Nortown Theater

A vintage photo of the interior of the Nortown's atmospheric auditorium can be seen here.

Wow...that's a nice photo. Even as a triplex, the lobby & upstairs theater were great. Don't know what is left after the community center deal.

Life's too short,
I've seen photos of how it looks very recently, and sad to say, it's not in very great shape inside, in fact, it's pretty pitiful. I think I once read this theatre described as "Neptune atmospheric" because of its aquatic theme.

We lived a few blocks from the Nortown in the 50s and 60s and would go nearly every Saturday to watch Westerns for the admission charge of 25c. I remember seeing West Side Story in the early 60s. All the icons are disappearing. My other favorite movie venue, the Grenada, was demolished years ago.

I started as an usher at the Nortown Theater in 1977. Eventually, I became a relief manager for Plitt Theatres. In addition to the Nortown, I also worked at the Gateway Theater in Chicago and the Varsity Theater in Evanston. But the Nortown was my favorite. It had suffered from water damage to the ceiling and walls but was still beautiful. Many times, especially on weeknights, the attendance was low. But we would still pack the theater with the right movie. We had to open the balcony during the early part of a half year run with the movie Star Wars. The last movie the theater showed as with a single screen was Footloose in 1984. After that, Plitt tripled the theater and added two screens that were placed in the balcony. The atmosphere of the theater was never the same after it was tripled. I still have fond memories of working there.

Bryan...is the bad condition due to unfortunate building renovations, deferred repairs, both?

Both. The division seems to have caused a lot of undue damage and the fact that it's been sitting for some 15 years hasn't helped. I'm told the basement is flooded quite badly. And it is apparently poorly secured enough that people can get in. It's really unfortunate.

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/3520.html Here is another 1960 view of the interior.

Another great picture.

As I was driving up Western Ave recently, I noticed a protective walkway in front of the Nortown. Don't know if they are getting ready to tear it down, getting ready to maintain it, or just protecting people from falling building fragments. Don't know how much it matters at this point, as the building sounds thoroughly neglected.

From Russell Phillips' Galleries:

Nortown Candy Counter, 1982
Nortown Upper Lobby, 1984
Nortown Auditorium Entrance, 1984
Nortown Auditorium From Balcony, 1983

Such a pity, the shape it's in now. Life's too short, if you e-mail me (see profile) I may be able to show you more recent photos.

Great pictures! I have some photos that I took in the late 1970's and early 1980's that I will have to dig out. Looking at these brought back many memories, including the summer that I spent painting the lobby walls when I was an usher. See the "Auditorium Entrance" image for the tan colored walls.

A 2000-dated view of the exterior of the Nortown can be seen here, when it was serving as a Pakastani-American community center.

I remember seeing a double-feature of Trading Places and 48 Hrs. when we lived just a few blocks in the early 1980s. Even then, the theatre was being rented for community events - remember attending a Soviet-era film or concert, as the surrounding area was heavily made up of Russian immigrants (myself included). Have an exterior photo or two taken during a 1999 trip back that I will post a link to as soon as I locate it.

It's heart breaking to hear how Nortown's just fallen apart like it has. I lived across the street on Claremont from 73-97 and remember seeing Star Wars there in 77! Some of my most vivid memories of that expereince are of everyone cheering every single time Vader came on screen.

I remember what it was like when they split it into a triplex, that was such a shame. It was a waste because they split the main floor in 2 and the rooms were tiny. Shoot, I remember when they did that to the Skokie theater and that was smaller than this!

I'll always remmeber Nortown the way it looks in those pictures that you posted Brian. I'd love to see more! In fact, had it not been for a post by an online buddy of mine on live journal aobut the new themed multiplexes (which in reality are corporate america's attempt to recreate the movie palace, something we HAD but is long gone), I would have never gone looking into this, or found this site.

Does anyone know of a pettion to save this? This has to be conisdered a historical landmark if for no other reason than the fact that it's an old palace. There has to be something done to preserve this. It can't die!

I truly believe my great passion for movies and cinema started in the halls of this beautiful theatre.... I also lived across the street(On Claremont). I have fond memories of running up to the third floor porch of our building Friday mornings to see what new movie was playing. After which I'd run to the phone and start planning a Saturday Matinee outing with my friends. It was at the Nortown that I, my kid brother and sister (along with just about every other kid in the neighborhood) saw the first, second and third (now fourth, fifth and sixth respectively) Star Wars. I remember looking up at the starlit ceiling and pretending that I too was in space..... It was hearbreaking when they destroyed it (multiplex) and it is even more heartwrenching to hear the condition that it is in now.

As a child I would fantasize that I was a princess and the beautiful Nortown was my palace ..... although I did wonder if a phantom lived in the basement......... Many, many happy memories linger in that old building, especially for the overactive imagination of one particular little girl. To me the Nortown will always conjure images of old movies, musicals, and a much quainter time. Things that should not be forgotten.

Yeah and I remember you taking us to see those movies, as well as many others through the years. I just thought of when you, me and mom saw Temple of Doom there. lol

I have to say, in all honesty. In all the years we lived there, I don't think I ever called the place to check show times. I can't even tell you what the phone number was.

man I miss that place.


I do have a great idea though. They need to restore that to it's former glory, and then to kick off the reopening, show New Hope. THAT'D be awesome! I'd drive back there for that.

Interesting to read these latest messages. I lived a block away from the Nortown on Rosemont. I used to walk home for dinner when I was working there. I may have even been working while some of you were watching a movie. By the way, to the person who saw Star Wars in 1977, we had that movie for over 6 months. I was working as an usher at that time and had every line memorized. As I recall, for the first few weeks of the Star Wars run (it started in the summer of 1977), the daily matinee started at 12:00 noon with weekend midnight showings. It was one long day!

heh I can imagine. Actually when we went to see it, my older brother stayed for the next show, while my sister and I went home. It was a few hours later that everyone noticed he hadn't been around the house. Turned out he stayed for the remainder of the day. LOL

It's funny, I was talking to my sister (Belle) about this Friday night and she was trying to see if she recognized anyone on here. ;P

Sorry to disappoint anyone who loved the incredible interior of this classic movie palace (myself included)... but about ten or eleven years ago I walked into an architectural salvage place and instantly recognized dozens of pieces taken from the movie house. The unique nautical theme of the theatre made it impossible not to know exactly where they had come from. It looked as though they had taken out every single piece of ornamental plaster, and every light fixture and had them for sale for many hundreds of dollars each (little metal lanterns with sculpted frogs were going for $900 each; I think the mermaids/mermen who flanked the doors up front by the stage were going for $1500-$2000).

The story I got from one of the store employees was that the church that was occupying the space called up the salvage place to sell whatever they could from inside to raise some money for their organization. "We've been trying to get the Nortown for YEARS" was the quote that really turned my stomach and nearly brought tears to my eyes.

I went into the building soon afterwards one day when it was opening for church services to have a peek and everything remaining in the lobby has been painted white, the horoscope murals were gone (the salvage employee said only one had survived... they ripped all of the rest attempting to remove them) and pretty much all ornament was gone from the auditorium. The wall which divided the main auditorium into two smaller spaces had been removed to make it one big room again (the balcony was still closed off and they made it clear that it was off-limits to any looky-loos). A big dumpster was out front, and the grand marquee was down on the sidewalk waiting to be relegated to a scrap heap. The church vacated maybe a year or two later, leaving the once-glorious Nortown a sad shell of its former self.

After some soul-searching, I reluctantly decided to go back to the salvage place to see if there was a memento I could get, realizing I would never again have the opportunity to see any of these incredible pieces which held so many childhood memories for me. Much as I disagree with supporting the greed that leads to the destruction of these places, in this case the damage was done and I'd imagine most of the pieces were probably going to people who had no sentimental attachment to them. I ended up buying one of the sea serpents which was high up over the doorway near the proscenium. He hung proudly in my home until I moved from Chicago... I'm trying to figure a place of honor in my new home befitting a special memory.

I have long since left the neighborhood and the city, but will always fondly remember this beautiful place from my childhood, as the glittering magical palace where the fantastic atmosphere and whimsical creatures drew my attention as much as what was playing on the big screen. The lighthouse, the twinkling stars, the clouds gently drifting across the ceiling... and the incredible neighborhood showplace it was and I'm afraid it will never be again.

Better that than a pile of water-damaged plaster dust.

that's so wrong

Even water-damaged plaster dust can be repaired...... once something has been destroyed at the level the Nortown has (according to "Larserik") it is gone forever. Too bad there are so many merceniary-hearted people in this world.

Well, it certainly is too bad that the building ended up this way. But Brian has a point. Better to remove some detail than lose it all when the building is demolished, as I imagine the Nortown eventually will be.

Like I said, I have seen very recent photos of the building, I think that the auditorium is, sadly, too damaged to come back. This is a shame, because it looks like this would otherwise be one of the most unique neighborhood theaters. Also, usually plaster that has been heavily water damaged (as often happens in theatres) literally disintegrates. Even in some of the pre-triplexing photos I posted earlier some water damage is evident, and judging from reports that the basement was flooded, I can't say chances for survival look good. It's a crying shame, certainly, but at least some of it lives on.

This story in today's Chicago Tribune reports someone is planning on restoring and reopening the Nortown to show Indian and Pakistani movies and live entertainment (they are also planning on adding a restaurant and banquet hall on the site). The same individual is having a shopping center called Monsoon Plaza built directly across Western Avenue from the theater. I see a couple of errors in the article. The new owner of the Nortown is quoted as saying "The movie palace was built in the 20s". He also says "the ornament and decorative elements inside are very much intact" which is quite the opposite from what was stated in a couple of the posts above, as well as not what I've seen in recent interior photos of the Nortown, which, again, was in very rough shape.

