Will Rogers Theater

What a 60"s theater!I use to go there on Tuesdays at 10am.for their fun show which showed cartoons and had prize give-aways.My mother Frances would take me there in her 1965 Ford Falcon.This theater had bright red carpeting and was very small in size.Had a very twinkling sky ceiling that was beautiful to watch.They truly dont build them like this anymore.It was a shame to knock it down to make way for a mini-mall.

I was visiting Chicago during the early stages of the theatre's demolition and went inside. I'd estimate the seating to be in the 1200 range including the balcony. The Belmont/Central area of Chicago is a nice section of the city and the theatre looked as though it had been well cared for. I have some interior pictures of the theatre which I'll submit when the process is back online.

I beleive that the chair was ABC theatre's. I worked there in 1973 as an usher.

I saw many Disney movies there as a child. I was so sad to see this theater torn down.

I used to pass by this theater on the bus to work every day in the late 80's while it was still open and then when it closed and was demolished. It seems when it was open, they didn't do much to try to increase business or interest in the theater. I always thought it would be a great place to restore, it wasn't in bad shape or anything, just needed some TLC and someone to take interest. It's in a very busy area with lots of foot traffic. Today, I think it would do very well. It's unfortunate that the owners sold out for a strip mall.

I remember seeing many of my favorite Disney movies there in the 1980s (Snow White, Cinderella, etc.) As the previous poster pointed out, the theater probably would have gotten a lot of business nowadays, considering it's in a well-traveled area.

I hate to be cliche, but it's a shame that the only memories kids of today will have are seeing the Disney movies at the Multi-plexes or on VHS/DVD and not knowing the joy of taking the bus to the movie theater on Saturday morning with your mom to see "The Aristocats", "Peter Pan", etc. It was a big deal for us.

The irony of this theatre is that ABC owned it in the end and closed it because they were opening a multi-complex at the Brickyard Shopping Center. When they put the Will on the sale block ABC stipulated that it could not be used to show movies! They didn't want any competition for the new screens. So, the Will gets demolished and the multi-plex goes belly up and is now a fitness center.

Great memories of going to movies as a kid with my mother, brother and later with my friends. Also great memories of being in the balcony with Debbie Zwierczyk.

My father lived around the corner from the Will Rogers in the 50s. He told me he and his sister spent many a hot summer day there as it was one of the few spots in the neighborhood with air conditioning. He said there was a 5-cent pony ride out front.

I used to be a relief manager for Plitt Theatres in the late '70s and early '80s. For a short time, I covered the Will Rogers Theater. Considering the size of the theater, it had a rather large manager's office. In addition, it was somewhat unusual in that the box office was physically outside of the theater building. I also worked at the Gateway, Varsity (in Evanston), and Nortown Theaters. The Nortown was my favorite...see my comments under that theater.

I would take the bus from Lake Street to see some of the best Disney / G-rated films (Streisand's What's Up Doc?) when I was a kid.

The Will Rogers Theatre used to stand on the corner near Belmont & Central - Friends of mine in the Dr. Who set owned a little store called "The New Fantasy Shop" famous for Dr. Who, and Sci-Fi related items. I do believe I saw a film there before the almighty wrecking ball made way for a new strip mall, or condos or whatever took it's place. :( I haven't been up that way in a while.

It's just another useless strip mall standing now where the theatre and ajoining shops used to stand.

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

Wow! Thanks for finding that picture of the Will Rogers, Brian! I had not been able to find one anywhere. It looks kind of dingy in this picture, but when I went there to see movies in the mid-60's it felt as if it was one of the most magical places on earth. Thanks for the memory!

The Will Rogers at the end, though stately, did not offer nearly as exciting a presentation to passersby as on opening day. It originally sported an elaborate electrical display on the front of the builiding over the marquee and an art deco vertical sign on the Belmont Avenue side.

I also suspect that it stood a few more years past 1987...but not too many more. It did seem to be in a good state of repair in later years. I have heard that the last operators (either Plitt or CO) had some sort of legal means for keeping the building from being operated by a competitor after they closed it. That may have contributed to the building's ultimate destruction.

The irony of this theatre is that ABC owned it in the end and closed it because they were opening a multi-complex at the Brickyard Shopping Center. When they put the Will on the sale block ABC stipulated that it could not be used to show movies! They didn't want any competition for the new screens. So, the Will gets demolished and the multi-plex goes belly up and is now a fitness center.

When exactly did the Will Rogers close? I recall that in the '70s and early '80s, it was operated by Plitt. Did the Will Rogers make into the Cineplex-Odeon chain?

Per the comment by Riis Park above, it was Cineplex-Odeon which opened up the Bricktown Theatre. To some extent, the Bricktown was intended to be the replacement for the Will Rogers and the Mercury (and to a lesser extent the Montclare, but that theatre was never owned by C-O/Plitt). As other people have said, the Bricktown was nice when it opened up, but quickly fell into decline. It lasted only 11 years.

