I have never seen anyone discussing a deal who didn’t give out basic info like contact name or property location.
It is sort of like my old boss saying: “Call Company X and get their pricing so we know what the competition is doing. Tell them you are thinking about spending a million dollars so they will be sure to give it to you, but don’t give out your name. Tell them you want privacy.”
I am not passing judgment one way or another. But, in my experience, it is an odd situation.
The people of Lombard are a bunch of cro-mags. For years previous to the Dupage Theatre issue I wondered why Lombard is such a dump compared to nearby communities. Watching them rip at eachother like prehistoric man made it all clear as a bell.
As for Senator Obama, I think you have to cut the guy some slack. A U.S. Senator has many massive issues making demands on his time. The Dupage Theatre was a legitimate landmark. But I can still understand why it would be difficult for him to devote his time to the fight for one suburban building.
The story I have heard several times over is that the Norshore was demolished with light fixtures still installed. Apparently you could watch the chandeliers fall to the rubble and shatter.
They have to rent projection machines now. At least that was the case back around ‘91 when the building engineer gave me a guided tour. I suppose the situation could have changed since then. But it doesn’t seem like they do enough film business to make purchase worthwhile.
Nice pictures Cam. I wouldn’t go as far as to say the space has been gutted. I think that phrase gets overused on this site (just my opinion, not looking to start any verbal battles). Gutted to me has always meant: four brick walls and no interior elements remaining. This place is not in great shape. But there is a lot left to work with.
I think it was. If I am remembering correctly, Plitt succeeded ABC Great States in the mid-to-late 70’s. The Riviera didn’t turn into a night club until the mid 80’s (rough guess ‘84). If they kept a barn like the Chicago Theatre open as late as 1984-5, and many large neighborhood houses like the Nortown, it would seem strange to close the Riviera.
By the way, the Riviera office building renovation looks like it is being carried out with a high degree of quality. They ordered custom building details to replace those damaged when the yellow facing was attached. They don’t look like terra cotta from a distance. But they do look like they will work very nicely.
I was aware of this fact when I made my comment. But I didn’t like the overall tone of what was said. The message seemed to be: “Look, they are in the same boat.” As you just pointed out, it is most likely not the case.
It is also an old trick to say somebody is great and then follow it up with the message you are really trying to get across. Not saying that happened here for sure. But you could take it that way.
At the end of it all what I am saying is this:
Most people in this forum hold Classic Cinemas in very high regard. Most people have at least some degree of doubt about Village. I don’t think that making comments that could be taken in a negative way about Classic Cinemas is going to improve Village’s situation one bit.
If you are waiting for consumers to complain about film distribution practices, you are going to be waiting a long time. Most consumers open the paper and find the most convenient location. They will continue that practice as long as the venue is not extremely offensive due to staff, presentation or janitorial services.
A few upgraded seats is not going to get the job done either. That is especially true if, as the comment above seems to suggest, you are moving 1970’s seats from a closed location in to replace 1950’s seats.
In my opinion you need to take your thinking to the next level if you intend to survive. It is going to take intelligent, creative, innovative solutions; and, I don’t have the vaguest idea what those solutions might be.
BTW: Classic Cinemas is an organization that most on this web site hold in extremely high regard. I would be careful when it comes to thowing around unsourced, vague statistics about their operation.
Come on!!!! Didn’t any of you grow up in the 80’s???? It’s the TRANSFORMERS!!!! How can you not see it. I have not gone myself yet. Hopefully will get around to it before this release goes to DVD.
I’d wager they changed the name to put their mark on the place. So they bought a “G” to replace the “R” on each marquee face. I don’t think it was cheapness. I just don’t think it would enter their minds in a million years. To them, being ordinary businessmen with no interest in history, it probably gets the job done just fine.
The American Conservatory is gone now. I hadn’t known that they were in the Fine Arts building at one time. I took piano lessons there in grade school. But they were a little further north on Michigan at that point in time in a very narrow, old, white terracotta office building roughly across from the Art Institute. After that home they moved into the Charles Stevens building (early 90’s). Several years into that location the Conservatory closed down.
I am curious, bing, about your client’s business plan. It is not often at all that someone wakes up one day and decides to open up a chain of theatres comprised of vintage real estate. It is even less often that they succeed.
The Rolling Meadows was nice. I had to go there once for a corporate web cast. The company I worked for at the time rented the place for the afternoon.
The Ross Auditorium was designed during World War II by Mason Rapp. Old Rapp & Rapp office records which were saved by Mason Rapp’s son confirm this.
It sits on the main quadrangle at Great Lakes, and seemed in good repair the last time I had any reason to be on the base. That was about ten years ago.
At some point in history I think it also served as a chapel.
OK: here is what I can tell you about the Beverly. Old Rapp & Rapp office records indicate that Mason Rapp did work on this place in the 50’s for someone named Jimmy Coston. My Uncle seems to recall that Coston was a former Warner Brothers guy who came to know Rapp & Rapp through the Rhodes Theatre project, although there is no paper trail to support the relationship’s origin. Mason Rapp also designed a car wash for Coston. The fact that there are no office records before the 50’s suggests that the Beverly was designed originally by Holabird & Root and renovated later by Rapp & Rapp.
One thing I have always noticed is that the design approach of the Beverly seems different from confirmed Rapp & Rapp designs of the same period: the Rhodes, Cine and Will Rogers in Chicago for example.
I have never seen anyone discussing a deal who didn’t give out basic info like contact name or property location.