Well I'd like to see where they plan on putting that mall. I lived directly across from there on Claremont, well more like the building next to Sally's Stage. Anyway, directly across from there's the city parking lot. Unless they demolish Sally's Stage, that place next to it and the Chinese restaraunt as well, this will be an interesting mall. Especially since that parking lot is small and well, not enough spaces for a mall, much less what they plan on doing with the place in general.

BUT (and I haven't read the article yet) at least it sounds like there's some hope for the old place. Here's hoping the guy stays true to what it actually looked like, and doesn't change things.

Photos I took on November 2, 2005, while driving through the city. Click on "all sizes" right above the photos for original size

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46901841@N00/64028803/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46901841@N00/64028804/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46901841@N00/64028805/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46901841@N00/64028808/

They've torn a temporary door in the building's side. Anybody know what is happening?

It was actually opened on April 4, 1931. An interesting fact about the ceiling:
"The star studded sky that will compose the auditorium ceiling og the new Publix-Balaban & Katz theater, the Nortown, which is to be opened at Devon and Western avenues on April 4, is to be an exact duplication of an April constellation, according to J. E. O. Pridmore, supervising architect. J. C. Penn, astronomy professor at Armour institute, was commissioned to put the stars in their proper places to insure that the layout would be authentic." -Chicago Tribune, pG5, March 22, 1931.

That's a very interesting article. Thanks for the cool find. :)

How sad that this beautiful old theater has fallen into disuse as a movie house. I grew up blocks away and spent every Saturday afternoon with my friends enjoying movies for 25 cents. We enjoyed playing in the huge lobby and on the grand staircase pretending it was our castle. Ah, those were the days. The interior was spectacular and will be forever remembered for the great times we had there in the early 60's. The times and neighborhood have changed since those days, so it was inevitable the theater would go. A movie at the glorious Nortown and barbecue from Sally's across the street was the best way to spend leisure time.

When and how did they tri-plex this theatre? Did they divide the theatre into three auditoriums? Or did they make two auditoriums for the 1st floor and a 3rd one out of the balcony.

Also, I beleive that Plitt and later Cineplex-Odeon owned/operated the Nortown.

The balcony was split in two, and the floor theater was seperated from the balcony with a horizontal floor from the balcony to the proscenium. Also, I don't think this has been mentioned yest, but in 2003 there was consideration of putting senior apartments on the site. And as of 1994 it was a church called "Rest for the Weary Ministries".

There were lights on in the lobby Saturday night, 3/31. Much of the ornamentation in the lobby is still intact. There appears to be some demo work going on, at least to remove damaged sections of plaster and/or non-original sheetrock walls; it didn't appear that any of the ornamental plasterwork was being removed.

If anyone that's near there can get current pictures I think we'd all appreciate it.

As to when the theatre was tri-plexed, it was in 1984. The last movie to be shown at the Nortown as a single theatre that year was "Footloose". I was working as a relief manager for Plitt Theatres that year. Once the theatre was tripled, it lost much of its grandeur with the exception of the lobby and staircase. Prior to it being tripled, there was moderate water damage over the years to the interior of the auditorium. Plitt never wanted to invest money into the repair of this damage. I have wanted to go see what condition the theatre is currently in, but part of me does not want to see what it is like now.

I saw movies here when it was a CO triplex. The main floor was split from the balcony with a horizontal floor. But it was the former main floor that was split in two. The former balcony was one theatre (the largest), and they still lit the stars and some colored lights within the sidewalls. It was hacked up, to be sure. But the balcony was still a nice place to see a movie. I saw "Leviathan" up there. New screen was in front of the procenium decoration. The whole place was clean, and the staff was well-dressed (CO uniforms with bow ties, vests, name plates) and attentive. The old marquee was retained and relit, chasers and all. They replaced the 50's attraction boards with a more modern variety. It was really a pretty nice place (if you can call a vintage triplex refit that under any circumstances).

Brian's photo link from the chicago historical society is great! My late friend John Seng is playing the Wurlitzer console in That 1960 photo, He told me of that picture--he was engaged to play for a fashon show there, and went to practice, when that photo was taken. John was one of the very best who chose to make music on the Wurlitzer.

All right, i'll give a pretty detailed assessment of what the building is like now, but I have to warn you, you probably won't want to hear it if you remember it as a grand theater. Today was the first time I have personally seen inside; I saw more extensive photos a year ago. The exterior looks the same as in the photos posted December 14.

I can't really tell what, if any, work has gone on there beyond installing the door. There are some cracks around the edges of the door and the auditorium floor is visible. The terra cotta panels removed to install the door are stacked inside the auditorium. I can see what LTS means about the main floor being split and not the balcony; the church must have taken the partition out while they were there. And the balcony is clearly too small to have been split in half, but I can see how it might have worked as a single. Anyway, the interior matches photos i've seen from october 2004 exactly. In those photos, the entire interior is shown having been painted, murals and all, in light blue, dark blue, white, gold, and silver. It's really jarring to do a side-by-side comparison of its 1982-3 condition and its present- it is so stark and unadorned without the murals. I don't know when this paint dates from- the triplexing? The same debris seen in the 2004 photos, an old RC fridge and a freezer, still sits near the stage in precisely the same position, so I think it's likely that virtually no work has gone on. It looks to me like the main damage done to the theater in the triplexing was the front of the main floor. Probably, having the murals painted over did much more harm. I don't think it will ever be restored to its original glory, but maybe, just maybe, the renovation could possibly be completed. At this point, I think it looks bleak. I have photos, but I hesitate to post them.

Post them, Brian. We need to see them, even if they aren't pretty. As theatre enthusiasts, it behooves us to see photos of deterioration and destruction as well as preservation.

Regarding the triplex. I was so tired last night that I forgot just now it was split. What they did was close off the balcony to make 1 theater up there and the main floor was split in 2. Just like they did with the Skokie theater years ago.

The painted walls had to have been done after the place closed as a theater. I remember all the lovlies were still there during the triplex years. I still think that was the dumbest thing they could have done to that place.

I can confirm that the painting of the auditorium walls was done after Cineplex Odeon (the successor to Plitt Theatres) closed and sold the Nortown.

Total random comment but I was just at the McDonalds in Libertyville and due to a downed machine, had to wait a few minutes for my food. I noticed they have a Wurlitzer jukebox.

Okay, here they are.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11826414@N00/tags/nortown/

I don't get how people can do that to something so grand

Out of curiosity, for those of you that have taken pictures inside theaters, how is it you've done that. By that I mean do you just walk in with a camera and start snapping away or do you actually ask for permission, especially since its done when the theater isn't open to the general public?

sorry, just thought of that

Those particular pictures were taken from the sidewalk at like 9pm; the big door they ripped in the side of the auditorium has a bunch of big gaps along the edges. But sometimes abandoned theaters are be poorly secured; in fact i'm not even sure the doors were locked, I just didn't care to find out. If a theater is open you generally ask unless you're going to be undetected which is difficult because a flash is usually necessary. There's been a good deal of discussion on this topic on the forums at cinematour.com

ah, might help if I wander around the boards there then. ;P

Thanks! I'm actually (FINALLY) taking my vacation the week of the 16th and am seriously thinking of making a trip down to the city just so I can see if I can wander around the old place myself. Its odd but I've been having a lot of dreams about Nortown lately. All current day but it looks like it did pre triplex. The last one I had, oddly enough, was different. The theater was still there, or at least the main floor of the auditorium but the balcony wasn't (at least I don't remember seeing the balcony) yet the ceiling was entac and I couldn't believe my eyes. I whiped out my camera and took pictures.

Now the odd thing about this is the theater was also a mall, I guess like the Century. Only the theater was downstairs while the mall was upstairs.

don't ask where that came from. I have yet to figure it out. lol

Brian, those pictures are just so depressing to me. I worked at the Nortown from 1977 to 1984. Batwoman, I also have dreams about my days working at the Nortown. Those pictures indicate to me that the Nortown has gone so far downhill that it will never be re-opened as a movie theatre. Financially, I doubt that the neighborhood could support the Nortown as a theatre again. I remember working there some weeknights when 30 people would show up to sit in a 2,000 seat theatre. And of course, the money to rehab the building would be huge. It sort of reminds me of the Uptown Theatre. My gut tells me that the best thing to do would be to tear down the building and just have memories.

If I had the money I'd find the blueprints and anythng else of the original artwork/plans I could and basically rebuild it someplace worthy of it.

too bad I'm broke.

I doubt there would have been any way of having this declared as a national historic landmark. I can dream can't I?

A source in the community says the owner is putting "shops on the first floor, banquet facilities on the second floor, and a theater on the third floor." Not exactly sure if that's going to be fit into the existing main floor/balcony configuration or if new floors will be built in the building's shell.

Per Life's Too Short's comment above regarding Cineplex-Odeon's operation of the NORTOWN: It seems to me that initially, C-O really did try to make an ernest go of it in the Chicagoland Area. LTS's post states that C-O did try to operate the Nortown as an attractive place, even after tri-plexing. C-O, from articles I read, renovated a number of theatres in the Chicagoland Area and constructed new ones (most of which have already since closed). So what went so wrong that C-O went into bankruptcy in the 1990s?

And if you really want to see pictures of the Nortown in decay, check out this:

http://images.google.com/images?q=Nortown+Theatre&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&start=20&sa=N&filter=0

Those pictures are just...

From what I vaguely recall, there used to be a billboard/mural painted on the outside of the building advertising the Nortown. It was quite faded, but still readable. Is it still there?

(As a side note, some years ago the Sun-Times or Tribune did an article on faded mural/billboards of the past still visible. Some included the above-mentioned Nortown, a Fox Deluxe beer ad on Lawrence Avenue, and the Lee Workwear ad opposite Dearborn Station).

Still there. There's a good picture of it and the rest of the nortown in one of the three or four pictoral history books on Chicago's north side. Sorry I can't be more specific.

