Cinema Theater
151 E. Chicago Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60611
151 E. Chicago Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60611
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Brotman & Sherman Theaters, Stern Theater Interests
Firms: Armstrong, Furst, and Tilton
Styles: Art Deco
Previous Names: Cinema Art Theater
Nearby Theaters
Once a popular art house located off N. Michigan Avenue on E. Chicago Avenue on Chicago’s Near North Side, the Cinema Art Theater opened on December 26, 1929 with Himanshu Rai in “Shiraz”.
The Cinema Theater closed September 13, 1981, and was demolished and replaced a few years later by the Olympia Centre tower. A Neiman Marcus store is also situated on the former theater site.
Contributed by
John Keating, Ray Martinez
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Recent comments (view all 48 comments)
I live in Los Angeles but remember the heyday of the unbelievable runs of “A Man and a Woman” and “Charly.”
The only time I was forced to sit in the front row was when I took a date to see “Charly” during a sold-out screening (Ouch, I think my eyeballs are still hurting).
I cannot understand why domestic and international tourists do not flock to L A for the single screen experience, as business is very soft. What other city still has three 7-day-a-week cinemas seating over 1000 and eight seating 500 or more? In total there are about 25 single screens in LA/Orange County open one or more days a week.
Today, for instance, I am going to the gorgeous 1000-seat Goldwyn theater to see the 50th anniversary showing of “Wild River.” Bruce Dern and others will do a Q & A. The Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Oscars people, run the program and only charge $5 for the public and $3 for academy members.
I have fond memories of seeing Roger Ebert and sometimes Gene Siskel at Chicago theaters in the 60s and 70s. Now I get to talk to Leonard Maltin who is a frequent attendee and/or speaker at L A events.
Anyone visiting S Calif feel free to contact me.
I’m looking for information on a film that was shown at the Cinema in 1965-1966. It was called “The Double-Barrelled Detective Story.” According to newspaper ads, this film opened on New Years' Eve, 1965. Executive prodecuers were Zev braun and Irving S. White of Chicago. The director was Adolfas Mekas. I’ve been told that, due to an argument between the producer and the investors, the film was never officially released. The story goes that all the working prints and files were sent from New York to Chicago, and were “lost” in transit. However, some prints were made and shown at the Cinema, and in Paris. Mr. Mekas feels that the Chicago print(and the other stuff) is lying in a Chicago warehouse, moldering. All that exists now is a “trailer” and some publicity photos. Does anyone connected with the Cinema Theater remember this film?
Today is September 13, 2011. Today is the 30th Anniversary of the Cinema Theatre’s last picture show. The last movie to play at the Cinema was ATLANTIC CITY. The theatre was torn down 3 days later.
I ran into an old friend recently who told me a cool story. He worked at the Cinema in the early `70’s when “Le Boucher”(The Butcher) played there several times. He was instructed by Mr. Usher to go up on a ladder and touch up the red paint on the marquee. Before he could finish, the can fell to the sidewalk and splattered red paint everywhere. They tried to clean up as much as they could, but being oil base paint the turpentine could only do so much as to spread it around, in the time they had. Because of the film’s theme however, theater goers just assumed it was another of Oscar Brotman’s showman’s touch.
I was THEEEE last usher to work there in 1981. The last movie was ATLANTIC CITY. The very last shot was a building being torn down. That’s exactly what happened a couple of days later.
I’m writing this on September 13, 2016. Today is the 35th Anniversary of the closing of the Cinema Theatre.
1981 photo added credit John P. Keating Jr. Not sure if I mentioned it before, but the black tiles on the facade were called Vitrolite. Very popular material back in the day.
Grand opening ad in the photo section.
Flickr image where you can zoom into the Cinema Theater marquee.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/79761301@N00/30302837778?fbclid=IwAR2h6tpIQ1cIqjwX3gXPYTJ0OWbZM0DkSGkbpB5rg5xcKlWhgtx1XUAoeN0
Came to see if this was the theater Roger Ebert mentions in his review for “The Devils” and check it out, here’s a photo of the marquee with that movie title. How about that.