Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre
24 West Randolph Street,
Chicago,
IL
60601
24 West Randolph Street,
Chicago,
IL
60601
37 people
favorited this theater
Showing 176 - 200 of 212 comments found
In reference to the organ. CATOE does own the 4/20 Wurlitzer, and yes, some pipework was stolen when the instrument was stored in a particular building. The console has been restored, and pneumatic stop-action has been replaced with electric action. All pipework is replacable with WurliTzer pipework. Once CATOE has the keyboard rebuilding completed, the console will be put on display in the Grande Hallway of the Theatre. Once there is sufficiant finacial support and Grants, CATOE will reinstall the WurliTzer in its home.
I was lucky enough to draw jury duty today (yes, that is sarcasm). I walked by the Ford Center on my way to eat lunch. It was great to see a long line of people waiting to buy tickets for the latest musical (called Wicked). The line was just as long when I walked back to the Daley Center after lunch (and on my way to the subway at the end of the day). It was also great to see the lobby brightly lit and full of activity. They have installed green light bulbs in the marquee and painted parts of the marquee green to match the marketing materials for the show (similar to the enthusiasm I have seen displayed in old pictures of big movie premiers). Some have argued with aspects of the restoration. But I find it difficult to entertain such a discussion when I compare today’s memories to the the recollections I have of walking by the dingy Oriental Electronics store that occupied the lobby in the mid 80’s.
This is a nice photo of the Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theater. And this is another view.
The 4/20 Oriental Wurlitzer was removed by CATOE during the summer months of 1983. In the fall of that year, the instrument was officailly presented to CATOE by Oriental Theatre owner Morrie Kalish during a CATOE show at the Chicago Theatre with the Oriental console on stage!
My understanding is that the theater organ was removed during the 1996-8 renovation by CATOE (Chicago Area Theatre Organ Enthusiasts) and is in their storage. The organ is not currently operable, due to some lost and/or damaged parts, but CATOE hopes to one day get it fully restored and operating.
I haven’t read David Naylor’s book, but I have read stories that B&K insisted on an Oriental design, an idea the Rapp Bros. weren’t thrilled with, and to show their displeasure (and exact their revenge), went over the top with their design in the Oriental Theatre. (Also, I’ve read they never used an oriental theme again.) But, on the other hand, I’ve also read that it was the Rapp Bros. who wanted the oriental theme, and had to struggle to win over B&K with their idea. I think I’m starting to believe the former is true … but, who knows, for sure?!
I haven’t seen the photo of the lobby chandelier referred to above, but the foyer center chandelier is missing, and, from what I’ve read/heard, interestingly, it was a chandelier that was not designed by the craftsmen who regularly worked with B&K/Rapp Bros.
Here is a wide view of the Masonic Temple from the Detroit Publishing collection. In the foreground, where Marshall Field’s now stands, is the Adler & Sullivan-designed Central Music Hall, their first design together and one of the city’s largest theaters. This is captioned as a hall in the Temple; perhaps this is the theater. If not, it was likely similar in appearance.
Bryan
Thanks for all the photos and info on the loop theatres.Your hard work and dedication are appreciated!!!
Tivoli, here is a 1904 view of the Masonic Temple Building I found in the Library of Congress' Chicago Daily News collection. The caption says the building is in the midst of being cleaned.
Thanks Brian
Any idea where I could look for photos of this building?
Tivoli, the theater located in the Masonic Temple Building was called the Temple Theatre. I am not sure if it was ever a movie house, but I believe it started out as a legit theater. The Capitol/Walgreens Building that replaced the Temple will be demolished itself this fall and replaced by a residential/retail development.
Does anyone have any info on the theatre located in the Masonic Temple at State and Randolph Chicago IL:Demolished 1939?What was the name of the theatre?and what could possibly have been the reason for the destruction of this historic building
Brian, I got a kick out of the green bulbs, too! I saw them when I was in the Loop a couple weeks ago. They’re also on the vertical sign I believe and there’s a huge poster for “Wicked” over the window above the marquee.
The correct link for my above comment is here
Some 1953 views of the Oriental and several other loop theatres are available at Real Chicago: Chicago in the Fifties. I believe the current marquee is essentially modeled after this one. Recently, due to the open-ended run of Wicked there, the marquee bulbs have been replaced by green ones! It’s a neat effect, cute.