I wrote a script based on my experiences exploring the Granada and Uptown theaters as a teenager after they closed down and also from the memories I had seeing movies as a kid in a place as grand as the Nortown:

http://www.nitestar.com/palace_synopsis.html

I was Dave Prowse's (Darth Vader) liason during a convention appearance he was doing in Chicago in 1995 and I drove him past the Nortown telling him it's where I saw "Star Wars" for the first time and how it was such an influence on me wanting to become a filmmaker.

My grandmother used to live in the neighborhood and I remember how much fun it was for my brother and I to stay over night there and see movies at the Nortown when my dad came by to get us after work at the also demolished Bell and Howell that used to be over on McCormick. And visit the camera store to buy Super 8 movie shorts of the films we saw there, or spend time at the old hobby shop kitty corner on Western and Devon and also buy toys at Cut Rate around the corner.

So many memories, it breaks my heart how much this neighborhood has changed and how it's wven worse that it's lost the Nortown that was so much a part of it's character.

Jerry Vasilatos

Here are four photosets from late 2004. These are what Bryan Krefft referenced in the third post on this page. These most fully document the current state of the Nortown. Proceed with caution.

http://supercharger96.livejournal.com/5069.html
http://supercharger96.livejournal.com/5284.html
http://supercharger96.livejournal.com/5496.html
http://supercharger96.livejournal.com/5799.html

My blood is boiling >:-(

I think the last show I saw there was "Die Hard" after it had been split into three theaters. "Temple of Doom" before that.

Tragic.

JV

Hello all:
Interesting Jerry that you saw Star Wars at the Nortown. I was an usher at the time. I had just started working there a week before Star Wars started. I recall that the movie being shown was "Rollercoaster" which was in Sensurround. We had those big black ugly speakers in the auditorium. By the way, we had Star Wars for about half a year. It started the summer of 1977. The first show started at 12:00 noon going through a midnight last showing. We actually had some showings that were sold out, even with the balcony open. I worked at the Nortown for over seven years, up until the time that it was tripled. Eventually I became a relief manager for Plitt Theatres, rotating between the Nortown, the Gateway, and Varsity (in Evanston)Theatres. The pictures that are posted of the current state of the Nortown break my heart. While I was an usher I painted the main floor lobby walls with a glaze paint. You can see the walls on some of the earlier posted images of the lobby. By the way, in these recently posted images of the current state of the Nortown you will see light blue painted ceilings. These are not original. It seems that somebody has painted over the beautiful ceiling murals that were on the second level. More heartbreak for me.

I think it must have been the church that ruined it. An earlier commenter said thewy sold off a lot of decor too, right

Any new word on what's happening with this theater? If nothing happens within 3 years, I'll see what I can do.

Depite the selling off of a lot of the ornamentation, it looks like the Nortown had definite potential. The upstairs is in much better shape that I expected, if it hasn't degraded significantly in the last two years.

I have a feeling that when some of you see this picture you'll know who Belle and I are (we're not in the picture of course). ;P

But you can see the top of Nortown in the back there. This was taken in '82. I don't know if we have any other pictures where the building can be seen or not. I'll look for them next time I'm looking through old pictures.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/_batwoman_/garage.jpg

I just wish I had my own pictures of the interior back before it was ruined. It's interesting, in the 24 years I lived there, I never once went around the back of the theater. Those pictures on supercharger's LJ were interseting to see. I always wonder if I know the owners of pictures around my old neighborhood.

Here is a profile from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency's HAARGIS system. It includes a small picture.

That is how it looked when it closed.

I'm supercharger96. *waves*
The owner of the Nortown is seeking a Zoning change at a hearing expected to be on October 19th. The owner wants to demolish it because "the numbers don't work" to keep it as a theater. He plans to replace it with condos and two small theaters to show pakistani movies.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-nortown12.html

That is so WRONG! The story of the old Nortown just keeps getting worse. If only I had the money to build my own Nortown and use the original blueprints. I'd have a 21 century copy of the old place.

In his defense it is a tough one. Even if the building were in great shape it would be difficult to turn a profit. Unfortunately, the building is trashed. I wouldn't mind if he kept the lobby and exterior and carried out his project. But most developers don't get that creative unless someone complains.

I don't get all of this condo action. I know the baby boomers are coming and none of them are going to want to retire in Florida. But even so it seems like we must be heading for a bubble.

No kidding. I've found in the city (Chicago) that condos are the in thing, you see more of those built than anything else. I guess mainly because of the space. You can get more out of an old factory or warehouse by converting it to lofts or condos than you can tearing it down and building houses in its place. Where as in the burbs, you'd be hard pressed to find a condo or apartment. I'm in northern lake county and I'm not kidding you, condos and apartments are hard to find. When my friends say they're moving into a condo or aprtment, I have to ask where and even with specific cross streets, I just can't picture it. Its one of those things where I almost don't believe it until I'm standing in the unit itself. They're there, just hard to find.

Condos and homes are a fraction of the cost up here than they are in the city. You can get a good sized house up here for what you'd pay for a 1 bedroom condo in the city. You also won't have to pay extra for parking because you have a garage. As much of a city girl as I am deep down, I can never move back. Anytime I drive into the city to visit friends or family that live in condos/apartments and I drive around looking for parking (because I know better than to pay for a parking lot) I'm reminded of why I could never move back.

What I heard today on National Public Radio (WBEZ-FM) is that this place is definitely being torn down. In as much as I love all types of movie theatres, I must be realistic and realize that not all places can be saved. From looking at the above posts and links to photos, this place appeared to in very bad shape. I read the above link to the Sun-Times article and in defense of the owner, Mr. Patel, it sounds like he had good intentions.

I'm actually more upset about the potential loss of the Esquire Theatre. I know that its interior was gutted however a number of the Art Deco touches in that theatre have been retained. As has the marquee and facade, the loss of which would leave a gaping hole on Oak Street. The Esquire could be fixed up again, albeit not returned to a single-screen, and with proper programming it could be profitable again.

I don't get it...the condos. Right now there are units going up all over the place; and, from what I hear a lot of them are not moving. The only thing I can figure is that there is a herd mentality in real estate similar to that found in the stock market. When the technology bubble burst, for instance, people still bought technology stocks actively for quite some time after. But it is so much easier to tell your broker to buy or sell 5,000 shares of XYZ on a given day. I would think that the cost of carrying real estate on your books and the fact that you cannot necessarily sell it when you want to would discourage a trend like that, as would the fact that you often need to obtain financing from a financial institution.

1) Turn an old theatre into retail in a busy commercial area, get tenants, get substantial rental income. I get it.

2) Tear a theatre down, pay minimal taxes on the land, wait for the neighborhood to turn around. Or just hold the theatre and let it rot if it is cheap enough to do that. Then sell the property for a capital gain. I get it.

3) Turn a theatre into a unique business venture that you have carefully planned, like a night club. I get it.

4) Tear down a theatre, get financing to build condos when there is already a big supply, end up sitting on the condos for years while you pay the carrying cost of your financing and taxes...I just don't get it. And yet people continue to do it and banks continue to finance them.

There are important lessons about business and humanity in all of this. But I am not sure what they are yet.

It is sad to see the current state of the Nortown, but it looks to be dead based on the pictures posted here. I saw a WTTW Chicago Tonight segment on the Uptown a few days ago and was inspired to track down information on the Nortown, and so here I am.

I grew up on the 6600 block of Campbell in the 50s and 60s and spent most of my free time in the Nortown and other north side movie palaces. It wasn’t very chancy for a 10 year old to ride public transportation alone to other north side locales or even to the Loop in those days. During one memorable Christmas break, when I was about 10, I attended the same matinee at the Nortown every day for a week, seeing a double bill of Rodan and Party Girl, the latter starring Robert Taylor and Lee J Cobb.

Although I had moved out of the neighborhood during the 70s I was back to visit the folks until my mother finally moved to the suburbs in 1992. The theater seemed to be transformed into something less attractive (and stranger on each visit.) There was a Church in there for a while, as someone else has posted.

In 1995, when my wife and I made one of our trips to Architectural Artifacts on Ravenswood, I walked in the door and was amazed at what I saw across the room. Even in a jumble of things that were piled on tables and randomly displayed I could see the remains of the Neptunic artifacts that had adorned the theater’s upper reaches – and I immediately knew what they were. There was no doubt in my mind, as I had spent hours staring at them while waiting for shows to start. My favorite icon was one of the available articles. And so I purchased the head of one of Poseidon’s seahorses. It is a fantastic plaster sculpture, was still then in excellent shape, and I now have a unique bit of artwork with a story behind it. The lights that had been mounted atop the light house towers high up above the theater floor were also available but were sadly too large for our house. The owner of the store had a large format paperback on America’s movie palaces on display, opened to a full page picture of the auditorium of the Nortown showing these artifacts (I have forgotten the name of the book.) He told me of the deplorable state of the Nortown’s interior and how he had stripped out the best of the remaining ornamentation.

The horse is visible in a picture displayed at http://www.rpwrhs.org/rpwrhs/bookGallery/SUN-006RPWRHS.htm If you look closely at the prow jutting out above and to the left of the exit doorway at the far left of the shot (and at about the midpoint of the left edge) you can see the head. For some reason I always contrived to sit on the aisle below the lantern hanging at that passage. I’ll post an image of the sea horse when I can find my camera.

Such is the sad state of affairs when these properties are no longer wanted because they are considered to be no longer useful and unattractive to the undiscriminating post-modern eye. Unfortunately the craftsmanship and artistic talent to reproduce such work is gone. With a few exceptions we will be left with pictures and memories. And a few of us will have some actual pieces of what was once magic in our lives. If anyone else out there had the opportunity to purchase or obtain some of the items that were salvaged share your story with the rest of us.

