Loop Theater
165 N. State Street,
Chicago,
IL
60601
165 N. State Street,
Chicago,
IL
60601
10 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 69 comments found
A 1952 photo of the theater as the Telenews can be seen here.
Here is a 1949 view
Fifty years ago today, Columbia’s “The 3 Worlds of Gulliver,” in Super Dynamation and Eastman Color, made its Chicago debut at the Loop Theatre. Doors opened at 8:45am for what was described as “Nothing Less Than a Miracle in Motion Pictures!”.
Nice photos.
Strange coincidence. In ken mc’s 1966 photo posted on 4/25/09, the film playing at the Loop is “Dear John”.
From the Sun Times movie directory dated Friday,May 7. 1971: The Stewardesses 3D OPEN LETTER TO LOOP THEATRE MANAGER Dear Sir, We saw ‘THE STEWARDESSES’ at the Loop Theatre. WOW! Are all stewardesses like the ones in the movie? (signed) John and Mary Dear John and Mary, I don’t know. I haven’t met every stewardess. Max Milstein, Mgr. Loop Theatre. (Mr. Milstein was a real person-real name. He worked for Balaban & Katz for years; I remember him from the United Artists theatre in the mid 60s. A short guy with glasses and a dry- sometimes wicked- sense of humour. As managers go, a nice guy.)
Mike – you’re welcome.
Great story KenC.
Re: the newspaper ads for “VIXEN”– on Fridays, for many weeks during the run, the advice columnist Ann Landers (sister of Dear Abby) was spoofed. One example (not the funniest, but the only one I have): from the Sun Times dated Friday, July 11, 1969- OPEN LETTER TO JANE ANDERS Dear Jane: I run a gas station. I’ve been going steady with the same gal for 20 years, but can’t get up the nerve to propose. Last week she suggested my taking her to see “RUSS MEYER’S VIXEN,” but I turned her down. What do you think? (signed) BASHFUL. Dear Bashful: There is no Fuel like an Old Fuel. —JANE. About a month or two before VIXEN started its run, I remember reading that quite a few guys would buy a ticket and time it so they would enter the theatre JUST to see the trailer for VIXEN- and then leave. If memory serves- admission price of $3.00 for perhaps a two and a half minute trailer? No wonder it was a smash hit.
Thanks for listing all those movies.
This beautiful theatre shouldnt have been torn down.
tim – I have seen the ads for THE STEWARDESSES and he actually used that same ad base for Russ Meyer’s VIXEN which played for almost a year there. Sadly I never got to enter the Loop, Carnegie or Cinema though I saw them all from the outside once or twice.
JRS40, You’re absolutely right about not everyone being a fan of Mr. Brotman. Even Tom Brueggemanna acknowleged that Brotman was difficult. I worked at the Cinema Theatre for 6 months in 1981. I never got to know Brotman. I only saw him at the Cinema on it’s last day (September 13, 1981). It’s just if you look at the movie ads in the 1960s and 1970s, you will see that Brotman was a true showman. One of my favorite ads was back in October, 1976 when APE opened at the Loop. It had this big splashy full-page ad, boasting about the movie being in 3-D and all the exciting stuff in the movie. The movie was horrible, but it was another example of Brotman’s style. If you ever get a chance, try to get copies of newspaper ads for THE STEWARDESSES in 3-D. These ads are priceless.
In my collection of reviews and such that I saved as a kid I have an interview Gene Siskel did with and about Oscar Brotman. Others interviewed were not fans of Brotman’s but admired what he did with the Loop Theater having to compete with the palances all around it. From 1969-71 the Loop was the most profitable of ALL the downtown theaters (an AMAZING feat) and the theater was nicknamed “The Little Giant.”
Tim – the story you tell is included in the article. It also talks about how he had a dolphin in a large fish tank on State Street during the run of FLIPPER and had an usher dressed as a gorilla when they ran the horrible film EQUINOX. For the movie BUCK AND THE PREACHER Brotman created place mats for restaurants all over the city. The studio refused to pay for even part of this so Brotman paid for it himself and the Loop had the highest grosses for BUCK AND THE PREACHER in the entire country. Then the studio came back and begged him to create this mats for other markets and not only paid for it all but reimbursed Brotman for the original batch.
Great story Tim. I still stay in touch with the former manager of the Carnegie during it’s heyday in the mid `70’s.
I’ve posted before that he called all the promotions the “Genius of Oscar Brotman”.
I’ve in the past informed him of CT’s existence and it’s importance in keeping these long lost gems alive.
I patiently await his finally adding the many insights and stories he has of Oscar Brotman.
As a courtesy, I have not named him until he submits to CT on his own.
I also have some recently found some pics of the Carnegie I will add when I can.
I’d like to tell an Oscar Brotman story I heard back in 1981 when I was working at the the Cinema Theatre. The story goes something like this: Back in 1971, the legendary schlock producer Jack H. Harris was about ready to release a movie called SHELIA. The legendary Oscar Brotman made a brilliant proposal to Mr. Harris. Brotman proposed changing the title of the movie to HONKY. Harris went along with the idea and the movie was a box-office hit. I’m telling you all, there is NO showmanship like that anymore.
Hey teddy666. I used to work with you at the Village Theatre. If you have any idea into getting in touch with Channel 2 News, maybe we could go down there and see if they will dig up old video tape from around 1975 when Gene Siskel did a popcorn tasting test at the concession stand at the Loop Theatre. Also, if you can get in touch with any of Oscar Brotman surviving relatives, maybe they’ll have old photos of the Loop. I used to work for the late, great Don Klein at the Adelphi Theatre and he had old photos of the Loop. I know of a historical society that may have old pictures of that theatre that Mr. Klein’s relatives donated to. I fondly recall the electic line-up of films at the Loop. One week they’ll be playing a John Cassavette’s movie, the next week a kung-fu movie. I remember THE STING playing there for 6 months. I remember the X -rated CINDERELLA playing there for a long time. They also had 3-D; Russ Meyer movies; blaxploitation; Walt Disney movies. What a place, and I never saw a movie there. It closed in March, 1978 with a masterpiece entitled STRAIGHT TIME, starring Dustin Hoffman. Loop Theatre 1939-1978. It was a small gem.
I would love to see a lobby shot of this theater.
Here is a 1949 photo showing the Telenews on the right.
Oh, how I miss those street lights.
It sure was a sight looking South down State Street from the “L” tracks.
All the vintage buildings with the “modern” `60’s street lights hanging over the traffic with their cold glow. Lower Wacker still had all the green lighting too.
Here is a 1966 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/cpncfs
Reactivate notification status.
In the 40s and 50s,The Loop was also a place for bus travelers who were making connections to catch up on the news and spend a few minutes relaxing. It was located around the corner from the Trailways bus station, which can be seen in the 1988 movie “Red Heat” Before the new Greyhound station was built, their buses used a storefront across State street from the Loop Theater, near the State Lake theater. So, it was just a quick dash across the street to catch a newsreel.
What a telling picture. You can see the transition from electric buses to gas. The bus further back is still powered by the trolley line above, while the bus in the foreground isn’t tethered. They still used the electric trolleys as late as 1970 on some routes. I was on one at North & Clark whose trolley connection popped loose from the roof on a turn. The driver simply climbed up top and reattached what was needed.
The Capitol place on the corner of the alley reads as a lounge. Of course the larger marquee to the left is the Chicago Theatre with a Tyrone Power flick. Funny that the Loop Theatre is running newsreels as entertainment.
You can just see the famous Marshall Fields clock in the background. The Walgreens was just replaced a few years ago.
Here is a 1948 photo from LIFE magazine.