You are right in that this place had the “1980s-Cineplex-Odeon-Look” to it. Even though it was originally an Essaness, C-O did renovate it into their look. I went to the Golf-Glen just before it closed to see KING KONG and I thought I’d warped back to the then-recently closed Burnham Plaza (I’d only been to the G-G once before and that was circa 1990 to see THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER). And yes, the carpet was the same, the zig-zag things were on the wall.
A poster on the Lincoln Village 1-6 page stated that the remaining
C-Os from the 1983-1990 have “a creepy Cineplex-Odeon vibe” to them.
I beleive that the survivors from that era are now only the Bloomingdale Court, the Lincoln Village, the North Riverside (not sure what that one looks like on the inside—interesting that all three of these are Village Theatres) and possibly the Chicago Ridge. As I’ve said before, I wonder how long these places will remain.
Your comment says that this place was converted to high-end apartments. Not to doubt you, but I don’t see how. The building being a former cinema has few windows (unless they plan on cutting in new windows). And a banner on the rear of the building, facing the L, says that medical-office space is for lease.
A little off-topic here, but the CA&E actually ended at Laramie Avenue and Congress Street. East of Laramie, it had operating rights over the Chicago L so that it could operate into Downtown. Conversely, the Chicago L had operating rights over the CA&E west of Laramie into Forest Park (and before 1951, Westchester).
The CA&E was cut back to Forest Park in 1953 to allow for construction of the Congress Street (now Eisenhower) Expressway. The L had to be torn down to allow for this construction. During this construction, the CTA L used a temporary right-of-way, which the CA&E refused to do, thus forcing passengers to transfer to the L at Forest Park. This cost an immediate loss of ridership to the CA&E, which abruptly shut down at noon on July 3, 1957 and stranding many people.
I agree with LTS. Although I don’t live in Wheaton and I’ve never been to the Wheaton Grand, I’ve been thru it many times as I love bike riding. Wheaton is the center point of the two branches and main stem of the Illinois Prairie Path. There are a lot of forest preserves nearby in which to hike, bike ride, and participate in other outdoor activities too. Wheaton’s downtown seems fairly active too if one wants shopping and restaurants while avoiding the malls, strip malls, and Walmarts.
Incidentally, LTS, is your term “Dumpwater, FL” a reference to a certain MARRIED WITH CHILDREN episode?
The designer (although I’m not sure he is the architect) was Joe McNally Building Construction of Middleton, WI. Here is a link with some building specifications and a great photo: http://www.nbs-inc.net/abc_kahlihari.jpg
The hamburger place you’re referring to may have been “King Castle.” I think the chain existed ‘til the early 1980s and , yes, they served “White Castelesque” burgers.
As for the State-Lake, it was never demolished. The building now houses WLS-TV (ABC Channel 7) studios.
I’ve never been here. Has anybody been here recently? Are the floors clean? How are the crowds, obnoxiuous or respectful? My girlfriend and I are considering going here.
Logan Square was once considered a rough area, but apparantly it is not becoming “Yuppy-ized.”
I recently saw THE PRESTIGE here with a friend of mine who lives in the area.
Despite being awkwardly configured, this ain’t a bad place to see a show. And granted, it’s all 2nd run “right-before-the-movies-are-out-on-DVD-and-sometimes-even-after.” But the staff is friendly. The place seems to get good “walk-in” trade from the locals. And where else can you get a movie with popcorn and soda, all for $6.50?
(Okay, so I did spend over $6.00 round-trip on the nearby METRA train to get here).
This theatre is no longer on the Village website, so I assume it’s closed. Let’s do a “Dead Pool” for the next Vllage Theatre to go. I say Bloomingdale Court!
As did the Golf Glen, although that opened up as an Essaness, passed to Plitt, and then became a C-O. The G.G. was renovated into the C-O style, which it retained until it closed last year.
Are any cinemas remaining in the Chicagoland Area with the C-O look of the 1980s (i.e. As you put it “Zig-Zag stuff on the auditorium walls, seats with cream colored backs, carpeting etc.”)? The only two possibilities I can think of are the Rivertree Court and the Lincoln Village.
