Greetings. Both the Aragon and Riviera I’d say are considerably smaller than the Uptown. The Uptown boasted “an acre of seats”. So the stage to accomodate a crowd that big would be quite large.
The load-in I’ve seen most at the Riviera, is through a door on on the Lawrence Avenue side. Semi trucks and/or tour buses usually remain parked on the South side of Lawrence as well.
I think trucks/tour buses are currently barred from the North side of Lawrence, because of an existing CTA bus stop and to insure traffic flow.
Since they’ve done primarily just bands since it stopped showing movies, I’d say no elaborate sets were ever really part of the mix.
The Aragon has an alley between itself and the “L” tracks to the West. I’ve seen that alley blocked off before, but also some obvious band trucks & buses in a small corner lot kitty corner and to the East.
Remember too that the Aragon was a ballroom, not a theater. It has a huge oval like dance floor on the second floor. With a stage on the South end of the building. The seats during the ballroom days were along the sides with tables, and above on balconies overlooking the dance floor.
The first floor is just lobby space, some offices and retail storefronts. Used to contain pool halls & liquor stores etc.
Some concerts I remember in the 70's &80’s at the Aragon, they would set up temporary folding seats over the old ballroom floor, facing the stage. Nugent, Ramones(like you sat for that), Aldo Nova, Cheap Trick, Stray Cats, Rick “Elvis” Saucedo, etc.
I don’t know if they bother with any chairs at shows now.
So the load-in for a renovated Uptown beyond just bands again, would take some serious planning. Most likely as I had posted before, somehow incorporating the side street to the West, and possibly making an actual loading dock, out of what used to be an exit with a smaller marquee overhang as I remember.
We hung out Saturday nights in the late `70’s at a place called Fiddler’s Green across the street from the former Ridge Theatre.
There was also a rather small bar next door to the Ridge in 1984-85. Though I don’t recall the name. I think it had then recently converted in to the hardware store. Devon had many bars between Ashland & Broadway back then.
Cuneen’s, COD’s, etc. Dewey’s across from the hardware store parking lot, on the Clark St. side was the better of the late night food emporiums. Dewey’s classic name in the brickwork was covered by an awning a while back.
Correction. The City of Chicago owned/operated parking structure was at the S/E corner of Delaware & Rush. Not Chestnut & Rush. That of course is Quigley North.
I regret this error, and blame it on it being 12:55 am.
I’d venture to say that Marilyn Miglin is likely the most powerful force on Oak St. Even more than Oak Bank.
The street is literally named after her in signage, at the intersection of Oak & Rush. (A Natarus Tradition)
I’m surprised she didn’t just purchase the Esquire herself long ago.
Or help broker whatever she wanted to be there in the first place. Her late husband was a giant in the Chicago real estate world.
But still you’d almost think she would have preferred the hotel concept. Wouldn’t that have just increased her own high end foot traffic? With rich, free spending out of towners mere steps from her door?
Of course the Drake & Soffitel are both within easy walking distance of her shop already. So I’m sure she already knows the percentage of travelers versus regular customers she gets.
With the new structures mirroring the height of everything else on the street, calculating future patronage per square footage may have already been factored in.
Given the current money/market crunch though, we’ll see how long it takes for anything to actually happen anyway.
I agree, parking had never been an issue at the Esquire. It was always considered a “neighborhood” theatre. Nor would parking have been an issue of a proposed hotel. Nobody drives to the Drake or Soffitel. They are dropped off there.
A hotel would have only increased the drop off traffic directly in front, not the parking. Unless their “new” loading zone stretched the entire span of the Esquire building. Not just the entrance.
Ironically Oak St. parking is more adversely affected by the very stores that paid the city for valet zones.
Meters were removed, in favor of the pay boxes that now encompass the entire street like downtown on Wabash.
What little you can’t squeeze out of the supposed pay box spaces, the valets have blocked up.
Rush Street actually used to consist of 2 way traffic from about Ontario to Cedar, with parking on both sides of Rush up until the very late `70’s.
The city then barred parking from Chestnut to Cedar along Rush, after it was converted to the current One Way traffic. Remember those short lived “No Cruising” signs the city strangely threw up?
Ironically the City of Chicago owned and operated a giant 5 story parking structure with automotive elevators, staff, etc. at the S/E corner of Chestnut & Rush for decades.
Then let it sit empty for another decade. As the old Rush Street slowly lost places with bands & other live “entertainment”, the need for such massive parking dwindled. Plus the city was slowly getting out of the parking biz. They once had lots all over the city.
It would have been neat if Miglin had taken over the Esquire herself. Kept the existing structure, facade & famous marquee. And completely rebuilt the interior as an exclusive mall of sorts. With herself/make-up line as the anchor tenant.
She’d have been a heroine for the architectual ages. Then naming the street after her would have had deeper meaning. Though with the Esquire gone, she probably is now the longest existing tenant on Oak St. Unless I guess Bravco is still there.
As an aside, the Gold Coast Art Fair for years from it’s inception to about `84 or so, was held on Rush St. From Pearson along Rush & Wabash to Cedar.
It was moved from Rush St. to Wells St. near Huron, Superior etc., presumably to appease new art galleries trying to make their area the so called “gallery district”.
The initial new breed of art fair organizers and some at the alderman’s office routinely disputed this characterization.
Saying instead that Rush & Oak St. businesses no longer wanted the art fair in front of their businesses. After all, who doesn’t want captive foot traffic of 500,000+ people for 3 days once a year. Oh, and the air & water show used to be the same weekend as the art fair back then.
So jack that number up as you see fit.
Like the Esquire, the original Gold Coast Art Fairs made the neighborhood a neighborhood. I sold corn on the cob as a kid during the art fairs, out of the old Pour House tavern on Bellevue St. from about 1968 to `74 or something. It then became Moby Nicks, then Kronies, and was recently torn down to build LuxBar. The bars “Irvings?” then Elliot’s Nest, also shared the building’s East half.
Dr. Bop and the Headliners surely, unknowingly early on had captured the essence of John Lauter’s 2004 post.
