Hi Brian Wolf!
I would be very interested in seeing the photos you took of the demoliton of the Mode. My e-mail address is .de
I can’t believe that I just barely missed seeing the Mode again by a mere 5 months! I’ll be in Chicago in September.
Hi Ken!
Thanks for clearing up my confusion concerning the Uptown and Riviera theaters! I saw all the horror films you mentioned, especially the Roger Corman Edgar Allen Poe films, at my local theatre the Modè on Sheridan Road near the Sheridan “L” station. Also, remember the badly dubbed Italian sandal epics like Hercules Unchained, Samson this and that, Ajax vs. Samson and numerous interchangeable others. And fantasy films like The Magic Sword…oh yes and my favortie from that period: I WAS A TEENAGE WERESOLF with Michael Landon as the beast – pre Bonanza! The Edgewater Beach Hotel also brings back memories – I was there often visiting the radio staion that was located there. I saved the clipping from the Chicago Tribune when the building was demolished in approxiamtely 1969? The newspaper article is long gone but I do have a period postcard showing the Hotel from the beach perspective though.
Wow! What a cast! I vaguely remembert the plot had something to do with the space program…There were other films with British Beat bands like the Dave Clark Five ( I believe the title was CATCH US IF YOU CAN?) and Gerry and the Pacemakers but none were up to Beatles standards. I’m surprised none have appeared on DVD. Of course I have all the Beach Party movies – there is one with 11 year old Little Stevie Wonder accopanied by Dick Dale and band!
In the 60’s, I saw many films at the Riviera and at the Uptown Cinemas. All the American International Beach Party Movies, the newest Disney features, Raquel Welch in 1 Million B.C. a satire on the undertaking business called THE LOVED ONE, which went right over my 10 year old mind… also, a film which featured the British Beat group Herman’s Hermits in a Beatle’s Hard Days Night kind of mode. You received a “signed” autographed photo of the group if you bought a large buttered popcorn! I remember using it for darts practice. Because of the close proximity of the Uptown and the Riviera, I don’t know where I saw what. Did one theatre play new releases and one primarily B-Movie classics like Beach Blanket Bingo? If so, which did what? Thanks for any leads! Also, does anyone remember a magazine published in 1965 called Beach Boys and Girls? I was a huge fan of the Beach Party movies and of course bought them (long gone) and have never heard about them again or seen them for sale on e-bay or anywhere else. Growing up on Chicago’s beaches we could very well relate to
surf music and films – at least in the summer months.
Hi Richard! Yes, will do! That’s great! No, I never ate at the barbeque place north of the Mode. But that cinema used to be my main movie theatre as a – I’ve written a lengthy comment on the Mode at that site. I remember there was a Raggedy Anne “supermarket” on the corner north of the Mode – was the barbeque in between? I’m pretty good on naming the stores north of the Mode on Sheridan (particularly left and right of the “L”) but what I don’t recall is, what stores were south of the Mode – I believe an Army Surplus store? And wasn’t there a place called the Lipstick Lounge? Or is that the name of the Barbeque you’re referring to? You wouldn’t, by any chance, have photos of the Mode – I read on its site that it was demolished at the beginning of April this year! Where was the Essex? Also in that vicinity? I used to frequent the Uptown and the Riviera a lot in the 60’s. And also go to the Avalon Ballroom with my parents. Those sites are all still around I believe.
Looking forward to the photos – Thanks!
I walked by the Sheridan theatre everyday on my way to St. Mary of the Lake School from 1960 until 1968. It was a synagogue then and sometimes the doors were open and I would wander in to have a look at the interior – I only remember being very impressed by the size of the place and even as a child realizing that it was a historic cinema.
Richard G. I would love to see your vintage pictures – is there anyway you could scan and digitaly transfer them to me?