It is sort of like my old boss saying: “Call Company X and get their pricing so we know what the competition is doing. Tell them you are thinking about spending a million dollars so they will be sure to give it to you, but don’t give out your name. Tell them you want privacy.”
I am not passing judgment one way or another. But, in my experience, it is an odd situation.
The people of Lombard are a bunch of cro-mags. For years previous to the Dupage Theatre issue I wondered why Lombard is such a dump compared to nearby communities. Watching them rip at eachother like prehistoric man made it all clear as a bell.
As for Senator Obama, I think you have to cut the guy some slack. A U.S. Senator has many massive issues making demands on his time. The Dupage Theatre was a legitimate landmark. But I can still understand why it would be difficult for him to devote his time to the fight for one suburban building.
The story I have heard several times over is that the Norshore was demolished with light fixtures still installed. Apparently you could watch the chandeliers fall to the rubble and shatter.
Ballet at Madison Square Garden.
http://www.wayneturney.20m.com/iroquoisfire.htm
View link
View link
http://www.inficad.com/~ksup/iroquois.html
View link
The email address is “”
Why all the mystery and intrigue?
They have to rent projection machines now. At least that was the case back around ‘91 when the building engineer gave me a guided tour. I suppose the situation could have changed since then. But it doesn’t seem like they do enough film business to make purchase worthwhile.
Nice pictures Cam. I wouldn’t go as far as to say the space has been gutted. I think that phrase gets overused on this site (just my opinion, not looking to start any verbal battles). Gutted to me has always meant: four brick walls and no interior elements remaining. This place is not in great shape. But there is a lot left to work with.
**** the Institute on Aging.
I think it was. If I am remembering correctly, Plitt succeeded ABC Great States in the mid-to-late 70’s. The Riviera didn’t turn into a night club until the mid 80’s (rough guess ‘84). If they kept a barn like the Chicago Theatre open as late as 1984-5, and many large neighborhood houses like the Nortown, it would seem strange to close the Riviera.
By the way, the Riviera office building renovation looks like it is being carried out with a high degree of quality. They ordered custom building details to replace those damaged when the yellow facing was attached. They don’t look like terra cotta from a distance. But they do look like they will work very nicely.
I was aware of this fact when I made my comment. But I didn’t like the overall tone of what was said. The message seemed to be: “Look, they are in the same boat.” As you just pointed out, it is most likely not the case.
It is also an old trick to say somebody is great and then follow it up with the message you are really trying to get across. Not saying that happened here for sure. But you could take it that way.
At the end of it all what I am saying is this:
Most people in this forum hold Classic Cinemas in very high regard. Most people have at least some degree of doubt about Village. I don’t think that making comments that could be taken in a negative way about Classic Cinemas is going to improve Village’s situation one bit.
If you are waiting for consumers to complain about film distribution practices, you are going to be waiting a long time. Most consumers open the paper and find the most convenient location. They will continue that practice as long as the venue is not extremely offensive due to staff, presentation or janitorial services.
A few upgraded seats is not going to get the job done either. That is especially true if, as the comment above seems to suggest, you are moving 1970’s seats from a closed location in to replace 1950’s seats.
In my opinion you need to take your thinking to the next level if you intend to survive. It is going to take intelligent, creative, innovative solutions; and, I don’t have the vaguest idea what those solutions might be.
BTW: Classic Cinemas is an organization that most on this web site hold in extremely high regard. I would be careful when it comes to thowing around unsourced, vague statistics about their operation.
Come on!!!! Didn’t any of you grow up in the 80’s???? It’s the TRANSFORMERS!!!! How can you not see it. I have not gone myself yet. Hopefully will get around to it before this release goes to DVD.
I’d wager they changed the name to put their mark on the place. So they bought a “G” to replace the “R” on each marquee face. I don’t think it was cheapness. I just don’t think it would enter their minds in a million years. To them, being ordinary businessmen with no interest in history, it probably gets the job done just fine.
What are you thinking there, Sherwood?
The American Conservatory is gone now. I hadn’t known that they were in the Fine Arts building at one time. I took piano lessons there in grade school. But they were a little further north on Michigan at that point in time in a very narrow, old, white terracotta office building roughly across from the Art Institute. After that home they moved into the Charles Stevens building (early 90’s). Several years into that location the Conservatory closed down.
I am curious, bing, about your client’s business plan. It is not often at all that someone wakes up one day and decides to open up a chain of theatres comprised of vintage real estate. It is even less often that they succeed.
The atrocity that was Pemberton Square 4. LOL. That is funny.
The Rolling Meadows was nice. I had to go there once for a corporate web cast. The company I worked for at the time rented the place for the afternoon.
The Ross Auditorium was designed during World War II by Mason Rapp. Old Rapp & Rapp office records which were saved by Mason Rapp’s son confirm this.
It sits on the main quadrangle at Great Lakes, and seemed in good repair the last time I had any reason to be on the base. That was about ten years ago.
At some point in history I think it also served as a chapel.
OK: here is what I can tell you about the Beverly. Old Rapp & Rapp office records indicate that Mason Rapp did work on this place in the 50’s for someone named Jimmy Coston. My Uncle seems to recall that Coston was a former Warner Brothers guy who came to know Rapp & Rapp through the Rhodes Theatre project, although there is no paper trail to support the relationship’s origin. Mason Rapp also designed a car wash for Coston. The fact that there are no office records before the 50’s suggests that the Beverly was designed originally by Holabird & Root and renovated later by Rapp & Rapp.
One thing I have always noticed is that the design approach of the Beverly seems different from confirmed Rapp & Rapp designs of the same period: the Rhodes, Cine and Will Rogers in Chicago for example.