to me it’s particularly satisfying the see the central park theatre from outside on the west face which is open to view
why, it’s just common brick? the black fire escapes, leading off several emergency exits at various levels, all stand in fine shape and each and every incandescent bulb at the door bays remain constantly illumnated. a typical but very good urban vista in my opinion you might agree if you saw it in person. gives one some impression the building remains open for business as usual, movie theatre that is
brits cast as romans in SPARTACUS and other hollywood biblical epics had plenty precedent by then, just look at BEN-HUR
an omission in my post yesterday, obvious considering Tony Curtis' recent passing, was that lovely Jean Simmons (herself a brit) left us early in 2010
lastly i forgot to mention this was one of 2 films i saw around the same time w/ Woody Strode who really impressed me, the other title being THE LAST VOYAGE
brits cast as romans in SPARTACUS as and other hollywood biblical epics had plenty precedent by then, just look at BEN-HUR
an omission in my post yesterday, obvious considering Tony Curtis' recent passing, was that lovely Jean Simmons (herself a brit) left us early in 2010
lastly i forgot to mention this was one of 2 films i saw around the same time w/ Woody Strode who really impressed me, the other title being THE LAST VOYAGE
alex north’s SPARTACUS musical score is exquisite to listen to all on its own, as i’ve done for awhile
amusing to me how the late mr curtis was around to re-loop his dialogue for the restored ‘oysters vs clams’ sequence some 30 years later, but to do sir lawrence who had since passed, he recommends anthony hopkins
and actress jean simmons is so beautiful
little is said about fired director anthony mann’s footage
in a half doz. or so previous posts i described a stroll south on milwaukee ave circa ‘30s-'40s my late father took to see what’s playing at shows in the 'hood
now walk the other way, back in time headed north on milwaukee ave
starting w/ the OAK theatre at armitage/western, another 2 blks the CONGRESS which’s the biggest, continuing on milwaukee on our left’s the RIO (aka MARS) just before the Logan Square monument and ‘L’ terminal. Passing that in short order first the LOGAN then the HARDING also on the left. So far that’s 2 miles out on milwaukee ave which i think’s as far as dad normally ventured, finishing with
the DALE and little NITA across the street from one-another
what an abundant selection he had. today only the LOGAN can one count on, the CONGRESS still stands but for the occasional rock show (not sure part of the NITA bldg’s extant)
saw BAD TIMING: A SENSUAL OBSESSION at Cinema. it’s a 1980 film but doesn’t appear on above list so it must’ve played in ‘81.
also saw there Wilder’s FEDORA
the before and after picture’s have to be the most astonishing contrast ever in real estate development over just a couple years. The Cinema little arthouse theatre on Chicago Ave at Michigan = the before. then the after = an enormous skyscraper constructed on its former site. can you imagine the difference in property taxes for the same address?
mikey2:
no the senior home parking lot is not the right place
the exact LUNA theatre bldg site was in fact where the walgreens building is now. mind you i said walgreens building, not walgreens parking lot. the building per se is at the southwest corner of belmont and keating, and that’s just where the luna once stood
p.s.: the alleyway behind cicero used to go fully to belmont (between the luna theatre and the luna lounge mentioned above) but when walgreens opened and built their parking lot they gobbled up that end of the alley, unfair to their neighbors and the public in general
spectacular house if there but once, 1984, saw Ron Howards' SPLASH!
i can only imagine seeing a 3-strip cinerama print there of WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROS. GRIMM if one from the original release remain, since unlike the other 3-strips that one was print dye-transfer IB Technicolor
the theatre is mentioned by name in the first line on the lyric to HAMPSTEAD INCIDENT, the closing song off of the popular MELLOW YELLOW album by DONOVAN, circa late 1966 – early ‘67.
Yeah we just heard that from (co) owner Chris Ritter, “the money isn’t there”.
BOOO says my friend Claire, who’d wanted to catch “The Best Church Of God” show there and is now limited to this coming (Easter) wknd before they lock the doors for good, and is doubtful about making.
the AVALOE for me gets lumped together in my memory with others of its kind—the SYMPHONY on Chicago, the CROWN on Division, the BELL on Armitage, the MARS on Milwaukee. All are theatres in my part of town that I never actually attended, but in my youth can recall them still standing in shuttered state, marquees near collapsing usually, waiting for the demolition ball to put them out of their misery. These waits curiously lasted several years and saddened me, my young eyes and mind longing for the possibility and asking my Mom or Dad “when will they be showing films again there?”, as we’d drive by on some visit or shopping trip. I kept zealous watch of the Sun-Times theatre listings, and all the neighborhood theatres who changed their bill at least twice weekly and I wanted more. More open theatres meant more opportunities to catch the grade-Z sub-run double & triple features, mainly science-fiction & horror, that I ate up.
