Deerbrook Cinema

I remember going to the Deerbrook, when they were showing art and foreign movies. The Deerbrook closed because they opened a 14-screen theater in the Northbrook shopping mall (not far from the Deerbrook)and Landmark theaters Renissance Place theater in nearby Highland Park. The first movie I saw was "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" in 1999.

I liked this theater a lot. I remember the last movie I saw was The Blair Witch Project. I was at Deerbrook mall a couple weeks ago and it looks like it hasn't been touched in the last four years. Spiderwebs here and their, deserted. It looks like they have left the track lighting on this whole time too, but now only a few bulbs remain lit.

Check out this link; it should bring back a few memories:

http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=us&id=6294

I'm pretty sure this theater is still in place as shown here. Much of the indoor portion of this mall has been demolished & replaced with other retail. I'm sure the rest of it, including the old cinema, will go within the next couple of years.

The outdoor portion is virtually the same as it was when I was a kid (check out the 70s-style lettering over the mall entrance!). It was always a General Cinemas, but the sign has been changed over the years, although the placement is the same.

As far as the interior, the theaters themselves were located on either side of the concession stands. They were originally 2, and one was tripled in the 80s. I'm not sure how much of the concession stand is original, but I do remember the foyer getting a facelift during the 80s remodeling. The placement of the concessions remained the same, but it was likely replaced in part or whole. Much of the area outside the entrance in the mall is original, including the floors & exposed brick. The ceiling, however, was redone during an 80s/early 90s mall facelift.

Yes, it is still sitting there. Looks exactly the same as in the Cinematour photos.

I was a manager of the Deerbrook theater when it closed. It closed in early February of 2001. The final films played there were Castaway, the Pledge, the Gift and Snatch. I started working there in 1995 when I was 17. I worked such films as Braveheart, Rob Roy, Apollo 13, Twister, Mission Impossible, Independance Day, The Rock, Eraser, Batman Returns and many others. I was sad to see it go, as most of my childhood theaters have closed. The vacant theater is still there and looks pretty much untouched. I wonder if all of the theater junk is still there, since we left most of it since it had no value.

I started working at Deerbrook in 1995. I was a peon under Daniel Shephard! Shortly before I moved to another state I was Asst. Manager. It makes me sad to see this theatre closed! Although I left there in 1997...and it has been a while....It sucks to see the pictures with an empty concession and no movie posters! GNRSOX-I had to have known you, b.c we had to have worked together. Who are you? I am Kelly Dillon...email me at ckadrhanshaw@gmail.com

is this theatre still sitting empty?

yes the theatre is still sitting empty. I was just there February 1st 2006. It is weird the signage is still up (minus current movie titles) the popcorn bins and soda machines all still there and looks as if you could just throw some popcorn in and turn the lights on and you could be back up running.

Anyone else here that worked at the Deerbrook Theatre between 1986-1991? I began working there in March of 1987. I can not remember the first manager's name but I worked with Randy Dzurko as manager until he transfered south. I also worked for Seteney. There were countless assitant managers and other employees but I to this day I am still very close friends with many of them. Love to see what the others I worked with are doing now. Jeff Klunke (jeffemily@new.rr.com)

Per Jeff K's comment above, this theatre can easily be seen from the Edens Spur (I-94), which connects the Edens Expressway with the Tri-State Tollway.

The Deerbrook was the only theatre I knew of that one time, actually had a smoking section! The seat backs had small ashtrays for smokers to stick their cigs (although a lot of the butts ended up on the floor). In the mid-70's, the Fire Inspector had that practice discontinued, and the ashtrays were quickly removed; but the theatre still had a cigarette vending machine set up near the north auditorium.

