I understand THS is going to do a tour of the Times Square Theater later in June. Is this true? Should be great to see if anything is left. I am still waiting for a new Marquee magazine since December.
Thanks DavidZornig for link. I miss that blade sign at night driving by. A real throwback to movie palaces of yesteryear! I bet the marquee will be re-done because they seem to have no interest to re-bulb the many burned out bulbs. With so many led lights today that actually shine as bright and surely last much longer than traditional bulbs you would think they would look into it.
If Regal wants to give their patrons ground shaking, wind and rain during the showing of movies, they should really build it inside the Keith. All these elements are already there aren’t they? Regal wanted to build a cinema & a large Imax type screen in the Uptown Theatre in Chicago 2 years ago…But that failed to happened and that was a good thing for the Uptown which now has a new lease on life..
I know this is the Uptown site and we all love the Uptown and looking forward to the grand re-opening. This is for Scott: Can you just imagine if the Granada Theatre had the same fate. Can you imagine a restored original waterfall marquee & blade sign with LED lighting up the facade. It almost happened. Lou Wolf paid $200,000 to Plitt for the building only. New carpets for inner lobby & main floor. Re-covered main floor seats and a new bright red stage curtain. I saw it all.. It was the refusal for getting a liquor license approved that doomed the project. Something that all venues have today with multiple bars in place needed for the cash registers. That was a major loss for movie palace lovers!
Thanks for all the info…even with the lasers etc, and the so-called mega screens of today, it all pales to the screen size and projection of the 1950/1960’s TODD-AO to me. Real wall to wall, floor to ceiling screens and beautiful sharp & colorful images!
Hi Scott!!! I can hardly wait for the summer of 2019 to witness the
beginning of the re-birth of the Uptown Theater. I will only see it from the outside. The removal and installing the new marquee and blade signage should be thrilling just by itself. I hope they will show a special movie sometime and really show this masterpiece off to people that used to patronize this movie palace!
Is laser really better & sharper than a digital projector or a 70mm film on a Todd-AO bulb? I once bought a laser disc machine and bought videos that were the size of a LP record. It was so long ago I forgot the comparison to VHS. I wonder if a laser projector can play a Blue Ray DVD or has to have something different from the studio just for the projector.
We visited the theater two days ago and saw wheel barrows and opened paint cans and brushes and ladders in the lobby. The same items we saw last year. Yet next door were fixtures with exit signs etc and chairs & table and a set of golf clubs. We thought maybe the people just walked away yet the lights and a ceiling fan were on. Does anybody know what is going on? Only a block from from the beautiful Library Park. This looks like a beautiful theater project in the making!
Same here in Chicago Howard. CO gave us curtained screens & marble floors and really knew how to mask a film properly. It brought back a little glitz of going to the movies!
I imagine in the future LOEWS will disappear completely. Only us fans will remember what it meant. AMC may be owned over seas, but they really don’t know much about running movie theaters here!
Not only the beautiful blade sign is gone, AMC must not like spending money to re-bulb the marquee. Half of the many light bulbs burned out. Looks like they are waiting for the rest to go so they can leave it off. Terrible!
Thanks HowardB..I just read your link. I asked Music Box Theater people in Chicago why not a print of “Around” shown at their 70mm festival. They said there is not a good print of the film available. “Cleopatra” was outstanding in 70mm. I loved reading about the Todd-AO special projector…No wonder the film was so impressive shown at the Michael Todd theater in Chicago in 1956
Thanks CC! Great news and photos….One question that I don’t understand is how the Paramount & a restored Uptown in Chicago plan to remove the main floor seats for some shows for standing room and putting them back for others. These must be a new light weight chair that can be moved easily. Plus the storage room. I wonder how long it will take to remove them & store them and put them back?
I heard all about the Uptown and couldn’t be more thrilled..What amazes me so many people think it had clouds & stars in the ceiling… They are confused.
I bet Chris Jones was thinking of the Aragon Ballroom which is atmospheric when he wrote the article… I didn’t realize Live Nation owns the Aragon when I looked it up. This is wonderful exciting news for the beautiful Uptown! Bravo Jam!!
Since the city agreed for TIF funds released for the Congress theater re-opening not that far away from the Uptown, I think it is almost impossible for the Uptown to come back to life now.To quote what Rhett Butler might say “The City Doesn’t Give A Damn”!
Passed the theater yesterday. AMC sign replaced Muvico 18 facing tollway. but was surprised to see the beautiful blade sign removed entirely…I am hoping it was sent somewhere to be changed from Muvico 18 to Rosemont and re-bulbed. But AMC is not known for splashy signage. So we’ll see!
If only The Uptown Theater a few miles away got the same great news from the city. I am afraid it never will. That is the sad news here. Bravo to the Congress!!
The Oakbrook was a wonderful theatre & screen! Then they chopped it up & then torn it down for a Cheesecake Factory. Now a dine-in AMC was carved into the top floor of the Sears store there. Too bad these xtra-large screens are only a memory! I would think a once-a-month classic film at Radio City would draw big crowds. I am surprised they don’t try it. It would fill the empty seats for all the days that the theatre isn’t doing anything…Imagine the sales at the refreshment counter & liquor sales alone!
I understand THS is going to do a tour of the Times Square Theater later in June. Is this true? Should be great to see if anything is left. I am still waiting for a new Marquee magazine since December.
Round & Round we go…. We will see if this one comes true!
