Copernicus Center
5216 W. Lawrence Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60630
5216 W. Lawrence Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60630
24 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 78 comments
One interesting fact about the Gateway Theatre. It is the last theatre in Chicago to have carbon arc lamphouses. I’ve been a projectionist at the Gateway for 16 years and I hope the Copernicus people do something special to commemorate the theatre’s upcoming 80th Anniversary.
At the Gateway Theater back in the mid-1950’s I spent 50 cents for admission, popcorn … and a candy bar! I recall sneaking up into the balcony with a girlfriend (when the balcony was closed). Does anyone remember the ladies’ bathroom with the facing mirrors that reflected on and on? Do you recall how the bad boys would toss flattened popcorn boxes way up into the air … and also stomp on the big popcorn cups to make loud bangs? I recall how the kids would scream their lungs out during the showings of Frankenstein, the Mummy, and the Wolfman. What great memories!
They’ve done a terrific job with this place. Some new photos are here:
http://www.mekong.net/random/cinema24.htm
Regards,
Bruce
The Copernicus people are embracing the theatre so much that they ordered the removal of the 3/17 Wurlitzer-Kimball. Removal was completed this week.
You are being generous.
I suppose it was a flagship in the physical sense – right at the gateway to the city.
The Gateway was B&K’s flagship?? Wrong end of Lawrence Avenue…
The Copernicus Center has recently updated their site with some nice new photos. It seems like they’re at least embracing the theater now, even if it is underutilized.
http://www.copernicusfdn.org/theater.html
I saw Superman-The Movie here. It was either late 1978 or early 1979. I remember the lobby was decorated with several mobiles that a few rowdy teenagers tried(unsuccesfully) to steal!
Recent photos are HERE
It was removed first. The terra cotta is still intact underneath, however.
Is the sign still under the clocktower or was it removed first?
MP775, you’re not entirely correct. Sportif is alive and well. They successfully fought attempts by the city and developers to steal their property and demolish their shop. They are surrounded by vacant parcels formerly occupied by a bank and other storefronts.
View link
View link
The theatre description should be updated; the Gateway hasn’t been the home of the Silent Film Society of Chicago since the Portage reopened last year.
Sadly, Sportif, the jewel box bicycle shop across from the Gateway that Paul Fortini mentioned a year ago, has been a vacant lot for a few months.
The Jeff was a different one, a few doors down the street at 4750. I submitted a writeup on it a little while ago.
4700 block of N.Milwaukee?? West side of the street??
Could that be the building with the name “JEFFERSON” made out of the brickwork?
If so, that building was a nickelodeon and its still there! The brick is painted cream and the “JEFFERSON” is highlighted in maroon now, but for a long time it was all one color and not very noticable.
The “TIMES” was on the other side of the street a block north where Higgins runs into Milwaukee; I only remember that one as the “Holiday Ballroom”.
All this talk about the GATEWAY and no mention anywhere about its' nearby (former) ‘little cousin’ the JEFF THEATRE (after neighborhood Jefferson Park), which old timers will recall was around the corner on Milwaukee Ave 4700 block, west side of street. Just recently in on-air reminisces the JEFF theatre was mentioned on WDCB’s Saturday “THOSE WERE THE DAYS” radio show (by those who should know).
The JEFF and its' bldg disappeared in early ‘50s, but maybe someone w/ more info than me will upgrade this (misplaced) comment into a full-fledged, pin-pointed theatre entry.
Someone told me at a recent party that asbestos abatement has been conducted in the Gateway’s attic, although events continue to be scheduled.
I’m amazed nobody has commented on the fact that the Gateway and the Dupage have remarkably similar prosceniums.
Gateway:
1
Dupage: 1, 2
Here is a profile from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency’s HAARGIS system. It includes a small picture.
Here are some recent views of the Gateway.
Hey everybody
I am a Michael LeVan. I have lived in the city of Chicago my entire life. I am a filmmaker and a attendee of Columbia College, heading into my final year. I love all the old movie palaces of Chicago. It has been my intent for sometime to Make a documentary on the history, and the ongoings of these historic theaters in the present. The means to make this documentary are finally in my grasp. I planned on featuring 3 theaters, the Copernicus Center(formally The Gateway), The Patio(Formally The Avalon), and The Uptown. While the Documentary will focus on the entire history, These are the three that will be visual examples, and the ones i would like to film in. I have spoken with the People at The Gateway Theater, and they are estatic that i am doing this. The only problem now is The Uptown and the The Patio. These two theaters seem to have ghosts of owners , or even managers. If somebody could help me in finding someone to talk too, i would be very appriciative. Also, this documentary will require interviews, and finding old information as well. If anybody would be kind enough to do either that would be fantastic. My somewhat set date to start filming is June 10 ,2006. My goal with the entire project is to help and benifit these theaters. Help alot more people to gain interest, and all the profit that i attain, if any, will be donated to help with these theaters. I am going to submit it to Wttw(Pbs Chicago) , and also the History Channel. So if anyone would like to help in anyway, they can contact me at my email.
or by phone (773)-656-5821
Well i appriciate if you read that entire thing, and hopefully i will be hearing from you
Michael Levan of Bleeding Chicago Productions
If you’ve read my other posts, you’ll know that I beleive certain theatres have outlived their usefulness and many have been excellent candidates for adaptive re-use (the Hinsdale is a good example of this). However, as I’ve said above, the Gateway/Copernicus Center is viable and must be retained in order to keep a sense of place to the community. Developers must realize that proximity to theatres (movie and performing arts) can be a selling point. The developers of Downtown Arlington Heights realized this when their plans included a cinema and a live theatre.
With that in mind, I foound the following article in the Chicago Sun-Times interesting. “Bike shop owner wins fight against city: Officials drop lawsuit seeking to get land for redevelopment”. The owner of Sportif, a bicycle shop across the street from the Gateway, sued the city because the city wanted to take the store away for more condo redevelopment. Big surprise, right? That big CVS that was droppped in the middle of the area was an eyesore enough. Although I have nothing against CVS, etc, places like these add nothing to the character of a neighborhood except traffic congestion.
To link to that article, go to www.suntimes.com and search for SPORTIF. Let’s have condo redevelopment, but let’s have sensible condo development that works with the surrounding community instead of being imposed upon it.
I have gotten mixed signals on this building. One report says that the Gateway condo deal has fallen apart. Another report says that it is still in progress. Anyone have new info to share?
Acdtually the Portage is slated to reopen in early February- thew Chicago Silent Film Society will open a six-week series with a concert by my friends the West End Jazz Band, who will return March 10. They have supposedly taken down the partition and restored it to a single theater.