Yes, it was a C-O theatre for a while (like the Mercury).

THis ebay stores item features a fantastic photo of the Will Rogers on opening day, complete with movie camera and a ladder to the marquee.

That is sweet.

Russell Phillips photos:

Mural in Foyer
Concession Counter
Exterior

I have never been to Russell Phillps web site. His photos of the Nortown and Varsity Theatres are fantastic. I wonder if he has more of them available. I was actually working at both theatres as a relief manager when he took these pictures!

They photographed about 40 theaters, which were parts of exhibits titled "Theater interiors: Houses of Fantasy" and "Moving Picture Palaces: Color Photographs of Theater Interiors". Some photos were by Don DuBroff as well. The exhibits were at the Cultural Center, Chicago Historical Society, and the U of I Medical Center. There was also a 2000 exhibit at the College of DuPage. A Fall 1985 "Chicago History" magazine features some of DuBroff's pictures, like a wonderful wide shot of the Pickwick auditorium, more ofthe Nortown lobby, the Egyptian in DeKalb, the organ screen dome at the Oriental, the Esquire Balcony landing, lobby and auditorium of the Art theater in Hobart, and the lobby ceiling of the Paramount.

Thanks for the post of the Will pictures. These must have been taken right before they shut down the theatre for good. Perhaps Russell was tipped off as to the Will's demise.

Wow, a forgotten memory of mine brought to life again! Thanks again Brian for posting these Russell Phillips photo links. I remember going to the Will Rogers as a young kid once or twice, no clue anymore what movies I saw, but do recall being creeped out by the Indian's face on that mural looking down at me as my dad and I walked into the auditorium. I'd never in a million years have imagined seeing that Indian again!

wow, these comments and pics bring back memories, I was a candy girl,and cashier in the late 70s, and later was assisant manager in the 80s until it closed. Very busy weekends with Disney movies were our specialty back then. Also had lots of fun working the midnight movies, (that was the in thing to do back then if you were under 21-does anyone remember laughter).Plitt sold the theatre to cineplex odeon, when it eventually closed, big theatres werent making the money anymore. Also worked at the Gateway, nortown, and Mcclurg court. Have some pics of the Will with ushers, candy girls and ticket takers I have to dig up! Thanks for the memories.

Imrael9, I also was a relief manager for Plitt Theatres in the late 70's up until 1985. And I also worked at the Will, Gateway, Nortown, and Varsity Theatres. I probably know you! As I recall, Lenny Cohen was the manager of the Will when I used to give him his day off. I am Steve.

Hi Steve, yes, Lenny was the manger, ( I belive he passed away many years ago), Connie manged the Gateway for a while, I worked w/ her at the Will (and I still keep in touch w/ her). Pat Burns was the District manager. My name is Marge F, we may have not worked togethier if you worked on his or our days off but it is very possible we know each other!

The Russell Phillips photos show that GHOSTBUSTERS was playing here, which would date the photo to 1984. That this place made it into the Cineplex-Odeon chain means that it would have had to exist into 1985-1986. Even if the photo seems re-touched, it is still a great shot!

The Will Rogers was up and running by Cineplex-Odeon for while into the mid 80s and Ghost Busters was showing there, I worked there until it closed!

Warning! Warning! DOWNER ENTRY! When WILL ROGERS ran BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA in "SENSURROUND" they didn't seem to me all that concerned if a few more plaster chips fell off the already (water?) damaged ceiling, due to the vibrations. Also, when they ran INVADERS FROM MARS (the '70s remake) they actually began a reel of it BACKWARDS and didn't notice till I came out to complain (which I didn't right away, shame on me).

Yikes!! I remember Battlestar Gallactica and the attack of the falling celing plaster. Thanks G.Feret for the memories :)

CHICAGO TRIBUNE ad for Saturday, September 5, 1936, announced that the Will Rogers opened on that date. So sad they demolished it, so many treasures gone, and replaced by banality . . . oh, well . . .

Grand Mogul,
Do you have a copy of this ad?

I remember eating ice cream during the shows in the 70's. Also during the Plitt era they had little pull tabs on the popcorn and drinks to win prizes.

I remember this theater from when I used to live in Chicago. I was sorry to see it gone upon returning there. I went to St. Patrick's high school down Belmont Ave in 1967. I would ride the Central Ave bus north to go home. Depending on weather conditions I'd walk from school to Central always seeing what was playing there. Mostly I would go to the Gateway or Portage as they wee closer to home. However I remember seeing the St.Valentine's Day Massacre and Divorce American Style ther in 1967.After that year I moved away never seeing the theater again.

