That’s not strictly true. There were a number of ‘airdomes’– open-air theaters, usually set up in vacant lots – in the nickelodeon days from about 1905-1915. Perhaps it was the first free outdoor screening, but I have to imagine there were scattered incidents (and i’m sure lots of people saw the movies at airdomes free from adjacent buildings)
Address was 203 Vine. The theatre was closed in about 1936 after being run for a few years by the H&E Balaban Chain, which acquired it at about the same time as the Pickwick in 1933. In January 1955 the theatre briefly reopened as an arthouse called the Park Avenue Cinema but this venture lasted only a few months, undoubtedly partially due to the fact that its rear wall was to the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. In November 1956 it was converted to the Michael Kirby Ice Skating School, remaining open until 1973. The conversion wsa carried out by busting a 10 foot hole in the side of the auditorium, pumping in sand to fill in the slope, and installing refrigeration equipment on the stage. The Ridge Square Condominiums rose on the site in 1983. Parts of its polychrome Terra Cotta facade are still around.
Here, I found it. Page 103 of Ben Hall’s “The Best Remaining Seats”. Chris, if you send me an email I can scan in the photos from this book and you can post them. There’s a closeup of the sidewall, a view of the proscenium and asbestos curtain, a full-color rendering of the interior, and the exterior view I mentioned.
I saw a black and white photo of it at some point; I thought it was in “The Best Remaining Seats” but I can’t seem to find the photo at the moment. Anyway, I could see that it was originally multicolored, maybe three or four colors, each ray was the same width. That’s probably the main problem; the spacing is narrow in spots and wide in others, it looks sloppy. I don’t doubt that the colors were vivid though.
If you have a Chicago Public Library card, you have access to the archives of the Chicago Tribune from 1853-1985 online. You can use the search function to find any old ads or articles on Essaness theatres. Particularly useful are the showtime listings. Often renderings were published when theaters were announced. If you don’t have a CPL card, some suburban libraries also have access although it may be harder to find out about.
A January 13, 1985 Chicago Tribune letter to the editor from a gentleman who worked with Behrns, responding to some photos that had recently appeared, notes that the main designer of the Egyptian’s interior decor was a man named John Halama who did extensive research on Egypt for the design.
It was indeed an Elmer F. Behrns theater. Note, his name is properly spelled ‘Behrns’, not ‘Behrens’. Also notable is that Behrns was with Rapp & Rapp from 1917-1923. He also lived in Crystal Lake. In addition to the theaters listed at this site, he built St. Luke’s Church in Chicago (http://www.elca.org/archives/chicagochurches/stluke_gc.html) and apartments which no longer stand on W. Washington Blvd. Chicago Tribune, August 19, 1928, B3
You know…
Mason Rapp was born in 1906, so he would have been 13 years old when this was built, and 11 when it was in planning. I think it’s rather unlikely that he was an architect at this time. And I have an article stating it was a project of C.W. and George Rapp. This also throws some doubt on the Gateway, since he’d have been 23 at that time. It is possible, though, I suppose.
The theater seems to have existed prior to 1917, as contemporary reports say that it was being rebuilt at that time for the Shubert and Erlanger organizations. Architect for the “new main floor, balcony, gallery, stage, and proscenium arch” was A.N. Rebori. The stage was also enlarged, new lighting installed, and it was reseated. Other corrections: Both the Studebaker and Playhouse existed when the building became the Fine Arts in 1899. The Playhouse was the first to become a cinema, for the 1933 Worlds Fair, thus the addition of World to its name. The Studebaker itself did not become a cinema for any long period until 1982. The other 2 screens were created in former stage space.
The site was previously the Columbia theater, which was destroyed by fire. The Inter-Ocean building was built on the site, and in 1919, Architects Postle & Fisher prepared plans to remodel a theater into the building. Chicago Tribune, Jan 8, 1919.
It apparently was rather innovative when the project was announced; it was noted to contain “no wall seats” (boxes, I presume), held extra-wide seats, and was apparently both the city’s largest all-movie theater at the time, and “the first theater over 1,000 seats without a stage”. Chicago Tribune, July 30, 1915.
It was originally announced as the Royal Hippodrome, built by Henry Meyer with architect F.E. Davidson. It had a rather expensive pipe organ. Chicago Tribune, December 28, 1913, so plans may have changed before it was built.
I’d be curious to compare it to the rendering I have to see how drastic the change was, if there was any semblance between the two. It seemed like there was an unusual level of fanfare for the opening of a 1300 seat theater.
I found a tribune article announcing a theater at this location designed by Rapp and Rapp, with a rendering that looks similar to the theater but different in a few ways. Chicago Tribune, September 20, 1925 A15
The Chicago Historic Resources survey lists George H. Borst as the architect. Anyone hear anything more on the renovation project?