Now driving on Diversey myself at California stands a Walgreens and its parking lot, on the old AVALOE site, as may’ve been mentioned above already.
Stephen Boyd (Roman Masalla) – “You’re either for me or against me, you have no other choice!”
Charlton Heston (Judah Ben-Hur) – “If that is the choice……
then I AM AGAINST YOU!"
Jawk Hawkins (Quintus Arius) – “Your eyes are full of hate, No. 41”. That’s good! Hate keeps a man alive, it gives him strength."
“ROW WELL AND LIVE!”
Couldn’t help quoting, even if not meticulously accurate. One of my sons when he was young could recite with perfect impression the last bit of dialogue.
Pardon me I may’ve heard differently, that either the MILFORD or the ESQUIRE Theatres (when the latter was a single screen, before ‘plexing) were in fact the last of the hard-top carbon arcs.
Am I misunderstanding the above post tell me, the wording implies Gateway STILL has an old carbon-arc lamphouse on its projector(s).
Drive-in theatres in this area (down to a couple?) probably never changed over to Xenon.
My RENA passby last week – not only no (restorative) activity there, it appears to be getting even worse shape. I predict no real hope, demolition inevitable, steal your last glimpses while you can there on Roosevelt.
a 1946 Chicago newspaper theatre listing contains an ad for the ALEX THEATRE, showing a line there that reads:
“WE MAKE OUR OWN POWER!”
somebody have an idea just what this means? no other theatre in that local movie listing makes such claim
a 1946 Chicago newspaper movie listing contains a listing for SCHINDLERS, and the location shown in teeny-tiny ad print is ‘Milwaukee & Huron’
to me it’s particularly satisfying the see the central park theatre from outside on the west face which is open to view
why, it’s just common brick? the black fire escapes, leading off several emergency exits at various levels, all stand in fine shape and each and every incandescent bulb at the door bays remain constantly illumnated. a typical but very good urban vista in my opinion you might agree if you saw it in person. gives one some impression the building remains open for business as usual, movie theatre that is
(excuse my inadvertant double key entry above)
brits cast as romans in SPARTACUS and other hollywood biblical epics had plenty precedent by then, just look at BEN-HUR
an omission in my post yesterday, obvious considering Tony Curtis' recent passing, was that lovely Jean Simmons (herself a brit) left us early in 2010
lastly i forgot to mention this was one of 2 films i saw around the same time w/ Woody Strode who really impressed me, the other title being THE LAST VOYAGE
brits cast as romans in SPARTACUS as and other hollywood biblical epics had plenty precedent by then, just look at BEN-HUR
an omission in my post yesterday, obvious considering Tony Curtis' recent passing, was that lovely Jean Simmons (herself a brit) left us early in 2010
lastly i forgot to mention this was one of 2 films i saw around the same time w/ Woody Strode who really impressed me, the other title being THE LAST VOYAGE
alex north’s SPARTACUS musical score is exquisite to listen to all on its own, as i’ve done for awhile
amusing to me how the late mr curtis was around to re-loop his dialogue for the restored ‘oysters vs clams’ sequence some 30 years later, but to do sir lawrence who had since passed, he recommends anthony hopkins
and actress jean simmons is so beautiful
little is said about fired director anthony mann’s footage
hello from the bhs (bucktown historical society)
in a half doz. or so previous posts i described a stroll south on milwaukee ave circa ‘30s-'40s my late father took to see what’s playing at shows in the 'hood
now walk the other way, back in time headed north on milwaukee ave
starting w/ the OAK theatre at armitage/western, another 2 blks the CONGRESS which’s the biggest, continuing on milwaukee on our left’s the RIO (aka MARS) just before the Logan Square monument and ‘L’ terminal. Passing that in short order first the LOGAN then the HARDING also on the left. So far that’s 2 miles out on milwaukee ave which i think’s as far as dad normally ventured, finishing with
the DALE and little NITA across the street from one-another
what an abundant selection he had. today only the LOGAN can one count on, the CONGRESS still stands but for the occasional rock show (not sure part of the NITA bldg’s extant)
saw BAD TIMING: A SENSUAL OBSESSION at Cinema. it’s a 1980 film but doesn’t appear on above list so it must’ve played in ‘81.
also saw there Wilder’s FEDORA
the before and after picture’s have to be the most astonishing contrast ever in real estate development over just a couple years. The Cinema little arthouse theatre on Chicago Ave at Michigan = the before. then the after = an enormous skyscraper constructed on its former site. can you imagine the difference in property taxes for the same address?
