Yes, I think you’re right about the size: I recall hearing that although there are (were?) several theatres with more seats, the Uptown was the largest in terms of square footage. The foyer and lobbies were huge.
I noticed as I was looking at some of the pics posted you pointed out above, at http://www.chicagosuptowntheater.com/, that the theatre actually looks better in those photos then it did when I saw it fifteen years earlier. Of course, that may just be because the guy who took those pics is a way better photog than me! :–)
Brian Wolf has suggested that a couple old photos I couldn’t identify were from the Beverly. I think he’s right, based on the location. In January 1992, I had taken some shots at the Highland and the Hamilton, and one other theatre that had been converted to a church. The Beverly is in the same general area, and it seems to fit the bill. I’ve uploaded a (kinda crappy) shot of the exterior here:
I have no idea what it’s like now, but even back in ‘90 the Uptown was in bad shape inside. One of the guys working there told me that a drain line from one of the roofs had broken open, and water had been pouring in for a really long time. I still vividly remember one room with walnut paneling on all the walls… and it was totally ruined, warped and buckled from all the water. I hope they can save it, but it won’t be easy.
Sad to think that the Granada, which was in far better condition, was demolished… and all the while, the Uptown sits empty, decaying year after year.
I think the dates in the description here are a little off. I believe the Varsity closed in 1985 or 1986. I have some photos of the building when the conversion to retail space was underway. You can see a couple of them in Set #12, at this URL: http://www.mekong.net/random/theatres.htm
Damn, I love that graffiti. :–)
And no, I am not the one who wrote it… but ironically, that is where I saw “Citizen Kane,” and “The Magnificent Ambersons.” The Varsity was marvelous. Absolutely magical.
Anyway, on the back of my original print, I had written “12/86,” and I’m fairly certain that is accurate.
As Life’s Too Short mentioned, the Varsity and the Parkway were both showing art films in the early 80s. I was thinking that one of the chains bought out the Varsity in about ‘84, though, and then showed first-run movies. I seem to remember seeing “Conan the Destroyer” there.
Anybody out there from the North Side want to weigh in?
I’ve still got a couple schedules from both the Parkway and the Varsity. They used to have ‘em tucked in the Reader about once a month. If anyone is interested, I’ll see if I can photograph or scan them.
Ah, thanks Ken… that’s the one! I’m very surprised after having looked at the entry here (under Mode). I had no idea that it was so old.
The more I look through things here, the more I realize that I can’t always trust my memory. Damn… senile at 44. Or wait… am I 45? Oh, hell, I can’t remember…
Life, thanks for the kind words here (and elsewhere) about the photos. The worst scare I ever had in all the time I was taking theatre pics was in the Sheridan. It had been empty for a long time, and I found that one of the side doors was open. As you can see in the pics, the auditorium still looked halfway decent, but the lobby was a wreck; I think there had been a fire, and it was absolutely littered with garbage… including syringes here and there. I had been in there for ten or fifteen minutes, and was down in the lower level of the lobby when I heard a REALLY pissed-off voice up above me start shouting: “Yo, Mike! Mike!” I decided that Mike’s friend and Mike probably didn’t want me there, and got the hell out as fast as I could.
Incidentally, in the early 80s there was another theatre right down the street; it was either a strip club or an adult theatre. At that time, the Sheridan was called the Palacio, and I think the other theatre was called the Sheridan. It was just south of the Sheridan L stop, and I believe it later became a Mexican grocery. Maybe someone else here would know something about that one?
There are some pictures of the Granada in Sets 1 and 2, at http://www.mekong.net/random/theatres.htm Take a look in particular at the 1987 pic of the lobby; just two years before demolition began, the theatre was still in excellent condition.
I’m reaching back into my memory here, so I could be wrong, but for what it’s worth, I believe the last public function held at the Granada was a concert with Peter Tosh and Heavy Manners in about 1983.
A nighttime view of the Fox can be seen in Set #5, at http://www.mekong.net/random/theatres.htm Not sure exactly when it was taken, but I believe that it was around 1997.
Hi Rich —
Yes, I think you’re right about the size: I recall hearing that although there are (were?) several theatres with more seats, the Uptown was the largest in terms of square footage. The foyer and lobbies were huge.
