River Oaks Theaters 2 & 3
Calumet City,
IL
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River Oaks Theater 2 opened in 1972 by Plitt theaters. It was located across the street, just west of theater 1. It was less spectacular than theater 1 though still nice. It could seat around 500 people and had the curtain that opened from side to side. The seats were normal and not rocking chairs. It’s premiere attraction was “What’s Up Doc?”.
In 1975 screen 3 was built in the same building as screen 2. The premiere attraction was “Once Is Not Enough”. It also sat 500 and the only difference was the curtain opened and closed vertically. These two screens were known for playing films that Northwest Indiana would either not get for months or not at all.
As far as I could tell the theaters always did big business but the two screens were closed in 1989. Soon after Circuit City moved in. The theatre had been gutted but the shell of the building still remains. Office Depot now occupies it.
Contributed by
John
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
Here’s a listing of what I’ve got for #2 thanks to the microfilm.
4/23/82- CAT PEOPLE
6/11/82- HANKY PANKY plus VISITING HOURS
6/25/82- BLADE RUNNER
8/13/82- BAMBI
9/3/82- INCUBUS
2/18/83- WITHOUT A TRACE
4/15/83- MONTY PYTHON’S MEANING OF LIFE
5/25/83- BLUE THUNDER
6/10/83- TRADING PLACES
9/23/83- WARGAMES plus FLASHDANCE
9/30/83- FLASHDANCE plus CHAINED HEAT
10/21/83 THE HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW
10/28/83- THE FINAL TERROR
11/23/83- THE BIG CHILL
12/9/83- SUDDEN IMPACT
5/11/84- ALPHABET CITY plus HARDBODIES
9/21/84- GREMLINS
10/26/84- THE RAZOR’S EDGE
12/5/84- SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT
12/14/84- FALLING IN LOVE
3/22/85- THE BREAKFAST CLUB
4/26/85- JUST ONE OF THE GUYS
7/5/85- RED SONJA
10/11/85- BETTER OFF DEAD
2/21/86- THE COLOR PURPLE
4/18/86- MURPHY’S LAW
8/15/86- THE KARATE KID PART 2
9/12/86- AMERICAN JUSTICE
10/3/86- SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT
11/21/86- 52 PICK-UP
1/16/87- AN AMERICAN TAIL plus CRIMES OF THE HEART
4/24/87- EVIL DEAD 2
5/1/87- AMERICAN NINJA 2: THE CONFRONTATION
5/20/87- ISHTAR
7/17/87- FULL METAL JACKET
10/9/87- THREE O'CLOCK HIGH
2/12/88- SATISFACTION
¾/88- THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW
5/6/88- BLOODSPORT
7/20/88- BIG
5/19/89- MISS FIRECRACKER
6/9/89- FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2
9/15/89- NIGHT GAME
Of note, a lot of these movies may have opened here earlier. It’ll take me a while to gather up all the stuff I have for 3,4.
Okay, here’s what I’ve got for RO #3. Movies that had just opened on #3 are marked with a star*
4/23/82- WALT DISNEY’S FANTASIA
6/11/82- STAR TREK 2 (Was also in #4)
6/25/82- MEGAFORCE
7/9/82- THE THING plus FIREFOX
9/3/82- THE ROAD WARRIOR
2/18/83- 48 HRS
4/15/83- BAD BOYS
5/25/83- BREATHLESS
6/10/83- BLUE THUNDER plus THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS
9/23/83- RISKY BUSINESS
9/30/83- THE BIG CHILL
10/21/83- NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
12/9/83- TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
5/11/84- 16 CANDLES
9/21/84- ALL OF ME
10/26/84- A SOLDIER’S STORY
12/14/84- BEVERLY HILLS COP (Moveover from #8)
3/23/85- WITNESS
4/26/85- HELLHOLE
7/5/85- PALE RIDER
10/11/85- REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS…
2/21/86- WILDCATS
8/15/86- THE FLY
4/18/86- POLICE ACADEMY 3
10/3/86- CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD
11/21/86- AN AMERICAN TAIL
1/16/87- CRITICAL CONDITION
4/24/87- LETHAL WEAPON
5/8/87- GARDENS OF STONE
5/15/87- THE GATE
5/20/87- CREEPSHOW 2 (moveover from #4)
7/24/87- LA BAMBA
7/31/87- ROBOCOP (Moveover from #1)
8/5/87- THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (Moveover from #1)
10/9/87- THE PRINCESS BRIDE
2/12/88- ACTION JACKSON
¾/88- MOVING
3/11/88- MASQUERADE
5/6/88- DEAD HEAT
7/20/88- MIDNIGHT RUN
5/19/89- THE DREAM TEAM
6/2/89- FAST FOOD
6/9/89- MAJOR LEAGUE
9/15/89- TURNER & HOOCH
Bookings for #4 will follow soon.
More from RO #2
1/22/82- NEIGHBORS plus REDS
12/16/83- THE KEEP
1/13/84- TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
8/17/84- GREMLINS
11/26/86- THE NUTCRACKER
3/6/87- OUTRAGEOUS FOURTUNE
3/13/87- HEAT
11/11/88- EVERYBODY’S ALL AMERICAN
12/2/88- THE NAKED GUN
More coming soon.
More from RO #3
1/22/82- PRIVATE LESSONS
12/16/83- SCARFACE
1/13/84- ANGEL
8/17/84- TIGHTROPE
3/6/87- A NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST 3
11/11/88- PUMPKINHEAD
11/18/88- HIGH SPIRITS
12/2/88- THE NAKED GUN
More coming soon.
CinemarkFan, I am impressed that you have the entire booking list! Did you work at the theatre?
No, in fact 2-3 closed the year before I was born. Thanks to JRS40, I am able to indentify the movies that played on whatever screen according to the microfilm ads. Of course, there may be a misprint or two there, but it’s mostly accurate.
From what I remember you are accurate. I grew up in Calumet City and spent lots of time at those theatres. I also managed River Oaks 1&4 for three years. My best friend managed 2&3 for awhile, then went to 5&6 which became 7&8.
I’d be surprised if 2 and 3 were both 500 seats since 2 was equipped for 70mm so I’m guessing it was larger but I’ll leave that be until I can be sure.
I think PopcornFan’s memory about theatre numbers is a bit off even though he worked there. Here’s how I recall it.
There was the original theatre with the big, deeply curved D150 screen built by ABC Great States before Plitt was formed.
A two screener across Torrance was called 2 & 3 so the original became #1. Then they built a new addition to the original building which was called #4. So far so good.
5&6 was a two screener on the far west side of the River Oaks West plaza. 7&8 was on the south side of the main River Oaks east of Fields, northeast of the ¼ building. I do not recall that this was ever called 5&6 because 5 & 6 was there long before 7 & 8.
THEN a block of store space near Sears became a 6-screener. Since the mall was enclosed this now has an entry way within the mall. These new screens were numbered 1-6. 7&8 remained 7&8.
1 & 4 became 9 & 10.
5 & 6 (far west side) became 11 & 12.
2 & 3 just across Torrance became 13 & 14. That seemed odd at first since it wasn’t in order but it became clear when that 2-plex closed while the old 5 &6, now 11 & 12 remained open.
The 2/3 (13/14) building was indeed gutted but I don’t remember Circuit City there. I think it was a Fretter appliance store. Contrary to the article, the building is no longer standing. It was razed and a new building was put up.
The Building is still there. They just Built onto the existing building.I remember when they Put up the Office depot.
Btw, Circuit city was never on this location. circuit city was Behind River Oaks West. it is now a Target.