Comments from Life's Too Short

Showing 176 - 200 of 1,605 comments

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Chicago Theatre on Feb 9, 2012 at 6:36 am

That is so bad. It doesn’t bother me on the Oriental or Palace. But this is a symbol of the city.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Mars Theatre on Jan 31, 2012 at 1:40 pm

Fourth photo down. What is this?

http://radiotimeline.com/am89wls.htm

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about RKO Keith's Theatre on Jan 21, 2012 at 1:29 pm

Welcome to HELL!

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Paradise Th Chicago on Jan 21, 2012 at 6:16 am

In this view it seems obvious that the marquee was shortened to make way for a wider street. I’m guessing the vertical was replaced because the new one was much cheaper to maintain.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Paradise Th Chicago on Jan 21, 2012 at 6:14 am

Great photo. But somehow it doesn’t communicate the size of the place.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Chicago Theatre on Jan 16, 2012 at 1:07 pm

That ABC installation was pretty elaborate. Cool post Brian.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Uptown theatre on Jan 10, 2012 at 11:50 am

The frame of the roof sign was still up there in 1960. Interesting.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Uptown Theatre on Jan 10, 2012 at 11:46 am

Waiting, waiting, waiting…

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Loew's Jersey Theatre on Jan 8, 2012 at 7:18 pm

I have heard that the structural supports for the vertical have greatly weakened over the years, making the idea of putting it back a very expensive proposition. I think someone from the LJ organization mentions it above.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Interior Lobby of the Scarsdale Plaza on Dec 22, 2011 at 6:54 am

That is the ticket usher? He looks like he is selling Cocaine.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Piccadilly Theatre on Dec 19, 2011 at 8:05 am

The space at the York is definitely better. I think it’s better suited for business and cheaper to maintain. They probably got a better landlord out of it as well.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Piccadilly Theatre on Dec 15, 2011 at 7:13 am

It’s a shame they don’t do something with that lobby space. After nearly 50 years of hibernation, it’s obvious there is no motivation to do so.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Des Plaines Theatre on Nov 12, 2011 at 7:14 am

Restoration in progress:

http://stageoneproductionsdp.org/UpcomingEvents.aspx

Account of the reopening:

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20111112/news/711129895/

As one who remembers the theatre as a dingy twin in the 80’s this is fantastic to see. I salute the effort and hope it serves the community for years to come.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Regal Theater on Sep 11, 2011 at 7:11 am

Auditorium picture here:

http://cinewiki.wikispaces.com/Regal+Theater+and+African-American+Exhibition+in+Chicago,+The+

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Tower Theatre on Sep 1, 2011 at 2:33 am

A picture of 63rd & Stony Island, showing the Tower Theatre’s tower:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29821940@N00/5640714336/in/photostream

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Patio Theatre on Jul 12, 2011 at 5:29 pm

Brian and I are thinking alike on this one. The theatre clearly adds something to the city. But it is also clearly not a highly lucrative operation. Little is gained and much is lost by taxing it to death.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Patio Theatre on Jul 11, 2011 at 11:55 am

I think that city amusement tax is a dinosaur from a bygone era. Back in the day running a movie theatre was lucrative. Nowadays assessing this tax is like trying to get blood from a stone. Not surprisingly it is taking government officials many decades to catch up to this fact.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Granada Theatre on Jul 4, 2011 at 7:27 pm

I heard once that it was the building owner who removed the decorative glass from the center of the grand window. The story goes that he did a poor job of packing and the window was destroyed in transit to another part of the U.S.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Ramova Theatre on Jul 2, 2011 at 5:44 am

These were taken in 2011? The theater is in much better shape than I thought it would be.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Roxy Theatre on May 30, 2011 at 8:03 am

Ziggy: I think it is possible. My whole point is that it isn’t a certainty.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Roxy Theatre on May 27, 2011 at 1:24 pm

You guys are looking at it from the standpoint of the emotions you have for these buildings (which I share, by the way).

My grandfather, Mason Rapp, was the last to run the firm of Rapp & Rapp. It was work to those guys. It was a way to support their families. The guys at B&K would call and say: we need a theater of so many seats on such and such a site. Then Rapp & Rapp would go to work.

If the firm were in business today they would be designing multiplexes, because that is what the market demands. Or they might be doing something else altogether. In fact my grandfather had to find other things to do after the big theater work dried up in the 1940’s. He designed bank buildings for instance.

While I don’t think it exactly thrilled him to see movie palaces demolished in the 50’s & 60’s, it also didn’t give him much pause. He went on about his life with only slight reflection on the glory days of the 1920’s.

Good times come and go, and you roll with the punches.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Roxy Theatre on May 25, 2011 at 7:09 pm

Not to be a downer, but it is possible that he was not destroyed by this fact. He was paid well to contruct his buildings. By the time of his death, assuming he was retired many years, it all may have faded into the rear-view mirror.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about United Artists Theatre on Apr 26, 2011 at 4:07 pm

Really cool picture. That block in the foreground was gone before my time. It looks much bigger with Daley Plaza on it.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Randhurst 16 Theaters on Apr 22, 2011 at 4:14 am

The soft opening part I get. But I think they could’ve done a more exciting promotion. Let’s say they paid admission for everyone that showed up for a few first run movies, and advertised enough to get the word out in the community. The buzz and goodwill generated by something like that would be well worth a day’s losses.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short commented about Granada Theatre on Apr 21, 2011 at 12:48 pm

Nice find Brian. I’ve never seen a good shot of the box office and entrance.