Hard to say what will happen here. Either way, I am not sure anyone needs to rush out to experience the old 400. It is a productive neighborhood movie house, but no movie palace to be sure.
There is finally some action taking place on the Riviera’s retail and apartment block. They are now stripping metal framework which held the yellow later-day facing. They are also removing windows and damaged sections of terra cotta work. It will be interesting to see the final outcome. Between this renovation work and the fact that the Riviera is booked all the time these days, it would seem that the people now calling the shots intend to make the property a going concern.
There is still nothing going on here. They have taken down the heavy barricare which surrounded the property until recently and erected a much smaller fence.
I don’t really know very much about the subject. But I have heard the Lawndale area is coming up a little bit. There could be a future for this site if my statement holds water.
No problem. FYI: the Hamilton and Jeffrey are probably too obscure to be featured on the THS web site. But if you call the archive, using contact info on their web site, I am sure they can arrange for you to get your hands on some nice material.
I am confused by this talk of restoration at Cicero’s Olympic. I thought the group that turned it into the Concordia Theatre already spent a bundle on the place?
At the very least there must be large holes in the dome. But my gut says that it is probably worse than that. What is the name of the former cinema off to the right, across from the basketball court. I visited that one too. But the identity is escaping me right now. It looked like a church at the time. Seems like it is in good repair these days.
I suppose it could have taken them a while to bring the sign down. There is no reason they really had to. If anyone inquired they could’ve said that the theatre is under contract, and a lot of time wouldn’t have been wasted.
The other thing is that I imagine it doesn’t really take that long to spend a million dollars on renovation, despite what instinct might lead you to believe.
If it were a pain-staking restoration, which I don’t get the feeling it is, I could see how the time span you are discussing might seem odd.
I visited this place around 1989. It looked neglected then. I don’t think there is a lot of hope in this particular situation, at least as far as reusing the interior goes.
I visited this place in the late 80’s after it became a multi-screen theatre. I remember it being a pit: musty, sticky floors, non-descript screening rooms, poor choice of colors used in decoration.
This place is cool. My recollection of the screen is that it is GIANT. I was in DC once years ago and saw a film I could care less about just to check the Uptown out: When Harry Met Sally.
I think that I once saw a photo of this place in an issue of Marquee Magazine devoted to small-town cinemas. It would have been published some twenty years ago. At least that is a lead for you. Contact the Theatre Historiacl Society archives in Elmhust, IL to follow up on it.
You losers had a chance to make something positive happen in one of Chicago’s worst suburban centers. Instead you turned the issue into a juvenile multi-year argument that has resulted in no positive community development. Good job!
China’s one child policy would be well-implemented in Lombard.
That is fabulous. It only means that the building will be entering a new and exciting phase of life. Sound business planning with respect for history is good thinking in my book.
Pictures like that are always bizarre to me. If there was one theatre that should have been saved (in an ideal world) in Philly this was it. And yet at the same time you realize that the demolition company was proud of the fact that they took it down. Then you realize that they had every right to be proud because 1920’s theatres were generally built like a fortress. Then you stop and say: “if they took the place down on-time and on-budget, that is pretty good”. Most people who frequent this forum, after all, know the story of the demolition firm that was charged with taking down Chicago’s Paradise Theatre. It doesn’t make sense from the standpoint of preservation to have those thoughts in the mind at the same time. But that is the reality of the matter.
Hard to say what will happen here. Either way, I am not sure anyone needs to rush out to experience the old 400. It is a productive neighborhood movie house, but no movie palace to be sure.
There is finally some action taking place on the Riviera’s retail and apartment block. They are now stripping metal framework which held the yellow later-day facing. They are also removing windows and damaged sections of terra cotta work. It will be interesting to see the final outcome. Between this renovation work and the fact that the Riviera is booked all the time these days, it would seem that the people now calling the shots intend to make the property a going concern.
There is still nothing going on here. They have taken down the heavy barricare which surrounded the property until recently and erected a much smaller fence.
I don’t really know very much about the subject. But I have heard the Lawndale area is coming up a little bit. There could be a future for this site if my statement holds water.
What is Riviera Services?
Haven’t read this thread. But cinematreasures.org is currently parked, with a link to GoDaddy.
No problem. FYI: the Hamilton and Jeffrey are probably too obscure to be featured on the THS web site. But if you call the archive, using contact info on their web site, I am sure they can arrange for you to get your hands on some nice material.
View link
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pstao/470910158/
Happened across this while working this morning.
View link
I am confused by this talk of restoration at Cicero’s Olympic. I thought the group that turned it into the Concordia Theatre already spent a bundle on the place?
At the very least there must be large holes in the dome. But my gut says that it is probably worse than that. What is the name of the former cinema off to the right, across from the basketball court. I visited that one too. But the identity is escaping me right now. It looked like a church at the time. Seems like it is in good repair these days.
I suppose it could have taken them a while to bring the sign down. There is no reason they really had to. If anyone inquired they could’ve said that the theatre is under contract, and a lot of time wouldn’t have been wasted.
The other thing is that I imagine it doesn’t really take that long to spend a million dollars on renovation, despite what instinct might lead you to believe.
If it were a pain-staking restoration, which I don’t get the feeling it is, I could see how the time span you are discussing might seem odd.
My two cents.
I visited this place around 1989. It looked neglected then. I don’t think there is a lot of hope in this particular situation, at least as far as reusing the interior goes.
I don’t know how often Google updates their image library. But in this satellite photo the roof does not look good at all:
View link
I visited this place in the late 80’s after it became a multi-screen theatre. I remember it being a pit: musty, sticky floors, non-descript screening rooms, poor choice of colors used in decoration.
Sounds like maybe it has come up since then.
This place is cool. My recollection of the screen is that it is GIANT. I was in DC once years ago and saw a film I could care less about just to check the Uptown out: When Harry Met Sally.
Hope it lives on for another chapter.
Pretty sure I saw this at the original Old Orchard Theatre in Skokie, IL.
Doesn’t seem like they are giving up, which is great to see.
Nice photo set. I especially like your color photo of the Ohio in Columbus.
I think that I once saw a photo of this place in an issue of Marquee Magazine devoted to small-town cinemas. It would have been published some twenty years ago. At least that is a lead for you. Contact the Theatre Historiacl Society archives in Elmhust, IL to follow up on it.
They did get it. That is a pretty cool story.
Hey losers: it is over. Why don’t you go back to your lives now? Or do you enjoy tearing at one another like you live on Planet of the Apes?
You losers had a chance to make something positive happen in one of Chicago’s worst suburban centers. Instead you turned the issue into a juvenile multi-year argument that has resulted in no positive community development. Good job!
China’s one child policy would be well-implemented in Lombard.
That is fabulous. It only means that the building will be entering a new and exciting phase of life. Sound business planning with respect for history is good thinking in my book.
Pictures like that are always bizarre to me. If there was one theatre that should have been saved (in an ideal world) in Philly this was it. And yet at the same time you realize that the demolition company was proud of the fact that they took it down. Then you realize that they had every right to be proud because 1920’s theatres were generally built like a fortress. Then you stop and say: “if they took the place down on-time and on-budget, that is pretty good”. Most people who frequent this forum, after all, know the story of the demolition firm that was charged with taking down Chicago’s Paradise Theatre. It doesn’t make sense from the standpoint of preservation to have those thoughts in the mind at the same time. But that is the reality of the matter.