Esquire Theatre
58 E. Oak Street,
Chicago,
IL
60611
58 E. Oak Street,
Chicago,
IL
60611
28 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 188 comments
That’s what the original caption on the photo says…the image came from a Sun-Times archive.
Ticket booth at Esquire, 1951: Esquire.
They still use the theatre for little things like boy scotts, and farmers market I know, becuase I live over there.
I think the Urban Remains listing is inaccurate. That sign is not from the 30’s, if memory serves. I think it is a recreation installed at the time of the multiplex conversion.
only if someone buys it
via David Zornig: View link
I just watched an episode of the late 1950s television series, M SQUAD, starring Lee Marvin. The exteriors were filmed in Chicago. In tonight’s episode, Lee Marvin can be seen getting into a car and across the street is the Esquire Theatre.
O.K.
I saw “Star Trek: the Motion Picture” at the Esquire. The theatre was better than the movie (I prefer “Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan” myself).
In reply to your query, in the 70s, that area was still a rather bustling area at night, with many restaurants, music and jazz clubs, singles bars, even a gay bar or two; many were quite famous in their time, although even then, it was little less than it once was a decade or so earlier. Now it’s becoming more of a “boutique” shopping area, much less a nighttime destination.
Most likely, if not certainly, she was coming out the Carnegie Theatre which which was in the next block west, facing Rush St. The Carnegie was at 1026 N. Rush; Faces at 940 N. Rush.
Dear Gentlemen (looks as if I’m the only woman on this board – ha):
In the movie, “Looking for Mr. Goodbar,” Diane Keaton is shown coming out of a theater in Chicago. You can clearly see Faces nightclub in the background, so it appears that she is looking South on Rush from Oak, but I’m not sure. Is she coming out of The Esquire and they’ve just edited the film, or was there another theater in the area during the mid-to-late 70’s? Also, if anyone would like to tell me more about this area in the 70’s, I would really appreciate it! Let’s just say that I’ve become obsessed.
Any information is appreciated!
Kelley
Apparently Marilyn Miglin closed her Oak St. retail store for good, some time back. So any say she had in what went on with the Esquire is now possibly gone too. (See BWChicago’s 9/29/08 post) Unless she owns her building and is still an active Oak Street Council member.
Trust me, J.W.; they’ll never come to town. I wish they would gut the inside and restore it to it’s original theatre self. Of course, they would have to do live performances there; it could never be a full-time movie house again. Can you imagine going to a concert near the lakefront? Now that would be awesome.
Tim, I have heard that Willis Johnson has vowed NEVER to operate a theatre in the city of Chicago, mainly because of tax issues.
I don’t think Classic wants to deal with the hassles of Chicago government.
What about Classic Cinemas?
Perhaps Landmark might have considered taking over the Esquire in years past, but I do not think there’s any chance of that happening now; they seem content with the multiplex they built in the shell of the old Century Theater up north and their other operation further north in Chicagoland. Also the company seems to be in a state of contraction – it pulled out of the New Orleans and Columbus, OH markets during the past year and will leave Austin, TX in the fall.
Looking at that lovely photo, it really is a shame that the Esquire has been just sitting there all these years. It really does fit in to the neighbourhood so well doesn’t it. It should be a Landmark or Angelika or something.
Here is another photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y58s553
It seems like a lot of high end retail has been closing in Chicago recently. I see more and more expensive store fronts around town for rent. My guess is that nothing will be happening here for a while.
I liked it better when it was known as A Walter Reade Theatre.
AKA LOEWS ESQUIRE.
Yes maybe. But the ability to maximize the space in a completely new structure, built from the ground up has to be more doable than renovating an existing space.
Even if they were to keep the mutiple floors currently at the Esquire, how big could each shoebox be to be viable? Versus new shoeboxes that can be built to spec in an open floor plan of their own design?
I would think they’d need many mores screens with potentially different pictures playing on each to make it work.
I remember how big the auditorium was at the Esquire back when it was a one screen. I still don’t envision it as workable as a multi story building they can build from scratch.
Well, in fairness, the Block 37 theatres would have been shoebox-size, no bigger than the Esquire’s if not smaller.