DB&TH were kind of based out of Chicago by 1987. By that time their stage show included it’s own on-stage bartender. Who would throw full pitchers of beer to the guitarist, who would bat them with his guitar out over the audience.
Drenching everyone like a frat house prank.
They performed on rubber mats, and were supposedly insured by Lloyds Of London due to their antics.
So I could imagine how an earlier, presumably even wilder 1973 show could sadly have set the stage for disregarding the granduer of such a beautiful theater as the Michigan appeared to be.
Of course it would take many acts other than DB&TH over several years, to tear up the surroundings so badly that renovation didn’t seem viable to subsequent owners.
The “cursed rock & roll” our parent’s feared, and the `70’s fight authority/punk mentality I’m sure didn’t help preserve an archaic example of the past. Especially when the then “future generation” could act as they wanted as if it was their own giant rec room.
The Congress and Riviera here in Chicago suffered pretty much the same fate. But both are still currently operating as concert venues, regardless of interior condition. The Congress is much worse for wear though.
P.S. This is in reference to the above `70’s photo posted by BWChicago. The parking lot pictured in the foreground is the former site of a huge Musket & Hendricksons Pharmacy, and now the site of One Mag Mile-retail and condos.
M & H was the anchor tenant on the ground floor of a massive building that burned down in a spectacular fire in 1969 or`70. There was also a furrier who shared the ground level. The fur clad mannequins stood eerily lifeless as the fire raged around them. Similiar to those in the original “Time Machine” film.
The 2nd floor had housed a campaign office for Hubert Humphrey. So it’s no surprise that the Democratic stronghold threw up a painted billboard on the newly exposed wall.
George Dunne’s longtime headquarters was down the street on State at Oak, next to Papa Milanos.
The building that replaced Papa Milanos, Mondellis & the Bang & Olufson store (Old Rush/Oak Market), is almost done.
The old Gino’s Pizza building at Rush & Walton that was being restored, apparently fell or was torn down instead 2 weeks ago.
I was only at the Edens once as I recall. It was in 1985 or so to see FX starring Brian Dennihey. I seem to remember the 60's interior motif as still being somewhat intact.
Foley Cadillac was and still is nearby. It to had a60’s looking round showroom that I think has since been torn down. There is also an old lodge like restaurant/bar known for burgers nearby.
Well, the end of the classic Esquire Theatre structure seems near.
Yesterday I received the regular 42nd Ward e-mail update called “Alderman Reilly Reports”.
In it among other 42nd Ward issues, was the “Esquire Theatre Update”. Basically it says that a redevelopment proposal for the Esquire Theatre that was before the Chicago Plan Commision, was passed on Sept. 18th.
The redevelopment plan consists of 3 new, 2-3 story buildings between 36 & 60 feet in height, with differentiated facades. It will provide 45,000 square feet of retail space. No dwellings. It also praises this plan as being consistent with the existing Oak Street content.
Since there is no further mention of the Esquire Theatre other than the address of 58-104 East Oak, we can assume there is sadly no plan to incorporate any of the existing building or facade into the new plan.
It goes on to laud the achievement of stopping a previous proposal of a 12 story, 158 foot hotel with 24,500 square feet of retail.
Strangely, a hotel development probably could have smartly utilized the vintage Esquire facade in some way. But all those who opposed it are correct about the oversaturation of the area. Congestion on Oak Street being pretty much the worst. I’ve personally witnessed that the valet parking for the oh so trendy stores, has now morphed into a constant, zig-zagging stream of double parked BMW’s & SUV’s. Awaiting their multi-shopping bagged, sun-glass wearing owners on their cells as they board.
So it sounds as if more buildings designed to cleverly emmulate old row houses, is what will stand where the once grand Esquire did for so many years.
No apparent attempt to preserve the facade or signage. Just another part of Chicago history that is carelessly wiped away.
For anyone who is interested, there is a color picture of the El Monte Drive In Theatre behind an early `50’s Chevy, in the current Hagerty’s magazine. A in-house publication sent to those who insure classic cars through Hagerty Insurance.
The photo accompanies a nice 3 page article titled “Movies Under the Stars”. It indicates the El Monte was demolished in 1999. There is also mention of many other drive-ins by name, though with limited pictures.
Hagerty has a website, but I couldn’t find a link to the current article.
Maybe others will have more luck. It is published out of Warren Michigan.
Thanks BWChicago & Bryan Krefft for clarifying the Guild/Essex locale & history. Though it apparently was not in the building I originally thought it was, I’ll have to take a look next time I’m down there.
My recollection is that Pine Grove starts/intersects off of Broadway North of Sheridan. So if the building was supposedly between the two streets, I’m not sure how or where. Unless I’m mistaken and Pine Grove is West of Broadway at that point. I always get Pine Grove & Clarendon mixed up. But I think Clarendon is East of Pine Grove.
I only remember seeing a few films at the New Bryn Mawr, after it’s short lived run as the Gar Wah. “Robocop” & “Action Jackson” were the last I recall. Possibly on the same bill. Which had to be near the end of the New Bryn Mawr’s run itself.
Like the Howard Theatre, there was a roof access door visible from the “L” tracks that seemed eternally propped open. I don’t remember anything particularly classic about the Bryn Mawr’s lobby or auditorium.
There was a neighborhood tavern a few doors West called Newman’s. Which had it’s own colorful cast of characters. Business men heading home mixed with blue collar types, old timers with one eyed lap dog’s at the bar, etc.
The historic Bryn Mawr hotel adorned in ornate green enamel brick, is a half block to the East on the North side of the street. The rest of the area has seemed to be in an eternal, aimless transition for over 20 years. Long vacant storefronts, with spurts of new yet classicly designed construction in both directions on Bryn Mawr.
This area from Foster to Devon is technically called East Edgewater.
Uptown is South of Foster, Rogers Park is North of Devon.
It also includes Old Balmoral, though that’s really kind of West of Broadway.
Plus whatever new names come with the addition of any given condo/townhome developments. Like the 10 sub-names in Barrington now.