Inspired by your letters,I’d like to share a few of my own memories of the Mode Cinema. At the age of 5 years old, from 1959 on, I (along with all the other kids in the neighborhood) was a weekend regular at the Mode Theater. I remember the double and triple features of B-Movie Horror, Zombie, Roman Sandals, Teen Exploitation and Jerry Lewis films. Classics like The Magic Sword, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, 20,000,000 Miles to Earth, Attack of the 50 ft. Woman, Hercules Unchained, Machine Gun Kelly, Joy Ride, The Nutty Professor and countless others. Many of which I now own on DVD. I either sat in the last row so that I could throw stuff at my friends further up front or go down to the first row and watch the screen cross eyed. For the price of 25 cents, Saturdays would be spent running in and out of the auditorium with your friends between cartoons and films to get drinks, popcorn and nickel candy, milk duds, sno-caps and a certain brand whose name I can’t remember only that it stuch to your teeth and had a prize inside! I never bought a hot dog because I would always have one at Hot Dog Haven, located on the north east corner of Sheridan between the cinema and the “L” station. Going to the Mode for 5-6 hours was cheaper than a baby sitter and if I was away longer than expected, Mom would come pick me up. We lived right down the street in a three story building directly adjacent to the Sheridan street “L” station. There was a supermarket next to the theater, right hand side called Raggedy Ann and sometimes we’d stop and buy one of the Taffy Apples on display in the window. For awhile I helped to distribute the small folded weekly flyer that the theater had printed until I got an even better job counting the hot dogs in the freshly delivered sacks at Hot Dog Haven (the owner didn’t trust the deliverer but how well did I count the thousands of hot dogs???…) Pay was good 25 cents and two comic books! If anyone out there happens to have an old flyer, please let me know! Even a Xerox copy would be a great thrill!
I grew up in that neighborhood and distincly remember every store in the vicinity but I haven’t been anywhere near there since 1977 and now am very sad to read that demolition of the immortal Mode Theater has begun – I’ll be in Chicago in September – just barely missed it! I wonder if anyone has a photo?
I also remember that in the early 60’s the theater would hold bicycle raffles – I guess business wasn’t so good by then.
Hi Brian Wolf!
I would be very interested in seeing the photos you took of the demoliton of the Mode. My e-mail address is .de
I can’t believe that I just barely missed seeing the Mode again by a mere 5 months! I’ll be in Chicago in September.
Hi Richard G.
As you requested – it’s time to start hounding you about sending me the photos mentioned in your April 23rd mail!
Hi Ken!
Thanks for clearing up my confusion concerning the Uptown and Riviera theaters! I saw all the horror films you mentioned, especially the Roger Corman Edgar Allen Poe films, at my local theatre the Modè on Sheridan Road near the Sheridan “L” station. Also, remember the badly dubbed Italian sandal epics like Hercules Unchained, Samson this and that, Ajax vs. Samson and numerous interchangeable others. And fantasy films like The Magic Sword…oh yes and my favortie from that period: I WAS A TEENAGE WERESOLF with Michael Landon as the beast – pre Bonanza! The Edgewater Beach Hotel also brings back memories – I was there often visiting the radio staion that was located there. I saved the clipping from the Chicago Tribune when the building was demolished in approxiamtely 1969? The newspaper article is long gone but I do have a period postcard showing the Hotel from the beach perspective though.
Wow! What a cast! I vaguely remembert the plot had something to do with the space program…There were other films with British Beat bands like the Dave Clark Five ( I believe the title was CATCH US IF YOU CAN?) and Gerry and the Pacemakers but none were up to Beatles standards. I’m surprised none have appeared on DVD. Of course I have all the Beach Party movies – there is one with 11 year old Little Stevie Wonder accopanied by Dick Dale and band!
Thanks again!