I think that the last two Cineplex-Odeons opened in the Chicagoland Area were the 600 North and the Quarry (a.k.a. Hodgkins). But these of course were done in a ‘90s style, similar to the three ICE Theatres.
This place was apparantly very similar to the Harlem Corners Cinema. Same architect? Both were operated by Value Theatres.
The Bricktown, the Northgate, and the Rolling Meadows are probably Chicagoland’s shortest-lived multi-plexes (11 years for the Bricktown, 8 years for the Northgate, and 7 for the Rolling Meadows.
The Russell Phillips photos show that GHOSTBUSTERS was playing here, which would date the photo to 1984. That this place made it into the Cineplex-Odeon chain means that it would have had to exist into 1985-1986. Even if the photo seems re-touched, it is still a great shot!
This sounds like it was THE place to see movies when it first opened. When I drove past here last week, I saw the Linens-n-Things and if I didn’t know any better, I’d'a never known such a short-lived multi-plex was ever in this place.
Was this place a Cineplex-Odeon or a Sony (M&R/Sony/Loews) when it first opened?
Possibly they do. Probably they don’t care. They could stay in business a LONG time by buying/leasing older multi-plexes, running ‘em a couple of years 'til they close, then moving on. And all the while, they just have to concentrate on making the Village and Village North the only profitable ones.
Ho Chunk is the name of the Indian tribe that operates the casino.
A belated reply to Cinemark Fan’s comment:
You are right in that this place had the “1980s-Cineplex-Odeon-Look” to it. Even though it was originally an Essaness, C-O did renovate it into their look. I went to the Golf-Glen just before it closed to see KING KONG and I thought I’d warped back to the then-recently closed Burnham Plaza (I’d only been to the G-G once before and that was circa 1990 to see THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER). And yes, the carpet was the same, the zig-zag things were on the wall.
A poster on the Lincoln Village 1-6 page stated that the remaining
C-Os from the 1983-1990 have “a creepy Cineplex-Odeon vibe” to them.
I beleive that the survivors from that era are now only the Bloomingdale Court, the Lincoln Village, the North Riverside (not sure what that one looks like on the inside—interesting that all three of these are Village Theatres) and possibly the Chicago Ridge. As I’ve said before, I wonder how long these places will remain.
Gene-Paul,
Your comment says that this place was converted to high-end apartments. Not to doubt you, but I don’t see how. The building being a former cinema has few windows (unless they plan on cutting in new windows). And a banner on the rear of the building, facing the L, says that medical-office space is for lease.
Brooklyn Jim and Ray Mazzolini,
A little off-topic here, but the CA&E actually ended at Laramie Avenue and Congress Street. East of Laramie, it had operating rights over the Chicago L so that it could operate into Downtown. Conversely, the Chicago L had operating rights over the CA&E west of Laramie into Forest Park (and before 1951, Westchester).
The CA&E was cut back to Forest Park in 1953 to allow for construction of the Congress Street (now Eisenhower) Expressway. The L had to be torn down to allow for this construction. During this construction, the CTA L used a temporary right-of-way, which the CA&E refused to do, thus forcing passengers to transfer to the L at Forest Park. This cost an immediate loss of ridership to the CA&E, which abruptly shut down at noon on July 3, 1957 and stranding many people.
I agree with LTS. Although I don’t live in Wheaton and I’ve never been to the Wheaton Grand, I’ve been thru it many times as I love bike riding. Wheaton is the center point of the two branches and main stem of the Illinois Prairie Path. There are a lot of forest preserves nearby in which to hike, bike ride, and participate in other outdoor activities too. Wheaton’s downtown seems fairly active too if one wants shopping and restaurants while avoiding the malls, strip malls, and Walmarts.
Incidentally, LTS, is your term “Dumpwater, FL” a reference to a certain MARRIED WITH CHILDREN episode?