Thanks DavidZornig for link. I miss that blade sign at night driving by. A real throwback to movie palaces of yesteryear! I bet the marquee will be re-done because they seem to have no interest to re-bulb the many burned out bulbs. With so many led lights today that actually shine as bright and surely last much longer than traditional bulbs you would think they would look into it.
If Regal wants to give their patrons ground shaking, wind and rain during the showing of movies, they should really build it inside the Keith. All these elements are already there aren’t they? Regal wanted to build a cinema & a large Imax type screen in the Uptown Theatre in Chicago 2 years ago…But that failed to happened and that was a good thing for the Uptown which now has a new lease on life..
I know this is the Uptown site and we all love the Uptown and looking forward to the grand re-opening. This is for Scott: Can you just imagine if the Granada Theatre had the same fate. Can you imagine a restored original waterfall marquee & blade sign with LED lighting up the facade. It almost happened. Lou Wolf paid $200,000 to Plitt for the building only. New carpets for inner lobby & main floor. Re-covered main floor seats and a new bright red stage curtain. I saw it all.. It was the refusal for getting a liquor license approved that doomed the project. Something that all venues have today with multiple bars in place needed for the cash registers. That was a major loss for movie palace lovers!
Thanks for all the info…even with the lasers etc, and the so-called mega screens of today, it all pales to the screen size and projection of the 1950/1960’s TODD-AO to me. Real wall to wall, floor to ceiling screens and beautiful sharp & colorful images!
The Belmont was just as you say it was… My favorite was the Granada because it reminded me of my much loved Marbro on the west side.
Hi Scott!!! I can hardly wait for the summer of 2019 to witness the beginning of the re-birth of the Uptown Theater. I will only see it from the outside. The removal and installing the new marquee and blade signage should be thrilling just by itself. I hope they will show a special movie sometime and really show this masterpiece off to people that used to patronize this movie palace!
Is laser really better & sharper than a digital projector or a 70mm film on a Todd-AO bulb? I once bought a laser disc machine and bought videos that were the size of a LP record. It was so long ago I forgot the comparison to VHS. I wonder if a laser projector can play a Blue Ray DVD or has to have something different from the studio just for the projector.
We visited the theater two days ago and saw wheel barrows and opened paint cans and brushes and ladders in the lobby. The same items we saw last year. Yet next door were fixtures with exit signs etc and chairs & table and a set of golf clubs. We thought maybe the people just walked away yet the lights and a ceiling fan were on. Does anybody know what is going on? Only a block from from the beautiful Library Park. This looks like a beautiful theater project in the making!
I thought the State was. Which one had the larger stage?
Same here in Chicago Howard. CO gave us curtained screens & marble floors and really knew how to mask a film properly. It brought back a little glitz of going to the movies!
I imagine in the future LOEWS will disappear completely. Only us fans will remember what it meant. AMC may be owned over seas, but they really don’t know much about running movie theaters here!
Not only the beautiful blade sign is gone, AMC must not like spending money to re-bulb the marquee. Half of the many light bulbs burned out. Looks like they are waiting for the rest to go so they can leave it off. Terrible!
Thanks HowardB..I just read your link. I asked Music Box Theater people in Chicago why not a print of “Around” shown at their 70mm festival. They said there is not a good print of the film available. “Cleopatra” was outstanding in 70mm. I loved reading about the Todd-AO special projector…No wonder the film was so impressive shown at the Michael Todd theater in Chicago in 1956
Thanks CC! Great news and photos….One question that I don’t understand is how the Paramount & a restored Uptown in Chicago plan to remove the main floor seats for some shows for standing room and putting them back for others. These must be a new light weight chair that can be moved easily. Plus the storage room. I wonder how long it will take to remove them & store them and put them back?
gaudy ugly at that !!
I heard all about the Uptown and couldn’t be more thrilled..What amazes me so many people think it had clouds & stars in the ceiling… They are confused.
I bet Chris Jones was thinking of the Aragon Ballroom which is atmospheric when he wrote the article… I didn’t realize Live Nation owns the Aragon when I looked it up. This is wonderful exciting news for the beautiful Uptown! Bravo Jam!!
Thanks CC for article….Very exciting!!
Since the city agreed for TIF funds released for the Congress theater re-opening not that far away from the Uptown, I think it is almost impossible for the Uptown to come back to life now.To quote what Rhett Butler might say “The City Doesn’t Give A Damn”!
Passed the theater yesterday. AMC sign replaced Muvico 18 facing tollway. but was surprised to see the beautiful blade sign removed entirely…I am hoping it was sent somewhere to be changed from Muvico 18 to Rosemont and re-bulbed. But AMC is not known for splashy signage. So we’ll see!
If only The Uptown Theater a few miles away got the same great news from the city. I am afraid it never will. That is the sad news here. Bravo to the Congress!!
Thanks DavidZornig for photo. What a vertical! I wonder how often they had to change the many burned out bulbs? Or the high ladders they used.
The Oakbrook was a wonderful theatre & screen! Then they chopped it up & then torn it down for a Cheesecake Factory. Now a dine-in AMC was carved into the top floor of the Sears store there. Too bad these xtra-large screens are only a memory! I would think a once-a-month classic film at Radio City would draw big crowds. I am surprised they don’t try it. It would fill the empty seats for all the days that the theatre isn’t doing anything…Imagine the sales at the refreshment counter & liquor sales alone!