Here are semi-recent photos of the Nortown. In viewing the "Upper Auditorium" photos, I now understand how it was tri-plexed.

http://www.hopetunnel.org/theaters/nortown/index.html

I still don't get how anyone could ruin a place like that.

If only I had the money to build another one....

oh and I had gone there during the triplex days. Even saw a movie upstairs. that was so wrong.

You know, it is bad. But it's not THAT bad. If you want to see horrors, go and look at photos of the Palace in Gary, Indiana. Something could be done with this building. But, unfortunately (and somewhat understandably) it does not seem likely that any portion of the building will be reused.

In reviewing the photos on the link I submitted, it is sad to see some of the destruction and vandalism that has occurred in the Nortown. Yet it's amazing to see how much is intact there, specifically the paint and the gold-colored decor.

I was thinking the same thing...about the only thing recognizable from when I worked at the Nortown are the columns. I wonder what happened to the two metal shields that were on the lobby wall near the entrances to the main auditorium. They would have been among the first items removed for sale. I wonder how the plaster heads from the auditorium were removed for sale...with a reciprocating saw? I have many pictures of the Nortown from the late 70's and early 80's in storage. I hope to find them and place them here on this web site. Question for this site: some of the photos contain images of co-workers. Can I place these on this site?

There's really no legal reason you couldn't. But the "Add a Photo" feature on this site has been non-functional for a very long time now. Your best bet would be to use an online service like flickr.com, imageshack.com, or photobucket.com and post a link here.

I would love to see pictures of the place when it was fully intact. I've decided that if I ever have the money, I'm going to hunt down the blueprints and rebuild this some place by my house. OK that sounds lazy but we don't have anything like that up here and with all the transplants from the city, I think it would be more appreciated here than it would be back in the city. After all, look what happened to it there.

Nortown,

I'd be happy to add your photos to my page (the one Paul Fortini linked to). I'll properly attribute them to you, of course.

Updated links to my June 2005 post:
Nortown Candy Counter, 1982
Nortown Upper Lobby, 1984
Nortown Auditorium Entrance, 1984
Nortown Auditorium From Balcony, 1983

And more:
Video Game Area
Upper Lobby Vending
Mirror on stairs

Hi Brian:
I just responded on the Will Rogers Theatre thread. I need to dig out my photos from when I worked at the Nortown, scan them, and post them.

I would love to see them Nortown.

This article from today's Chicago Tribune makes it sound like the Nortown is not long for this world. Also, the article refers to the theatre "fire-damaged". When did that happen?

I have no clue. I've never heard of any fires there, and I moved out of our old place (on claremont) and up here 10 years ago.

Every doorway has been sealed over with plywood. It's over.

There is no evidence of fire damage from the outside.

I stop by there fairly frequently and the plywood wasn't there one weekend and it was there the next with no evidence of fire, no smell of fire, and no scorch marks anywhere.
It sounds suspicious to me. Very, very suspicious.
Didn't the Regal here in Chicago finally wind up getting knocked down after a suspicious fire in the late 70's?

The only fire I can think of that was anywhere near Nortown was across the street in June of 91. I remember it was at 3 AM the morning I graduated from high school. I had been up late on the phone and woke up right before my sister ran into my room. I saw the light from behind the house (coming from the alley) and she then called 911 and woke me up. Our call was the only one that made it to 911 because the fire took out the phone lines. I don't remember if we ever found out the truth but there was rumors that someone planted a small explosive to set the garage/store behind our building on fire.

That is the only fire I have ever heard of close to the theater.

Part of me thinks the reporter just lazily equated the board-up with a fire.

Sounds like it to me.

Or the owner told the reporter there was a fire.

Alot of my memories of early childhood date back to this beautiful theater. In fact, this is the very theater that got me interested in the art that is theater architecture and movie houses in general. On weekends my mother and I would take the 'EL' from Evanston all the way to downtown Chicago, pick up some Garrett's popcorn and hit the movie theater strip. At the Nortown I can remember seeing the films Creepshow, Cujo, Beverly Hills Cop and a few others back in the day. I now live in Texas and thanks to this website and Mr. Russell Phillip's masterful photography that re-awakened my interest in the subject of these theaters and their history.

Waitaminute, I must be thinking of the wrong theater here...

I'm sorry, I believe the theater I'm recalling was downtown Chicago and it was across the street from the theater that had the "ABC" logo on the outside of it. The interior looks alot like the Nortown. I was very young back then so I think the memory of the theater I'm thinking of resembled the Nortown alot since it had the upper balcony section and huge lobby area. Can anyone tell me which theater I'm trying to recall?

Any news on this theatre? Has it been sold? Will it be demolished?

The building isn't for sale; the owner has already submitted plans to the City for demolition. The new six-story development will have 70 condominium units, 67 parking spaces and (drum roll, please) a two-screen movie theater for Bollywood films. There is no evidence of demolition work yet.

According to the Nortown Theater 'blog, there actually was a fire in the building on August 9.

I just had a recollection (one of many) from my days (and nights) working at the Nortown, both as an usher and a relief manager. When you first passed the ticket taker and turned into the first auditorium entrance on the right, you were at a single row of seats on the right side. The next row of seats was somewhat far forward of this first row. The theatre was built at a time when seating for wheelchairs was not taken into consideration. However, when the occasional theatre patron (as we called the people who bought a ticket) in a wheelchair came in, we would direct him or her to this row of seats. There was plenty of room so that the person did not even have to get out of the wheelchair to watch the movie. Also, I started calling this row of seats the "executives' row". We would take our breaks there and sometimes sit and eat food from the McDonalds or Pepe's Tacos that were on Devon Avenue just east of Western. Those were the days!

Cinemaven--You may be thinking of the United Artists Theatre. That had the ABC logo on it and before that the Balaban & Katz logo.

My fondest memory of the Nortown is from when I saw the premiere of "Superman" in '78 - sitting in that beautiful theater, holding a glow-in-the-dark Kryptonite rock that my father bought at the ticket counter.

I'm new to the site, and I really enjoyed reading the comments and checking out the many links to pics of the Nortown.

I was born and raised in the 6700 block of Artesian, just blocks from the Nortown. As a young boy, I began going to the Saturday or Sunday Matinee many weeks of the year beginning about 1952 or so.

There was the House of Wax in 3D, Charge at Feather River, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, High and the Mighty with John Wayne, and dozens more. The Matinee would start with two cartoons, followed by two feature films lasting almost to suppertime.

Ma gave me 50 cents: 25 cents for admission, 10 cents for popcorn, 5 cents for candy, and ten cents "emergency" money for a phone call or busfare. I remember using that "emergency" money often on a Holloway bar or Chuckles.

Does anyone remember "George's", the candy store one door south of the Nortown. George was a short happy man, I believe of Greek descent, always smiling. On nice weather days, he would roll the popcorn machine out front of the store. His popcorn was always better than the candy counter. It was hot and fresh, 10 cents, 2 cents more for extra butter.

The Nortown and Devon Avenue of the 1950's and early 60's bring back memories of good times.

After years of neglect and decay, a permit for demolition of the Nortown Theater was issued on June 7. Driving by this morning, it appeared that work has already begun.

The developer's plans call for construction of a five story condo and commercial building in its place. Unlike the high quality brick masonry construction going up throughout the city, this project will be primarily painted cast-in-place concrete. Although the development will include parking for the condos (just under one space per unit), it will not provide any parking for the commercial space due to a generous manipulation of the zoning requirements by Alderman Stone.

Another sad day in the 50th Ward of Chicago.

that just sucks!

I'm going to have to drive by there next Thursday when I go to my brother's house.

I drove by the Nortown last night and the theater is still standing. Of course the exterior looks terrible with the missing marquee and boarded up front. I did drive through the alley behind the theater and there is a fence along the back of the building with a tarp attached to the fence so that nobody can peer through the fence. I do have to say that it depresses me to go by the Nortown and the neighborhood in general. The other retail establishments in the area are stunningly decrepit. I can remeber a time when the retail owners took pride in their storefronts and kept the sidewalks around Devon and Western clean.

I saw the bulldozers inside this past week. It's going, going, gone.
Just sad.

Would someone in Chicago please take some photographs?

we have taken over 200 photographs as we continue to carefully remove decorative plaster, lighting, ironwork, etc. please email us at staff@urbanremainschicago.com for photos of the interior.

Urbanremainschicago,

I checked out your website and found it fascinating. All of that Chicago history is in those photos. I know that many people might think that this company is a bunch of vultures. But think about it. Because of companies like this, portions of the Nortown can live on. The Lake Theatre in Oak Park, IL has a lot of pieces from other, now demolished theatres. And I'll bet that at least some of those pieces were bought from a salvage company!

No if I only had $100,000.00 or so........

Photos, including historical and ones from earlier today, are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/ctid965/

Here are my pictures from last night.

http://supercharger96.livejournal.com/13193.html

I was going to stop by yesterday but I didn't get a chance to. :(

Those pictures are truely heartbreaking.

I stopped by on Friday since the wall is open to take a few photos of the interior from out on the street. Only a part of the house left structure and a bit of the procenium remain. I will try to post them. Someone angrily asked me to leave.

I was in the theater this morning with 2 others, all reachable ornament has been stripped. It's easy to access the interior, a door at the front is open as well as the fence at the alley. It's actually pretty dangerous with some open, deep holes in the floor.

I'm a little concerned about kids getting in there and getting hurt, but shoddy construction / demolition practices are par for the course in the 50th ward. Take a look at the open pit in the 2300 block of Devon where we had a fire last Thanksgiving - it's another accident waitng to happen.

please do not be offended, but only authorized individuals (i.e., dmd wrecking co. and urban remains architectural salvage co.) are allowed in the structure. granted, the security is not as tight as it should be, but regardless, you do not belong in there. as for the plaster, along w/ any and all fragments, we have shelled out a lot of money to earn the salvage rights. several areas containing plaster have already been badly damaged by ill-equipped people. regardless of what people think of us, we remove these artifacts as a way of honoring the workmanship of the past, along w/ making items avail. to the public as mementos, design elements, etc. in fact, several pieces will be going into our chicago building artifact museum. so please, if you unauthorized to be in there, stay out. thank you!