In 1986 I was on the East Edgewater Chamber of Commerce. Whose main office was in the white building just East of the “L”. There were some chamber members who justifiably abhorred the term “the corridor”, when it was then used to describe Kenmore & Winthrop from Thorndale to Foster. Arson & other crimes had been prevalant in the early `80’s.
And they were adamant about changing the impression of the area through word of mouth & hopeful development.
Which was thin back then.
Today I finally made it into the former Calo Theatre, now the Brown Elephant resale shop.
Truly a unique space with a haunting kind of quality, once you make it back into the old auditorium. Helped along by the eclectic choices of music by the shop’s employees.
The modern yet oddly welcome ceiling lighting, casts an eerie industrial shadow & feel to the room. Like some place the “Clockwork Orange” druges or “Mad Max” drivers might venture into leisurely.
The majestic wall sconces are still visible, but aged & war torn as is what’s left
of the plaster walls & exposed brick. All visible in the previously posted pics to Cinema Treasures.
I’m curious if anyone knows any history of the Essex Theatre listed as being at Sheridan Road & Lake Shore Drive, and re-opening with the Calo and 2 other theatres in 1954?
It’s not listed among the other Essex Theatres on Cinema Treasures. But I’m guessing it may have once been incorporated into the building where Westbound Sheridan Rd. from LSD, meets at Halsted/Broadway between Grace & Irving Park by Clarendon. On the S/E corner (Starbucks), is a building that has a white terra cotta facade & parapit wall across the top, which is reminiscent of other old theater buildings.
Maybe Baliwick Theatre shares some of the old space??
Strangely we were only in the Parkway a few times. Once in the early `70’s for the sequel to “Chariots of the Gods”, whatever that was. And once for a rare theatre showing of “Guide For The Married Man” after the Parkway had become a revival house.
I seem to remember the Parkway maquee’s italicized font, was the same as that of Parkway Drugs on Diversey East of the Ravenswood stop.
The Parkway Drugs signage I believe being the old ceramic, enamel panel tiles type.
FYI. This is off topic, but I noticed the Lincoln Tap Room on Lincoln Ave., just restored their original ceramic enamel wall signage/panels. Covered for years by paint. If anyone else enjoys seeing the old renewed as I do.
Thanks to BWChicago for reminding me of the Century Theatre. In my quest to see if the old Phoenix night club on Broadway was ever once a theatre, I had totally forgotten the Century was in the block behind it on Clark Street.
I remember when the Century Theatre was first converted to an indoor shopping mall, they had a giant, cryptic vertical neon sign for the parking entrance, done in the style of Rube Goldberg.
An animated series of downward events like the mousetrap game, that pointed down to the parking entrance. The lowest neon on the sign I believe was a car with an arrow.
This unique signage was detailed in pictures in the Tribune or Sun-Times at the time. So it might be worth looking through the 1973 microfiche editions sometime.
I don’t know when that signage was removed in favor of whatever is there now. It’s possible the signage was too avant garde & confusing for average drivers to make the connection that it was a garage.
The Rotary International building on the site of the old Valencia, was originally built as/for American Hospital Supply Corporation. They had moved I believe from smaller quarters over on Ridge Ave. North of Church St.
It was at the time a huge deal for/in Evanston. As it was only their 3rd “new high rise” by then. The State Bank building was the 1st, then The Holiday Inn (now Best Western at Lake & Sherman) & AHS.
In the early `80’s, the old Wieboldt’s building was torn down at Church & Oak Streets. For an office building for a then compnay called Shand Morahan. I don’t know who owns it now, but it
was the 4th tall building to go up though.
They relentlessly bashed at that old Wieboldt’s with a wrecking ball for weeks. It had casons that were easily 8 feet thick supporting it throughout. It was filled with escalators & glass display cases. It was sad to see that one go.
It had it’s own theatre style overhang with can lights over the sidewalk, that stretched all the way to the Chicago North Western train tracks to the East. Amazing that Marshall Field’s & Wieboldt’s only a block from each other, both sold their building’s in Evanston after so many years.
As of today, Evanston is peppered with “Stop The Tower” signs on homeowner lawns. Apparently there is yet another high rise proposed for what was once a sleepy little city.
I previously mentioned on the Varsity Theatre page, that Evanston artist Ron Crawford had once done a haunting drawing of the Valencia being torn down.
I was only in the Davis a few times in the late `80’s. “Look Who’s Talking” is all I remember though. Maybe “976-Evil” too. I love that they’ve maintained their huge vertical signage.
I wish them continued success.
We saw a few things at the Lakeshore. Animated stuff like “Wizards” by Ralph Bashki, possibly along with “Fritz The Cat”. This would have been 1977 or so.
Next door was a long time 24 hour restaurant called Rickeys. Where the Chipotle is now. Chock full of neighborhood characters just like down on Rush St. This area was then called Newtown. Across from Rickeys & The Lakeshore Theatre on the S/W corner of Belmont & Broadway, was a Golden Nugget Pancake House. Where the KFC was in the `80’s, maybe now a bank. Not sure.
There was also an oddly placed mini-McDonald’s next to that, recessed into the building just South of Golden Nugget. On the N/E corner where the Walgreen’s is now, was of course Evergreen Foods. There was also a Dominicks on Broadway that burned about 3 years ago.,whose lot was next to Friar Tucks. Which has been there as far back as I can remember.
Across from that was a bar called The Fat Black Pussy Cat, where Monsignor Murphys is now. It had a small outdoor porch you could drink on overlooking Broadway. In 1977, B'way was cruise city for cars. It was routinely bumper to bumper on Friday & Saturday nights.
Most congested from Diversey to Belmont.
Broadway like Rush St. was full of eclectic stores that stayed open late most of the time.
As I recall, the Annoyance Theatre’s first home may have also been on Broadway right on the alley, across from where Briar starts Westbound.
I think that was where “The Real Live Brady Bunch” play was at. Either next door to Pleasure Chest or very close.
In the late `80’s, the one time sign for an old club called The Phoenix, sat propped up in the doorway of the shuttered Belmont Theatre.
