Thanks for the updates Divinity! I think a better term would be “fabulosity”, or “fabutivity”. What do you think? (I’m kidding, just kidding!!) Have a Merry Christmas, and thanks for being such a good reporter! :–)
I think the obvious reason for naming this, and other theatres, the Rio is simply that Rio de Janeiro was considered to be a world class sophisticated city in the early decades of the previous century. It was frequently referred to simply as “Rio”, as in the movie title “Flying Down to Rio”. To name a theatre the Rio was to conjure up a romantic getaway type of image, similar to Rialto, Tivoli or Rivoli.
Hello Bruce! I’m so glad to hear Dorothy is still alive! Is there some way I can confidentially get my contact info to you? That way you can give it to her, and she can be in control as to whether she wants to contact me or not. I would be amazed if she still remembered me, but I would love the chance to tell her hello.
Bruce1, am I to understand that Dorothy Panzica is still alive!? Can you tell me how to contact her? My parents, my great aunt, and I visited the Kings in the early 70’s just because I wanted to see the building. Dorothy caught me prowling around and gave me a personal top to bottom tour. I thought she was a terrific lady. I would love to write to her and tell her I’ve never forgotten her. Please tell me where she is and how she’s doing!
Divinity, I hate being a pest, but I’m originally from upstate New York, and now live (too) far away. I have a cousin in NYC and it’s a given that I will be visiting her this summer. Since you have a contact at the Paradise, could you ask him/her what the chances are of a rabid Loew’s Paradise fan and two friends getting a tour this summer?
Hey Divinity! You’re a local, and you seem to be able to keep up on this place. Can you think of any logical reason why they aren’t being more public? Do the owners know how famous this theatre is? Is it just that they don’t know how to play the media machine?
Hi Jim, then I misunderstood your previous comment. My mistake. In regards to Vincent’s comment above, I don’t consider RCMH to be a movie palace. It was not built for movies, and it lacks the escapist theme that almost all movie palaces have. What it IS, is the nation’s greatest theatre, and an extremely luxurious one at that.
Hi Jim Rankin! As informative and fun as your comments at this site are, I’m afraid I have to say no, the Pabst was not the first movie palace. It is not even a movie palace at all. It is magnificent, and it is palatial, but I can’t bring myself to say that a legit theatre built in the 1890’s is a movie palace.
“if the DuPage falls, Lombard will regret it” I agree. Go to any community where they managed to save one or two of their old theatres, and you’ll find the public is proud of it. You never hear them say “Gee, I wish we had ‘creatively used’ this place instead of restoring it. It would have made such a great office building”. On the other hand, communities that allow these places to get demolished regret it for literally decades. My hometown still regrets the loss of the Loew’s and the Palace that were torn down 40 years ago. Don’t be stupid you folks in Lombard.
To “concerned taxpayer”. Your whole story does not ring true. You come across as someone who wants to appear concerned, but has an unrevealed motive for wanting this place gone. Beats me what it could be, but you lack sincerity. Why are you even on this site? I notice the DuPage is the only theatre where you make comments. This isn’t the place to encourage theatre demolition, and no matter how you crunch the numbers you will never convince anyone, because there are a lot of theatre restoration groups who have taken on the number crunchers and won. Do you really want Lombard to be known as the community that can’t support a theatre, when even places like Schenectady and Utica can do it? That’s not a great motivation for moving to town.
In fact, the fact that you can’t see what a benefit this theatre would be, and how important it could become to your community shows how provincial and backwards you are.
Yes, and the truth of the matter is that 40 years ago in San Francisco, a bond issue to save the Fox failed, and San Franciscans (not to mention theatre fans everywhere) have been tearing their hair over how stupid they were not to vote in favor of it. If public opinion is against saving the DuPage, then the public has not been fully informed on how a restored Dupage Theatre would benefit their community. A classic example is the Loew’s in Jersey City. Nobody wanted it, but the Friends of the Loew’s talked the city into buying it, and there isn’t a person in Jersey City today who would say they’re sorry it happened. Face facts “Concerned Taxpayer”, you’re wrong, and if public opinion is the deciding factor in what is right for a community then Hitler was the best thing for Germany (after all, he was voted in). You have a unique architectural gem sitting right in your lap and all you can think to do is gut it and “creatively reuse it”. Fine, but the preservation community won’t know whether to laugh at your stupidity or marvel at your tunnel vision.
If my memory serves, and it doesn’t always, the Granada in San Francisco was the first theatre to have a “flying stage”. That is, a stage with elevators under a couple of sections. I believe it was also the first to have elevators under the orchestra pit.
