Edens I & II Theaters
320 Skokie Boulevard,
Northbrook,
IL
60062
320 Skokie Boulevard,
Northbrook,
IL
60062
10 people
favorited this theater
This futuristic-looking classic 60s-era movie house was a long-time landmark in suburban Northbrook, visible along the Edens Expressway (for which the theater was named) and Lake-Cook Road, both of which ran past the Edens. It was designed by the Chicago-based firm of Perkins and Will.
Built in 1963, and opening with “Divorce Italian Style”, the large Edens was inside a traditional movie theater, with a huge screen, complete with red curtains and a small stage area. The original color scheme was gold and off-white, with teak paneling.
However, the Edens' exterior was its real stunner, looking like something out of a 1950s sci-fi movie. It was called the largest “hyperbolic paraboloid” building ever constructed when it opened. The theater’s concrete roof curved sharply upwards on either end, rising dramatically skyward at each point. Its walls, of corrugated concrete, were broken up by long, undulating swaths of glass, along the entrance areas. The main lobby, which was sunken and reached by sets of stairs, featured then ultra-modern “living room” furniture and artwork.
In 1969, a slightly smaller (and far more ordinary-looking) second auditorium was built adjacent to the original theater. The theater was renamed the Edens I & II.
The once enormously popular Edens was shuttered by its last operator, Cineplex Odeon, in 1994, stating that the cost of refurbishing the aging twin was too prohibitive. The last two films on its marquee were “Time Cop” and “Milk Money”.
It was quickly snatched up by a developer, along with a nearby bowling alley and shops, and all were razed by the end of 1994. The Village Square of Northbrook shopping center now sits on the site of the Edens.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 46 comments)
Don’t forget Anton’s Fruit Ranch down the street on the other side of Skokie Highway.
Both Eden’s were regularly visited by me and my friends from Glencoe. Star Wars played there forever as well as the animated Lord of the Rings.
The forever you’re referring to was 29 weeks.
We played the animated “LORD OF THE RINGS” and keptit a week .Ralph Bakshi is one of my favorites in animation,so i was disappointed it pulled so bad.Glad to see it played “forever” in Northbrook.
There used to be a very clear black and white photo on Cinema Treasures of the Edens I. Anyone know what happened to it? BTW, I saw some of the Cinerama comments on here. I’m fairly certain that the Edens was not equipped with the three projector Cinerama process. 1963 was the last year of the 3 camera system and the industry had already begun to convert the old Cinerama theatres to 70mm. In 1963 “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” was the first film to be released in the new 70mm Cinerama process, which replaced the old 3 camera/3 projector system of the 1950’s. Since the Edens opened in 1963, it would undoubtedly have installed the 70mm, mag track projection system. It definitely had the curved screen also.
According to Michael Coate’s list of CINERAMA presentations in Chicago, the only CINERAMA screening at the Edens II was the 70mm re-release of THIS IS CINERAMA opening 6/13/1973 for a 7 week run.
Here is a photo of the demolition of the Edens in 1994.
There is a fascinating little 5-part documentary up on YouTube with footage of the demolition. I was very surprised to see this! Amazing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPVwzY19eEU
PS – I don’t know how to post a link here anymore. Anyone?
This theater SO should’ve been saved, and not torn down. I do wonder if this theater had been inducted into the National Register of Historic Places, if it would’ve perhaps been saved?
Too bad there wasn’t a major campaign to save this theater from demolition, years ago. I remember this theater well(though never saw a movie, as it closed when I was 12), from my drives as a kid going up the Edens to the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Had been to Edens I and II a number of times – including seeing the first Star Wars (Episode 4)movie. Wish it was still there.
Probably one of the strangest phone calls I ever received in 30+ years in the business was when the assistant manager of the Edens called me one sunny, windy March Sunday afternoon and told me that the fire department wouldn’t let us open Edens 1 because “the roof had come off.” Knowing the reinforced-concrete construction of that amazing roof, I knew this wasn’t possible. She couldn’t describe what she was seeing, so I drove the 30 miles to the theatre. When I arrived, I could only burst out laughing. The black tarpaper roof covering had peeled off like a giant rotten banana and was lying curled up off the edge and into the parking lot! It was several days later when the mess was cleaned up and we could reopen # 1.