The Phoenix was a giant bar/club on Broadway between Diversey & Surf. Where Marshall’s and all that is now.
It was a deviously large building once you were indoors. It had bars that connected to other bars in endless rooms. And an even larger auditorium like room in the very back. They had different bands in different rooms.
Often Reggae was a standard in one of them. I was there as late as 1982 as I recall. If anyone knows if this was possibly originally a theatre itself, please pass it along. It was on the West side of Broadway, next to a gas station at Surf & Broadway. Across from Round Records, Ranatti’s & once a Ponderosa where the Walgreens is at Diversey & Broadway.(I remember that all burned in the winter of 1976. Years before the film “Backdraft”, the fire dept. hoses encased a VW in ice, that was illegally parked in front of the hydrant)
There was also a bar called Gaffers on the East side of Broadway, that had windows that opened to the street. They were one of the first bars to utilize sodium vapor lights on their own facade. So it was a visible bright orange from a block away. The city had only then recently converted to SV lamps for the city street lamps. From the old white-ish/green-ish ones. Critics claimed the new SV street lamps caused the trees to continuously grow even at night.
I drove by the Lincoln-Belmont Theatre building today. On the Ashland Ave. side there is scaffolding spanning most of the elevation. Must be maintainence or brick work or something. The balconies are unique on the Ashland Ave. elevation, as they are actually recessed into the building. In between columns so they do not hang over the sidewalk. They hang over their own property. Essentially protected from downward elements. This also could have once saved money for developers. As the city’s “air rights” over the sidewalk may have been averted.
The Lincoln Ave. elevation has long had a “Lincoln Theatre Lofts” for sale or rent sign attached to it. There was also a Walgreen’s tucked inside on the Lincoln Ave. side, in late 1989.
For the record, and unrelated to Lincoln Theatre, the City of Chicago has had a “Critical Inspection” mandate since about the year 2000. When terra cotta started falling off of a major building downtown, and they apparently had to chase down the owners.
Essentially this then meant any building over aprox. 80 feet, must undergo a costly, independent critical inspection of/on it’s facade. The cost of this inspection & the firms that do it, are on the backs of any given condo associations for the residential ones. Potentially financially crippling to some smaller buildings with fewer units, but yet tall enough to qualify.
Part of this inspection apparently includes randomly drilling into brickwork. One would think the inspection itself would undermine structural integrity. But then again how else is it gonna get done.
I’m sure the city is just being thorough.
I always wondered why the Lincoln-Belmont Theatre was called that, and not the Lincoln-Ashland Theatre.
Cause technically only the North triangular point of the building, faces Belmont. Where as the building is actually ON the other two streets.
With even a small traffic island in between the Northbound point & Belmont, the building is clearly not on Belmont. But Belmont Ave. has the elevated CTA train station, so that could be why.
I saw only a few things at The Evanston, “Alien” & “Ghostbusters” for sure. Down the street to the East at the smaller theatres, I saw the first “City Slickers” & few others.
I’m not sure how the neighboring smaller theatres are listed on Cinema Treasures, but they & the Evanston were separated by about 3 store fronts. And had their own address. Even after the larger Evanston was a multi-screen, the smaller Evanston Cinemas down the street stayed open.
Wow, thanks for posting the movies list from the Playboy. I’d truly forgotten how many features I’d seen there in the `70’s. I think I may have even seen “Georgy Girl” there with my parents before that. Many memories there, especially the midnight double features. Which though they are not listed as such, often included some of the main features that are, in those double bills.
Maybe they had good turnouts for the films initially, and brought back the popular ones for inclusion in the midnight sets. Some 2nd run films as well. For instance I don’t see the 3 & 4 Musketeers listed, but know they played as a midnight double bill shortly after the 2nd one came out.
The Playboy must have done their Chaplin Festival after the long success the Carnegie had with theirs.
I’m not sure if The Chelex maintained any midnight showings after it was no longer the Playboy.
The sad part is given the never ending nightlife nearby, I’d bet a tiny theatre would still fly there. The constant foot traffic was always better at Dearborn & Division, than around the Village Theatre.
My mother recently told me when she was a child near Armitage & Clybourn, her mother would take her & her younger brothers to the Gold Coast(Village) Theatre. However The Gold Coast would often not admit children, regardless of what was playing.
So they’d take the street car over a few blocks to the Lane Court Theatre(Park West).
When her & her brothers would go out on their own, they’d get one dollar to split 3 ways. 33 cents each, with the extra penny going towards candy they could share. The dollar included street car fare 3-cents each, and the movies for a nickel each. Their mother hadn’t known the youngest brother rode for free when with his siblings. So they spent his car fare on more candy.
The Germania Club next door used to host the Santa Claus Anonymous singles parties in the 1970’s.
In addition to seeing the original Longest Yard at the Village, I’d seen Jurassic Park, Waynes World 2, the Oceans 11 remake and various others before that in the 70's &80’S.
Doh!,stupid me. “Skatetown” U.S.A. played the Woods almost a year before Xanadu was released. 10/79 vs. 8/80.
So the imdb page must have meant “rushed into production”, as to not be hurt by “Xanadu”. Still, really? Like anything with Ron Palillo, Maureen McCormick & Patrick Swayze had a worry about ONJ?
Great pictures. The first is indeed early 80's or very late70’s. The cab doing the lane stradling on the left is a post`78 Ford LTD or Mercury Crown Vic.
You can also see the back of the once smoking Winston billboard over the Walgreens. It had a control room built onto the back.
The second photo is also early 80’s. Though “Skatetown U.S.A.” was made in 1979, according to imdb.com it’s release date was held up as to not be hurt by Xanadu. Imagine that ever being a fear. Scott Baio actually had top billing, but the Woods apparently chose to blaze Flip Wilson’s name in lights.
I’d forgotten how unique the Woods additional upper marquee was. Individual sculpted letters made up of different colored bulbs. Wouldn’t have risked the dogs at Shmendl’s by that time.
There was an Orange Julius nearby though, I think next to the State-Lake.