FYI (not a plug)
LAKESHORE THEATRE available for lease by the Kudan Group
i was here in the gateway just the other wknd for a show
jackasses don’t even have an ordinary water fountain anymore
mikey2:
no the senior home parking lot is not the right place
the exact LUNA theatre bldg site was in fact where the walgreens building is now. mind you i said walgreens building, not walgreens parking lot. the building per se is at the southwest corner of belmont and keating, and that’s just where the luna once stood
p.s.: the alleyway behind cicero used to go fully to belmont (between the luna theatre and the luna lounge mentioned above) but when walgreens opened and built their parking lot they gobbled up that end of the alley, unfair to their neighbors and the public in general
ok, but i’m a little surprised re. HTWWW in IB 3-strip, since so much of it was lensed 70mm and then optically divided
as for this’s cinerama i’d seen a faded eastman panel in the past but that film had re-releases back then
spectacular house if there but once, 1984, saw Ron Howards' SPLASH!
i can only imagine seeing a 3-strip cinerama print there of WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROS. GRIMM if one from the original release remain, since unlike the other 3-strips that one was print dye-transfer IB Technicolor
EVERYMAN trivia, a bit dated….
the theatre is mentioned by name in the first line on the lyric to HAMPSTEAD INCIDENT, the closing song off of the popular MELLOW YELLOW album by DONOVAN, circa late 1966 – early ‘67.
aforementioned Chris Ritter
has migrated manager duties a few short miles northward to
the MORSE Theatre (now the MAYNE STAGE)
just thought you’d like to know
Yeah we just heard that from (co) owner Chris Ritter, “the money isn’t there”.
BOOO says my friend Claire, who’d wanted to catch “The Best Church Of God” show there and is now limited to this coming (Easter) wknd before they lock the doors for good, and is doubtful about making.
this is my rant – warning
shuttered theatres, VILLAGE certainly included
not to (fail to) mention the
PATIO
COLONY
UPTOWN
(plus whichever I’m forgetting right now, please put your 2 cents in)
just sit there
and mock you and me
they’ve not (yet) even been converted to another useage
just another agonizing prospect
this sort of thing goes on for years
I ask rhetorically why
no other type of commercial property seems to behave this way IMO
not much of an entry here I know….
the AVALOE for me gets lumped together in my memory with others of its kind—the SYMPHONY on Chicago, the CROWN on Division, the BELL on Armitage, the MARS on Milwaukee. All are theatres in my part of town that I never actually attended, but in my youth can recall them still standing in shuttered state, marquees near collapsing usually, waiting for the demolition ball to put them out of their misery. These waits curiously lasted several years and saddened me, my young eyes and mind longing for the possibility and asking my Mom or Dad “when will they be showing films again there?”, as we’d drive by on some visit or shopping trip. I kept zealous watch of the Sun-Times theatre listings, and all the neighborhood theatres who changed their bill at least twice weekly and I wanted more. More open theatres meant more opportunities to catch the grade-Z sub-run double & triple features, mainly science-fiction & horror, that I ate up.
Now driving on Diversey myself at California stands a Walgreens and its parking lot, on the old AVALOE site, as may’ve been mentioned above already.
pardon me, for the time being ths misplaced entry’ll have to do, but,
there was another theatre on Ogden Ave a few blocks east of the Lindy, not yet mentioned on this site or anywhere
and it was called The Ogden, in the 2700 W. block, northside of street and that’s specific as I can be at the moment
(yes I’m aware there was another Ogden Theatre over on 63rd St)
Can’t be sure which was the last film I saw here at CRAWFORD;
either
THE INNOCENTS (Deborah Kerr) 1963
or
THE HAUNTING (Julie Harris) 1961
those 2 old spooky (for my young age then) B&W titles’re now running together in my distant memory
tim o'neill:
what’s the polish word for ozone?
Stephen Boyd (Roman Masalla) – “You’re either for me or against me, you have no other choice!”
Charlton Heston (Judah Ben-Hur) – “If that is the choice……
then I AM AGAINST YOU!"
Jawk Hawkins (Quintus Arius) – “Your eyes are full of hate, No. 41”. That’s good! Hate keeps a man alive, it gives him strength."
“ROW WELL AND LIVE!”
Couldn’t help quoting, even if not meticulously accurate. One of my sons when he was young could recite with perfect impression the last bit of dialogue.
Pardon me I may’ve heard differently, that either the MILFORD or the ESQUIRE Theatres (when the latter was a single screen, before ‘plexing) were in fact the last of the hard-top carbon arcs.
Am I misunderstanding the above post tell me, the wording implies Gateway STILL has an old carbon-arc lamphouse on its projector(s).
Drive-in theatres in this area (down to a couple?) probably never changed over to Xenon.
My RENA passby last week – not only no (restorative) activity there, it appears to be getting even worse shape. I predict no real hope, demolition inevitable, steal your last glimpses while you can there on Roosevelt.