I was part of the group that put several of Three Stooges Festivals in 1980’s at the Granada. Jonathon Brandmeier was the guest/host DJ at one of these events! These were well attended and supported by the community. They featured some of the stooges more unusual works such as the wartime propaganda parody “I’ll never Heil Again” and the unusually violent “The Stooge to Conga”.
The theatre’s owner at the time was surprised that a money-making operation could actually be taking place at the theatre. The projectionist was an old-timer who had worked the Granada during its heyday and called all of Chicago’s old movie palace’s dinosuars.
All of the projection room equipment at the Granda including the Carbon Arc projectors was intact and in working condition during this period. The theatre itself was in good shape, but one problem we had during the show was that electrical wiring in the alley that supplied the theatre was only adaquate for maintenance needs, not a full blown show at night with all the lights on. No one (not even the owner) told the promoters about this. During one of the first “Stooge Nights”, the wires in the alley started smoking and the Chicago Fire Department and Commonwealth Edison were called for what looked to be an emergency situation.
The promoters feared a riot if the stooges show were cancelled but fortunately, the enterprising Commonwealth Edison Lineman pierced the smoking wire splices with a live bypass jumper. The show went on and the audience never experienced a problem.
A previous poster mentioned no heat in the theatre and this is true. I believe one of these festivals took place during a cold February weekend and the steam heating system of the theatre simply was too antiquated to work. The audience didn’t seem to mind, however.
The Granda Theatre was beautiful and mostly intact during the 1980’s and could possibly have been renovated. However, the owners of the property had other ideas for the property and the neighborhood was just a hangout for the Loyola students and (to some) perhaps did not seem suited to having a landmark status building. What a shame that what once was… is no more.
I was part of the group that put several of Three Stooges Festivals in 1980’s at the Granada. Jonathon Brandmeier was the guest/host DJ at one of these events! These were well attended and supported by the community. They featured some of the stooges more unusual works such as the wartime propaganda parody “I’ll never Heil Again” and the unusually violent “The Stooge to Conga”.
The theatre’s owner at the time was surprised that a money-making operation could actually be taking place at the theatre. The projectionist was an old-timer who had worked the Granada during its heyday and called all of Chicago’s old movie palace’s dinosuars.
All of the projection room equipment at the Granda including the Carbon Arc projectors was intact and in working condition during this period. The theatre itself was in good shape, but one problem we had during the show was that electrical wiring in the alley that supplied the theatre was only adaquate for maintenance needs, not a full blown show at night with all the lights on. No one (not even the owner) told the promoters about this. During one of the first “Stooge Nights”, the wires in the alley started smoking and the Chicago Fire Department and Commonwealth Edison were called for what looked to be an emergency situation.
The promoters feared a riot if the stooges show were cancelled but fortunately, the enterprising Commonwealth Edison Lineman pierced the smoking wire splices with a live bypass jumper. The show went on and the audience never experienced a problem.
A previous poster mentioned no heat in the theatre and this is true. I believe one of these festivals took place during a cold February weekend and the steam heating system of the theatre simply was too antiquated to work. The audience didn’t seem to mind, however.
The Granda Theatre was beautiful and mostly intact during the 1980’s and could possibly have been renovated. However, the owners of the property had other ideas for the property and the neighborhood was just a hangout for the Loyola students and (to some) perhaps did not seem suited to having a landmark status building. What a shame that what once was… is no more.
T Demos