I finally made it back in here a few Sundays back. For the next to last performance of “Xanadu”.
Much has changed since it’s off again/on again movie theatre days.
The Chestnut St. side entrance is pretty much in the same spot. But the theatre space has been built out differently and off to the left of the entrance.
The stage area seems much smaller. And the seats seem to rise above the new lobby area. I can’t recall the old multiplex configuration at/from street level. But I think it went straight back. Where the restrooms & coat check are now. The lobby has a lower ceiling like the old Drury Lane in Evergreen Park had. But there the theatre stage was downstairs. There is a brief “Drury Lane History” in the back pages of the Playbill. Possibly accessable online.
Or via the official site under this CT page’s description.
FYI. Trailers for “Public Enemies” are now starting to appear. Brief glimpses of the Biograph’s 1934 transformation from their time shooting here, are in edited into some of them.
Since everyone pretty much knows the story ends there, they are likely using the Biograph footage sparingly for the promos. Just the right amount of tease. Having witnessed some of the Biograph/street scene build-out, I can’t wait to see how it transfers to film.
I just happened to rebrowse the State-Lake page. BWChicago’s 06/09/05 post with has a link to a Stanley Kubrick picture from 1949. It looks like Kubrick may have applied a little bit of primitive “photoshop” techniques to enhance the State-Lake marquee.
The film “He Walked By Night” although released in 1949, while possibly playing there at the time, may or may not have been added with a little artistic license by Kubrick. To better convey the gritty street feeling he was trying to capture as a photo journalist. The story was based in L.A., but is/was known for it’s film noir photography style at the time.
There is a book series called Images of America, featuring one book titled “Joliet” by author & Joliet native Marianne Wolf. I bought the book in 2006 at the Chicago Cultural Center.
Pages 113-115 are dedicated to Rubens Rialto Square.
There are four pictures with descriptions of the building, lobby, Barton Grande Theatre Pipe Organ, and stage.
The book is/was printed by Arcadia Publishing.
I wish I’d known of the record run of “Charly” at the Cinema Theatre earlier. I shot an interview of Cliff Robertson at a Friends Of Miegs Field event not far from there, I think at the Ritz. So maybe 2003 or so. Given the time frame of what sadly happened to Miegs.
Robertson was there because he was apparently a pilot. He had a funny story about being mistakenly recognized by children once as JFK, whom I believe he played.
After describing to them that he was really just an actor, a little girl said “no you’re not, you’re Charly and your an idiot!”
Anyway, if we knew at the time of Robertson’s mild connection to the Cinema Theatre, we could have come up with some further banter or sparked some other Chicago area theater memories of his. If he had any. The actors always do.
A few years back there was an art gallery further North on Wells St. that had an exhibit based on the owner of the Bijou. There were giant mugs shots from the `70’s in the gallery window.
There was also an apparent failed bombing in the early `90’s that I mentioned over on the Aardvark CT page.
According to news reports at the the time, the would be bomber accidentally blew himself up while alledgedly enroute to the Bijou. Though I’m not sure if this was ever proven to be true, or just speculation due to the bomber’s supposed criminal ties. Might have just been the media trying to link the theatre to other seedy activities.
Though the theatre may specialize in gay porn, I believe the accompanying book/DVD store caters to a hetero adult clientele as well. Even though we grew up in the area, we never set foot in this place.
The Royal London Wax Museum down the street was more our interest. Until the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum opened up across the street. Possibly in the building the Habitat Co. is in. Or near it.
I was always amazed that the Bijou stood the test of time, with a Chicago public grade school located essentially kitty corner & across the street. I’m sure if any such operation were to try and open from scratch at such a locale today, the surrounding yuppie parents would block it to no end. Real estate values in that area have gone ballistic.
Funny, that 11/29/08 picture link has a woman’s bunny costume that predates Hefner’s Playboy magazine launched in Chicago by 5 years.
