The sound system installed in the State Lake for the engagement of “Tommy” was called Quintaphonic Sound. I have never heard of this sound system before or since but, apparently, it was quite effective for this film. Interestingly, when “Tommy” moved over to the Michael Todd to continue its engagement, the quintaphonic sound system was NOT installed at the Todd.
Dee, I never said the area was unsafe but that it isn’t as safe as it once was. I know the owner of the theater and he acknowledged that the theater has been robbed twice in the last year. I worked there for 4 years back in the 80’s and never once was the place robbed. I think that would qualify as not being as safe as it once was.
I don’t believe this is the same theater. This theater was famous for it’s action and horror double features. Perhaps you are thinking of either the Music Box or 3 Penny.
Bruce I think I have a list that starts in 1963 or 64 and goes up until 1980. Provide an email address with the exact years you want and I will be happy to send it along.
Actually the building itself was not torn down. ABC studios gutted the inside, removed the ticket box and the marquee. The exit doors on the side of the building are still there though.
In doing some research I have discovered that the Todd actually re-opened in September of 1979 playing double features of either second run or revival films. Most of the revival films were kung fu or blaxploitation films that were very popular with loop theatergoers in the mid 70’s. One kung fu double feature even played there for three weeks. For whatever reason the theater closed six weeks after it re-opened with its final booking being a double feature of “Coffy” and “The Mack”. Perhaps local investors rented the building to see how it would go and decided the cost of keeping it open was too much.
I just drove by the Y&W a few days ago and, sadly, it has been demolished. The screens, concession stands, and projectionist booths are all gone. The foundation to one of the projection booths is all that is left for now. It’s too bad that an almost 60 year old icon of the area has now disappeared forever with no trace. I hear that either a credit union or storage facility will be built on the site in the near future.
Aaron, this theater opened well before 1986 because I saw “Diner” there back in 1982. I think it opened around 1980 and I believe sits on the site that was once the Cascade Drive-In.
The River Run was a beautiful theater that happened to be in a not so beautiful area. It was located just a block South of River Oaks Mall and its theaters. When River Run opened in 1988 it definitely took a bite out of River Oaks' business. Unfortunately issues arose with gang problems and by the late 90’s security was an around the clock issue there. The theater actually closed in early 2001 which was a surprise to me because just two weeks before I was there for the last time to see “The Caveman’s Valentine” and the theater was nearly full. The building still sits off of Torrence Avenue all by itself and boarded up. Perhaps it won’t be demolished and can be used as a multiplex again.
Robert the main auditorium was probably gutted. There are elevators on the first floor but I don’t even see where the entrance to the main auditorium used to be. My guess is it is probably used for storage of candy and popcorn buckets and drink cups and such. Or perhaps it is for janitorial supplies. Your guess is as good as mine.
The Woods was the home for “guy flicks”. Action films and karate films seemed to always be there. It was home to the Chicago premieres of the James Bond films starting with “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, “Diamonds are Forever”, “Live and Let Die”, “The Man with the Golden Gun”, “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Moonraker”. “Diamonds are Forever” set house records that were never broken. Other premieres there included “Cool Hand Luke”, “Willard”, “Carrie”, and “Silver Streak”. As with the other palaces the Woods fell into disrepair in the 80’s as business dropped off. The theater did last until 1989 and was the last of the great Loop palaces to close.
The United Artists was another grand palace in the Loop. It was right across from the Oriental and Woods and a block west of the Chicago, State Lake, Loop, and Roosevelt theaters. Like the others it was the home to exclusive first run premieres. It’s greatest success going into the mid 70’s was “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”. In the early 70’s the UA was host to the premieres of such classics as “Mash”, “Cabaret” and “Deliverance” (the owners had canoes hanging from the marquee during that run). In 1975 the UA had its biggest success ever as one of 5 theaters to open “Jaws” in first run. Even though it wasn’t playing exclusively, “Jaws” broke UA’s house records for months. In the late 70’s the UA got a bad reputation for having video games in the lobby that were loud enough to be heard in the theater and for mice. By the time I made my only visit there in 1985 the theater was pretty worn down. I was there to see a Bill Murray film festival (“Caddyshack”, “Meatballs”, and “Stripes”). The main auditorium was closed to the public. What few people there sat in the balcony. Unfortunately some of those few happened to be either homeless or winos who disrupted the movies. Complaints to the staff fell on deaf ears. It was a sad way to see a grand palace being run. When it was demolished in 1987 there were reports in the papers that the construction crews had never seen so many mice and rats in a building. Once demolished the outdoor ice rink called Skate on State took up residence but now that is closed and the lot is vancant.