Here are a few pics of what remains of the "old" Deerbrook mall (built circa late 1960s). Actually, a great deal of the mall is still functioning quite successfully, but mostly stand alones and outlots. The indoor portion is virtually deserted. I believe one of the anchors, Best Buy, was originally a Montgomery Wards that was accessable through the mall. Best Buy - operating in a completely new structure beginning in the mid-1990s - was originally accessable through the indoor mall, but eventually closed off this entrance with a giant white wall. This indoor mall was originally much larger and designed with a quaint street theme. Among the original fixtures still remaining are the fountain, most of the brick-lined floor, some of the original brick wall, several mall directories (amazingly!) and I believe the payphone kiosks (now without phones). I also think some of the ceiling is original although highly modified thorugh the years as are several of the walls and many of the storefronts (an effort to "open up" space). The "streetlamps" are no-longer original but replacements. Half of the indoor mall was demolished for new retail (Office Max, Bed Bath, etc.) in the late 1990s or early 2000s. The wall which now blocks off the demolished portion is clearly visible in the background of the shot below detailing the entire original fountain. This corridor originally lead to a Turn Style, then later a Venture. When these photos were taken, the only business operating was TJ Maxx, barber shop and nail salon. The theater operated as a two-screen General Cinema until the mid-1980s when one of the theaters was tripled to terrible effect. The marquee may be original, but I believe the concessions inside were redone during this time, even though their placement remained the same (a few pics here, but more to come. Stay tuned). The exterior mall entrance for the theater is accessible through the back of the mall. It appears exactly as it did originally, or at least the 1970s. Deerbrook Mall's primary reign lasted until the opening of nearby Northbrook Court in 1978. Ever since, it was seen as a second-rate, albeit quaint, mall. The fact that any of the original indoor mall remains today is surprising given the affluence of the area.

http://bmac5.photosite.com/Album3/

Wow: It has gone downhill in the last five years. The last time I walked around in there quite a few stores were still around. Counting the days until their leases expired maybe.

Wow. I used to hang out there quite a bit growing up. I had a lot of friends that lived across the street in Countryside. Fisrt kiss, first cig, I remember seeing the Sting, Jaws, Deliverance, etc.

There was a Montgomery Wards there, I remember standing in line for Grateful Dead tickets on several occasions.

Great place to grow up.

I worked as an Assistant Manager at Deerbrook in, I believe, 1987, under Frank Mack, and then Randy Dzurko. I as an Assistant for about 6 months, from February to August, when I went to be a Manager at Lincoln Mall.

I do remember Jeff Klunke, who posted above, and a bunch of other folks. I remember that Terry Reynolds was the "Fix-It Man" for all of the area General Cinema theaters.

My weirdest memory was when was a big flood in the summer of '87. Cinema 2 ot totally flooded, almost halfway up the hallway. Terry was with me, and finally pulled the manholes in the parking lot, and the water went down. I was in there all day long pulling out the carpeting. Man, did that suck. Terry went over to the bowling alley, across the parkin lot, and said the alleys were all buckled and ruined.

This is a cool site... I will be checking the messages for some of the other theaters I worked at too.

I was an Assistant Manager here back in the mid 70's. John F. Misavice was the manager when this one opened.

Does anyone know if the theater is still sitting there?

Wow, how bizzare...finding this little page about Deerbrook General Cinema with ex-employees posting in the comment section. Working at this theater was my first job...Brian Seteney hired me when I was 14 (I think he wasn't supposed to...hah). I worked there for about a year, then continued to work my way down the mall...at Gamer's Paradise for about a year, then at Funcoland until I went to college.

Does anyone remember a 14 year old redhead w/ glasses? That was me! :) -Greg

Bob Schaefer email or call me! jeff.klunke@bsci.com or 920-265-1870. Randy Dzurko was just up here visiting me. We went to a Packers game. We both would love to touch base with you.

I remember you Greg! I worked at this theater from May '92 to Aug '94. Bryan Senteney (at least I think that was how his name was spelled) was the manager who hired me, Mike Oliver replaced him and Dan Shephered was the manager when I left. Memorable moments include a fire that started in Bedbath & Beyond and engulfed the whole mall, Shepherd catching an employee upstairs smoking pot while popping popcorn, and a few employees getting high in Cinema 2 after work was over.

Here's a picture I took recently of the sad, lonely, and unused Deerbrook Cinema.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruce_theatres/3787286526/

This one sounds like it could be a prime candidate to become a 2nd run theater. What does everyone think?