I was a Shamrock too, class of '66. A movie theatre is an anchor of a community and when the Will was shuttered and wrecked so went BC.

Another memory I have is taking my young daughter and nephew to the Will on a Saturday afternoon around 1980 to see Svengoolie live.

The Will Rogers was where I cried when Old Yeller died. I also saw "The Black Hole" and "Fantasia" at that beautiful theatre. That whole retail district was really kitschy-cool back in the 70s and 80s.

This is a 1936 ad from the Portland Cement Association showing the Will Rogers Theater.

Nice ad. I like Balaban & Katz making their presence felt as part of the marquee.

Riis Park,

Did you see the original Svengoolie there, or did you see Rich Koz's Son of Svengoolie (although he now uses simply Svengoolie)?

My girlfriend, now my fiancee, saw Koz/Svengoolie at the Portage in October, 2006.

It was Rich Koz--and the place was packed.

Riis Park and Paul F.

I'll go one better. I once saw "BJ & Dirty Dragon" here. A special episode of the TV show was being filmed here.

Now I've REALLY dated myself!

My brother and I would go here often as the theatre showed many of Walt Disney's films or other movies of the gendre.

Too bad it couldn't be re-used. Served ABC right that the new cineplex wasn't a success!

BJ & Dirty Dragon was one of the last live kids shows to air from Chicago. Now it's all animated and syndicated.

I was by the spot last Sunday. The strip mall where the Will stood is still cheezy as ever but the old Goldblatts building across the street is now an interesting European fruit and deli market.

Melodance,

Actually, the Bricktown, which was the replacement for the Will Rogers and the Mercury, was a Cineplex-Odeon. ABC had been taken over by Plitt circa 1974(?). Plitt had been taken over by C-O circa 1985-6.

The early multiplexes built by C-O circa 1986-1989 were an attempt by that company to modernize the movie-going experience in Chicagoland. But most of them didn't last long. The only one left that I can think of is the Lincoln Village 1-6 and who knows how long that one's gonna last.

In reviewing movie ads from 1986, the Chicago Tribune shows that the Will Rogers was still open in July of that year. It was plaing THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE and FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR. In the ads for December 23, 1986 the Will Rogers is not shown, so I'm assuming that it closed sometime between July and December, 1986. Apparantly, it was showing family fare until the end.

Also, the ads for July, 1986 show it as being "Plitt and Essaness". By December, the ads show "Cineplex-Odeon and Plitt." So

1) Did Plitt and Essaness merge prior to the takeover by C-O?
2) When did the takeover of Plitt/Essaness by C-O occur?
3) Did the Will Rogers actually make it into the C-O chain? Or was it closed prior to this?

What's also interesting is that the above comments state that the Bricktown was the intended replacement for the Will Rogers and the Mercury. But the Bricktown didn't come along until nearly three years after the Will Rogers closed (the Mercury was still operating on 12/23/86).

Paul,

I can't answer all of your questions but I can give you this much information:

This is from the local newspaper THE LEADER dated 11/19/86:

"The Will Rogers Theater, a Belmont Central landmark since the 1940's, was boarded up and listed for sale last week. The asking price is half a million dollars and there is a stipulation that the
buyer cannot show movies in the building."

The article goes on to state that the orignal owners were Balaban &Katz but later was owned by Plitt and that in the spring of 1985 was purchased by Cineplex Odeon of Toronto. The article also stated
that the head of the Belmont-Central chamber of commerce inquired of what the chain intended to with the Will he was told by a Linda
Friendly of their PR dept. that "we have no plans to stop showing films at the theatre at this time. It's a good theatre for us." and
that the rumor about razing the Will was "ridiculous" and "we don't want to see it boarder up."

Well boarding it up and razing it is exactly what they had in mind.

So then the Plitt name must have been used for about a year after the C-O takeover.

Most likely. I don't ever remember seeing the name C-O anywhere at the Will.

they definitely went CO before they closed. i was an usher there at that time and when plitt went to CO our uniforms went from red sports jackets with black ties to this weird red sgt. peppers-leisure-suit-thingy with a black ascot. really quite embarrassing.

FYI. I just happened to catch some exterior pictures of the Will Rogers Theater on the "Mekong" site/link, that is on the Commodore Theatre in Chicago page. As well as a many others. I'm posting this because I see no other active links with exterior photos currently on this page.

What is the web address?

Go to the Commodore Theatre-(in Chicago) page on Cinema Treasures.
The link is embedded in the 01/29/07 post by Cam.
It's got Mekong.net in the link.
Clicking on that link takes you directly to it's theatre's page.
Follow the instructions in the post. The Will Rogers is in the same gallery as the Commodore.

http://mekong.net/random/photo98.htm
http://mekong.net/random/photo99.htm

Or theres that...Thanks.