The UA Cinema may be best known as one of only two (the other being the Gateway) theaters to premiere “The Exorcist” in its original run on Christmas Day, 1973. The film played for 8 months as people from all over Illinois and Indiana attended. And, yes, there were reports that customers at the UA were fainting and getting sick while watching it. As is the case with most theaters there is absolutely no indication on the site that a theater was ever there.
The State Lake was one of the grandest, most popular of the movie palaces in the Loop. In the 60’s there were many a premiere of movies with the stars of those films in attendance. One of its biggest successes, if not the biggest, was its exclusive run of “Mary Poppins” in 1964-65. The newspaper ads shrewdly included that the State Lake was the only theater within 400 miles that would play the film during its run. It paid off handsomely as the film played for months. In the 70’s the State Lake continued running first run exclusive films and became the home to Richard Pryor’s early movies. “The Wiz”, “Greased Lightning”, “Blue Collar”, and “Which Way is Up?” all had their Chicago debuts at the State Lake and all of them were hugely popular. My only visit there was in 1977 for a showing of “Sorcerer”. I can remember that there were few in attendance but was dazzled by it’s beauty and the sound system which was magnificent. As the 80’s came around the State Lake, much like the other palaces, started losing business. The theater wasn’t being kept up as it should and constant reports that it was the worst theater in the Loop for mice infestation didn’t help. There had been some talk of closing the State Lake and making it either a triple or twin but the cost proved too high. In 1984 the State Lake closed for good with, sadly, little fanfare. It’s final feature was “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”. A few years later is when ABC news moved in and the theater was all but obliterated, sadly ending any hope of renovation like the neighboring Chicago and Oriental theaters. When you walk by today you would never know such a grand movie palace was once housed there.
In the late 70’s up until its closing the Luna became known as the theater for the blue collar crowd. Most double features consisted of bloody slasher films or sex comedies. Though I never visited I can remember two bookings. One was “I Spit on Your Grave” and “Friday the 13th” which must have been popular as I can remember the line stretching down the street for that one. The other was a double bill of “Spaced Out” and “Squeeze Play”, two long forgotten films. I remember an article on the theater where the manager claimed he preferred to play more mainstream films but they failed miserably. He claimed the audience at the Luna wanted to see blood and breasts. So much for a nice neighborhood theater.
I visited the Northgate on a few occasions. Not only did they show second run films but charged only one dollar to get in. They also had midnight showings of classic films such as “Taxi Driver” and “Dr Strangelove”. The location was odd as it was behind the shopping center and hard to find. I will say I was surprised when it closed as each time I went the theater was crowded.
I never actually got into the Morton Grove but twice tried to back in 1976 when it was still a single screen. Their Christmas picture was “King Kong” and both times I tried to get in you couldn’t even get near the place.
The Michael Todd was a top exclusive run house in the Loop through the 60’s. In the 70’s it’s only major exclusive hits were “A Clockwork Orange” and “Sounder”. The booking policy was very odd there. After the long successful run of “Clockwork” the Todd replaced it with an X-rated film called “Female Animal”. The Todd also housed the exclusive premiere of “Flesh Gordon” and “Emmanuelle”. By 1975 the Todd became more known as the theater that played the hold overs from other theaters in the vicinity. I can remember both “Claudine” and “Tommy” moving from their original runs over to the Todd. Also the Todd played many re-releases sometimes more then once. Both “2001” and “Woodstock” played there at least 3 times. In 1976 the Todd’s life was winding down and it became a second run double feature house. The theater finally closed in February of 1977 with “Silver Streak” and “Carrie” as its final booking. In October of 1977 Sunn Classic pictures rented the theater for a two week run of their film “The Lincoln Conspiracy”. After that the theater closed for good until 1987. The Todd and its neighbor the Cinestage were combined into one building and became known as the Dearborn Cinemas which showed double features on both screens. This experiment didn’t hit and the building was shuttered a year later until the Goodman took over. I’m thrilled that the original facade still remains as a reminder of what was.
