Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. The only real advantage of digital projection – and it’s a big one – is that it greatly reduces the potential for introducing human error. But everyone seems to forget that 35mm as a medium CAN surpass it by leaps and bounds.
DVD Resolution: 720x480
1080p Resolution: 1920x1080
2k Digital Projection: 2048x1080
4k Digital Projection: 4096x2160
and 35mm is estimated at 10k, potentially.
So, no. Maybe the image is over-processed more for this release, but the resolution simply isn’t there. You could mess with the image processing the same way before printing the film. Now, operator error in the theater is another story; this is the real benefit of digital projection. It idiot-proofs the projection process, which is why it can look better than 35mm often.
Bob Halperin, Bob Lubliner, Mike Stern, and Sanford Wolff were the owners of Center. The original carpet was designed by Lubliner’s wife. The original decor also featured artistic film strip tapestries by Linda Kriegel. It also featured the brick walls, a “small room with photograph murals of electric lights, a vending area for popcorn and soft drinks in the center of the lower lobby, and an auditorium a restful monotone of beige, as well as a decorative pool under the stairs.”
The McVickers was owned by the Nederlanders at the time.
Lubliner & Trinz was absorbed by Balaban and Katz in the 30s. One of the Lubliners was a principal in Center Theaters. Maybe he tried to use the L&T name for a while.
In 1934 a modernization in a chinese theme by Pereira & Pereira was announced but not carried out. In 1936 a more extensive, $70,000 plan by the same firm was used,
“Gay colors and new materials will be features of the exterior. Blue will be the prevailing hue. The interior will be entirely rebuilt, with new seats and a new lounge and restrooms in a space acquired for that purpose. The present boxes will be removed. An enlarged air conditioning system will be installed.”
“Workmen are now busy rejuvenating the old Rialto theater, at 25 South Genesee street, Waukegan, which has been closed for the last eight years, into a modern playhouse from plans by Pereira, Snsensy(sp) & Pereira, Chicago architects. Construction will be rushed so that it can be opened within a few weeks. One of the features of the rebuilt cinema will be its lighting effects, both on the exterior and in the lobby, which will be similar to the Firestone sign at A Century of Progress. If you saw that, you’ll remember that it held the eye with constantly blending of colors caused by concealed Neon tubes.
The exterior walls of the front elevation will be of brown porcelain enameled steel, with vermillion division strips. Both the exterior and the lobby, as well as the interior, will be extremely modern in design. The house will have 600 seats.” Before and After pictures included. Chicago Tribune, Feb 3, 1935
Remodeling was in late 1934, by Pereira & Pereira.
“This $15,000 job was carried on without interfering with the regular daily programs. It was started two months ago and completed yesterday. Nine hundred new seats and a new screen have been installed. The interior has been redecorated in dark blue and French gray, with the new lobby done in light blue and tan.”
B&K took it over in July 1936. It was widened, lengthened, and entirely remodeled, going from 600 seats to 1000.
“Plans by Pereira & Pereira call for a new front of smooth surfaced materials, a new lobby, foyer, and lounge, new seats with more space between and wider aisles.
Illuminated by indirect cove lighting, the new foyer will be paneled in bleached aspenwood trimmed with aluminum. The theater’s frontage will be increased to 53 feet and its depth to 182 feet."
THSA has files on some live houses, but for the most part it is not as extensive as the movie houses since that was not its initial focus. Something like the Majestic would probably be on-file.
In 1913, Edison demonstrated a talking pictures invention at the Majestic. Another special presentation of dancers in a film was held in December of that year. I found one reference to it showing films before its vaudeville programs for a little while starting September 1927. This could not have lasted long, because it quit the vaudeville policy by the end of that year and was only open sporadically after 1931. Plans were announced in 1933 to reopen it by the Monroe-State theater company (operators of the Roxy in Franklin, IN, and houses in Kokomo, IN, Peru, IN, and Ottawa, IL) This operated for about a year until Jones, Linick, and Schaefer took over the lease. This did not pan out, and the Majestic remained closed for 11 years before reopening as the Shubert on September 19, 1945
I took a look at the 1924 Sanborn maps and saw only two possible candidates. There was a Hall on the third floor of the Post Office building which stood at the NW corner of Lincoln and Ferris, near the railroad tracks. There is also a nice brick garage on the north side of Lincoln between Ferris and Callie which could possibly have been one, although I would sooner guess it was always a garage. Also there were a number of roadhouses which could possibly have done that, but it seems unlikely. Morton Grove was tiny then.
Paul Warshauer’s involvement in the Portage Park theater (under the Henslowe Group banner, prior to Grande Venues) took place prior to the restoration of the theater. It was only open briefly under his tenure as a theater, but he did bring a church group in which resulted in some zoning issues later. At the time of his departure the theater was still divided in two and had not been redecorated. Warshauer did upgrade some of the equipment, however, and claimed to have put 100k into the project.
Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. The only real advantage of digital projection – and it’s a big one – is that it greatly reduces the potential for introducing human error. But everyone seems to forget that 35mm as a medium CAN surpass it by leaps and bounds.
It’s simply untrue.
DVD Resolution: 720x480
1080p Resolution: 1920x1080
2k Digital Projection: 2048x1080
4k Digital Projection: 4096x2160
and 35mm is estimated at 10k, potentially.
