McVickers Theater
25 W. Madison Street,
Chicago,
IL
60602
25 W. Madison Street,
Chicago,
IL
60602
18 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 98 comments found
http://youtu.be/EKM-lYVTz2U
The first McVicker’s opened 155 years ago today.
i remember the MCVICKERS showing mainly ‘reserved seat only’ movies in the late 50’s and early 60’s including THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, WEST SIDE STORY, 55 DAYS AT PEKING ect.
Towards the end of this clip, Geoffrey Baer discusses the McVickers Theatre.http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2011/09/22/ask-geoffrey-922
My office is just down the street from State and Madison; lots of changes.
The McVickers can be seen in this 1959 view of the intersection of Madison and State Streets.
Great photo! Lots of the block is gone, but I do remember the McVickers.
Here is a 1953 view of State and Madison Streets during an Armistice Day parade. It looks like the letters spelling out “McVickers” on the vertical sign had been removed already by that time.
Exterior View
Interior Detail
Just in case a Google search doesn’t bring it up properly, the old Chicago Historical Society is now called the Chicago History Museum. And I’m petty sure it uses a Clark St address.
They made the change a number of years ago, I think to in order to qualify for different types of funding or grants.
Down at the Chicago Cultural Center, Tim Samuelson is also a great source for Chicago history.
There was a family named Stevens who owned hotels in Chicago; try this link to a story from Chicago Magazine about them.
View link
Additionally, the Chicago Historical Society may assist you. They are on North Avenue in Chicago.
Good luck.
I have an old photo of a man. It is a photo glued on a hard cardboard. The wording under is is Stevens, Chicago, McVickers Theatre. I would like to identify the man. Could you help me locate someone who could help identify him? Thank you for your help,
The last theater will not send you to the Edens, try this:
Edens
Chicago’s CINERAMA Theaters
Palace
Opera House
McVickers
Cinestage
Edens
Michael Coate has done a great amount of research to find out which CINERAMA films played at which CINERAMA theaters all around the United States and Canada. Here is his list for the McVickers. Thanks Michael
WINDJAMMER (Played previously at the Opera House) December 25,1959, 22 Weeks, 3-Strip CineMiracle
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHER GRIMM, August 8, 1962, 29 Weeks, 3-Strip CINERAMA
HOW THE WEST WAS WON, February 27, 1963, 37 Weeks, 3-Strip CINERAMA
IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD, November 19, 1963, 33 Weeks, 70mm
CIRCUS WORLD, July 8, 1964, 15 Weeks, 70mm
THE BEST OF CINERAMA, October 21, 1964, 9 Weeks, 3-Strip CINERAMA
THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, March 10, 1965, 29 Weeks, 70mm
THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL, September 28, 1965, 9 Weeks, 70mm
BATTLE OF THE BULGE, December 22, 1965, 14 Weeks, 70mm
RUSSIAN ADVENTURE, March 29, 1966 (World Premiere), 11 Weeks, 3-Strip CINERAMA/KinoPanorama
KHARTOUM, June 22, 1966, 11 Weeks, 70mm
In the late 60s- early 70s, the McVickers played quite a few films from American-International. On Friday, August 15, 1969, SONNY and CHER were on stage at 8 and 10 P.M. with guest M.C. JIMMY P. STAGG, D.J. at WCFL, to promote the film “CHASTITY”.
Nice photo and ad Bryan.
I saw “Gone with the Wind” at the McVickers in the mid-1960’s I think – it was the release which converted the film to wide-screen. It had a balcony – my parents and a friend and I were there – and the sound was pretty good. The McVickers was still in pretty good shape at that point and it was the only time I was there.
Here is an undated vintage photo of the grand staircase from the Newhouse-designed third incarnation of the McVickers Theatre.
The Art Institute of Chicago has this item which attributes the third McVickers Theatre to architect Thomas W. Lamb as well as Henry Newhouse.
As the Adler & Sullivan-designed second McVickers Theatre was demolished to make way for the third McVickers, shouldn’t it have its own Cinema Treasures page?
Here are some 1982 photos:
Photo1
Photo2
Photo3
Funny, that 11/29/08 picture link has a woman’s bunny costume that predates Hefner’s Playboy magazine launched in Chicago by 5 years.
Over on the Montclare Theater CT page, I believe it’s mentioned Hefner thinks he got the idea of the bunny cuffs with no sleeves, from his days as an usher at the Montclare. They wore jackets with fake, cardboard shirt cuffs underneath.
This is one of the earlier versions of the theater:
http://tinyurl.com/cfx5vf
FYI, Just a further tidbit about Claudia Cassidy, originally posted by BWChicago & SPearce in February of `08.
There is a theatre bearing her name, the Claudia Cassidy Theatre, located in the Chicago Cultural Center at 78 East Washington. It is located next the GAR Rotunda & GAR Hall on the Randolph St. side. I’m sure the history can be easily accessed by visiting
www.chicagoculturalcenter.org