Urbanremains,
I would like to point out that the building is taking a lot of heavy damage from taggers and vandals, with more and more graffiti appearing every day. I think it likely that those who are destroying the plaster pieces are people who have no respect for the theater.
I highly doubt that anyone on the cinematreasures board would do anything other than treat the building with the utmost of respect and reverence. We are simply paying our last respects to a building that few have glimpsed the interior of in many a year.

I agree with supercharger96. Having worked at the Nortown as both an usher and a manager for Plitt Theaters, I have quite a bit of life's memories tied to that building. As an usher, I removed the old paint from the front doors and polished the underlying metal. I also spent a summer painting the first floor lobby. I would like to be able to retain something tangible from the building. I don't have $1250.00 to spend on a column from the lobby but if a few bricks or pieces of the wool carpet (if it remains) could be saved for a reasonable price, then I would be interested.

Nortown,
From what I have heard the urbanremains people are very gracious when it comes to their salvages and are very conscious of the fact that they are handling pieces of peoples memories as they salvage pieces of buildings that otherwise would be unceremoniously pissed away with the wrecking ball.
Perhaps if you contact them directly they may be able to help you out?
They have a website
http://urbanremainschicago.com/
I was actually watching them through the fence while they were setting up the lighting and the camera/tripod for the photo that currently graces their front page.
While it is entirely heartbreaking to watch a theater that actually had rehab potential be knocked down to be replaced with condos (and oh the irony! a three screen bollywood theater), it would be even more heartbreaking to watch the proscenium come down in pieces and be ground into dust underneath the wrecking crews treads.

we certainly respect your appreciation for the nortown; however, it would be much appreciated if you simply contact us via email or phone for permission to gain access. we will be more than happy to offer you w/ plaster fragments, bricks, etc. (free of charge) as mementos...simply pay your last respects legally. on a more important subject, we have discovered several items the plasterers left behind in walls, etc. if anyone is interested, email us (too much to write here). thanks again.

thank you supercharger96... just contact us and we can let you in during the day when our staff is present. there are several smaller fragments that you can take along w/ you. best, eric

Thank you eric.
I will be in touch. Lighting is much better for photos during the day and it is much nicer to walk in with a tripod and actual real camera gear to shoot. :)

I visited the Nortown yesterday through the courtesy of Urban Remains Chicago. Most of the auditorium has been demolished. Part of the balcony remained. The lobby is essentially unrecognizable. It was interesting to note that what had been the manager's office had been converted to men's and women's bathrooms. To say the least, it was very disheartening to see the destruction of this beautiful building. I took some pictures that I can post here. I also found my photographs from 1984 while the theater was still open (and before it was tripled). Can anyone tell me how to post images on this web site?
Thanks

Nortown -
The add image feature is not currently working on this site. In order to show your photos you have to host them on your own site and set up a page for viewing to link to.
You can see that I link to my LJ pages and host on my own server.
I'm glad that urbanremains was able to help you out!

I've seen your LJ suercharger (I'm also on LJ, iwerewolf).

Some helpful free photo hosts are photobucket.com, flickr.com... ther eare a few out there. They're easy to set up and post. You don't want to see my photobucket account. lol so many pictures for hot linking....

It's very sad to see the Nortown being demolished, but I'm happy that a few things are being salvaged by the people from Urban Remains Chicago. I have an old pamphlet from the Theatre Historical Society that says the during the demolition of another old Chicago palace - the Norshore - "Local newspapers ran photos of the wrecker's ball swinging at the columned lobby with chandeliers, furniture, and statuary still in place."

I've put up a few photos from the Nortown at http://www.mekong.net/random/nortown.htm

Regards,
Bruce

Thanks for the link. Great pictures (quality and eye), just wish they were of a living, breathing, thriving Nortown as it was back in the day.

There is now a gaping hole at the Nortown procenium. I'm very concerned for the Patio and the Ramova. Any word on movement with these places?

bing00,
I wouldn't be concerned for the Patio at this point, as it is still a money generating property with the apartments and storefronts. The owner, AFAIK, is still waiting for a long term lease before proceeding any further with renovations on the theater. I just cruised around there and it's locked up tight and has had any graffiti removed on a regular basis.

It sounds like they have the right idea at the Ramova. I have heard of proposals that sit at different points along the reuse spectrum. But everything I have read says that they at least want to save the exterior along Halsted Street. I think they could have taken the same approach with the Nortown. Americans by and large don't seem to understand possession of history and how it could be marketed far more successfully than another modern mall or condo complex.

At least some sections of the building have been salvaged by Urban Remains for new life elswhere. While I have heard mixed reviews about them over the years, I think they are basically a positive force within the fabric of preservation.

Well, the facade was pretty blank and severe, probably because of the depression. Especially after the parapet wall at the top of the entrance was removed. You'd need to punch a lot of windows in it, and it probably just wouldn't end up looking too great. I'd like to see the scrapped proposal from VOA Architects.

I hear what you are saying B. I'm not saying that I have a carefully conceived plan. But the mark of a good architect is an ability to look at project constraints and come up with an attractive solution.

Yeah. Maybe something like preserving the lobby section and building a new, compatible structure on the auditorium section - something like the proposal for the Hyde Park theater - would have worked.

Rapp & Rapp designed the (1931) Nortown Theatre mezzanine floor with the same milti color "basket weave" marble design as they had put inside the (1922) Akdar Theatre lobby in Tulsa, OK.

JEO Pridmore was the architect for the Nortown. What is your source?

Perhaps you mean the Norshore, http://cinematreasures.org/theater/964/

Thank you, BWC! How careless of me, of course it was the NORSHORE I was refering to.
http://www.photoeye.com

The facade is currently about half down.

Just saw on the news that NORTOWN is being torn down an in it place will go what else CONDOS . And from what i have herd romm for 2 smaller theatres .

It is a sad day when great places like this are replaced with CONDOS and all that is left is a foot note to history.

SO SAD :( Thank you for your time .

what channel did you see that on? I wonder if they'll hae that info on the web?

Found this:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/496914,CST-NWS-nortown04.article

I can't believe it's gone..

Batwoman :
I saw it on WGN CH 9 it was a short peace but it might be on the web . It was on the 9pm broadcast on saturday Aug 4th 2007.

The photo in the Sun-Times article above is really heartbreaking.

Everything about this is heart breaking.

Just like the song says " Pave paradise, put up a parking lot"

Hartbreaking and very sad 1st the Esqurie and now this :(

I've had mixed feelings about the demolition of the Nortown. This may be because I've never attended movies here. A famous archeitect once said (and I'm paraphrasing here) "We will be judged not by the works we created, but by those we destroyed." (If any fellow CTers know which archeitect this was, please let me know.

But on the other hand, could the Nortown realistically have been saved? The building, from what I understand, was in very bad shape. Assuming that it could have somehow been saved, what could be booked? Could the place have been filled enough times so that it could make a profit or at least cover expenses? The competition out there is just too great!

Could the theatre have been used again for film? It seems to me that the place would have been just too big for that. As one person said above "30 people would show up to sit in a 2,000 seat theatre." It might seem heresy to say this, but it's best chance might have been to restore the lobby and do what they did to the Esquire (only on a much more classier level--ie maybe 4 screens and definitely NOT shoeboxes, but with some atmosphere to them). Certainly the present owner realized that he could not fill the old Nortown showing Bollywood and Pakistani movies. I do, however, agree that this city does not need more condos.

The point is that, as much as we love old theatres, we must be pragmatic. Not everything can be saved. I should say that I love places like the Tivoli and the Portage, however those are much smaller venues and therefore easier to book. I also think that the Esquire and the DuPage could have been saved too. But as far as preservation is concerned, one must choose one's battles carefully. But to those who attended and loved the old Nortown, you can take solace in your good memories of the place. Remember it as it once was and also take solace in that, thanks to Urban Remains, parts of the theatre can and will live on, possibly to be re-used in cinemas such as the Lake.

This is the first I've heard of the "structurally unsound" label. I do know that Patel initially did want to save the theater, but the cost of mechanical upgrades was prohibitive. The interior, except for the downstairs auditorium, was consmetically in good condition a year ago, though much of the ornamentation had already been removed years before.

Not only is it easier to fill a smaller venue like the Tivoli or Portage, but you need a place for them to put their cars, too. A 2,000 seat neighborhood house is an anachronism; if a theater is large, it has to be a regional destination. The Tivoli has on-site parking, and the Portage has a municipal lot half a block away. The Nortown is in the middle of arguably the worst parking mess in the City outside of Downtown. Two small screens serving the local populace will work a lot better there.

Parking is a nightmare there, but until it closed, it served the neighborhood folks since opening. People walked there and they can take the bus there. So realistically, the parking around there is suitable for those that choose to drive.

Granted, I lived across the street, so I'd just walk through the alley, cut through the parking lot and then cross Western and I was there. Took me a couple minutes to walk it.

Sure, but eventually, it didn't serve enough neighborhood folks to continue operating.

The buses wouldn't help much, either. Let's say 2,000 people came to an event on a Saturday evening. Half of them paired up in cars - that's 500 cars, which would be difficult but possible to accommodate between the Mutual Bank parking lot and on-street parking around the neighborhood. The other 1,000 people have their choice of four buses that run every twenty minutes. Assuming everyone goes in each direction equally, it would take over an hour before everyone gets on a bus.

Of course, there is no shortage of cabs in the neighborhood (even though they usually have their "Off Duty" lights on today), but having that many people hail cabs at the same time comes with its own set of problems.

