I was there yesterday (5/21/2006) for the 6:30pm showing of MODERN TIMES. There were only about a dozen people in the auditorium. I hope that the owners of the Portage can keep the momentum going and earn enough to keep the place open!
They did a good job of restoring the place. Maybe not as elaborate as the Tivoli in Downers Grove, but nice nevertheless. The seats installed there seem like they were re-used from another theatre. They are comfortable but do not have cup holders. They are however staggered so that everybody has a good view.
I never thought I’d see the place re-open. The last movie I saw there was PREDATOR (circa 1990). Even though the place had been twinned, it hadn’t been cleaned.
Best of luck to the new owners!
BTW, the posting needs to be updated. It should now be listed as “open” with a single screen. The function should be “classic & silent films.”
I was there yesterday (5/21/2006) for the 6:30pm showing of MODERN TIMES. There were only about a dozen people in the auditorium. I hope that the owners of the Portage can keep the momentum going and earn enough to keep the place open!
So now I hear that Village has renewed the lease for another year on this place?
It appears that this place has reverted to the name “Village Theatre”.
Cinemark Fan: The last time I went here was circa 1996 to see THE ROCK, which starred Ed Harris. It was kind of ramshackle back then, but as I haven’t been there in 9 years or so, I can’t say how it is now. And as I said on previous posts, the Burnham wasn’t that bad. It needed an updating.
I forgot to say this. See if you could talk to someone in the Classic Cinemas chain. Find out what makes this chain so successful (Gee, clean theatres, lower prices than AMC/Loews, smart management, but still, you should talk to them).
Don’t forget that Keresotas is starting to make inroads into the Chicagoland market!
I thought of some theatres you could acquire for your cinema chain.
The entire Village Chain, the Patio, the Piper’s Alley, the Foxfield (if it is still standing and could be re-used as a cinema), the Arcada. These are just to name a few.
I would not recommend re-opening the McClurg Court. You would be up against the River East 21, the Esquire, and the 600 North.
Make sure you know what you’re getting into. Do you, or will you have a solid business plan? How about good investors? Or do you want to be a private or family owned company? Don’t make the same mistakes that Village Entertainment has. Remember Meridian Theatres? (I.e. Make sure you can pay your taxes). Meridian lasted, what, about two years? That HAD to be Chicago’s shortest-lived theatre chain!
So then Village isn’t getting this one, despite all the talk. Cinemark Fan, once Village goes out of business, you should call your proposed chain Villager Theaters! But I’m sure there’d be a copyright infringement in there somewhere!
Not to get too sidetracked, how ‘bout Cinema City for your proposed chain?
Brian W, I am sure that more than one Chicago Landmark has bitten the dust. One was a farm house that was on the NW side near Devon and Milwaukee. It was about as old as the Clarke House on Indiana Ave. It actually had an “Indian Escape” room. In the late 1970s, it was bulldozed in the middle of the night so that the property owners could build a Dominick’s Foods.
But I digress. On another note, do you know if Victory Gardens is going to keep the Biograph name and the marquee? I think we can agree that at least THAT should be retained.
The style of streetlights would place the photo in the late 1970s or early 1980s. The ice cream shop remained open for a brief time after the theatre closed. I remember going there circa 1980.
I see your point, and yes there is a lot of history attached to the Biograph. And I’ll not dispute you that Soldier Field looks terrible (it looks like somebody plopped one stadium down into another).
But as your message states, there probably was a lot of political wheeling and dealing going on. This same sort of wheeling and dealing has done in other supposedly landmark buildings too and my point was that I’d rather see the place used as a performing arts facility of some sort rather than be demolished or turned into condos.
Also a lot of former cinemas have enjoyed successful second lives as live theatres.
In an earlier message by you, you state that the ownership shuffle didn’t help either. As you know, the place went from Cineplex Odeon to Loews-Cineplex to Meridien to Village.
Because if Victory Gardens didn’t move in, it would be likely that the former Biograph would be torn down or gutted for retail use (i.e. not used for theatrical purposes).
The Old Orchard and the Norridge were both originally in the M&R chain. I grew up around here and frequented this place. It is good to see that it is doing well, still. But as you say, there’s no real competition within MILES of this place.
I went here to see NEIL YOUNG, HEART OF GOLD tonight. Unfortunatley, this theatre may not be around mcuh longer. I was talking to the owner and he said that they City of Chicago is trying to force him out of business. He is having trouble meeting the city amusement tax, which is gouging him.
When are cities like Chicago going to learn that if you want small businesses to succeed, you DON’T tax them to death? Chicago has become a place where only Starbucks and McDonalds can succeed and not some neighborhood coffee house or burger joint.