Greetings. Both the Aragon and Riviera I’d say are considerably smaller than the Uptown. The Uptown boasted “an acre of seats”. So the stage to accomodate a crowd that big would be quite large.
The load-in I’ve seen most at the Riviera, is through a door on on the Lawrence Avenue side. Semi trucks and/or tour buses usually remain parked on the South side of Lawrence as well.
I think trucks/tour buses are currently barred from the North side of Lawrence, because of an existing CTA bus stop and to insure traffic flow.
Since they’ve done primarily just bands since it stopped showing movies, I’d say no elaborate sets were ever really part of the mix.
The Aragon has an alley between itself and the “L” tracks to the West. I’ve seen that alley blocked off before, but also some obvious band trucks & buses in a small corner lot kitty corner and to the East.
Remember too that the Aragon was a ballroom, not a theater. It has a huge oval like dance floor on the second floor. With a stage on the South end of the building. The seats during the ballroom days were along the sides with tables, and above on balconies overlooking the dance floor.
The first floor is just lobby space, some offices and retail storefronts. Used to contain pool halls & liquor stores etc.
Some concerts I remember in the
70's &80’s at the Aragon, they would set up temporary folding seats over the old ballroom floor, facing the stage. Nugent, Ramones(like you sat for that), Aldo Nova, Cheap Trick, Stray Cats, Rick “Elvis” Saucedo, etc.I don’t know if they bother with any chairs at shows now.
So the load-in for a renovated Uptown beyond just bands again, would take some serious planning. Most likely as I had posted before, somehow incorporating the side street to the West, and possibly making an actual loading dock, out of what used to be an exit with a smaller marquee overhang as I remember.
We hung out Saturday nights in the late `70’s at a place called Fiddler’s Green across the street from the former Ridge Theatre.
There was also a rather small bar next door to the Ridge in 1984-85. Though I don’t recall the name. I think it had then recently converted in to the hardware store. Devon had many bars between Ashland & Broadway back then.
Cuneen’s, COD’s, etc. Dewey’s across from the hardware store parking lot, on the Clark St. side was the better of the late night food emporiums. Dewey’s classic name in the brickwork was covered by an awning a while back.
Correction. The City of Chicago owned/operated parking structure was at the S/E corner of Delaware & Rush. Not Chestnut & Rush. That of course is Quigley North.
I regret this error, and blame it on it being 12:55 am.
I’d venture to say that Marilyn Miglin is likely the most powerful force on Oak St. Even more than Oak Bank.
The street is literally named after her in signage, at the intersection of Oak & Rush. (A Natarus Tradition)
I’m surprised she didn’t just purchase the Esquire herself long ago.
Or help broker whatever she wanted to be there in the first place. Her late husband was a giant in the Chicago real estate world.
But still you’d almost think she would have preferred the hotel concept. Wouldn’t that have just increased her own high end foot traffic? With rich, free spending out of towners mere steps from her door?
Of course the Drake & Soffitel are both within easy walking distance of her shop already. So I’m sure she already knows the percentage of travelers versus regular customers she gets.
With the new structures mirroring the height of everything else on the street, calculating future patronage per square footage may have already been factored in.
Given the current money/market crunch though, we’ll see how long it takes for anything to actually happen anyway.
I agree, parking had never been an issue at the Esquire. It was always considered a “neighborhood” theatre. Nor would parking have been an issue of a proposed hotel. Nobody drives to the Drake or Soffitel. They are dropped off there.
A hotel would have only increased the drop off traffic directly in front, not the parking. Unless their “new” loading zone stretched the entire span of the Esquire building. Not just the entrance.
Ironically Oak St. parking is more adversely affected by the very stores that paid the city for valet zones.
Meters were removed, in favor of the pay boxes that now encompass the entire street like downtown on Wabash.
What little you can’t squeeze out of the supposed pay box spaces, the valets have blocked up.
Rush Street actually used to consist of 2 way traffic from about Ontario to Cedar, with parking on both sides of Rush up until the very late `70’s.
The city then barred parking from Chestnut to Cedar along Rush, after it was converted to the current One Way traffic. Remember those short lived “No Cruising” signs the city strangely threw up?
Ironically the City of Chicago owned and operated a giant 5 story parking structure with automotive elevators, staff, etc. at the S/E corner of Chestnut & Rush for decades.
Then let it sit empty for another decade. As the old Rush Street slowly lost places with bands & other live “entertainment”, the need for such massive parking dwindled. Plus the city was slowly getting out of the parking biz. They once had lots all over the city.
It would have been neat if Miglin had taken over the Esquire herself. Kept the existing structure, facade & famous marquee. And completely rebuilt the interior as an exclusive mall of sorts. With herself/make-up line as the anchor tenant.
She’d have been a heroine for the architectual ages. Then naming the street after her would have had deeper meaning. Though with the Esquire gone, she probably is now the longest existing tenant on Oak St. Unless I guess Bravco is still there.
As an aside, the Gold Coast Art Fair for years from it’s inception to about `84 or so, was held on Rush St. From Pearson along Rush & Wabash to Cedar.
It was moved from Rush St. to Wells St. near Huron, Superior etc., presumably to appease new art galleries trying to make their area the so called “gallery district”.
The initial new breed of art fair organizers and some at the alderman’s office routinely disputed this characterization.
Saying instead that Rush & Oak St. businesses no longer wanted the art fair in front of their businesses. After all, who doesn’t want captive foot traffic of 500,000+ people for 3 days once a year. Oh, and the air & water show used to be the same weekend as the art fair back then.
So jack that number up as you see fit.
Like the Esquire, the original Gold Coast Art Fairs made the neighborhood a neighborhood. I sold corn on the cob as a kid during the art fairs, out of the old Pour House tavern on Bellevue St. from about 1968 to `74 or something. It then became Moby Nicks, then Kronies, and was recently torn down to build LuxBar. The bars “Irvings?” then Elliot’s Nest, also shared the building’s East half.
I just happened across the Antioch Theatre on a website called theshadowlands.
After clicking the “Illinois” link, it had a small blurb that the Antioch theatre is supposedly haunted. No pictures though.
