Edens I & II Theaters

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.

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.

Here is a photo of the demolition of the Edens in 1994.

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.

The forever you’re referring to was 29 weeks.

Here is another view View link of Pride Cleaners.

Wild looking movie theatre.

This was a great Lubliner & Trinz theater killed off by Cineplex Odeon. They ended great Chicago cinema with help from Loews.

Reactivate Notification Status.

I’ve tried unsuccessfully to find the exact capacity for these theaters, but the best I could find was a mention in the Tribune that Edens II had 1,000 seats.

I’m beginning to think that the #2 auditorium was the larger of the two. From the newspaper ads I’ve seen, it seems the big event films tended to play in #2. But comments earlier in this discussion suggest that #1 was the larger of the two. Can anyone confirm?

I suppose it’s possible that the Cinerama show had some traveling equipment?

I didn’t see “This is Cinerama”, but it played at Edens II. If memory serves, this theater did have a concave screen. The theater building itself was a round-ish shape.

Michael-
I use to be up in the EDENS area all the time and went to movies at those theaters. I think I saw the first “STAR WARS” at the EDENS. From what I can remember the screens might have had slight curve, but nothing like a CINERAMA, D-150 or even the curve of the first TODD-AO screens.

I was not aware that “This Is CINERAMA” played at the EDENS, darn I missed that. I did see it on the south side of Milwaukee probably at the SOUTHTOWN or perhaps the SOUTHGATE. Hal T. says the SOUTHGATE had a CINERAMA screen and I don’t recall a CINERAMA screen being installed though I could be wrong, after all this was 35 years ago!

“Ladies and Getlemen, This is CINERAMA!” Lowell Thomas, September 30, 1952