Thank you C van B! The people in Lombard need to have a vision that extends beyond tomorrow’s bottom line. A truly forward looking community could recognize what a long term asset a restored theatre is, and how it gives a sense of place, such as some “creative reuse” can never do. I can only wonder again at who’s pocket is being lined by this deal.
Sorry, but “creative reuse"is a practical demolition. It takes something unique that belongs solely to your village, and turns it into something ordinary, that most people won’t even drive down the block to see.
One last comment. “Concerned Taxpayer” is so zealous to have this place demolished. In my hometown when someone is so very anxious to have a building pulled down it’s usually because some shady deal has been made. Hmmmm.
Not only that, but a truly progressive town realizes the importance of saving places like this? Only towns stuck in the past still think that the “slash and burn” method of renewing a downtown actually works. People don’t come downtown to look at the latest parking lot or condo.
Bravo to Brian Wolf! Boos and hisses to Concerned Taxpayer and Life’s too Short! Take it from someone whose hometown has lost all but one of its magnificent downtown theatres. If you let the DuPage go you will be kicking yourselves over and over in the years to come. Buffalo saved the Buffalo Theatre (using taxpayer funds, oh horror!) and it has become one of downtown’s major assets. Syracuse saved the Loew’s and the citizens are, as a rule, very happy about that. Huntington is working to save the Keith-Albee because they know that it’s one of their city’s defining structures. The Ohio in Columbus is one of their major attractions. Every city has parking lots and condos, but there’s only one DuPage theatre. Brian, I’ll offer you any help I can give you from a distance. Just let me know.
Is the figure of the dragon going to be restored to the clock? Will there be anyone I can contact regarding getting inside when I return to New York this summer?
With all the care and money going into the restoration, it would not be much of a step to restore the fish pond. One would think that cast concrete could be used to replicate the original stone or plasterwork, and then marbleized to match the statuary. Conrad Schmidt, or the studio that was used when this restoration began (a local New York company, I forget the name) would certainly know how to do this.
Well, regenthr, you make my point. The rules defining what makes a movie palace are completely arbitrary. The THS says that it’s a theatre that was built for showing films, has a working stage, and seats at least 1000 people. You state that it needs to be 2000 seats with some “overwhelming” style of architecture. Whatever.
Thanks for the updates Divinity! I think a better term would be “fabulosity”, or “fabutivity”. What do you think? (I’m kidding, just kidding!!) Have a Merry Christmas, and thanks for being such a good reporter! :–)
I think the obvious reason for naming this, and other theatres, the Rio is simply that Rio de Janeiro was considered to be a world class sophisticated city in the early decades of the previous century. It was frequently referred to simply as “Rio”, as in the movie title “Flying Down to Rio”. To name a theatre the Rio was to conjure up a romantic getaway type of image, similar to Rialto, Tivoli or Rivoli.
Hello Bruce! I’m so glad to hear Dorothy is still alive! Is there some way I can confidentially get my contact info to you? That way you can give it to her, and she can be in control as to whether she wants to contact me or not. I would be amazed if she still remembered me, but I would love the chance to tell her hello.
Bruce1, am I to understand that Dorothy Panzica is still alive!? Can you tell me how to contact her? My parents, my great aunt, and I visited the Kings in the early 70’s just because I wanted to see the building. Dorothy caught me prowling around and gave me a personal top to bottom tour. I thought she was a terrific lady. I would love to write to her and tell her I’ve never forgotten her. Please tell me where she is and how she’s doing!
Divinity, I hate being a pest, but I’m originally from upstate New York, and now live (too) far away. I have a cousin in NYC and it’s a given that I will be visiting her this summer. Since you have a contact at the Paradise, could you ask him/her what the chances are of a rabid Loew’s Paradise fan and two friends getting a tour this summer?
Hey Divinity! You’re a local, and you seem to be able to keep up on this place. Can you think of any logical reason why they aren’t being more public? Do the owners know how famous this theatre is? Is it just that they don’t know how to play the media machine?
Hi Jim, then I misunderstood your previous comment. My mistake. In regards to Vincent’s comment above, I don’t consider RCMH to be a movie palace. It was not built for movies, and it lacks the escapist theme that almost all movie palaces have. What it IS, is the nation’s greatest theatre, and an extremely luxurious one at that.
“clandestinity”?
Hi Jim Rankin! As informative and fun as your comments at this site are, I’m afraid I have to say no, the Pabst was not the first movie palace. It is not even a movie palace at all. It is magnificent, and it is palatial, but I can’t bring myself to say that a legit theatre built in the 1890’s is a movie palace.
