. Nonetheless, Chicago is a great city and can be much greater still if it can get its gang/crime and political problems under control. I never thought it would happen in New York. I truly thought it was hopeless, yet I was proved wrong. Don’t give up hope.
Scott, I would love to say also, better days are ahead for Chicago.
But how can I? City is broke, state is broke and gangs have taken over. When I wrote about roaming the streets, not to mentioning
how we would roam the movie palaces like we talked about. The tunnels at the Paradise and the upper parts of thr Marbro. Remember
how exciting it was. We would play hide and seek at the Marbro in between features and all the places to hide. Sometimes behind drapes.
We were always afraid of the ushers, which were few toward the closing. What great days!!!
Thank you OeOeO for the site. Are you watching Scrabbie? It was
so nice to take the “trip” down Madison & Pulaski again. Were
you from the area? One had to live there to really appreaciate the
wonder of it all. Imagine a 10 year old being allowed to roam around the streets of Chicago and to discover all the neat places to visit and never being bothered by crime and drive-bys. No cell phones, no
gps. Just our little brains. And wasn’t it all fun??????
Here you go. A couple of decades early though. Scroll down to the bottom.
View link
Wish there were a picture of the streetcars passing the Marbro in the 50’s! I rode the green hornets alot on the Madison line and I am quite sure it was after 1954. Why would they discontinue them? They were always packed. Maybe the person writing the book is wrong. I do not remember the Western Ave line running and the Madison line not.
Thanks for the info. Those streetcars were wonderful and a great way to get to your favorite movie palace.
There was a Fifth Avenue line that shared the same tracks as the Madison.The book says it ran between December 1953 and February 22,1954 but only as a shuttle.
The State street streetcar ended in 1955 and the Western Avenue streetcar ended in 1956. The Western avenue ran green hornets as well and is the only streetcar I have a memory of riding.
You are right about the Pulaski cars,they were red.
The Green Hornets and the Blue goose ran on Madison. In the book there is a great picture of two streetcars passing in front of the Athletic club at Madison and Hamlin.