You can take the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Broadway: Historic Theatre and Commercial District Walking Tour. It’s a great tour. Here’s a link for more information:
Could the image listed above (by Lost Memory from May 16, 2009) be the Palace Theatre at 224 N. Market Street (see Historic Movie Theatres in Illinois, 1883-1960 by Konrad Schiecke, p. 291) and not the American Theatre at 903 Market Street? It looks this building (the one pictured) still exists and is a Masonic Lodge.
Colonel Henry H. Evans and other local investors entered into a “combine†and built the Evan’s Grand Opera House (later called the Aurora Opera House or just the Aurora). Opening night was November 6, 1891.
In 1915, the Grand Opera House was sold to Jules J. Rubens and Associates. In December 1915, the building re-opened with a pipe organ as the Strand Theater. The Strand burned to the ground in the fall of 1929.
The building was located on the corner of Broadway and Benton.
I have done some research on the theaters/cinemas of Aurora and I have had no luck finding anything on Front Street. I don’t believe this one every existed.
The Egyptian Theatre is used as a Haunted House each October. My picture (posted above by Chuck) shows the theatre with the haunted house decorations still on the front of the building. I also have one interior picture that I took earlier in October. Here’s the link:
The marquee and vertical sign are still intact but the DeKalb Theatre is now being used by Debutantes School of Cosmetology and Nail Technology. If you look closely at my picture listed above (posted by Chuck), the poster boxes have signs for Debutantes. Here is the link to the school:
Hey Tim, that’s my dream. I just wish I had the money. Are there any investors out there that want to cough up some big bucks so I can restore this beauty and fulfill my dream? (I really wish I had rich friends or family).
Patsy must be referring to the Geneva Theatre in Geneva, IL. Geneva is the first city north of Batavia and just south of St. Charles (where the Arcada Theatre is located).
The Paramount in Aurora was not used as the interior of the Biograph. They never mentioned what theatre Dillinger was supposed to be in when he was in the Paramount. I believe they used the Portage Theatre (in Chicago) for the interior shots of the Biograph. At least it looked like the Portage to me.
Hey John, I was a regular at the Biograph for RHPS but not until the early 1980s. You were before my time.
By the way, the theatre front entrance is currently a gift shop. The auditorium is still in the back (it can be seen from the train platform) but I don’t know what it is being used for. One of these days I will venture through the back alley and check it out.
I went by the Village last week. The front doors have been covered with plywood and there is only one spot where you can see inside. The day I was there it was so dark inside that I couldn’t see anything at all. Here are the links to a few of my pictures:
I was happy to find show listings for the New 400 on Flixster on Friday. I drove down Sheridan on Saturday night and noticed the theatre looked dark which seemed odd since it was supposed to be open. On Sunday afternoon I went to the theatre to see a movie but it wasn’t open. The sign on the door said it will open on July 1.
There’s not much left inside this theatre. Urban Remains (a local salvage company) has removed quite a bit of the ornamentation from the interior of the building. Supposedly the attached building is being turned into apartments while the theatre will be used as storage. I was told that the stained glass emblem was removed last week by the salvagers who plan on displaying it in their museum. A couple weeks ago they let me into the theatre to take pictures that I have posted on photobucket. I have a couple pictures of the stained glass window which was still intact on my visit. The auditorium was very dark so taking pictures was a little tricky (walking around was also very tricky!). I have some really good pictures of the second floor lobby (where the stained glass window is). Even in its current state, it is obvious that this was a stunning theatre in its day. Here are two slide shows that I created from my pictures:
You can take the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Broadway: Historic Theatre and Commercial District Walking Tour. It’s a great tour. Here’s a link for more information:
View link
The Southern Theatre has been demolished. Here are a couple of my pictures of the Southern (from 2007 and 2010):
View link
The Roosevelt Theatre was also in this block.