Yep, two Village Theatres closed in one month. That’s a record for them!
And now it’s closed. Cinemark Fan gets the cigar in the “Village Theatres Dead Pool” (i.e. which Village Theatre will close next.)
There are now mannequins sitting in the paybooth. I find that totally hilarious!
Give Cinemark Fan a ceegar!
The designer (although I’m not sure he is the architect) was Joe McNally Building Construction of Middleton, WI. Here is a link with some building specifications and a great photo:
http://www.nbs-inc.net/abc_kahlihari.jpg
Here are consturction photos:
http://www.commercialblock.com/lake_delton1.htm
As you can see, it is a very substanital building.
Per Cinemaven’s comment of 12/16/2006.
The hamburger place you’re referring to may have been “King Castle.” I think the chain existed ‘til the early 1980s and , yes, they served “White Castelesque” burgers.
As for the State-Lake, it was never demolished. The building now houses WLS-TV (ABC Channel 7) studios.
I’ve never been here. Has anybody been here recently? Are the floors clean? How are the crowds, obnoxiuous or respectful? My girlfriend and I are considering going here.
Logan Square was once considered a rough area, but apparantly it is not becoming “Yuppy-ized.”
I recently saw THE PRESTIGE here with a friend of mine who lives in the area.
Despite being awkwardly configured, this ain’t a bad place to see a show. And granted, it’s all 2nd run “right-before-the-movies-are-out-on-DVD-and-sometimes-even-after.” But the staff is friendly. The place seems to get good “walk-in” trade from the locals. And where else can you get a movie with popcorn and soda, all for $6.50?
(Okay, so I did spend over $6.00 round-trip on the nearby METRA train to get here).
Weren’t the Todd and the Cinestage in the Plitt chain for awhile?
This theatre is no longer on the Village website, so I assume it’s closed. Let’s do a “Dead Pool” for the next Vllage Theatre to go. I say Bloomingdale Court!
As did the Golf Glen, although that opened up as an Essaness, passed to Plitt, and then became a C-O. The G.G. was renovated into the C-O style, which it retained until it closed last year.
Cinemark Fan,
Are any cinemas remaining in the Chicagoland Area with the C-O look of the 1980s (i.e. As you put it “Zig-Zag stuff on the auditorium walls, seats with cream colored backs, carpeting etc.”)? The only two possibilities I can think of are the Rivertree Court and the Lincoln Village.
I think that the last two Cineplex-Odeons opened in the Chicagoland Area were the 600 North and the Quarry (a.k.a. Hodgkins). But these of course were done in a ‘90s style, similar to the three ICE Theatres.
This place was apparantly very similar to the Harlem Corners Cinema. Same architect? Both were operated by Value Theatres.
The Bricktown, the Northgate, and the Rolling Meadows are probably Chicagoland’s shortest-lived multi-plexes (11 years for the Bricktown, 8 years for the Northgate, and 7 for the Rolling Meadows.
Any news on this theatre? Has it been sold? Will it be demolished?
The Russell Phillips photos show that GHOSTBUSTERS was playing here, which would date the photo to 1984. That this place made it into the Cineplex-Odeon chain means that it would have had to exist into 1985-1986. Even if the photo seems re-touched, it is still a great shot!
Has any of the Cinema Treasures “Faithful” ever been to this theatre? If so, could anyone describe it to me?
This sounds like it was THE place to see movies when it first opened. When I drove past here last week, I saw the Linens-n-Things and if I didn’t know any better, I’d'a never known such a short-lived multi-plex was ever in this place.
Was this place a Cineplex-Odeon or a Sony (M&R/Sony/Loews) when it first opened?
The architect should be Mesbur & Smith.
LTS,
Possibly they do. Probably they don’t care. They could stay in business a LONG time by buying/leasing older multi-plexes, running ‘em a couple of years 'til they close, then moving on. And all the while, they just have to concentrate on making the Village and Village North the only profitable ones.
Village’s website states that this theatre is open and that it will be so on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Village’s website states that this theatre is open and that it will be so on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.