I noticed as I was looking at some of the pics posted you pointed out above, at http://www.chicagosuptowntheater.com/, that the theatre actually looks better in those photos then it did when I saw it fifteen years earlier. Of course, that may just be because the guy who took those pics is a way better photog than me! :–)
Hi All —
Brian Wolf has suggested that a couple old photos I couldn’t identify were from the Beverly. I think he’s right, based on the location. In January 1992, I had taken some shots at the Highland and the Hamilton, and one other theatre that had been converted to a church. The Beverly is in the same general area, and it seems to fit the bill. I’ve uploaded a (kinda crappy) shot of the exterior here:
View link
And there is a shot showing the interior in Set #14, here:
http://www.mekong.net/random/theatres.htm
If anyone can confirm that this is or isn’t the Beverly, I’d greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for the kind words about the photos.
I have no idea what it’s like now, but even back in ‘90 the Uptown was in bad shape inside. One of the guys working there told me that a drain line from one of the roofs had broken open, and water had been pouring in for a really long time. I still vividly remember one room with walnut paneling on all the walls… and it was totally ruined, warped and buckled from all the water. I hope they can save it, but it won’t be easy.
Sad to think that the Granada, which was in far better condition, was demolished… and all the while, the Uptown sits empty, decaying year after year.
I think the dates in the description here are a little off. I believe the Varsity closed in 1985 or 1986. I have some photos of the building when the conversion to retail space was underway. You can see a couple of them in Set #12, at this URL:
http://www.mekong.net/random/theatres.htm
Damn, I love that graffiti. :–)
And no, I am not the one who wrote it… but ironically, that is where I saw “Citizen Kane,” and “The Magnificent Ambersons.” The Varsity was marvelous. Absolutely magical.
Anyway, on the back of my original print, I had written “12/86,” and I’m fairly certain that is accurate.
As Life’s Too Short mentioned, the Varsity and the Parkway were both showing art films in the early 80s. I was thinking that one of the chains bought out the Varsity in about ‘84, though, and then showed first-run movies. I seem to remember seeing “Conan the Destroyer” there.
Anybody out there from the North Side want to weigh in?
I’ve still got a couple schedules from both the Parkway and the Varsity. They used to have ‘em tucked in the Reader about once a month. If anyone is interested, I’ll see if I can photograph or scan them.
Ah, thanks Ken… that’s the one! I’m very surprised after having looked at the entry here (under Mode). I had no idea that it was so old.
The more I look through things here, the more I realize that I can’t always trust my memory. Damn… senile at 44. Or wait… am I 45? Oh, hell, I can’t remember…
Hi all —
Life, thanks for the kind words here (and elsewhere) about the photos. The worst scare I ever had in all the time I was taking theatre pics was in the Sheridan. It had been empty for a long time, and I found that one of the side doors was open. As you can see in the pics, the auditorium still looked halfway decent, but the lobby was a wreck; I think there had been a fire, and it was absolutely littered with garbage… including syringes here and there. I had been in there for ten or fifteen minutes, and was down in the lower level of the lobby when I heard a REALLY pissed-off voice up above me start shouting: “Yo, Mike! Mike!” I decided that Mike’s friend and Mike probably didn’t want me there, and got the hell out as fast as I could.
Incidentally, in the early 80s there was another theatre right down the street; it was either a strip club or an adult theatre. At that time, the Sheridan was called the Palacio, and I think the other theatre was called the Sheridan. It was just south of the Sheridan L stop, and I believe it later became a Mexican grocery. Maybe someone else here would know something about that one?
There are some pictures of the Granada in Sets 1 and 2, at http://www.mekong.net/random/theatres.htm Take a look in particular at the 1987 pic of the lobby; just two years before demolition began, the theatre was still in excellent condition.
I’m reaching back into my memory here, so I could be wrong, but for what it’s worth, I believe the last public function held at the Granada was a concert with Peter Tosh and Heavy Manners in about 1983.
A nighttime view of the Fox can be seen in Set #5, at http://www.mekong.net/random/theatres.htm Not sure exactly when it was taken, but I believe that it was around 1997.
Hi Brebel —
I have just a couple photos of the Commodore, taken when demolition was just starting. They’re in Set #5, at http://www.mekong.net/random/theatres.htm
A few photos of the Uptown, including some interior shots taken in 1990, can be seen in Set #3, here: http://www.mekong.net/random/theatres.htm