Could the image listed above (by Lost Memory from May 16, 2009) be the Palace Theatre at 224 N. Market Street (see Historic Movie Theatres in Illinois, 1883-1960 by Konrad Schiecke, p. 291) and not the American Theatre at 903 Market Street? It looks this building (the one pictured) still exists and is a Masonic Lodge.
Colonel Henry H. Evans and other local investors entered into a “combine†and built the Evan’s Grand Opera House (later called the Aurora Opera House or just the Aurora). Opening night was November 6, 1891.
In 1915, the Grand Opera House was sold to Jules J. Rubens and Associates. In December 1915, the building re-opened with a pipe organ as the Strand Theater. The Strand burned to the ground in the fall of 1929.
The building was located on the corner of Broadway and Benton.
I have done some research on the theaters/cinemas of Aurora and I have had no luck finding anything on Front Street. I don’t believe this one every existed.
The Illini Theatre currently is the TG Center (see my picture posted above). I am not sure what that is and I can’t find it listed online.
The Egyptian Theatre is used as a Haunted House each October. My picture (posted above by Chuck) shows the theatre with the haunted house decorations still on the front of the building. I also have one interior picture that I took earlier in October. Here’s the link:
View link
The marquee and vertical sign are still intact but the DeKalb Theatre is now being used by Debutantes School of Cosmetology and Nail Technology. If you look closely at my picture listed above (posted by Chuck), the poster boxes have signs for Debutantes. Here is the link to the school:
http://www.debschool.com/careerinfo/
The link above is the Lorraine Theatre in Hoopeston (20 miles or so north of Danville). Here are some links to my pictures of the Fischer:
View link
View link
I recently found this old picture of the Batavia/Capitol Theatre when it was still a theatre.
View link
Hey Tim, that’s my dream. I just wish I had the money. Are there any investors out there that want to cough up some big bucks so I can restore this beauty and fulfill my dream? (I really wish I had rich friends or family).
Patsy must be referring to the Geneva Theatre in Geneva, IL. Geneva is the first city north of Batavia and just south of St. Charles (where the Arcada Theatre is located).
The Paramount in Aurora was not used as the interior of the Biograph. They never mentioned what theatre Dillinger was supposed to be in when he was in the Paramount. I believe they used the Portage Theatre (in Chicago) for the interior shots of the Biograph. At least it looked like the Portage to me.
Hey John, I was a regular at the Biograph for RHPS but not until the early 1980s. You were before my time.
By the way, the theatre front entrance is currently a gift shop. The auditorium is still in the back (it can be seen from the train platform) but I don’t know what it is being used for. One of these days I will venture through the back alley and check it out.
I went by the Village last week. The front doors have been covered with plywood and there is only one spot where you can see inside. The day I was there it was so dark inside that I couldn’t see anything at all. Here are the links to a few of my pictures:
View link
View link
View link
I was happy to find show listings for the New 400 on Flixster on Friday. I drove down Sheridan on Saturday night and noticed the theatre looked dark which seemed odd since it was supposed to be open. On Sunday afternoon I went to the theatre to see a movie but it wasn’t open. The sign on the door said it will open on July 1.
You could be right about Google. The “Checks Cashed” building is next door to the east of the theatre.
There’s not much left inside this theatre. Urban Remains (a local salvage company) has removed quite a bit of the ornamentation from the interior of the building. Supposedly the attached building is being turned into apartments while the theatre will be used as storage. I was told that the stained glass emblem was removed last week by the salvagers who plan on displaying it in their museum. A couple weeks ago they let me into the theatre to take pictures that I have posted on photobucket. I have a couple pictures of the stained glass window which was still intact on my visit. The auditorium was very dark so taking pictures was a little tricky (walking around was also very tricky!). I have some really good pictures of the second floor lobby (where the stained glass window is). Even in its current state, it is obvious that this was a stunning theatre in its day. Here are two slide shows that I created from my pictures:
View link
View link