Actually when the theater opened as the Fine Arts on Christmas Day in 1982 there were only 2 theaters. It’s premiere attractions were “Moonlighting” with Jeremy Irons and Fassbinder’s “Veronika Voss”. The two smaller theaters didn’t open until 1987 or so. My favorite memory is going to the Warner Brothers anniversary celebration in 1997. Each day the Fine Arts showed a series of Warner Bros. films from a certain decade. I had the pleasure of attending the 1960’s which showed “Days of Wine and Roses”, “Bullitt”, “Bonnie and Clyde” and “The Wild Bunch” and then the 70’s which showed “All the President’s Men”, “Superman”, “Dog Day Afternoon”, “Blazing Saddles”, “The Exorcist” and “A Clockwork Orange”. What a day that was! Sadly Loews let the theater get run down as seems to be the case with many of their theaters. Homeless people just outside the entrance were allowed to beg for money and not chased off. It’s a real shame a true movie lovers house was treated so shoddily.
The Town is located in downtown Highland and is still a very popular venue. Back in the 60’s and 70’s it was the only theater in Northwest Indiana to show art and foreign films. In the late 70’s through the mid 90’s the Town became more of a second run house. Now, happily, the Town shows mostly art and independent films. I recently attended a showing of “The Station Agent” and the theater has lost some of its charm but is still a great place to see a movie. The seats are in dire need of being replaced and there is very little leg room. The intermission with cake and coffee is an ongoing tradition no matter what the film’s running time is. They offer a few types of cake, pastries, and cookies – all fresh and delicious. They also have an admission price lower then the multiplexes with very reasonable concession stand prices as well. Best of all there are no commercials before the movie. The lights go down and the movie starts up immediately. There should be more theaters like the Town.
I read that the theaters are opening on November 19.
The sound system installed in the State Lake for the engagement of “Tommy” was called Quintaphonic Sound. I have never heard of this sound system before or since but, apparently, it was quite effective for this film. Interestingly, when “Tommy” moved over to the Michael Todd to continue its engagement, the quintaphonic sound system was NOT installed at the Todd.
Robert, the marquee reads Jackson Five Tonight. That was put up there at least 23 years ago and never removed.
Dee, I never said the area was unsafe but that it isn’t as safe as it once was. I know the owner of the theater and he acknowledged that the theater has been robbed twice in the last year. I worked there for 4 years back in the 80’s and never once was the place robbed. I think that would qualify as not being as safe as it once was.
I don’t believe this is the same theater. This theater was famous for it’s action and horror double features. Perhaps you are thinking of either the Music Box or 3 Penny.
Bruce I think I have a list that starts in 1963 or 64 and goes up until 1980. Provide an email address with the exact years you want and I will be happy to send it along.
Actually the building itself was not torn down. ABC studios gutted the inside, removed the ticket box and the marquee. The exit doors on the side of the building are still there though.
Actually the 900 N Michigan is closed. I think you meant to say 600 N Michigan.
Yes I stand corrected. The drive-in that occupied this site was indeed the Starlite.
In doing some research I have discovered that the Todd actually re-opened in September of 1979 playing double features of either second run or revival films. Most of the revival films were kung fu or blaxploitation films that were very popular with loop theatergoers in the mid 70’s. One kung fu double feature even played there for three weeks. For whatever reason the theater closed six weeks after it re-opened with its final booking being a double feature of “Coffy” and “The Mack”. Perhaps local investors rented the building to see how it would go and decided the cost of keeping it open was too much.
I just drove by the Y&W a few days ago and, sadly, it has been demolished. The screens, concession stands, and projectionist booths are all gone. The foundation to one of the projection booths is all that is left for now. It’s too bad that an almost 60 year old icon of the area has now disappeared forever with no trace. I hear that either a credit union or storage facility will be built on the site in the near future.
Aaron, this theater opened well before 1986 because I saw “Diner” there back in 1982. I think it opened around 1980 and I believe sits on the site that was once the Cascade Drive-In.