So, no. Maybe the image is over-processed more for this release, but the resolution simply isn’t there. You could mess with the image processing the same way before printing the film. Now, operator error in the theater is another story; this is the real benefit of digital projection. It idiot-proofs the projection process, which is why it can look better than 35mm often.
The McVickers was Balaban and Katz before Nederlander, and Jones, Linick & Shaefer before that.
Bob Halperin, Bob Lubliner, Mike Stern, and Sanford Wolff were the owners of Center. The original carpet was designed by Lubliner’s wife. The original decor also featured artistic film strip tapestries by Linda Kriegel. It also featured the brick walls, a “small room with photograph murals of electric lights, a vending area for popcorn and soft drinks in the center of the lower lobby, and an auditorium a restful monotone of beige, as well as a decorative pool under the stairs.”
The McVickers was owned by the Nederlanders at the time.
Lubliner & Trinz was absorbed by Balaban and Katz in the 30s. One of the Lubliners was a principal in Center Theaters. Maybe he tried to use the L&T name for a while.
The 1942 renovation was by well-known architect William Pereira.
1936 modernization by Pereira & Pereira. Marquee, Box Office, Lighting, Lounges.
The 1935 modernization of the Des Plaines Theater was by Pereira & Pereira
The 1934 remodeling was by Pereira & Pereira
The 1934 remodeling was by Pereira & Pereira
In 1934 a modernization in a chinese theme by Pereira & Pereira was announced but not carried out. In 1936 a more extensive, $70,000 plan by the same firm was used,
“Gay colors and new materials will be features of the exterior. Blue will be the prevailing hue. The interior will be entirely rebuilt, with new seats and a new lounge and restrooms in a space acquired for that purpose. The present boxes will be removed. An enlarged air conditioning system will be installed.”
“Workmen are now busy rejuvenating the old Rialto theater, at 25 South Genesee street, Waukegan, which has been closed for the last eight years, into a modern playhouse from plans by Pereira, Snsensy(sp) & Pereira, Chicago architects. Construction will be rushed so that it can be opened within a few weeks. One of the features of the rebuilt cinema will be its lighting effects, both on the exterior and in the lobby, which will be similar to the Firestone sign at A Century of Progress. If you saw that, you’ll remember that it held the eye with constantly blending of colors caused by concealed Neon tubes.
The exterior walls of the front elevation will be of brown porcelain enameled steel, with vermillion division strips. Both the exterior and the lobby, as well as the interior, will be extremely modern in design. The house will have 600 seats.” Before and After pictures included. Chicago Tribune, Feb 3, 1935
Remodeling was in late 1934, by Pereira & Pereira.
“This $15,000 job was carried on without interfering with the regular daily programs. It was started two months ago and completed yesterday. Nine hundred new seats and a new screen have been installed. The interior has been redecorated in dark blue and French gray, with the new lobby done in light blue and tan.”
B&K took it over in July 1936. It was widened, lengthened, and entirely remodeled, going from 600 seats to 1000.
“Plans by Pereira & Pereira call for a new front of smooth surfaced materials, a new lobby, foyer, and lounge, new seats with more space between and wider aisles.
Illuminated by indirect cove lighting, the new foyer will be paneled in bleached aspenwood trimmed with aluminum. The theater’s frontage will be increased to 53 feet and its depth to 182 feet."
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A somewhat distressing plan to replace terra cotta with reinforced concrete
THSA has files on some live houses, but for the most part it is not as extensive as the movie houses since that was not its initial focus. Something like the Majestic would probably be on-file.
In 1913, Edison demonstrated a talking pictures invention at the Majestic. Another special presentation of dancers in a film was held in December of that year. I found one reference to it showing films before its vaudeville programs for a little while starting September 1927. This could not have lasted long, because it quit the vaudeville policy by the end of that year and was only open sporadically after 1931. Plans were announced in 1933 to reopen it by the Monroe-State theater company (operators of the Roxy in Franklin, IN, and houses in Kokomo, IN, Peru, IN, and Ottawa, IL) This operated for about a year until Jones, Linick, and Schaefer took over the lease. This did not pan out, and the Majestic remained closed for 11 years before reopening as the Shubert on September 19, 1945
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More photos of the filming:
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I took a look at the 1924 Sanborn maps and saw only two possible candidates. There was a Hall on the third floor of the Post Office building which stood at the NW corner of Lincoln and Ferris, near the railroad tracks. There is also a nice brick garage on the north side of Lincoln between Ferris and Callie which could possibly have been one, although I would sooner guess it was always a garage. Also there were a number of roadhouses which could possibly have done that, but it seems unlikely. Morton Grove was tiny then.
Paul Warshauer’s involvement in the Portage Park theater (under the Henslowe Group banner, prior to Grande Venues) took place prior to the restoration of the theater. It was only open briefly under his tenure as a theater, but he did bring a church group in which resulted in some zoning issues later. At the time of his departure the theater was still divided in two and had not been redecorated. Warshauer did upgrade some of the equipment, however, and claimed to have put 100k into the project.
View link Has a nice view of the temporary facades
After all that, the redevelopment proposal is dead (for now).
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Here are some blog posts on the Riv restoration:
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Also, a couple on the proposed multiplex across from the Aragon:
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