In the 60’s, I saw many films at the Riviera and at the Uptown Cinemas. All the American International Beach Party Movies, the newest Disney features, Raquel Welch in 1 Million B.C. a satire on the undertaking business called THE LOVED ONE, which went right over my 10 year old mind… also, a film which featured the British Beat group Herman’s Hermits in a Beatle’s Hard Days Night kind of mode. You received a “signed” autographed photo of the group if you bought a large buttered popcorn! I remember using it for darts practice. Because of the close proximity of the Uptown and the Riviera, I don’t know where I saw what. Did one theatre play new releases and one primarily B-Movie classics like Beach Blanket Bingo? If so, which did what? Thanks for any leads! Also, does anyone remember a magazine published in 1965 called Beach Boys and Girls? I was a huge fan of the Beach Party movies and of course bought them (long gone) and have never heard about them again or seen them for sale on e-bay or anywhere else. Growing up on Chicago’s beaches we could very well relate to
surf music and films – at least in the summer months.
Hi Richard! Yes, will do! That’s great! No, I never ate at the barbeque place north of the Mode. But that cinema used to be my main movie theatre as a – I’ve written a lengthy comment on the Mode at that site. I remember there was a Raggedy Anne “supermarket” on the corner north of the Mode – was the barbeque in between? I’m pretty good on naming the stores north of the Mode on Sheridan (particularly left and right of the “L”) but what I don’t recall is, what stores were south of the Mode – I believe an Army Surplus store? And wasn’t there a place called the Lipstick Lounge? Or is that the name of the Barbeque you’re referring to? You wouldn’t, by any chance, have photos of the Mode – I read on its site that it was demolished at the beginning of April this year! Where was the Essex? Also in that vicinity? I used to frequent the Uptown and the Riviera a lot in the 60’s. And also go to the Avalon Ballroom with my parents. Those sites are all still around I believe.
Looking forward to the photos – Thanks!
I walked by the Sheridan theatre everyday on my way to St. Mary of the Lake School from 1960 until 1968. It was a synagogue then and sometimes the doors were open and I would wander in to have a look at the interior – I only remember being very impressed by the size of the place and even as a child realizing that it was a historic cinema.
Richard G. I would love to see your vintage pictures – is there anyway you could scan and digitaly transfer them to me?
Inspired by your letters,I’d like to share a few of my own memories of the Mode Cinema. At the age of 5 years old, from 1959 on, I (along with all the other kids in the neighborhood) was a weekend regular at the Mode Theater. I remember the double and triple features of B-Movie Horror, Zombie, Roman Sandals, Teen Exploitation and Jerry Lewis films. Classics like The Magic Sword, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, 20,000,000 Miles to Earth, Attack of the 50 ft. Woman, Hercules Unchained, Machine Gun Kelly, Joy Ride, The Nutty Professor and countless others. Many of which I now own on DVD. I either sat in the last row so that I could throw stuff at my friends further up front or go down to the first row and watch the screen cross eyed. For the price of 25 cents, Saturdays would be spent running in and out of the auditorium with your friends between cartoons and films to get drinks, popcorn and nickel candy, milk duds, sno-caps and a certain brand whose name I can’t remember only that it stuch to your teeth and had a prize inside! I never bought a hot dog because I would always have one at Hot Dog Haven, located on the north east corner of Sheridan between the cinema and the “L” station. Going to the Mode for 5-6 hours was cheaper than a baby sitter and if I was away longer than expected, Mom would come pick me up. We lived right down the street in a three story building directly adjacent to the Sheridan street “L” station. There was a supermarket next to the theater, right hand side called Raggedy Ann and sometimes we’d stop and buy one of the Taffy Apples on display in the window. For awhile I helped to distribute the small folded weekly flyer that the theater had printed until I got an even better job counting the hot dogs in the freshly delivered sacks at Hot Dog Haven (the owner didn’t trust the deliverer but how well did I count the thousands of hot dogs???…) Pay was good 25 cents and two comic books! If anyone out there happens to have an old flyer, please let me know! Even a Xerox copy would be a great thrill!
I grew up in that neighborhood and distincly remember every store in the vicinity but I haven’t been anywhere near there since 1977 and now am very sad to read that demolition of the immortal Mode Theater has begun – I’ll be in Chicago in September – just barely missed it! I wonder if anyone has a photo?
I also remember that in the early 60’s the theater would hold bicycle raffles – I guess business wasn’t so good by then.