Yeah, you gotta understand that places like the Nortown were built in an entirely different business climate. Back then the thing was to drop a lavish theatre in the middle of a working class neighborhood. People were attracted to these fine buildings because they provided an avenue for the average guy to feel like royalty, and be entertained for a few cents. Air conditioning was also a pretty big deal. Fewer people had personal entertainment devices in their homes. Fewer people had cars, so many would walk. Others might travel a short distance on the steet car. The whole neighborhood would converge to see a show. Starbucks has used a similar strategy over the last fifteen years by dropping upper class coffee houses with exotic products in working class neighborhoods around Chicago, after initially only opening them in elite suburbs.

Imagine leaving your average Chicago apartment in the heat of summer and walking down the street toward the shimmering marquee of your air-conditioned neighborhood movie palace? It must have been pretty cool.

At this stage of the game most people can afford a window air conditioner, everyone has a TV, and the tendency is to try and feel like a big shot by buying a giant TV with surround sound. People like to go out to see new releases. But they don't want to waste time with buses and street parking. They want to drive to the local AMC, pull into the lot and see the show. I love old theatres and even I feel that way.

I am really sorry to see the Nortown go, and I think they could have saved a section of it. But the idea of reusing this property for entertainment purposes definitely posed a lot of challenges.

Don't forget, you have worse parking with the multi plexes, the more screns, the worse the parking is. There's a 20 screen about a mile from my house and the parking lot is packed. If you're lucky you can get a close spot. If not then you are parking the equivilent of about half a block away and walking there. Even though it's in the same lot as a strip mall with a kmart, few restaurants and hollywood video.

I like the big places like that sure, but we need to preserve the older places and go out of our way to see movies there. That's why I either go to Fox Lake (even though they expanded it in recent years) or Antioch. I actually go out of my way to go to the one I live behind (the above mentiond theater).

Also the trend in theaters now is to go back in time and make a movie palace, although that's not what their calling it. It's now being dubbed as theme or something like that.

you can't tell me an old palace like Nortown wouldn't make it if it were kept up.

Too, for the above poster, that neighborhood has changed so much in the past 30+ years. I remember what it was like in the 70s and 80s... night and day difference compared to what it is today.

If I ever have the money, I will seriously rebuild the Nortown some place in Lake County.

I posted a tribute to the Nortown on my Myspace blog in June, I had no idea it would take them this long to pull it down...

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=15989798&blogID=279867875&Mytoken=4B9E0BEF-4D22-446A-83AB965FA7117F43464760

Jerry, I was working at the Nortown when you saw Star Wars. Per the messages above, it was possible to actually sell out the Nortown, including the balcony. We did it when we had Star Wars. However, it was infrequent after Star Wars that we ever had to open up the balcony again. I recall that we did do pretty good business when we had the movies "Beverly Hills Cop" and "The Muppet Movie". There were other movies as well that we were kept hopping, especially on Friday nights and weekends. But the majority of the time the theater was not packed. Certainly, as I commented in an earlier message above, there were some weeknights where only thirty people would show up. And, since there have been big changes in the neighborhood from the late '70s and early '80s, I doubt that a movie like "Beverly Hills Cop" would pull in the same amount of patrons. Still, I think that it is extremely sad that my children will never know the wonderment of a movie "palace". I recall that many patrons that were making their first visit to the Nortown would look up in amazement at the mural ceilings in the lobby and then step into the auditorium and stare at the twinkling lights in the ceiling and the nautical themes along the walls.

By the way, whomever moderates this web site may want to change the Nortown's status from "closed/demolished" to "demolished".

Nortown--

Oh, but there are "palaces" that you could take your children to. That is, if you are willing to do it on a somewhat smaller scale. You could take them to the Tivoli in Downers Grove. If you don't want to drive all that way, there's a Metra station across the street (what a great idea for the kids--combining an afternoon at a wonderful old theatre and a train ride).

There's also the Music Box and the Portage. The Pickwick is also a possibility (just make sure that the movie you want is in the main theatre and not in the shoeboxes).

Granted, these places are smaller than the true palaces were, but at least your children could get an idea of what the palaces were like.

And if you don't mind a drive of a couple hours, there's the Oriental in Milwaukee, which I think is the only regularly-operating movie theater in the area that has a balcony.

Antioch isn't a palace but an old movie house, still 1 screen, little place kind of like the old Skokie theater. Complete with balcony. Best part of all this is they are a first run theater with prices you haven't seen since the 70s, if not 60s.

Some photos of the Nortown demolition can be seen here. Click each photo to expand it.

thanks for the pictures. I must be a sadist because I keep wanting to see pictures of demo since I couldn't get down there for it, yet it's so heartbreaking to see her go like that.

Just a couple of thoughts about the demise of the Nortown. I too was raised in the neighborhood directly across from the Nortown, (Oakley) and lived there from 1974-1991 until I moved to NYC, although my parents lived in the neighborhood until last year. I think a few of the posters here tend to look at the demise of the theatre as maybe a little bit a destruction of a bygone era, possibly their youth.

But you have to face the facts the neighborhood changed, the times changed, the medium of how we experience films have changed. Direct TV, Video, Video on-demand, etc. has effected how we watch film. The Nortown was probably losing money for the owner the last 5 or so years it was opened, even with the split in a multiplex. The demographics of the neighborhood was also changing and as neighborhood ages less people go to the movies (I think my parents last film at the Nortown was "Comes a Horseman"). The neighborhood could not simply support a facility that large. Also, you have remember when it was built there was a limited amount of avenues to spend your free time, (what is Television?) and about 80% of the population would go to the movies.

With that said it is a real shame that year after year, one by one these great structures are being demo'd to make room for more cookie cutting condos. But before I go here are my favorite memories of the Nortown.

1. Midnight Movies – I don't remember how many times I saw "A Song Remains the Same".

2. Star Wars opens in the spring 1977, for any pre-teen a high water mark growing up. However, by late summer, I was praying that they would change the Movie!!!, remember only one screen.

3. "The Greek Tycoon" not much of a film but I saw my first movie Boobie!

4. Seeing Blazing Saddles with Jonathan Blintstein, didn't "get" half the jokes but that campfire scene, whoa!

5. Finally, remembering all the times and faces of my friends who went to Stone and St. Henry's, Mather and Senn, etc.

Stone and Senn. Yeah we went there.

Class of 79 and 83 respectively

88 and 91 myself

my sister... 76 and 80, my older brother 80 and 84....

Batwoman, what is your Brother's Name? if you would like you can respond to my email address to remain private, I think I might have an idea.

Re Salvage

I am glad to see saved what could be be saved, I have one of the plaster deco's from the interior, nothing special about it and its somewhat crumbly, but I like it.
I like the 30"x20" alternating Art Deco facade panels, as a sculptor who specializes in re-creating Victorian and Art Deco elements, I decided to sculpt at least one model of the 3 different Art Deco panels if not all 3, but in a smaller more apartment/home friendly size, I'll start on a clay model soon as I decide on the size to make it. These are simple designs but attractive, these designs will continue to live on.

Randall,
Randall's Lost New York City.
Sculpture studio and web gallery of historic lost NYC buildings and ornaments.

Does anyone have pictures of the Nortown Theatre from the 1960's and 1970's? I would love to see them posted.

Seen some of the interior around in a Google search for the theater name Cubby, though the quality of some were pretty poor- like newspaper photos scanned.


Randall,
Randall's Lost New York City.
Sculpture studio and web gallery of historic lost NYC buildings and ornaments.

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/3520.html

that picture really doesn't do it justice.

The Will Rogers was closed within a year after the Cineplex-Odeon takeover and some people stated that they never saw C-O logos at that theatre (the Plitt/Plitt-Essaness/CO-Plitt name continued for about a year after that, say into 1986). Did Cineplex-Odeon ever place its logos at the Nortown, which lasted about 5 years after CO took over?

not that I remember. I lived across the street from the Nortown until 10 years ago.

I think that C-O put its logos in its new theatres and the ones it renovated such as the McClurg Court and Lakeshore/Broadway. I have a feeling that C-O knew it was getting rid of its older non-renovated properties.

Could be.

For those who live in West Ridge (home of the Nortown), our Historical Society is currently seeking photos and memorabilia of historic interest for a new book called Images of America: West Ridge. The deadline is October 15, 2007. For more information contact: rogersparkbook@gmail.com or call 312.545.7792.

west ridge? that must be new. it's always been west rogers park as far as I know.

west ridge? that must be new. it's always been west rogers park as far as I know.

West Ridge has been a seperate community area since the 1890s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Ridge%2C_Chicago

huh, I have never heard it called west ridge before. I've always and only known it to be West Rogers Park. In fact, there's a marker by Loyola that says Rogers Park. granted it's not right there by the theater, but I did grow up across the street from nortown.

sadly, I have no pictures of the place. wish I did! Would love to seen any and all pictures people have of the old place.,

I decided on the size of my models to replicate the Nortown frieze panels, the two with the comic and tragic faces as well as the plain Art Deco design, so it will be nice that these will live on and be more widely enjoyed.
The orignals on the theater facade were almost 31" wide and 20" high, as well as about 6" thick, and that's HEAVY.
My clay models will wind up a nominal 21-1/2″ by 14-1/4″ and maybe 2" thick which is a practical size to display on today’s modern walls.
I expect to be starting on the first one in a week or two.
Randall,
Randall's Lost New York City.
Sculpture studio and web gallery of historic lost NYC buildings and ornaments.

I have pictures and 35 mm slides of the exterior and interior of the Nortown from the late 70's and early 80's taken when I worked there. They are currently on loan to the owner of Urban Remains Chicago, the company doing the salvage of the Nortown. I will contact him and see if I can get them back in time for the Historical Society.