The Three Penny has character, reasonable prices, inexpensive concessions and plays great films. Sigh! I guess this means that we must get rid of it immediately!
This place perfectly illustrated the downfall of a good theatre. To me, it shows that C-O really started to lose interest in its theatres in the late 1990s after a flurry of investment a decade earlier. This theatre was located in a rather upscale area of Chicago—the Gold Coast—and occasionally showed fare to reflect the potential clientele in the area. It was also a good example of “adaptive re-use”, taking an Art Deco post office and making a cinema out of it.
But, as I said above, time went on and C-O lost interest in this property. The surrounding area didn’t decline. Indeed it remains an upscale area. But as C-O began charging bargain rates all the time for second-run “grindhouse” fare, naturally the quality of people attending went down hill. I could imagine the neighbors being glad to get rid of it!
My research of movie ads circa 1997-1999 reveals that this was a Sony Theatre. Sony, which is the name Loews/Sony-Loews was trading under (in Chicagoland anyways), had taken over the old M&R Amusements chain.
But for some reason, I can recall this place being in the Plitt chain in the 1970s-1980s, although I could be wrong.
There are a couple of good links on the www.deadmalls.com site. These are to newspaper articles. They should answer many of your questions about the Eastland Mall.
The Jerry Lewis Cinema chain was a good idea that just never succeeded. You can read about it in the CINEMA TREASURES book. It’s a very worthwhile book.
Wow, what a mess! It looks like the owners just walked away from the theatre! I’m really surprised that the local delinquents haven’t broken in en masse to purloin some souvineers! This reminds me of photos I’ve seen of the Dixie Square Mall on such sites as www.deadmalls.com I’ve always been fascinated by pictures of ruins.
Cinemark Fan,
I think I sent you a comment about taking over this one.
It also seems odd that CC would install stadium seating before closing it.
I was there yesterday (5/21/2006) for the 6:30pm showing of MODERN TIMES. There were only about a dozen people in the auditorium. I hope that the owners of the Portage can keep the momentum going and earn enough to keep the place open!
They did a good job of restoring the place. Maybe not as elaborate as the Tivoli in Downers Grove, but nice nevertheless. The seats installed there seem like they were re-used from another theatre. They are comfortable but do not have cup holders. They are however staggered so that everybody has a good view.
I never thought I’d see the place re-open. The last movie I saw there was PREDATOR (circa 1990). Even though the place had been twinned, it hadn’t been cleaned.
Best of luck to the new owners!
BTW, the posting needs to be updated. It should now be listed as “open” with a single screen. The function should be “classic & silent films.”
Louis,
I was there yesterday (5/21/2006) for the 6:30pm showing of MODERN TIMES. There were only about a dozen people in the auditorium. I hope that the owners of the Portage can keep the momentum going and earn enough to keep the place open!
So now I hear that Village has renewed the lease for another year on this place?
It appears that this place has reverted to the name “Village Theatre”.
Cinemark Fan: The last time I went here was circa 1996 to see THE ROCK, which starred Ed Harris. It was kind of ramshackle back then, but as I haven’t been there in 9 years or so, I can’t say how it is now. And as I said on previous posts, the Burnham wasn’t that bad. It needed an updating.
What happened to the organ after the place was converted to retail?
Cinemark Fan,
I forgot to say this. See if you could talk to someone in the Classic Cinemas chain. Find out what makes this chain so successful (Gee, clean theatres, lower prices than AMC/Loews, smart management, but still, you should talk to them).
Don’t forget that Keresotas is starting to make inroads into the Chicagoland market!
Cinemark Fan,
I thought of some theatres you could acquire for your cinema chain.
The entire Village Chain, the Patio, the Piper’s Alley, the Foxfield (if it is still standing and could be re-used as a cinema), the Arcada. These are just to name a few.
I would not recommend re-opening the McClurg Court. You would be up against the River East 21, the Esquire, and the 600 North.
Make sure you know what you’re getting into. Do you, or will you have a solid business plan? How about good investors? Or do you want to be a private or family owned company? Don’t make the same mistakes that Village Entertainment has. Remember Meridian Theatres? (I.e. Make sure you can pay your taxes). Meridian lasted, what, about two years? That HAD to be Chicago’s shortest-lived theatre chain!
Good luck with this!
So then Village isn’t getting this one, despite all the talk. Cinemark Fan, once Village goes out of business, you should call your proposed chain Villager Theaters! But I’m sure there’d be a copyright infringement in there somewhere!
Not to get too sidetracked, how ‘bout Cinema City for your proposed chain?