Over on the Montclare Theater CT page, I believe it’s mentioned Hefner thinks he got the idea of the bunny cuffs with no sleeves, from his days as an usher at the Montclare. They wore jackets with fake, cardboard shirt cuffs underneath.
FYI. WLS radio in Chicago interviewed legendary actor Tony Curtis this afternoon. He is in town to do a personal appearance tonight at Hollywood Blvd. Cinema.
They are screening “Some Like It Hot” and he will apparently be autographing books and his artwork.
He is also at the Collectors Autograph Show this weekend near O'Hare.
Recap: The news piece that aired last night on NBC, basically covered the neighborhood’s frustration over the giant unfinished hole in the ground that was once the Adelphi Theater.
They ran a quick clip with a vintage pic of the building and marquee. And did mention the Adelphi by name.
Then it went into the various political donations that the developer had made to the current Alderman, and those in the ward’s of their other past developments. A practice the current Alderman apparently previousy frowned upon.
The story further implied that various re-zoning (to a 5 story structure in the Adelphi’s case), and other permit issues were suspect due to ANY donations given to a ward’s Alderman.
Didn’t quite catch what happened to cause the developer work stoppage at the Adelphi site.
But it apparently has left an in-ground foundation with rusting steel beams, and a chain link fence around the entire site for two years.
As well as exasperated neighbors who just refer to it as “the hole”.
Wow, Dr. Bop (& The Headliners) played there? They were a riot. Had their own bartender on stage with them. They’d bat pitchers of beer out over/on the audience with their guitars. Indoors at a theatre must have been a mess.
They performed on a rubber mat. Insured by Lloyds Of London I was told. They lived in Chicago for a while in the `80’s. Played many a street fair. They had rotating female back-up singers called the “Melendez Sisters.” A gal I went to grade school with turned up as one once. Her dad was a folk musician too as I recall. Thanks for the pics.
I finally made it back in here a few Sundays back. For the next to last performance of “Xanadu”.
Much has changed since it’s off again/on again movie theatre days.
The Chestnut St. side entrance is pretty much in the same spot. But the theatre space has been built out differently and off to the left of the entrance.
The stage area seems much smaller. And the seats seem to rise above the new lobby area. I can’t recall the old multiplex configuration at/from street level. But I think it went straight back. Where the restrooms & coat check are now. The lobby has a lower ceiling like the old Drury Lane in Evergreen Park had. But there the theatre stage was downstairs. There is a brief “Drury Lane History” in the back pages of the Playbill. Possibly accessable online.
Or via the official site under this CT page’s description.
Still surrounded by scaffolds.
Reactivate notification status.
Reactivate notification status.
Reactivate notification status.
Reactivate notification status.
Reactivate notification status.
FYI. Trailers for “Public Enemies” are now starting to appear. Brief glimpses of the Biograph’s 1934 transformation from their time shooting here, are in edited into some of them.
Since everyone pretty much knows the story ends there, they are likely using the Biograph footage sparingly for the promos. Just the right amount of tease. Having witnessed some of the Biograph/street scene build-out, I can’t wait to see how it transfers to film.
Reactivate notification status.
I just happened to rebrowse the State-Lake page. BWChicago’s 06/09/05 post with has a link to a Stanley Kubrick picture from 1949. It looks like Kubrick may have applied a little bit of primitive “photoshop” techniques to enhance the State-Lake marquee.
The film “He Walked By Night” although released in 1949, while possibly playing there at the time, may or may not have been added with a little artistic license by Kubrick. To better convey the gritty street feeling he was trying to capture as a photo journalist. The story was based in L.A., but is/was known for it’s film noir photography style at the time.
Reactivate notification status.
There is a book series called Images of America, featuring one book titled “Joliet” by author & Joliet native Marianne Wolf. I bought the book in 2006 at the Chicago Cultural Center.
Pages 113-115 are dedicated to Rubens Rialto Square.
There are four pictures with descriptions of the building, lobby, Barton Grande Theatre Pipe Organ, and stage.
The book is/was printed by Arcadia Publishing.