Dr. Bop and the Headliners surely, unknowingly early on had captured the essence of John Lauter’s 2004 post.
DB&TH were kind of based out of Chicago by 1987. By that time their stage show included it’s own on-stage bartender. Who would throw full pitchers of beer to the guitarist, who would bat them with his guitar out over the audience.
Drenching everyone like a frat house prank.
They performed on rubber mats, and were supposedly insured by Lloyds Of London due to their antics.
So I could imagine how an earlier, presumably even wilder 1973 show could sadly have set the stage for disregarding the granduer of such a beautiful theater as the Michigan appeared to be.
Of course it would take many acts other than DB&TH over several years, to tear up the surroundings so badly that renovation didn’t seem viable to subsequent owners.
The “cursed rock & roll” our parent’s feared, and the `70’s fight authority/punk mentality I’m sure didn’t help preserve an archaic example of the past. Especially when the then “future generation” could act as they wanted as if it was their own giant rec room.
The Congress and Riviera here in Chicago suffered pretty much the same fate. But both are still currently operating as concert venues, regardless of interior condition. The Congress is much worse for wear though.
P.S. This is in reference to the above `70’s photo posted by BWChicago. The parking lot pictured in the foreground is the former site of a huge Musket & Hendricksons Pharmacy, and now the site of One Mag Mile-retail and condos.
M & H was the anchor tenant on the ground floor of a massive building that burned down in a spectacular fire in 1969 or`70. There was also a furrier who shared the ground level. The fur clad mannequins stood eerily lifeless as the fire raged around them. Similiar to those in the original “Time Machine” film.
The 2nd floor had housed a campaign office for Hubert Humphrey. So it’s no surprise that the Democratic stronghold threw up a painted billboard on the newly exposed wall.
George Dunne’s longtime headquarters was down the street on State at Oak, next to Papa Milanos.
The building that replaced Papa Milanos, Mondellis & the Bang & Olufson store (Old Rush/Oak Market), is almost done.
The old Gino’s Pizza building at Rush & Walton that was being restored, apparently fell or was torn down instead 2 weeks ago.
I was only at the Edens once as I recall. It was in 1985 or so to see FX starring Brian Dennihey. I seem to remember the
60's interior motif as still being somewhat intact. Foley Cadillac was and still is nearby. It to had a60’s looking round showroom that I think has since been torn down. There is also an old lodge like restaurant/bar known for burgers nearby.Well, the end of the classic Esquire Theatre structure seems near.
Yesterday I received the regular 42nd Ward e-mail update called “Alderman Reilly Reports”.
In it among other 42nd Ward issues, was the “Esquire Theatre Update”. Basically it says that a redevelopment proposal for the Esquire Theatre that was before the Chicago Plan Commision, was passed on Sept. 18th.
The redevelopment plan consists of 3 new, 2-3 story buildings between 36 & 60 feet in height, with differentiated facades. It will provide 45,000 square feet of retail space. No dwellings. It also praises this plan as being consistent with the existing Oak Street content.
Since there is no further mention of the Esquire Theatre other than the address of 58-104 East Oak, we can assume there is sadly no plan to incorporate any of the existing building or facade into the new plan.
It goes on to laud the achievement of stopping a previous proposal of a 12 story, 158 foot hotel with 24,500 square feet of retail.
Strangely, a hotel development probably could have smartly utilized the vintage Esquire facade in some way. But all those who opposed it are correct about the oversaturation of the area. Congestion on Oak Street being pretty much the worst. I’ve personally witnessed that the valet parking for the oh so trendy stores, has now morphed into a constant, zig-zagging stream of double parked BMW’s & SUV’s. Awaiting their multi-shopping bagged, sun-glass wearing owners on their cells as they board.
So it sounds as if more buildings designed to cleverly emmulate old row houses, is what will stand where the once grand Esquire did for so many years.
No apparent attempt to preserve the facade or signage. Just another part of Chicago history that is carelessly wiped away.
For anyone who is interested, there is a color picture of the El Monte Drive In Theatre behind an early `50’s Chevy, in the current Hagerty’s magazine. A in-house publication sent to those who insure classic cars through Hagerty Insurance.
The photo accompanies a nice 3 page article titled “Movies Under the Stars”. It indicates the El Monte was demolished in 1999. There is also mention of many other drive-ins by name, though with limited pictures.
Hagerty has a website, but I couldn’t find a link to the current article.
Maybe others will have more luck. It is published out of Warren Michigan.
Thanks BWChicago & Bryan Krefft for clarifying the Guild/Essex locale & history. Though it apparently was not in the building I originally thought it was, I’ll have to take a look next time I’m down there.
My recollection is that Pine Grove starts/intersects off of Broadway North of Sheridan. So if the building was supposedly between the two streets, I’m not sure how or where. Unless I’m mistaken and Pine Grove is West of Broadway at that point. I always get Pine Grove & Clarendon mixed up. But I think Clarendon is East of Pine Grove.
I only remember seeing a few films at the New Bryn Mawr, after it’s short lived run as the Gar Wah. “Robocop” & “Action Jackson” were the last I recall. Possibly on the same bill. Which had to be near the end of the New Bryn Mawr’s run itself.
Like the Howard Theatre, there was a roof access door visible from the “L” tracks that seemed eternally propped open. I don’t remember anything particularly classic about the Bryn Mawr’s lobby or auditorium.
There was a neighborhood tavern a few doors West called Newman’s. Which had it’s own colorful cast of characters. Business men heading home mixed with blue collar types, old timers with one eyed lap dog’s at the bar, etc.
The historic Bryn Mawr hotel adorned in ornate green enamel brick, is a half block to the East on the North side of the street. The rest of the area has seemed to be in an eternal, aimless transition for over 20 years. Long vacant storefronts, with spurts of new yet classicly designed construction in both directions on Bryn Mawr.
This area from Foster to Devon is technically called East Edgewater.
Uptown is South of Foster, Rogers Park is North of Devon.
It also includes Old Balmoral, though that’s really kind of West of Broadway.
Plus whatever new names come with the addition of any given condo/townhome developments. Like the 10 sub-names in Barrington now.