By the way, Batwoman, I also lived a block from the Nortown. West Ridge was used by some of the community organizations in the area. Technically, there is not a West Rogers Park and an East Rogers Park. It is West Ridge and Rogers Park. I grew up in both areas.

"...doing the salvage on the Nortown"

*DID* I think you meant to say, It's my understanding the theater was already gone some time back, I saw the last part of it's demolition photos on flickr.com I believe, it's "history" now, no more salvaging left to do.

Randall,
Randall's Lost New York City.
Sculpture studio and web gallery of historic lost NYC buildings and ornaments.

Last I checked a couple weeks ago the lobby section was still partly left

Thanks BW, but all of the salvagable stuff has been long removed right? All that would remain now is part of a hulk the machines will remove in a matter of days as rubble/site clearance.

Randall,
Randall's Lost New York City.
Sculpture studio and web gallery of historic lost NYC buildings and ornaments.

For those who might be interested in learning about or seeing how those salvaged terra-cotta facade ornaments and panels were originally made, I began my reduced scale model of the first of the set of three frieze panel designs that were located on the ground floor facade.

I begin with my wood form built to the size I wanted, in this case roughly 22x14, and this photo shows 75# of clay packed into the form;

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/Randall2/nortown-model-1.jpg

Once that is filled, the clay is then screeded flush and flat with the form;

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/Randall2/nortown-model-2.jpg

And finally, about an hour later the design and it's guide-lines are roughly drawn on the surface of the clay;

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/Randall2/nortown-model-3.jpg

As I work on this model in the coming week, the design gets developed, deepened refined and detailed, but this is how all of these were done in the old days, and this is how I do them as well.

Randall,
Randall's Lost New York City.
Sculpture studio and web gallery of historic lost NYC buildings and ornaments.

very cool. It's funny you should post this. I drive down to Sycamore on a regular basis for work and the first time I went there I saw the old, original hospital. I walked in and it was great. I wanted to learn more about it. You don't see workmanship like that anymore. Now you have houses that are slapped together with wood frames and sealed off with vinal siding. Doesn't feel very sturdy on very windy days.

I keep thinking if I ever have the money, I'm going to build a house like they used to. Good quality materials, solid wood. None of this hollow core door crap.

I was even thinking of doing a basement into a theater. A brief idea popped into my head right after that (I should add, I spend way to much time in my car alone with my thoughts) I was thinking of doing it in an artdeco theme or maybe a little touch of Nortown.

This is true Batwoman, because buildings in this country don't last long, and it wasn't because of the materials- many study buildings that could have lasted 500 years were torn down in 30 because the new owner wanted to modernize or it would cost more to renovate than build new.
The way they built houses in the old days is a lost art almost, you would be hard pressed to find a contractor who even knows how to build a plaster and lath wall as was standard before around 1950. People dont build like that any more too because MOST people dont buy or build a house and live there 30 years, they may stay 5 before having to move.

Wood frames, you mean that pressed glue-board that passes these days as "plywood"? the stuff is garbage, cheap!

nope, actual plywood. we bought a new construction home 10 years ago and I came into the house when it was framed. I don't know about the homes built in more recent years, but ours has actual plywood studs.

I have completed the first of three panels, it went along a lot quicker than I expected- about 5 hours of modelling time;


http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/Randall2/nortownD5-RDone-sm.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/Randall2/nortownD5-RDone2-sm.jpg

I anticipate while this clay model dries, I'll start the second panel and come back to this one to "clean up" a bit when the clay firms up more.

Now that I finished the first model, I started the second one today of the "tragedy" mask

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/Randall2/NortownD6-started.jpg

As I re-read this thread a bit it reminded me to add some comments about preservation, the destruction of the theater, and thousands of similarly historic buildings around the country is in part due to the fact that these buildings have not been landmarked or added to the historic structures list thereby enabling preservation as well as grants, low interest loans and tax credits to their owners, the difference there could mean the difference between destruction and renovation. Any time it is CHEAPER to demolish and build new, they will do it, the idea is to make it LESS expensive to preverve, restore, and adapt these old buildings to new uses.
In my little town the old Carnegie library built 1910 was replaced with a new library around the corner, the attractive little brick building was too small, lacked handicapped access etc. It was offered to a local artist for $1 with the provision he spend $5,000 of his renovation expendature at LOCAL businesses.

He renovated it into a fine dining restaurant, he restored the damaged brickwork perfectly, replaced the florescent lights with period style ceiling lamps and the interior looks like it belongs. As he wanted a small entrance level spot for two outdoor tables, the iron railing he installed was authentic to the 1910 style.
It was a win-win for the city, the new owner and local businesses in every way, and the building was restored and repaired.

Consider joining the National Trust for Historic Preservation and getting their excellent magazine;

http://www.nationaltrust.org/advocacy

Across the nation a teardown epidemic is wiping out historic neighborhoods one house at a time. As older homes are demolished and replaced with dramatically larger, out-of-scale new structures, the historic character of the existing neighborhood is changed forever. Neighborhood livability is diminished as trees are removed, backyards are eliminated, and sunlight is blocked by towering new structures built up to the property lines. Community economic and social diversity is reduced as new mansions replace affordable homes. House by house, neighborhoods are losing a part of their historic fabric and much of their character.
To help arm neighborhood residents, preservationists and local government leaders, the National Trust has published Protecting America's Historic Neighborhoods: Taming the Teardown Trend to address the origins and impact of teardowns.

Historic neighborhoods can be protected from teardowns, through a variety of tools and approaches that manage this type of growth. Because there is no "one-size-fits-all" solution or "magic bullet" that will stop teardowns, communities should expect to use a combination of tools. To help with this process, the National Trust is working to show models and profile communities that have developed innovative strategies through the online Teardowns Resource Guide.

Federal law provides a federal income tax credit equal to 20% of the cost of rehabilitating a historic building for commercial use. To qualify for the credit, the property must be a certified historic structure—that is, on the National Register of Historic Places or contributing to a registered historic district. (Non-historic buildings built before 1936 qualify for a 10% tax credit.) A substantial rehabilitation is necessary, and the work must meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. Applications for the credit are available through your state historic preservation office, and the final decisions are made by the National Park Service. For more information, take a look at our Rehabilitation Tax Credit Guide, prepared by our Community Revitalization Department. In addition, the National Park Service's website offers helpful information on this tax credit. (At present, individuals rehabilitating a historic property for their primary residence do not qualify for this tax credit.)

These posts are really losing any relevance to the Nortown, Randall. Your sculptures are interesting, but ultimately are not part of the Nortown and I don't think we need to keep hearing about them.

Sure thing BW, but in my last two posts I did add a LOT more content relative to preservation and how to get involved in preservation efforts to stop demolition in the first place! The link to my photo in one of the last two posts was an extremely minor, insignificant part- one line in a 37 line post about preservation efforts, and then my last post was a continuation of the tax credits for restoration of historic structures.
I thought that information would be of value to readers here, instead of lamenting the lost after the fact- get angry, get involved and prevent it from happening AGAIN because this WILL happen again and again unless people get involved in a proactive way.
So far I haven't seen anything here about stopping the destruction or anyone posting about HOW to do that.

Randall,
It's easy to stand up on a soapbox and preach down to the invisible readers of the internet that we should all rise up do something, and it’s far easier to preach when something is after the fact.
Your posts would not have been relevant in this situation if the building were still standing today. The idea of adaptive reuse did not fit in with the plans the owner had for the location.
If you would like to issue diatribes as to how the cost of preservation efforts for commercial and residential properties can be partially offset by the tax laws of the US government, I am sure that there are plenty of places where your views would be welcomed and relevant. This specific Nortown location is not an appropriate place for this discussion and continuing to spew out information on “saving” properties is a slap in the face to all of the people on the Nortown list who loved this theater. We are all already heartsick over her loss. I am sure that there is a forum somewhere on Cinema Treasures where this topic is appropriate, but this isn’t it.
If you would like to continue to update this list on the progress of your art deco comedy/tragedy masks I could imagine that would be

Super;
The preservation issue of course no longer applies to THIS theater, it's history, but it serves here as a reminder of what was lost and what SHOULD have been done, using this information now should be motivational to working towards preventing a repeat when/where ever possible/practical. Of course not every building can ever be saved, and there's plenty that probably are best left in the landfill.
In this case the owner was quoted by the media as saying he considered saving the building but that "the numbers didnt work out." Okay, then if this isn't the place to discuss this, then Im outta here, see ya around I guess.

Super;
BW doesn't seem to want me to post further on the Nortown models, so I won't be posting in this page again at all, take care.

I am a lot younger than most of the people posting here, but I wanted to chime in. The last movie I saw at Nortown was "War of the Roses" (1989/90), a film far too adult in nature for my 8 year old self at the time. I have fond memories of this theatre. What little I can remember. I loved the staircase and all the ornamentation. I remember it was always pretty empty. I loved looking up at all the stars on the ceiling. I would just get lost in the atmosphere on the place. I wish I could have seen it before it was split up into three screens. I remember upstairs there was one of those old-fashioned scales. It might have been the kind that gives you a fortune with your weight. There was also video games, but I can't remember on what level. I lived just a block or two away and it was such a convenient option. My best friend of over 20 years used to see flicks with me there, so it reminds me of a different time in my life with her.

Now as an adult, I would drive by and soak in her beauty each time I passed knowing one day it would be gone. That day has come and it's heartbreaking. Thank you Urban Remains for posting some affordable pieces for purchase. I am so happy I have a piece of her now that she no longer stands. It's like a piece of my childhood.

It was even better before they split it. Although they did revert back to a single screen when they tried to save it before closing as a theater for good.

I just ran into someone on LJ in a MFU group of all places that is a fellow west (east) rogers park gal who was surprised to hear me mention that the nortown's gone now.

