River Oaks 6
96 River Oaks Center Drive,
Calumet City,
IL
60409
96 River Oaks Center Drive,
Calumet City,
IL
60409
3 people
favorited this theater
The River Oaks 1-6 opened December 16, 1988 for the Cineplex Odeon chain. Shortly after, the old River Oaks 2 & 3 closed, the original theatre building changed from the 1 & 4 to the 9 & 10, the 5 & 6 became the 11 & 12, and the 7 & 8 retained their numbering. Originally the plans were for a three-screen in 1986, then an eight-screen, before settling on the six. It was built in a former Kmart store.
This theater was supposed to have closed as part of the 2001 bankruptcy, but this didn’t happen. Instead, it was closed at the end of January, 2006 as part of the merger between Loews and AMC.
The theater reopened in June 2006, operated independently by the owners of the Lansing Cinema 8 in Lansing, IL, (formerly the River Run Theater). The River Oaks closed once more during the summer of 2008.
Contributed by
Brian Wolf
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Recent comments (view all 30 comments)
I think it’s an excellent idea. The area needs more 2nd run houses.
It is now closed again. I think the thing that may have hurt it is the lack of advertising. And it only operated Fri-Sun & holidays.
Damn. Hopefully it won’t be turned into retail & can be used as a cinema again. But remodeled extensively.
One thing that hurt it was, as Cinemark Fan said, lack of advertising. It was advertised only half-assed, under the full ad for the Lansing.
I worked at this theater from 1996-1999 In that short time I have many unique memories. This was my first job, and I can’t think of a better job for a H.S. student to have. Easy work, free movies, free popcorn! I think I started @ $4.15 or $4.25/hr as an usher. I remember climbing that ladder every Thurs. to change the Marquee outside. Rain or shine,…I mostly remember it being COLD. Shortly after I started working there as an usher I was asked to cover the concession stand as they were short staffed for someones lunch break. To make a long story short,… this resulted in a Fire. A pretty big one actually. Big enough to shut the theater down for a week. Thats what happens when you put an usher behind the stand. I also remember the sprinklers and alarms not working when the fire took place behind the stand. A cop and I evacuated all 6 theaters. The look on my manager “Steve’s” face when he returned from lunch and noticed the Fire dept. outside was priceless. They wrote it off as a “popper malfunction.” Hmmmmmm
There was never a dull moment on a shift @ 1-6. There were numerous occasions where I the usher caught folks having sex in the building. Once in theater #1 (back row) and once in the MENS BATHROOM!!! Crazy, I know.
I was this 16y/o who looked 12. I attempted to play the role of authoritative usher. Didn’t always go over too well. I remember when “Strip Tease” came out. I wasn’t “allowed” to see the movie but I had to stand outside the theater and check IDs.
I also remember this theater having a MAJOR mouse problem. I’d stand in the back of the theater and watch the mice go back and forth across the aisles with the dim lighting on the floor as the movie played. It was pretty sick.
I remember seeing “Sense and Sensibility” there and seeing a mouse scurry back and forth across the aisle the whole movie. That was a first (and last) and surprised me seeing that the theaters hadn’t been around that long – maybe 5 years.
For some reason that building had a bad problem. winters were obviously worse. Now being in the medical field,… I think public health would’ve shut them down if they knew.
Wow bats and mice.
Great theaters, mice and all.
I saw Mrs. Doubtfire there. Unfortunately I also saw Super Mario Bros. there.