Hillside Square Theater

4500 Frontage Road,
Hillside, IL 60162

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Loews, M & R Theatres

Functions: Church

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News About This Theater

Hillside Square Theater, Hillside, IL

This theater opened June 20, 1980 by M & R theaters (which also owned the Old Orchard theater in Skokie). The theater had four screens originally, then in the mid-1980’s, two more screens were added in the back of the theater. This theater also was equipped with 70mm projection.

Sadly, this theater closed in 2001 just six months after the Hillside Mall Theater (once known as Hillside Twin) had closed. The Hillside Square is currently used as a church.

Contributed by James Piscitelli

Recent comments (view all 15 comments)

jimpiscitelli
jimpiscitelli on September 13, 2006 at 4:47 am

To mterracciano: I remember seeing “Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade” in 70MM. I’m not sure if they shown a 70MM print of “Temple Of Doom”. I remember that I could not get a seat when “E.T.” was being played (I believe it was in 70MM also).

CatherineDiMartino
CatherineDiMartino on January 13, 2007 at 4:45 am

Per Paul’s comment above, I believe that the sign has been removed now.

300bowler
300bowler on March 28, 2007 at 9:02 am

Loved this theatre almost as much as Harlem and Cermak. Saw both Ghostbusters 2 and K9 Cop with Jim Belushi in 1989 along with many others here in the 1980s. RIP Hillside Square Theatre.

rpb
rpb on October 31, 2009 at 11:35 pm

Saw “Beverly Hills Cop” here in 1984. I remember my friend and I were doing “brake torches” with his ‘74 Nova in the parking lot afterwards. That is until Hillside’s finest showed up ,and wrote a few tickets out. That was the only time I was in this theatre. We used to go to the nearby “Hillside theatre”. It was “cooler looking” inside and out to us.

barryr
barryr on December 30, 2009 at 8:46 am

My wife and I went here more than anywhere else when we were dating in the early ‘80s—mostly because of proximity (it was halfway between our homes). The design always struck me as somewhat minimalist (speaking as someone who grew up going to the movie palaces of Chicago in the '60s and '70s). But I remember that I liked going there because the chairs rocked, the sound systems were always excellent, and the screens were big in spite of it being a multiplex.

aek316
aek316 on August 20, 2010 at 1:06 pm

Hi, I was looking up info about the Hillside theaters online the other day and someone posted on a website thread remebering the Hillsdie Mall that the churches that are currently housed in both former Hillside Theaters are not really operating as churches. Can anyone elaborate on that?

Xave
Xave on November 24, 2012 at 6:57 pm

When i was a Little kid, i went to Loews (Hillside Square) Theatres to see Toy Story 2 and Mulan back in 1999, then i saw The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle, 102 Dalmations, and Rugrats In Paris The Movie back in 2000.

rivest266
rivest266 on November 11, 2016 at 9:03 am

This opened on June 20th, 1980. Its grand opening ad can be found in the photo section.

gxceb0t
gxceb0t on February 24, 2017 at 8:00 pm

I saw Blues Brothers here – didn’t realize it was the grand opening. My parents took a friend and I – I had recently turned 12, but told the person I was 11 for the cheaper ticket – friend says “what are you talking about, I was at your 12th birthday!” oh well…

gxceb0t
gxceb0t on January 14, 2023 at 9:44 pm

I also saw Tron, Platoon, Breakfast Club, and Altered States here that I recall off the top of my head.

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