Here is a great night time view of the marquee and vertical sign of the Oriental.
Some interior photos and restoration information are available at View link
The Oriental was one of the most popular palaces in the Loop in the 60’s and early 70’s. It was home to the Chicago premiere of “Airport” in 1970 and it played almost three months. In 1971 the Oriental opened “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadassss Song” and from then on things changed for the Oriental. The theater got the stigma of playing only to African American audiences (much like the Roosevelt) and whites stayed away in droves. Naturally to continue to earn a profit the Oriental had no choice but to play blaxploitation and kung-fu films for its audience. Two of the theaters biggest hits in the 70’s were “Return of the Dragon” and “J.D.’s Revenge”. By 1978 the Oriental had been relegated to a second and sometimes third run palace that showed 3 films and changed every week. In 1981 gangs started fighting in the theater claiming the Oriental was their home turf. Eventually the owners had enough and it was shuttered. Having been there since it re-opened (I saw the stage productions of “Ragtime” and “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” with Ann-Margret) I am pleased to say the theater is probably as beautiful as it ever was. Too bad other theaters like the United Artists, Woods, Roosevelt, and State Lake could not be salvaged as well.
I heard it said that the lobby chandelier shown on page 101 of Naylor’s book had fallen years ago. Was there any attempt to reproduce it in the Ford Center?
Here’s a great fairly current exterior view of the United Masonic Temple Building, which houses the Oriental Theatre, as well as the former Noble Fool Theatre to the right of the Oriental, which recently closed. It uses the restored facade of the famed Eitel’s Old Heidelberg German restaurant. To its right (and on top of it) is the School of the Art Institute’s dorms (and a Borders bookstore on the corner of State and Randolph Streets on the first couple floors of the building, which imitates the landmark Reliance Building-now the Hotel Burnham-across Block 37 on State and Washington Streets). A snow-covered patch of Block 37 is visible on the far left-hand corner of the photo. The building on the left of the Oriental is the 1870s Delaware Building, the oldest building still standing in the Loop which now houses a McDonald’s on its first two floors. Just visible to the left of the Delaware Building, on the corner of Randolph and Dearborn Streets, is Petterino’s restaurant, housed in the sprawling new Goodman Theatre complex that occupies the sites of several movie houses: the Garrick, the Woods, the Selwyn, and the Harris (which were later called the Cinestage and Michael Todd, and still later, the Dearborn Cinemas). The photo was taken from one of the upper floors of Marshall Fields department store, on the corner of State and Randolph Streets.
Ron,
Speaking of awkward-sounding theatre names, the Shubert Theatre here in Chicago, which is soon to be closed for about a year for a restoration project, will be renamed the (and I cringe to even write this I can’t stand it so much) the LaSalle Bank Theatre. (Will they have ATM’s in the lobby? I’m kidding but it wouldn’t surprise me!) It was rumored before LaSalle Bank won the corporate naming rights that maybe the Shubert would return to it pre-1940s name, the Majestic Theatre (the office building to which the Shubert is part of is still called the Majestic Building). Even the LaSalle Shubert Theatre or LaSalle Majestic Theatre would’ve sounded better but this sounds like a building that can’t decide if it wants to be a theater or a bank.
Ron, I’ve heard people call it both the Ford Center and Oriental, but more often than not, the Oriental. You’ll almost never hear it referred to by the full (and yes, awkwardly long) name.
“Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theater” is a very awkward name.
What do everyday Chicagoans call it? Is it still “the Oriental” in ordinary conversation? What do newspapers call it?
A great night view of the Oriental’s marquee, dated 1958, can be seen here.
I will be attending the Ford Center for Performing Arts/Oriental soon and was wondering what the appropriate dress attire would be. Any and all help you can give me would be appreciated!
A quick addendum: Naylor’s book also has one photo of the Paradise in Chicago indentified as “Loew’s Paradise in Chicago”, when, in fact, it was a B&K house. I don’t think Loew’s had a single theatre in Chicago at all. Another reference to my above comment: when I mentioned the opportunistic couple who bought the chandelier out of Loew’s State and then purposely destroyed it, I should have correctly identified them as a couple of @#%$@***@#% !!!!!