Diana Cinemas
17735 Halsted Street,
Homewood,
IL
60430
17735 Halsted Street,
Homewood,
IL
60430
4 people
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Essaness managers said that the Diana was named after Alan Silverman’s wife. She was also allegedly responsible for the restroom tile choices in many of the Essaness locations.
Best memory I have of seeing a movie at Diana Cinemas at Washington Square Mall is with my mom, dad, and sister when we saw “A Christmas Story.” We came out of the theatre that night and how fitting…it was snowing. Thinking it was before Christmas of 1983.
I had lost track of the situation at Washington Square Mall after I left the area. Sad to hear it went into such a precipitous decline and finally was torn down. I was the Assistant Manager and then Acting Manager from early in 1978 to late 1980. At the time Essaness Theatres was the second largest chain in the Chicago area. It was a great first job after working on my AA in business. In 1978 they had just divided the Twin into one of the first mulitplex theaters — after the remodel boasting four screens. The Essaness folks usually did the details well,and yes, the Diana was red plush everything.
Didn’t Paul Anka do a song about this theatre? Just joking and Paul Anka was a little bit before my time.
Mentioned in April 1985 BOXOFFICE about Plitt taking over and building a 4-Plex in Fox Valley Shooping Center in Aurora.
I was 11 when my dad took me to see Friday the 13th in 3-D. We waited in a long line to see that movie. I grew up going to this theater. I remember those same two old guys always there to rip your tickets. When we were kids we would always make it a double feature. First Terminator then sneek on over to see Beverly Hills Cop. After leaving the theater we made a left turn and went into the arcade. Time to play some Double Dragon!
I moved to CA. in 1991 but this place is still fresh in my mind.
“If anyone knows where some old pics of Washington Square Mall exist please let us know.”
“Red Plush Everything” You nailed it! We used to get dropped off at that mall and hang out at the arcade next door all day.
I remember freaking out because the ticket price to see Mosquito Coast was close to $7 near the end of it’s first run heyday. They should have never gone second run, they didn’t hire good security. I think I saw Hellraiser II near the end and the place was pretty empty. Such a shame as this was a good size theater in a decent little mall. I know somebody down here has to still have some photos of the mall or even the Diana.
An ad in the Chicago Tribune dated Sept. 7, 1975 states that:
“Essaness theaters will open its Diana Twin theater at Halsted and 178th Streets in Washington Sqaure Mall on Sept. 19. It will be the 10th theater for the chain.”
I think I read in the entry about River Oaks that it was named after one of the corporate owner’s spouses. I was in the Diana Cinemas many times. The Diana was in an enclosed mall, Washington Square Mall, which went into a precipitous decline and the better-known national stores left and were either replaced by entrepreneurs (nothing wrong with that) or nothing at all (a problem). The bookings were good at the outset, but the decline of Washington Square Mall affected the Diana Cinemas and their bookings. One of the last times I was in the Mall it was a very hot day, the Mall was not running any air conditioning, and there were very few stores open in it. I think that may have been the period when the Diana reverted to dollar movie showings. No surprise when the Mall was torn down. When the Diana was getting good film bookings I liked it, but when things went south at Washington Square Mall, I didn’t. Description of the Diana? Red plush everything.
Why was this theatre named the Diana?
I’m pretty sure this was a second run theatre before 1993. I saw several movies there in the 80’s. Me and my friends tried to go to cheap theatres then.
This didn’t close in 1993. I was looking at some microfilm at the library today, and I saw the Diana listed 10/14/94 in the Cineplex Odeon directory. Price was $2.00 at all times.
Anyone know where I can see photos of this place?
I ventured out to the Washington Square Mall last night only to discover that not only is the theater gone, the entire mall is gone. It appears that most if not all the mall was razed and rebuilt. Chain stores such as Target, Home Depot, and Office Max occupy the land along with several smaller stores. There is no indoor mall to speak of anymore and even the Washington Square Mall name has been changed. One restaurant that sits just off of Halsted is still there and still called the Washington Sqaure Restaurant. Sadly, there is no indication that a theater ever sat on that spot.
I show the address for the Diana 1-4 Cinemas as 17735 Halsted St., Homewood, Il.