Brian W, I am sure that more than one Chicago Landmark has bitten the dust. One was a farm house that was on the NW side near Devon and Milwaukee. It was about as old as the Clarke House on Indiana Ave. It actually had an “Indian Escape” room. In the late 1970s, it was bulldozed in the middle of the night so that the property owners could build a Dominick’s Foods.
But I digress. On another note, do you know if Victory Gardens is going to keep the Biograph name and the marquee? I think we can agree that at least THAT should be retained.
The style of streetlights would place the photo in the late 1970s or early 1980s. The ice cream shop remained open for a brief time after the theatre closed. I remember going there circa 1980.
Brian Wolf,
I see your point, and yes there is a lot of history attached to the Biograph. And I’ll not dispute you that Soldier Field looks terrible (it looks like somebody plopped one stadium down into another).
But as your message states, there probably was a lot of political wheeling and dealing going on. This same sort of wheeling and dealing has done in other supposedly landmark buildings too and my point was that I’d rather see the place used as a performing arts facility of some sort rather than be demolished or turned into condos.
Also a lot of former cinemas have enjoyed successful second lives as live theatres.
In an earlier message by you, you state that the ownership shuffle didn’t help either. As you know, the place went from Cineplex Odeon to Loews-Cineplex to Meridien to Village.
Because if Victory Gardens didn’t move in, it would be likely that the former Biograph would be torn down or gutted for retail use (i.e. not used for theatrical purposes).
Life’s Too Short:
The Old Orchard and the Norridge were both originally in the M&R chain. I grew up around here and frequented this place. It is good to see that it is doing well, still. But as you say, there’s no real competition within MILES of this place.
I went here to see NEIL YOUNG, HEART OF GOLD tonight. Unfortunatley, this theatre may not be around mcuh longer. I was talking to the owner and he said that they City of Chicago is trying to force him out of business. He is having trouble meeting the city amusement tax, which is gouging him.
When are cities like Chicago going to learn that if you want small businesses to succeed, you DON’T tax them to death? Chicago has become a place where only Starbucks and McDonalds can succeed and not some neighborhood coffee house or burger joint.
The Three Penny has character, reasonable prices, inexpensive concessions and plays great films. Sigh! I guess this means that we must get rid of it immediately!
I heard a rumor that Keresotes will build a multiplex near the corner of Grand/Central.
Who owns/operates this theatre now?
This place perfectly illustrated the downfall of a good theatre. To me, it shows that C-O really started to lose interest in its theatres in the late 1990s after a flurry of investment a decade earlier. This theatre was located in a rather upscale area of Chicago—the Gold Coast—and occasionally showed fare to reflect the potential clientele in the area. It was also a good example of “adaptive re-use”, taking an Art Deco post office and making a cinema out of it.
But, as I said above, time went on and C-O lost interest in this property. The surrounding area didn’t decline. Indeed it remains an upscale area. But as C-O began charging bargain rates all the time for second-run “grindhouse” fare, naturally the quality of people attending went down hill. I could imagine the neighbors being glad to get rid of it!
Didn’t ICE have a hand in the ill-fated Meridien chain circa 2000-2001? Or Vise Versa.
Didn’t ICE have a hand in the ill-fated Meridien chain circa 2000-2001? Or Vise Versa.
Didn’t ICE have a hand in the ill-fated Meridien chain circa 2000-2001? Or Vise Versa.
My research of movie ads circa 1997-1999 reveals that this was a Sony Theatre. Sony, which is the name Loews/Sony-Loews was trading under (in Chicagoland anyways), had taken over the old M&R Amusements chain.
But for some reason, I can recall this place being in the Plitt chain in the 1970s-1980s, although I could be wrong.
Rick, Bart
There are a couple of good links on the www.deadmalls.com site. These are to newspaper articles. They should answer many of your questions about the Eastland Mall.
The Jerry Lewis Cinema chain was a good idea that just never succeeded. You can read about it in the CINEMA TREASURES book. It’s a very worthwhile book.
Per Brian Wolf’s comment above regarding the 1996 Sun-Times article:
“Mont Clare residents now can see their movies at the multiplex theater in the Bricktown Square shopping center.”
Ironically, that same multiplex would be closed just four years later after only 11 or so years of operation.
Was this Outdoor Theatre operated by M&R Amusements?
Rick,
Wow, what a mess! It looks like the owners just walked away from the theatre! I’m really surprised that the local delinquents haven’t broken in en masse to purloin some souvineers! This reminds me of photos I’ve seen of the Dixie Square Mall on such sites as www.deadmalls.com I’ve always been fascinated by pictures of ruins.