Mode Theatre

Inspired by your letters,I’d like to share a few of my own memories of the Mode Cinema. At the age of 5 years old, from 1959 on, I (along with all the other kids in the neighborhood) was a weekend regular at the Mode Theater. I remember the double and triple features of B-Movie Horror, Zombie, Roman Sandals, Teen Exploitation and Jerry Lewis films. Classics like The Magic Sword, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, 20,000,000 Miles to Earth, Attack of the 50 ft. Woman, Hercules Unchained, Machine Gun Kelly, Joy Ride, The Nutty Professor and countless others. Many of which I now own on DVD. I either sat in the last row so that I could throw stuff at my friends further up front or go down to the first row and watch the screen cross eyed. For the price of 25 cents, Saturdays would be spent running in and out of the auditorium with your friends between cartoons and films to get drinks, popcorn and nickel candy, milk duds, sno-caps and a certain brand whose name I can’t remember only that it stuch to your teeth and had a prize inside! I never bought a hot dog because I would always have one at Hot Dog Haven, located on the north east corner of Sheridan between the cinema and the “L” station. Going to the Mode for 5-6 hours was cheaper than a baby sitter and if I was away longer than expected, Mom would come pick me up. We lived right down the street in a three story building directly adjacent to the Sheridan street “L” station. There was a supermarket next to the theater, right hand side called Raggedy Ann and sometimes we’d stop and buy one of the Taffy Apples on display in the window. For awhile I helped to distribute the small folded weekly flyer that the theater had printed until I got an even better job counting the hot dogs in the freshly delivered sacks at Hot Dog Haven (the owner didn’t trust the deliverer but how well did I count the thousands of hot dogs???…) Pay was good 25 cents and two comic books! If anyone out there happens to have an old flyer, please let me know! Even a Xerox copy would be a great thrill!
I grew up in that neighborhood and distincly remember every store in the vicinity but I haven’t been anywhere near there since 1977 and now am very sad to read that demolition of the immortal Mode Theater has begun – I’ll be in Chicago in September – just barely missed it! I wonder if anyone has a photo?
I also remember that in the early 60’s the theater would hold bicycle raffles – I guess business wasn’t so good by then.

You’re right, Brian, the inside was rather plain. As I recall, the lobby walls were neutral colors-off white, beige,some gray toward the rear of the lobby-but all dull. The auditorium walls, I’m almost positive, were ALL gray- with dark (black?) seats-very much the opposite of the plush red seats of the Balaban & Katz theatres(Uptown and Riviera).Still, it was comfortable. And, with all those great American-International and Allied Artists posters on the walls…(She Gods of Shark Reef,How to Make a Monster,Viking Women and the Sea Serpent, The Bride and the Beast, Attack of the Crab Monsters) you did not much notice the drab walls. Those posters, along with the bright red hot dogs Richard G. mentioned, were the most colorful things inside the Mode!

Brian, the Mode’s screen was on the other side of the brick wall facing Dakin St. The box office, small and isolated from the front doors,faced Sheridan Rd.The entrance, at 3912 Sheridan, was just north of the restaurant now in business.On the walls to the left and right of the box office, under glass, were a series of 6 (maybe 8) “lobby cards” advertising the movies showing that day.After buying your ticket(Adults .55, children .25 , as I recall)and before reaching the glass front doors,to the left and right you could see 28X22 size posters of the films coming in a few days (Fri.& Sat., Sun. & Mon.) They, too, were under glass. Once past the front doors, you walked through a somewhat narrow lobby (heading west) to the ticket taker.The walls inside had literally dozens of posters of various sizes, advertising upcoming movies for the next two weeks. Lots of eye candy! Just past the ticket taker, to the right, was the concession stand.To the left was a narrow staircase leading to the projection booth. On either side of the booth was a small balcony, seating perhaps 50. It was rarely open, but I got up there once on a Sunday- they had a full house for “CALTIKI, THE IMMORTAL MONSTER” plus “TORMENTED”.Past the candy counter, and to the right, was the auditorium (facing north) with 3…maybe 4 aisles. So, the auditorium was parallel to Sheridan Rd. Across from the aisle doors, on the wall, were even more posters…(Coming, Coming Soon, Wed. & Thurs., Tuesday Only…ADULTS ONLY!)Walking past these posters (heading west again)there was a water fountain and the washrooms. I don’t remember a stage.Outside, the Mode had a flush mounted marquee,just like the Lakeside and Pantheon (at least from 1957-on).The marquee,facing Sheridan and easily visible from the “L” train, had this on the bottom line…“ALWAYS THE BEST FOR LESS”.The first two lines had the titles; the third line was usually empty.The vertical sign…in small letters…m o d e had an accent on the e.(Mow-day).When lit, the letters were a bright orange. As a kid and teenager, the Mode was one of my favorite theatres…a B movie lovers paradise!

Brian, unfortunately, I can be of no help as to when the Mode got its current facade — sorry. Please let eveyone at C. T. know if it’s torn down. Sorry, I didn’t answer sooner but for some reason I didn’t get notified.

So the theatre is that building that is a Mexican (or was a) Mexican grocery store? I’ve seen it from the train a million times, and never would have thought it was a theatre…just an odd building.

Richard, do you have any idea when the Mode recieved its current facade? I only see a sliver of yellow tiling near the top. And do you know how much longer it will be standing? There has been a sign advertising the “Lakeview Station” condo development presumably for that site for some time. It looks like it was last used to sell seating from Wrigley Field. I hope I get a chance to see inside this building before it is demolished. What was it like inside?

Seems like almost every movie played the Mode. 4 changes weekly:Sun. and Mon., Tues., Wed. and Thurs.,and Fri. and Sat. Mostly triple features… in the early 60’s saw G.I.BLUES, GUNS OF THE BLACK WITCH,and NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST…all on a Sunday afternoon.Tuesday was “ADULTS ONLY” day…sometimes a nudist camp film. In the 70’s was renamed the FESTIVAL… showed art films then switched to X rated fare. Also showed Spanish language films under still another name change, the PUERTO RICO. Now a Spanish grocery store, it’s visible from the CTA red line trains south of the Sheridan stop. Theatre located at 3912 N. Sheridan.