That’s not strictly true. There were a number of ‘airdomes’– open-air theaters, usually set up in vacant lots – in the nickelodeon days from about 1905-1915. Perhaps it was the first free outdoor screening, but I have to imagine there were scattered incidents (and i’m sure lots of people saw the movies at airdomes free from adjacent buildings)
Address was 203 Vine. The theatre was closed in about 1936 after being run for a few years by the H&E Balaban Chain, which acquired it at about the same time as the Pickwick in 1933. In January 1955 the theatre briefly reopened as an arthouse called the Park Avenue Cinema but this venture lasted only a few months, undoubtedly partially due to the fact that its rear wall was to the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. In November 1956 it was converted to the Michael Kirby Ice Skating School, remaining open until 1973. The conversion wsa carried out by busting a 10 foot hole in the side of the auditorium, pumping in sand to fill in the slope, and installing refrigeration equipment on the stage. The Ridge Square Condominiums rose on the site in 1983. Parts of its polychrome Terra Cotta facade are still around.
Here, I found it. Page 103 of Ben Hall’s “The Best Remaining Seats”. Chris, if you send me an email I can scan in the photos from this book and you can post them. There’s a closeup of the sidewall, a view of the proscenium and asbestos curtain, a full-color rendering of the interior, and the exterior view I mentioned.
I saw a black and white photo of it at some point; I thought it was in “The Best Remaining Seats” but I can’t seem to find the photo at the moment. Anyway, I could see that it was originally multicolored, maybe three or four colors, each ray was the same width. That’s probably the main problem; the spacing is narrow in spots and wide in others, it looks sloppy. I don’t doubt that the colors were vivid though.
AH- The theatre closed for a while and is now open under different ownership. For showtimes you can go to http://www.villagetheatres.com/
If you have a Chicago Public Library card, you have access to the archives of the Chicago Tribune from 1853-1985 online. You can use the search function to find any old ads or articles on Essaness theatres. Particularly useful are the showtime listings. Often renderings were published when theaters were announced. If you don’t have a CPL card, some suburban libraries also have access although it may be harder to find out about.
Email me.
I have an artists rendering of the Lincoln Village, but as I said, it wasn’t opened as an essaness.
Actually, August
The 7-9 wasn’t originally operated by Essaness. It was initially opened by Brotman & Sherman on July 2, 1968.
A January 13, 1985 Chicago Tribune letter to the editor from a gentleman who worked with Behrns, responding to some photos that had recently appeared, notes that the main designer of the Egyptian’s interior decor was a man named John Halama who did extensive research on Egypt for the design.
Also, the Crystal Lake historical society notes that it was also named the Lake at one point and includes more info at View link
It was indeed an Elmer F. Behrns theater. Note, his name is properly spelled ‘Behrns’, not ‘Behrens’. Also notable is that Behrns was with Rapp & Rapp from 1917-1923. He also lived in Crystal Lake. In addition to the theaters listed at this site, he built St. Luke’s Church in Chicago (http://www.elca.org/archives/chicagochurches/stluke_gc.html) and apartments which no longer stand on W. Washington Blvd. Chicago Tribune, August 19, 1928, B3
You know…
Mason Rapp was born in 1906, so he would have been 13 years old when this was built, and 11 when it was in planning. I think it’s rather unlikely that he was an architect at this time. And I have an article stating it was a project of C.W. and George Rapp. This also throws some doubt on the Gateway, since he’d have been 23 at that time. It is possible, though, I suppose.
The theater seems to have existed prior to 1917, as contemporary reports say that it was being rebuilt at that time for the Shubert and Erlanger organizations. Architect for the “new main floor, balcony, gallery, stage, and proscenium arch” was A.N. Rebori. The stage was also enlarged, new lighting installed, and it was reseated. Other corrections: Both the Studebaker and Playhouse existed when the building became the Fine Arts in 1899. The Playhouse was the first to become a cinema, for the 1933 Worlds Fair, thus the addition of World to its name. The Studebaker itself did not become a cinema for any long period until 1982. The other 2 screens were created in former stage space.
The site was previously the Columbia theater, which was destroyed by fire. The Inter-Ocean building was built on the site, and in 1919, Architects Postle & Fisher prepared plans to remodel a theater into the building. Chicago Tribune, Jan 8, 1919.
Architect was Robert S. Smith. Chicago Tribune, July 9, 1918.
It apparently was rather innovative when the project was announced; it was noted to contain “no wall seats” (boxes, I presume), held extra-wide seats, and was apparently both the city’s largest all-movie theater at the time, and “the first theater over 1,000 seats without a stage”. Chicago Tribune, July 30, 1915.
It was originally announced as the Royal Hippodrome, built by Henry Meyer with architect F.E. Davidson. It had a rather expensive pipe organ. Chicago Tribune, December 28, 1913, so plans may have changed before it was built.
Architects were Postie & Mahler. See rendering in Chicago Tribune, August 7, 1910 p20
This must have been one of the very last new theaters Rapp & Rapp built.
I’d be curious to compare it to the rendering I have to see how drastic the change was, if there was any semblance between the two. It seemed like there was an unusual level of fanfare for the opening of a 1300 seat theater.
Rapp & Rapp were behind the 1942 remodeling. Box Office Magazine awarded them most outstanding new theater project for 1942.
I found a tribune article announcing a theater at this location designed by Rapp and Rapp, with a rendering that looks similar to the theater but different in a few ways. Chicago Tribune, September 20, 1925 A15