“if the DuPage falls, Lombard will regret it” I agree. Go to any community where they managed to save one or two of their old theatres, and you’ll find the public is proud of it. You never hear them say “Gee, I wish we had ‘creatively used’ this place instead of restoring it. It would have made such a great office building”. On the other hand, communities that allow these places to get demolished regret it for literally decades. My hometown still regrets the loss of the Loew’s and the Palace that were torn down 40 years ago. Don’t be stupid you folks in Lombard.
To “concerned taxpayer”. Your whole story does not ring true. You come across as someone who wants to appear concerned, but has an unrevealed motive for wanting this place gone. Beats me what it could be, but you lack sincerity. Why are you even on this site? I notice the DuPage is the only theatre where you make comments. This isn’t the place to encourage theatre demolition, and no matter how you crunch the numbers you will never convince anyone, because there are a lot of theatre restoration groups who have taken on the number crunchers and won. Do you really want Lombard to be known as the community that can’t support a theatre, when even places like Schenectady and Utica can do it? That’s not a great motivation for moving to town.
In fact, the fact that you can’t see what a benefit this theatre would be, and how important it could become to your community shows how provincial and backwards you are.
Yes, and the truth of the matter is that 40 years ago in San Francisco, a bond issue to save the Fox failed, and San Franciscans (not to mention theatre fans everywhere) have been tearing their hair over how stupid they were not to vote in favor of it. If public opinion is against saving the DuPage, then the public has not been fully informed on how a restored Dupage Theatre would benefit their community. A classic example is the Loew’s in Jersey City. Nobody wanted it, but the Friends of the Loew’s talked the city into buying it, and there isn’t a person in Jersey City today who would say they’re sorry it happened. Face facts “Concerned Taxpayer”, you’re wrong, and if public opinion is the deciding factor in what is right for a community then Hitler was the best thing for Germany (after all, he was voted in). You have a unique architectural gem sitting right in your lap and all you can think to do is gut it and “creatively reuse it”. Fine, but the preservation community won’t know whether to laugh at your stupidity or marvel at your tunnel vision.
If my memory serves, and it doesn’t always, the Granada in San Francisco was the first theatre to have a “flying stage”. That is, a stage with elevators under a couple of sections. I believe it was also the first to have elevators under the orchestra pit.
Thank you C van B! The people in Lombard need to have a vision that extends beyond tomorrow’s bottom line. A truly forward looking community could recognize what a long term asset a restored theatre is, and how it gives a sense of place, such as some “creative reuse” can never do. I can only wonder again at who’s pocket is being lined by this deal.
And by your own admission, “a date with the wrecking ball is planned”, sounds more like destructive reuse.
Sorry, but “creative reuse"is a practical demolition. It takes something unique that belongs solely to your village, and turns it into something ordinary, that most people won’t even drive down the block to see.
One last comment. “Concerned Taxpayer” is so zealous to have this place demolished. In my hometown when someone is so very anxious to have a building pulled down it’s usually because some shady deal has been made. Hmmmm.
Not only that, but a truly progressive town realizes the importance of saving places like this? Only towns stuck in the past still think that the “slash and burn” method of renewing a downtown actually works. People don’t come downtown to look at the latest parking lot or condo.
As a quick aside, doesn’t it occur to anyone that one of the reasons we have money is so that we can afford luxuries like the DuPage Theatre?
Bravo to Brian Wolf! Boos and hisses to Concerned Taxpayer and Life’s too Short! Take it from someone whose hometown has lost all but one of its magnificent downtown theatres. If you let the DuPage go you will be kicking yourselves over and over in the years to come. Buffalo saved the Buffalo Theatre (using taxpayer funds, oh horror!) and it has become one of downtown’s major assets. Syracuse saved the Loew’s and the citizens are, as a rule, very happy about that. Huntington is working to save the Keith-Albee because they know that it’s one of their city’s defining structures. The Ohio in Columbus is one of their major attractions. Every city has parking lots and condos, but there’s only one DuPage theatre. Brian, I’ll offer you any help I can give you from a distance. Just let me know.
Is the figure of the dragon going to be restored to the clock? Will there be anyone I can contact regarding getting inside when I return to New York this summer?
Is there any news regarding this theatre? Is it still standing?
With all the care and money going into the restoration, it would not be much of a step to restore the fish pond. One would think that cast concrete could be used to replicate the original stone or plasterwork, and then marbleized to match the statuary. Conrad Schmidt, or the studio that was used when this restoration began (a local New York company, I forget the name) would certainly know how to do this.
Well, regenthr, you make my point. The rules defining what makes a movie palace are completely arbitrary. The THS says that it’s a theatre that was built for showing films, has a working stage, and seats at least 1000 people. You state that it needs to be 2000 seats with some “overwhelming” style of architecture. Whatever.