In 1986 I was on the East Edgewater Chamber of Commerce. Whose main office was in the white building just East of the “L”. There were some chamber members who justifiably abhorred the term “the corridor”, when it was then used to describe Kenmore & Winthrop from Thorndale to Foster. Arson & other crimes had been prevalant in the early `80’s.
And they were adamant about changing the impression of the area through word of mouth & hopeful development.
Which was thin back then.
Today I finally made it into the former Calo Theatre, now the Brown Elephant resale shop.
Truly a unique space with a haunting kind of quality, once you make it back into the old auditorium. Helped along by the eclectic choices of music by the shop’s employees.
The modern yet oddly welcome ceiling lighting, casts an eerie industrial shadow & feel to the room. Like some place the “Clockwork Orange” druges or “Mad Max” drivers might venture into leisurely.
The majestic wall sconces are still visible, but aged & war torn as is what’s left
of the plaster walls & exposed brick. All visible in the previously posted pics to Cinema Treasures.
I’m curious if anyone knows any history of the Essex Theatre listed as being at Sheridan Road & Lake Shore Drive, and re-opening with the Calo and 2 other theatres in 1954?
It’s not listed among the other Essex Theatres on Cinema Treasures. But I’m guessing it may have once been incorporated into the building where Westbound Sheridan Rd. from LSD, meets at Halsted/Broadway between Grace & Irving Park by Clarendon. On the S/E corner (Starbucks), is a building that has a white terra cotta facade & parapit wall across the top, which is reminiscent of other old theater buildings.
Maybe Baliwick Theatre shares some of the old space??
Strangely we were only in the Parkway a few times. Once in the early `70’s for the sequel to “Chariots of the Gods”, whatever that was. And once for a rare theatre showing of “Guide For The Married Man” after the Parkway had become a revival house.
I seem to remember the Parkway maquee’s italicized font, was the same as that of Parkway Drugs on Diversey East of the Ravenswood stop.
The Parkway Drugs signage I believe being the old ceramic, enamel panel tiles type.
FYI. This is off topic, but I noticed the Lincoln Tap Room on Lincoln Ave., just restored their original ceramic enamel wall signage/panels. Covered for years by paint. If anyone else enjoys seeing the old renewed as I do.
Thanks to BWChicago for reminding me of the Century Theatre. In my quest to see if the old Phoenix night club on Broadway was ever once a theatre, I had totally forgotten the Century was in the block behind it on Clark Street.
I remember when the Century Theatre was first converted to an indoor shopping mall, they had a giant, cryptic vertical neon sign for the parking entrance, done in the style of Rube Goldberg.
An animated series of downward events like the mousetrap game, that pointed down to the parking entrance. The lowest neon on the sign I believe was a car with an arrow.
This unique signage was detailed in pictures in the Tribune or Sun-Times at the time. So it might be worth looking through the 1973 microfiche editions sometime.
I don’t know when that signage was removed in favor of whatever is there now. It’s possible the signage was too avant garde & confusing for average drivers to make the connection that it was a garage.
The Rotary International building on the site of the old Valencia, was originally built as/for American Hospital Supply Corporation. They had moved I believe from smaller quarters over on Ridge Ave. North of Church St.
It was at the time a huge deal for/in Evanston. As it was only their 3rd “new high rise” by then. The State Bank building was the 1st, then The Holiday Inn (now Best Western at Lake & Sherman) & AHS.
In the early `80’s, the old Wieboldt’s building was torn down at Church & Oak Streets. For an office building for a then compnay called Shand Morahan. I don’t know who owns it now, but it
was the 4th tall building to go up though.
They relentlessly bashed at that old Wieboldt’s with a wrecking ball for weeks. It had casons that were easily 8 feet thick supporting it throughout. It was filled with escalators & glass display cases. It was sad to see that one go.
It had it’s own theatre style overhang with can lights over the sidewalk, that stretched all the way to the Chicago North Western train tracks to the East. Amazing that Marshall Field’s & Wieboldt’s only a block from each other, both sold their building’s in Evanston after so many years.
As of today, Evanston is peppered with “Stop The Tower” signs on homeowner lawns. Apparently there is yet another high rise proposed for what was once a sleepy little city.
I previously mentioned on the Varsity Theatre page, that Evanston artist Ron Crawford had once done a haunting drawing of the Valencia being torn down.
I was only in the Davis a few times in the late `80’s. “Look Who’s Talking” is all I remember though. Maybe “976-Evil” too. I love that they’ve maintained their huge vertical signage.
I wish them continued success.
We saw a few things at the Lakeshore. Animated stuff like “Wizards” by Ralph Bashki, possibly along with “Fritz The Cat”. This would have been 1977 or so.
Next door was a long time 24 hour restaurant called Rickeys. Where the Chipotle is now. Chock full of neighborhood characters just like down on Rush St. This area was then called Newtown. Across from Rickeys & The Lakeshore Theatre on the S/W corner of Belmont & Broadway, was a Golden Nugget Pancake House. Where the KFC was in the `80’s, maybe now a bank. Not sure.
There was also an oddly placed mini-McDonald’s next to that, recessed into the building just South of Golden Nugget. On the N/E corner where the Walgreen’s is now, was of course Evergreen Foods. There was also a Dominicks on Broadway that burned about 3 years ago.,whose lot was next to Friar Tucks. Which has been there as far back as I can remember.
Across from that was a bar called The Fat Black Pussy Cat, where Monsignor Murphys is now. It had a small outdoor porch you could drink on overlooking Broadway. In 1977, B'way was cruise city for cars. It was routinely bumper to bumper on Friday & Saturday nights.
Most congested from Diversey to Belmont.
Broadway like Rush St. was full of eclectic stores that stayed open late most of the time.
As I recall, the Annoyance Theatre’s first home may have also been on Broadway right on the alley, across from where Briar starts Westbound.
I think that was where “The Real Live Brady Bunch” play was at. Either next door to Pleasure Chest or very close.
In the late `80’s, the one time sign for an old club called The Phoenix, sat propped up in the doorway of the shuttered Belmont Theatre.