So sad, sorry old friend I should have been there. If anybody has photos of the outside from the 80s please please post them. I can remember spending all day at D&M Sportscards ( Max's ) that was just a few doors down then going to the Nortown for 2.00 Tusedays in 88 and 89. Every year another part of my youth gets wiped away. With the building gone the street dose not even look the same, it's almost like we were never even there. I guess I will have to go through this with Wolfy's and Wrogley Field someday.

Of Course that should be Wrigley field.

I just heard Wolfy's is gone.

Senn Class of '63

I have taken a couple of days to read the comments on the Nortown, and was having the most difficult time specifically recalling the theater until I viewed photos of the lobby in the links above, even though the lobby reportedly had been painted over since I ever was last there. Still the white, and blue, maybe the gold, brought the Nortown back to me through a direct recall of a question that came into my own mind those years ago while taking in the Nortown lobby. The question came out of the nature of Devon Avenue then.

As to background, in the '50s (maybe even the '40s and back to its inception [would be interesting to learn]), Devon Avenue was an active, high end shopping street of small upscale shops, especially women's dress shops. There were also service shops such as cobblers and tailors, that type of thing. I remember being told by a clerk in a shop that it used to be that matrons would come to shop on Devon Avenue from around the north side of Chicago, and the drivers would pull up and be given a number, and the customer would be given the same number, then when the customer was finished, her driver would somehow be called to pull up in front, and the shops had employees to carry the customer's packages to the auto. This was still going on in the late '50s. One popular shop on Devon Avenue was Seymour Paisin; I don't remember how many blocks east of Western Avenue that shop was located, but it may have been just to the west of the central shopping area. I write all of this precedent to saying the following:

I remember running an errand on Devon Avenue then coming around the corner and going to a movie at the Nortown. I chose to remain in the lobby and enter the house for the beginning of the next show, not a real long wait but it gave me time to gaze and consider the Nortown's design compared to other movie houses in the area. The lobby photos brought me back to the question that developed in my mind that day. I remember having an insight that, perhaps, in its halcyon days, it was that women, single, or in groups, came to Devon Avenue in the mid morning to shop, then maybe ate lunch, then finished their afternoon (together) by attending a matinee at the Nortown? It seemed the perfect setup for that. The color scheme suggested to me then that it was of a particularly feminine style of the '50s emphasizing pastels, especially blue, maybe green, and cream colors which were popular in the '50s. It emphasized sunny climes and sleek and fast living, not so different from what might have been found as decor in hotels in Miami Beach and southern California. Think some of Frank Sinatra's snappiest tunes.

One of the links above led to, I think, the West Ridge site at Wikipedia, which stated this area was a long established Jewish neighborhood, which, indeed, is as I remember it from the '50s and early '60s. When I visited this area, it was from farther south on the north side, though I resided just south of Peterson Avenue about '69-'70. As far as the shops on Devon were concerned then, the street seemed to be heading downhill. So, what I have been thinking about as to the Nortown's interior marine decor, especially the fantastical sea horses in green, is that a fair number of the regular patrons in the Nortown at that time were persons who might spend vacations in Florida or even California. (I also think there may have been women's dress shops on Devon that specialized in just the type of clothing one might take to Florida, but I can't be more specific.) If anyone does have such memories of the area, I would be curious to learn what they might have to say. Maybe Bartonius might remember some of this?

Also, nearby there was the beach area to the east, albeit it was a lake, not a sea, and the social environment of the Edgewater Beach Hotel, which had been a pretty active resort in an earlier day.

A coupla: I don't remember marine designs per se on the exterior of the Nortown; wasn't it a different motif on the exterior, more tight brick, and classical and art deco designs in the terra cotta? On one of the links, not UrbanRemains, but the Wikipedia link I think, is a photo of Devon Avenue today. On another northside Chicago CT site a blogger mentioned that in Chicgo rehabbers just put something plain up over the exterior of deteriorating old buildings so that when that plain facade is removed later on, treasures of design are discovered. Then there followed lengthy discussion about how to save/preserve; and if something can be saved, what values to consider as to saving structures. (BTW, I appreciated Randall's comments.) My thought was to study the beautiful design intrinsic to this neighborhood, including what caused the Nortown to have been developed as it was, those shops on Devon might serve as a boon by having some of the current facades removed. Perhaps one day, incentives (not necessarily straight "dough re me" but maybe other incentives) might be developed to rehab a neighborhood before it hits near bottom whether it has viable residency or not. Does anyone remember the design, if any, of the pavement at the front of the Nortown?

I am just wondering if the ambient decor of the Nortown emphasizing a fantasy of water creatures and delightful sea escapism didn't speak to the type of popular travel destination for Chicagoans I mentioned above, and also celebrated the way art deco emphasized nature and its creatures, a popular style then. I may be wrong on this, but it seems that I looked around the Nortown one time and noticed that most of the design features were about nature and sea creatures, but there really wasn't much in the design about water itself. Trivia, but I don't think the Nortown had design features such as water fountains, or waterfalls, or watery designs so much as "things you would find in water or at the beach." Any comment?

Considering that the Nortown was built in 1931, I don't believe that the nautical design had any relationship to the shops that may have been on Devon Avenue and their clientle of the time. The relatively small lobby did not allow for any type of waterfalls. I worked at the Nortown for seven years and the interior color scheme never impressed me as being "pastel". The Granada Theatre to the east and the Uptown Theatre to the south had much more elaborate exteriors and interiors. I have several photographs that I took from the early 1980's that I hope to scan shortly and post on this site. I think you will see from them that the interior had rather bold colors.

Thank you. I spent much more time at the Uptown, and also the Granada, than the Nortown. Though this theater was not as ornate as those, it left me with the question I set out above. My recollection is that it was more "marine" than "nautical." Could be incorrect about that. I also remember the "zodiac motif" and wonder why that was included for this theater.

Their are picture of the NORTOWN at this adress

www.mekong.net/random/theatres.htm

Thay are in set nummber 17

thank you for your time.

The last time I was in this theatre was just after they partitioned it into three auditoriums. It was for that reason I didn't return.

I drove by a few months ago and saw that it was demolished. While not surprising as it was boarded up for so long, it was sad to see another lovely theatre gone.

SPearce asked about the Zodiac signs--I think this was because of the nautical theme. Ship navigators used the star signs as their guides during sailing and maybe that's why they were used in the decor.

The theatre always reminded me of something out of the movie "20,000 Leagues under the Sea." One could almost imagine James Mason (Captain Nemo) stepping out from behind a pillar.

Melodance: Thank you. Silly, silly me that I did not remember that! It was obvious when you sat long enough and considered them, that you were looking at what seafarers might have seen at night. The interior designs did offer food for thought to occupy us until the movie started; was it not so? Thank you again.

For an interesting view of the Nortown, go to Google Maps, and enter in the address 6340 N. Western, Chicago, IL. Click on the "street view" and you will get an image of the Nortown as it was being demolished.

yep, was playing with that last week after my sister mentioned Villa Palermo. It will still entact when I saw it, but there was a dumpster out front. don't know if things have changed since then.

Hey Batwoman:
I remember Villa Palermo well! Great thin crust pizza. I recall that two guys ran the place. They may have been father and son since they looked alike. After I moved to the suburbs from Rogers Park 15 years ago, I found that these same two guys had opened up a Villa Palermo in Palatine on Rand Road. It has since closed.

Here is some detail from the upstairs lobby ceiling:
http://tinyurl.com/2ldyax

Nortown, my sister thought she was seeing things. She swore she saw one on rand in Lake Zurich when we were going to Kirklands last week but we didn't see it and guessed it was closed since information didn't have the number.

check out their website though, they're still on Devon.

Ken, that picture is great! I'd love to see any and all pictures of Nortown like that, that people have. Still breaks my heart that she was destroyed and is now gone.

I have images that I would love to post on this site but am not sure how...any suggestions?

You could upload them through http://imageshack.us/ and link using the address link they give you

photobucket.com and flickr.com are a couple other options. With these two (don't remember if you can do this with image shack as well) you can set up your own account and organize the images in folders and such.

I remember going with my cousins to see Saturday afternoon double features at the Nortown. Seems they always included one Dracula movie. There used to be a little shop next door that sold candy and maybe even popcorn that you could buy and sneak into the Nortown. I think the last movie I saw at the Nortown was Taxi Driver when it first came out. Sat up in the balcony. Loved the Nortown. Real shame it's gone.

Telephone number in 1954 was ROgrsPk 4-4224.

The replacement project has gone live. http://nortownterrace.com/index.htm

FYI. There was a two page pictorial of Chicago Movie Palaces in the Sunday Feb. 22nd Chicago Tribune Magazine titled Portfolio/You must remember this.

It was surprising brief with only 3 b&w pictures. No article, just captions describing each photo.

A 1936 exterior of the Parkway Theatre on South Michigan Ave. A 1931 interior shot of the Nortown, and a 1921 shot of just the lobby doors of the Chicago Theatre.

All three photos were courtesy of the Theatre Historical Society of America in Elmhurst.

Have they built anything on the site yet?

Reactivate Notification Status.

Here are some photos from 1982 and 1983:
http://tinyurl.com/cydlco
http://tinyurl.com/c58cth
http://tinyurl.com/csh4mx
http://tinyurl.com/cjbdq2
http://tinyurl.com/cq3qrl

Cool. I actually saw "Tron" at the Nortown.
And "Flashdance" co-starred Chicago's
own Kyle Heffner. Whom I worked with in Evanston just 2 years earlier. He was part of the Practical Theatre Company on Howard Street too.

Sally's Stage was across the street from the Nortown. We covered this on one of the other CT pages. The organ they had in the restaurant/bar may or may not have come from the Nortown. I think someone said it was smaller.

I don't think anything has been built on the site yet. I saw it from Peterson Ave. not long ago.