The River Run was a beautiful theater that happened to be in a not so beautiful area. It was located just a block South of River Oaks Mall and its theaters. When River Run opened in 1988 it definitely took a bite out of River Oaks' business. Unfortunately issues arose with gang problems and by the late 90’s security was an around the clock issue there. The theater actually closed in early 2001 which was a surprise to me because just two weeks before I was there for the last time to see “The Caveman’s Valentine” and the theater was nearly full. The building still sits off of Torrence Avenue all by itself and boarded up. Perhaps it won’t be demolished and can be used as a multiplex again.
Robert the main auditorium was probably gutted. There are elevators on the first floor but I don’t even see where the entrance to the main auditorium used to be. My guess is it is probably used for storage of candy and popcorn buckets and drink cups and such. Or perhaps it is for janitorial supplies. Your guess is as good as mine.
The Woods was the home for “guy flicks”. Action films and karate films seemed to always be there. It was home to the Chicago premieres of the James Bond films starting with “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, “Diamonds are Forever”, “Live and Let Die”, “The Man with the Golden Gun”, “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Moonraker”. “Diamonds are Forever” set house records that were never broken. Other premieres there included “Cool Hand Luke”, “Willard”, “Carrie”, and “Silver Streak”. As with the other palaces the Woods fell into disrepair in the 80’s as business dropped off. The theater did last until 1989 and was the last of the great Loop palaces to close.
The United Artists was another grand palace in the Loop. It was right across from the Oriental and Woods and a block west of the Chicago, State Lake, Loop, and Roosevelt theaters. Like the others it was the home to exclusive first run premieres. It’s greatest success going into the mid 70’s was “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”. In the early 70’s the UA was host to the premieres of such classics as “Mash”, “Cabaret” and “Deliverance” (the owners had canoes hanging from the marquee during that run). In 1975 the UA had its biggest success ever as one of 5 theaters to open “Jaws” in first run. Even though it wasn’t playing exclusively, “Jaws” broke UA’s house records for months. In the late 70’s the UA got a bad reputation for having video games in the lobby that were loud enough to be heard in the theater and for mice. By the time I made my only visit there in 1985 the theater was pretty worn down. I was there to see a Bill Murray film festival (“Caddyshack”, “Meatballs”, and “Stripes”). The main auditorium was closed to the public. What few people there sat in the balcony. Unfortunately some of those few happened to be either homeless or winos who disrupted the movies. Complaints to the staff fell on deaf ears. It was a sad way to see a grand palace being run. When it was demolished in 1987 there were reports in the papers that the construction crews had never seen so many mice and rats in a building. Once demolished the outdoor ice rink called Skate on State took up residence but now that is closed and the lot is vancant.
The UA Cinema may be best known as one of only two (the other being the Gateway) theaters to premiere “The Exorcist” in its original run on Christmas Day, 1973. The film played for 8 months as people from all over Illinois and Indiana attended. And, yes, there were reports that customers at the UA were fainting and getting sick while watching it. As is the case with most theaters there is absolutely no indication on the site that a theater was ever there.
The State Lake was one of the grandest, most popular of the movie palaces in the Loop. In the 60’s there were many a premiere of movies with the stars of those films in attendance. One of its biggest successes, if not the biggest, was its exclusive run of “Mary Poppins” in 1964-65. The newspaper ads shrewdly included that the State Lake was the only theater within 400 miles that would play the film during its run. It paid off handsomely as the film played for months. In the 70’s the State Lake continued running first run exclusive films and became the home to Richard Pryor’s early movies. “The Wiz”, “Greased Lightning”, “Blue Collar”, and “Which Way is Up?” all had their Chicago debuts at the State Lake and all of them were hugely popular. My only visit there was in 1977 for a showing of “Sorcerer”. I can remember that there were few in attendance but was dazzled by it’s beauty and the sound system which was magnificent. As the 80’s came around the State Lake, much like the other palaces, started losing business. The theater wasn’t being kept up as it should and constant reports that it was the worst theater in the Loop for mice infestation didn’t help. There had been some talk of closing the State Lake and making it either a triple or twin but the cost proved too high. In 1984 the State Lake closed for good with, sadly, little fanfare. It’s final feature was “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”. A few years later is when ABC news moved in and the theater was all but obliterated, sadly ending any hope of renovation like the neighboring Chicago and Oriental theaters. When you walk by today you would never know such a grand movie palace was once housed there.