The Phoenix was a giant bar/club on Broadway between Diversey & Surf. Where Marshall’s and all that is now.
It was a deviously large building once you were indoors. It had bars that connected to other bars in endless rooms. And an even larger auditorium like room in the very back. They had different bands in different rooms.
Often Reggae was a standard in one of them. I was there as late as 1982 as I recall. If anyone knows if this was possibly originally a theatre itself, please pass it along. It was on the West side of Broadway, next to a gas station at Surf & Broadway. Across from Round Records, Ranatti’s & once a Ponderosa where the Walgreens is at Diversey & Broadway.(I remember that all burned in the winter of 1976. Years before the film “Backdraft”, the fire dept. hoses encased a VW in ice, that was illegally parked in front of the hydrant)
There was also a bar called Gaffers on the East side of Broadway, that had windows that opened to the street. They were one of the first bars to utilize sodium vapor lights on their own facade. So it was a visible bright orange from a block away. The city had only then recently converted to SV lamps for the city street lamps. From the old white-ish/green-ish ones. Critics claimed the new SV street lamps caused the trees to continuously grow even at night.
I drove by the Lincoln-Belmont Theatre building today. On the Ashland Ave. side there is scaffolding spanning most of the elevation. Must be maintainence or brick work or something. The balconies are unique on the Ashland Ave. elevation, as they are actually recessed into the building. In between columns so they do not hang over the sidewalk. They hang over their own property. Essentially protected from downward elements. This also could have once saved money for developers. As the city’s “air rights” over the sidewalk may have been averted.
The Lincoln Ave. elevation has long had a “Lincoln Theatre Lofts” for sale or rent sign attached to it. There was also a Walgreen’s tucked inside on the Lincoln Ave. side, in late 1989.
For the record, and unrelated to Lincoln Theatre, the City of Chicago has had a “Critical Inspection” mandate since about the year 2000. When terra cotta started falling off of a major building downtown, and they apparently had to chase down the owners.
Essentially this then meant any building over aprox. 80 feet, must undergo a costly, independent critical inspection of/on it’s facade. The cost of this inspection & the firms that do it, are on the backs of any given condo associations for the residential ones. Potentially financially crippling to some smaller buildings with fewer units, but yet tall enough to qualify.
Part of this inspection apparently includes randomly drilling into brickwork. One would think the inspection itself would undermine structural integrity. But then again how else is it gonna get done.
I’m sure the city is just being thorough.
I always wondered why the Lincoln-Belmont Theatre was called that, and not the Lincoln-Ashland Theatre.
Cause technically only the North triangular point of the building, faces Belmont. Where as the building is actually ON the other two streets.
With even a small traffic island in between the Northbound point & Belmont, the building is clearly not on Belmont. But Belmont Ave. has the elevated CTA train station, so that could be why.
I saw only a few things at The Evanston, “Alien” & “Ghostbusters” for sure. Down the street to the East at the smaller theatres, I saw the first “City Slickers” & few others.
I’m not sure how the neighboring smaller theatres are listed on Cinema Treasures, but they & the Evanston were separated by about 3 store fronts. And had their own address. Even after the larger Evanston was a multi-screen, the smaller Evanston Cinemas down the street stayed open.
Wow, thanks for posting the movies list from the Playboy. I’d truly forgotten how many features I’d seen there in the `70’s. I think I may have even seen “Georgy Girl” there with my parents before that. Many memories there, especially the midnight double features. Which though they are not listed as such, often included some of the main features that are, in those double bills.
Maybe they had good turnouts for the films initially, and brought back the popular ones for inclusion in the midnight sets. Some 2nd run films as well. For instance I don’t see the 3 & 4 Musketeers listed, but know they played as a midnight double bill shortly after the 2nd one came out.
The Playboy must have done their Chaplin Festival after the long success the Carnegie had with theirs.
I’m not sure if The Chelex maintained any midnight showings after it was no longer the Playboy.
The sad part is given the never ending nightlife nearby, I’d bet a tiny theatre would still fly there. The constant foot traffic was always better at Dearborn & Division, than around the Village Theatre.
My mother recently told me when she was a child near Armitage & Clybourn, her mother would take her & her younger brothers to the Gold Coast(Village) Theatre. However The Gold Coast would often not admit children, regardless of what was playing.
So they’d take the street car over a few blocks to the Lane Court Theatre(Park West).
When her & her brothers would go out on their own, they’d get one dollar to split 3 ways. 33 cents each, with the extra penny going towards candy they could share. The dollar included street car fare 3-cents each, and the movies for a nickel each. Their mother hadn’t known the youngest brother rode for free when with his siblings. So they spent his car fare on more candy.
The Germania Club next door used to host the Santa Claus Anonymous singles parties in the 1970’s.
In addition to seeing the original Longest Yard at the Village, I’d seen Jurassic Park, Waynes World 2, the Oceans 11 remake and various others before that in the
70's &80’S.Doh!,stupid me. “Skatetown” U.S.A. played the Woods almost a year before Xanadu was released. 10/79 vs. 8/80.
So the imdb page must have meant “rushed into production”, as to not be hurt by “Xanadu”. Still, really? Like anything with Ron Palillo, Maureen McCormick & Patrick Swayze had a worry about ONJ?
Great pictures. The first is indeed early
80's or very late70’s. The cab doing the lane stradling on the left is a post`78 Ford LTD or Mercury Crown Vic.You can also see the back of the once smoking Winston billboard over the Walgreens. It had a control room built onto the back.
The second photo is also early 80’s. Though “Skatetown U.S.A.” was made in 1979, according to imdb.com it’s release date was held up as to not be hurt by Xanadu. Imagine that ever being a fear. Scott Baio actually had top billing, but the Woods apparently chose to blaze Flip Wilson’s name in lights.
I’d forgotten how unique the Woods additional upper marquee was. Individual sculpted letters made up of different colored bulbs. Wouldn’t have risked the dogs at Shmendl’s by that time.
There was an Orange Julius nearby though, I think next to the State-Lake.