Reactivate notificaton status.
I wish I’d known of the record run of “Charly” at the Cinema Theatre earlier. I shot an interview of Cliff Robertson at a Friends Of Miegs Field event not far from there, I think at the Ritz. So maybe 2003 or so. Given the time frame of what sadly happened to Miegs.
Robertson was there because he was apparently a pilot. He had a funny story about being mistakenly recognized by children once as JFK, whom I believe he played.
After describing to them that he was really just an actor, a little girl said “no you’re not, you’re Charly and your an idiot!”
Anyway, if we knew at the time of Robertson’s mild connection to the Cinema Theatre, we could have come up with some further banter or sparked some other Chicago area theater memories of his. If he had any. The actors always do.
Reactivate notification status.
A few years back there was an art gallery further North on Wells St. that had an exhibit based on the owner of the Bijou. There were giant mugs shots from the `70’s in the gallery window.
There was also an apparent failed bombing in the early `90’s that I mentioned over on the Aardvark CT page.
According to news reports at the the time, the would be bomber accidentally blew himself up while alledgedly enroute to the Bijou. Though I’m not sure if this was ever proven to be true, or just speculation due to the bomber’s supposed criminal ties. Might have just been the media trying to link the theatre to other seedy activities.
Though the theatre may specialize in gay porn, I believe the accompanying book/DVD store caters to a hetero adult clientele as well. Even though we grew up in the area, we never set foot in this place.
The Royal London Wax Museum down the street was more our interest. Until the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum opened up across the street. Possibly in the building the Habitat Co. is in. Or near it.
I was always amazed that the Bijou stood the test of time, with a Chicago public grade school located essentially kitty corner & across the street. I’m sure if any such operation were to try and open from scratch at such a locale today, the surrounding yuppie parents would block it to no end. Real estate values in that area have gone ballistic.
Reactivate notification status.
Funny, that 11/29/08 picture link has a woman’s bunny costume that predates Hefner’s Playboy magazine launched in Chicago by 5 years.
Over on the Montclare Theater CT page, I believe it’s mentioned Hefner thinks he got the idea of the bunny cuffs with no sleeves, from his days as an usher at the Montclare. They wore jackets with fake, cardboard shirt cuffs underneath.
Test/Renew notification status.
Test/Renew notification status.
Test/Renew notification status.
Renew notification test.
FYI. WLS radio in Chicago interviewed legendary actor Tony Curtis this afternoon. He is in town to do a personal appearance tonight at Hollywood Blvd. Cinema.
They are screening “Some Like It Hot” and he will apparently be autographing books and his artwork.
He is also at the Collectors Autograph Show this weekend near O'Hare.
Recap: The news piece that aired last night on NBC, basically covered the neighborhood’s frustration over the giant unfinished hole in the ground that was once the Adelphi Theater.
They ran a quick clip with a vintage pic of the building and marquee. And did mention the Adelphi by name.
Then it went into the various political donations that the developer had made to the current Alderman, and those in the ward’s of their other past developments. A practice the current Alderman apparently previousy frowned upon.
The story further implied that various re-zoning (to a 5 story structure in the Adelphi’s case), and other permit issues were suspect due to ANY donations given to a ward’s Alderman.
Didn’t quite catch what happened to cause the developer work stoppage at the Adelphi site.
But it apparently has left an in-ground foundation with rusting steel beams, and a chain link fence around the entire site for two years.
As well as exasperated neighbors who just refer to it as “the hole”.
Wow, Dr. Bop (& The Headliners) played there? They were a riot. Had their own bartender on stage with them. They’d bat pitchers of beer out over/on the audience with their guitars. Indoors at a theatre must have been a mess.
They performed on a rubber mat. Insured by Lloyds Of London I was told. They lived in Chicago for a while in the `80’s. Played many a street fair. They had rotating female back-up singers called the “Melendez Sisters.” A gal I went to grade school with turned up as one once. Her dad was a folk musician too as I recall. Thanks for the pics.