Portage Theatre

In the book “IMAGES of AMERICA: PORTAGE PARK” by Daniel Pogorzelski, there is a nice shot of Milwaukee Ave. -looking south- on page 48. The Portage theater is on the right, with its original marquee, ornate tera-cota decor, and great vertical sign. I’m guessing the photo is from the 1930s. On page 51 is a small pic of the Patio, after it closed in 2001. On page 87- one more pic of the Portage(the marquee) plus an old advertisement for upcoming shows. According to the text, the PORTAGE PARK opened in 1920; the name was shortened to PORTAGE in 1932. I saw “POSTAL” on Sunday, May 25. A grand total of 4 people in the auditorium for the 5p.m. showing. In late January of this year, I went to a double feature at the Portage: “BRIDE OF THE MONSTER” plus “PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE”. In spite of a snowstorm that evening, it was well attended. The Portage was- and is- a great theater.

Correction to the above: Dark Victory and Swing Time have been rescheduled to August 6 and August 13, respectively.

How about a first-run movie? The controversial Uwe Boll film Postal with Zack Ward and Dave Foley premieres at the Portage this Friday, May 23.

Hi! I grew up not far from the Portage on Belle Plaine. I’ve seen so many good second-run movies here growing up that I was wondering why it doesn’t show these types of movies now like the Logan does? Don’t get me wrong I think it’s great the Portage is renovated and open again. Since I’m still living in the area I guess I’m just curious why it doesn’t show these second-run movies instead of silent movies and old movies like it is now. Is it too expensive for the owner and just not profitable? Clearly they would make more by showing newer movies as the attendance would be higher.

Thanks

Thanks!

Can anybody confirm if a group called the Retzler Development Group of Grand Island, Ne had any involvement in any of the reopenings or restorations of this theatre? Thanks.

I am glad that the present owners of the Portage have been able to make a go of this place. There does seem to be a bit more work that needs to be done to the Portage. I hope that a vibrant theatre can bring back investment such as restaurants and stores to this stretch of Milwaukee Avenue.

I’ve been here for the silent movie festivals that have been here.

Wow, what memories this page has given me. I was born and raised in the Portage Park area and would walk to the Portage Theatre every Saturday when I was a kid. I’ll be 65 this year but way back then, my mother would give me 50 cents each week to get out of her hair. 25 cents to get in the theatre and 25 cents to buy candy at the candy store that was to the right of the theatre. Anyone remember that place?

They’d have double features that would have us on the edge of our seats. I remember the early years where we’d sit in the front row with our necks bent back to see the huge screen. As we got older, we’d sit in the cubby hole sections at the back of the theatre with our girlfriends in the dark. I recall that I really don’t remember much of the movies I saw during that period.

I went away in 1960 when I joined the Army and haven’t been back since. But the photos and seeing that the old Portage has been brought back to life has put a smile on my face.

Thanks, Paul Mayer

I have been to the reopened Portage several times since 2006, and I’m happy there’s still a theater in my father’s old neighborhood (he lived off Belle Plaine around the corner from the theater) that’s functional, and is becoming more successful the longer it’s open. There needs to be more work done by the Six Corners Association to see what can be done about the run-down buildings on the east side of Milwaukee Avenue, where the department stores and the old Deluxe Record Store used to be (where the costume shop is now).

Only criticism I have – can they PLEASE get rid of that hot orange paint in the concession area? :)

It’s heartbreaking to see the condition of the Patio down at Austin/Irving Park Road though. I remember back in the late 1980s after a recent rehab how good it looked.

On Friday and Saturday, September 14-15, the Portage Theater will be hosting the Preserving Palaces film festival. The program begins Friday at 7:30 PM with Uptown: Portrait of a Palace and Preserve Me a Seat (chronicling efforts to save the Indian Hills in Omaha, Gayety/Publix in Boston, DuPage in Lombard, and Villa in Salt Lake City). The festival continues Saturday, September 15 at 7:00 PM with The Wizard of Austin Boulevard, Loew’s Paradise Theatre, and Memoirs of a Movie Palace. A theatre preservation discussion panel will follow the films on Saturday night. For complete information, visit www.portagetheater.org.

am writing an article on old movie houses in or near Jefferson Park, Chicago; if anyone has any photos available inside or out of the building, either as the Times or the Holiday Ballroom please contact me. Also looking for photos of the Jefferson Nickelodeon, Gateway, PORTAGE and Patio. Were there any others nearby that I didn’t mention? I will try the Library and Historical Society files too. Roughly looking between Cicero & Austin, Irving and Bryn Mawr Ave’s.

I’m happy to hear the Portage is still standing and in use. I saw many movies there, and my most vivid memory of the Portage was from the premiere of “Firefox” in ‘82. The crowd was restless, having been kept outside for a long while past showtime. After finally getting in and sitting down, there were several false starts and projector problems that were resolved just before the patrons became an irate mob.

A few weekends ago PORTAGE ran, and I saw, a 2-part Italian made biopic “KAROL: THE POPE, THE MAN”. An excellent film, by the way (starring one Peter Adamczyk with the right smile, flair, sensitivity). And I can say unquestionably here’s a super-rare instance where a favorite big-city neighborhood theatre, formerly multiplexed, has been restored in every important way to its' original theatrical condition (though with modern sound of course). Done without well-publicized fanfare, too. I intend to support it. Maybe the LaSalle Bank 16mm screening room, now a ½ blk away, would consider an arrangement to use these digs. It could be done by smart people.