In the late 70’s up until its closing the Luna became known as the theater for the blue collar crowd. Most double features consisted of bloody slasher films or sex comedies. Though I never visited I can remember two bookings. One was “I Spit on Your Grave” and “Friday the 13th” which must have been popular as I can remember the line stretching down the street for that one. The other was a double bill of “Spaced Out” and “Squeeze Play”, two long forgotten films. I remember an article on the theater where the manager claimed he preferred to play more mainstream films but they failed miserably. He claimed the audience at the Luna wanted to see blood and breasts. So much for a nice neighborhood theater.
I visited the Northgate on a few occasions. Not only did they show second run films but charged only one dollar to get in. They also had midnight showings of classic films such as “Taxi Driver” and “Dr Strangelove”. The location was odd as it was behind the shopping center and hard to find. I will say I was surprised when it closed as each time I went the theater was crowded.
I never actually got into the Morton Grove but twice tried to back in 1976 when it was still a single screen. Their Christmas picture was “King Kong” and both times I tried to get in you couldn’t even get near the place.
Actually the Monroe stayed in business as a porno house until early 1982. It was demoloished not long after it closed.
The Michael Todd was a top exclusive run house in the Loop through the 60’s. In the 70’s it’s only major exclusive hits were “A Clockwork Orange” and “Sounder”. The booking policy was very odd there. After the long successful run of “Clockwork” the Todd replaced it with an X-rated film called “Female Animal”. The Todd also housed the exclusive premiere of “Flesh Gordon” and “Emmanuelle”. By 1975 the Todd became more known as the theater that played the hold overs from other theaters in the vicinity. I can remember both “Claudine” and “Tommy” moving from their original runs over to the Todd. Also the Todd played many re-releases sometimes more then once. Both “2001” and “Woodstock” played there at least 3 times. In 1976 the Todd’s life was winding down and it became a second run double feature house. The theater finally closed in February of 1977 with “Silver Streak” and “Carrie” as its final booking. In October of 1977 Sunn Classic pictures rented the theater for a two week run of their film “The Lincoln Conspiracy”. After that the theater closed for good until 1987. The Todd and its neighbor the Cinestage were combined into one building and became known as the Dearborn Cinemas which showed double features on both screens. This experiment didn’t hit and the building was shuttered a year later until the Goodman took over. I’m thrilled that the original facade still remains as a reminder of what was.
Actually when the theater opened as the Fine Arts on Christmas Day in 1982 there were only 2 theaters. It’s premiere attractions were “Moonlighting” with Jeremy Irons and Fassbinder’s “Veronika Voss”. The two smaller theaters didn’t open until 1987 or so. My favorite memory is going to the Warner Brothers anniversary celebration in 1997. Each day the Fine Arts showed a series of Warner Bros. films from a certain decade. I had the pleasure of attending the 1960’s which showed “Days of Wine and Roses”, “Bullitt”, “Bonnie and Clyde” and “The Wild Bunch” and then the 70’s which showed “All the President’s Men”, “Superman”, “Dog Day Afternoon”, “Blazing Saddles”, “The Exorcist” and “A Clockwork Orange”. What a day that was! Sadly Loews let the theater get run down as seems to be the case with many of their theaters. Homeless people just outside the entrance were allowed to beg for money and not chased off. It’s a real shame a true movie lovers house was treated so shoddily.
The Town is located in downtown Highland and is still a very popular venue. Back in the 60’s and 70’s it was the only theater in Northwest Indiana to show art and foreign films. In the late 70’s through the mid 90’s the Town became more of a second run house. Now, happily, the Town shows mostly art and independent films. I recently attended a showing of “The Station Agent” and the theater has lost some of its charm but is still a great place to see a movie. The seats are in dire need of being replaced and there is very little leg room. The intermission with cake and coffee is an ongoing tradition no matter what the film’s running time is. They offer a few types of cake, pastries, and cookies – all fresh and delicious. They also have an admission price lower then the multiplexes with very reasonable concession stand prices as well. Best of all there are no commercials before the movie. The lights go down and the movie starts up immediately. There should be more theaters like the Town.