I just reread RiisPark's 2007 post that cited a 1986 selling criteria, as a "stipulation that the buyer cannot show movies in the building".
This would seem a disturbing clause even by today's standards.
It all but insures that the/a theater won't sell, except to a developer with no intention of saving or restoring such a site.

To think that C-O was that ruthless to avoid competition even back then, seems shameful. Apparently to C-O, it was not a vintage theatre. Just another temporary screen to bring in some numbers.

The irony that such a corporate action took place involving a theatre named after Will Rogers, needs not even be said.

That's not an unusual covenant. That's why you'll see abandoned wal-marts, grocery stores, etc when they build a new one in the area. Also why theatres often go live instead of showing films. In this case, it was Brickyard.

I agree, not unusual. Just disturbing when it comes to theaters.
I understand the no-compete thing. I just think that when it's applied to old movies houses, it's pretty much the kiss of death.
The amount of money to prep a place for live events only: code upgrades, insurance etc., versus just firing up the projector again to get folks in the door, would be vastly different. Mixed use would at least give a new owner a chance to utilize the theatre as is, until they could get all their ducks in a row. Continue to run films until they found their new niche.

now i don't know this as a fact, but from being an employee there for its last few years i think that the will rogers' demise may have come from the fact that there was damage to the structure (the rumor was that it happened years before when they were showing a movie in sensurround, the movie version of the original battlestar galactica, I believe). i had been there personally a few times when the building inspector had come and talked about it but it was always able to squeak by. my guess is that eventually the building didn't pass the inspection.

My mom used to take me there in the 70's to see Disney movies. The things I remember most about the theater was the red carpeting, that the balcony was always closed, and how the popcorn containers had a spot on them where you would peel back the paper to see if there was a star underneath. If there was a star you won a prize.

The Will Rogers, looking just as I remember it:

http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=will+rogers&catpagesize=25&ProductID=26286

Here are two more 1982 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/cudpdx
http://tinyurl.com/cvux8c

Here are more 1982 photos:

Photo1

Photo2

Photo3

Photo4

I grew up in the BC area and going to the WR with the neighborhood guys was a Saturday afternoon ritual.
In the early 60's, I remember Sword and Sandal, Bible and yes, Walt Disney movies. They were later replaced by Pink Panther, Elvis, James Bond and others that were popular from that decade.
It was during this time that I was introduced to 3-D. There was a sci-fi or horror movie (mild by today's standards) playing that afternoon. The employees were handing out those glasses with the cardboard frames and cellophane lenses. Talk about a movie that came alive!
One Saturday, I went with my mother, aunt and cousin to see the Ghost and Mr Chicken. My relatives are all deceased now. Every time I see that movie on video, I remember that evening at the WR.
One Saturday evening in the 70's, I went with my mother to see a movie that dealt with the highly theological question of life after death. The movie was not really eerie but it did make people feel a little bit on edge. I can't remember the name of it but as it came to a close, a big chunk of plaster fell from the ceiling and came crashing down to the floor. I believe no one was hurt, thank God. A few people screamed and there was a big rush for the door. There was some pushing and shoving and I was worried about my mother if this thing turned into a stampede. Luckily things did not escalate any further. (I wonder if the local churches had higher attendance the next morning?)
I believe the last movie I saw there was an 80's midnight Saturday showing of Risky Business or maybe Apocalypse. The theater was packed but I just had a sense the doors would be closing permanently in the near future. I did not read or hear anything, it was just a feeling I had.
I made the rounds of the other theaters in the area; the Luna, Portage, Gateway and Patio (read the site about the Patio and the endeavors to reopen those doors, good luck) but for me, none of them could compare to the WR.
My mother and I continued to live in the area and one Saturday afternoon I went to BC to do some shopping. I could not believe my eyes when I looked west on Belmont. Half of the WR was demolished, mostly from Parkside. The screen, many of the seats and the balcony were still there. The afternoon was cool and overcast, a lttle misty. I got as close as I could to the building and just stood there mesmerized. I felt like I was standing in a different part of the universe. All those memories, fun times and this theater was a big part of it. I wish I would have taken some pictures. When I returned the following Saturday, the whole thing was in rubble.
I continued to live in the area until my mother passed away in 1990. I still live in Chicago and went back to BC a few years ago. The store my mother worked at is gone and that infamous strip mall is there. Yes, it is a high traffic area but for those of us who remember BC during its heyday, there is no comparison. Time moves on, things change and I guess that is the natural progression of things whether we like it or not.
This is just my opinion but when neighborhood theaters and department stores were replaced by multiplexes and malls, we lost a little bit of Americana in the process.
Excuse me for rambling a little bit but I came across this site about a week ago and I have been strolling down memory lane ever since.
Anyway, thanks for all of your comments, pictures and best wishes to you all.