Nortown Theater
6320 N. Western Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60659
6320 N. Western Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60659
24 people
favorited this theater
Showing 201 - 225 of 237 comments
Regarding the triplex. I was so tired last night that I forgot just now it was split. What they did was close off the balcony to make 1 theater up there and the main floor was split in 2. Just like they did with the Skokie theater years ago.
The painted walls had to have been done after the place closed as a theater. I remember all the lovlies were still there during the triplex years. I still think that was the dumbest thing they could have done to that place.
Post them, Brian. We need to see them, even if they aren’t pretty. As theatre enthusiasts, it behooves us to see photos of deterioration and destruction as well as preservation.
All right, i’ll give a pretty detailed assessment of what the building is like now, but I have to warn you, you probably won’t want to hear it if you remember it as a grand theater. Today was the first time I have personally seen inside; I saw more extensive photos a year ago. The exterior looks the same as in the photos posted December 14.
I can’t really tell what, if any, work has gone on there beyond installing the door. There are some cracks around the edges of the door and the auditorium floor is visible. The terra cotta panels removed to install the door are stacked inside the auditorium. I can see what LTS means about the main floor being split and not the balcony; the church must have taken the partition out while they were there. And the balcony is clearly too small to have been split in half, but I can see how it might have worked as a single. Anyway, the interior matches photos i’ve seen from october 2004 exactly. In those photos, the entire interior is shown having been painted, murals and all, in light blue, dark blue, white, gold, and silver. It’s really jarring to do a side-by-side comparison of its 1982-3 condition and its present- it is so stark and unadorned without the murals. I don’t know when this paint dates from- the triplexing? The same debris seen in the 2004 photos, an old RC fridge and a freezer, still sits near the stage in precisely the same position, so I think it’s likely that virtually no work has gone on. It looks to me like the main damage done to the theater in the triplexing was the front of the main floor. Probably, having the murals painted over did much more harm. I don’t think it will ever be restored to its original glory, but maybe, just maybe, the renovation could possibly be completed. At this point, I think it looks bleak. I have photos, but I hesitate to post them.
Brian’s photo link from the chicago historical society is great! My late friend John Seng is playing the Wurlitzer console in That 1960 photo, He told me of that picture—he was engaged to play for a fashon show there, and went to practice, when that photo was taken. John was one of the very best who chose to make music on the Wurlitzer.
I saw movies here when it was a CO triplex. The main floor was split from the balcony with a horizontal floor. But it was the former main floor that was split in two. The former balcony was one theatre (the largest), and they still lit the stars and some colored lights within the sidewalls. It was hacked up, to be sure. But the balcony was still a nice place to see a movie. I saw “Leviathan” up there. New screen was in front of the procenium decoration. The whole place was clean, and the staff was well-dressed (CO uniforms with bow ties, vests, name plates) and attentive. The old marquee was retained and relit, chasers and all. They replaced the 50’s attraction boards with a more modern variety. It was really a pretty nice place (if you can call a vintage triplex refit that under any circumstances).
As to when the theatre was tri-plexed, it was in 1984. The last movie to be shown at the Nortown as a single theatre that year was “Footloose”. I was working as a relief manager for Plitt Theatres that year. Once the theatre was tripled, it lost much of its grandeur with the exception of the lobby and staircase. Prior to it being tripled, there was moderate water damage over the years to the interior of the auditorium. Plitt never wanted to invest money into the repair of this damage. I have wanted to go see what condition the theatre is currently in, but part of me does not want to see what it is like now.
If anyone that’s near there can get current pictures I think we’d all appreciate it.
There were lights on in the lobby Saturday night, 3/31. Much of the ornamentation in the lobby is still intact. There appears to be some demo work going on, at least to remove damaged sections of plaster and/or non-original sheetrock walls; it didn’t appear that any of the ornamental plasterwork was being removed.
The balcony was split in two, and the floor theater was seperated from the balcony with a horizontal floor from the balcony to the proscenium. Also, I don’t think this has been mentioned yest, but in 2003 there was consideration of putting senior apartments on the site. And as of 1994 it was a church called “Rest for the Weary Ministries”.
When and how did they tri-plex this theatre? Did they divide the theatre into three auditoriums? Or did they make two auditoriums for the 1st floor and a 3rd one out of the balcony.
Also, I beleive that Plitt and later Cineplex-Odeon owned/operated the Nortown.
How sad that this beautiful old theater has fallen into disuse as a movie house. I grew up blocks away and spent every Saturday afternoon with my friends enjoying movies for 25 cents. We enjoyed playing in the huge lobby and on the grand staircase pretending it was our castle. Ah, those were the days. The interior was spectacular and will be forever remembered for the great times we had there in the early 60’s. The times and neighborhood have changed since those days, so it was inevitable the theater would go. A movie at the glorious Nortown and barbecue from Sally’s across the street was the best way to spend leisure time.
That’s a very interesting article. Thanks for the cool find. :)
It was actually opened on April 4, 1931. An interesting fact about the ceiling:
“The star studded sky that will compose the auditorium ceiling og the new Publix-Balaban & Katz theater, the Nortown, which is to be opened at Devon and Western avenues on April 4, is to be an exact duplication of an April constellation, according to J. E. O. Pridmore, supervising architect. J. C. Penn, astronomy professor at Armour institute, was commissioned to put the stars in their proper places to insure that the layout would be authentic.” -Chicago Tribune, pG5, March 22, 1931.
They’ve torn a temporary door in the building’s side. Anybody know what is happening?
Photos I took on November 2, 2005, while driving through the city. Click on “all sizes” right above the photos for original size
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Well I’d like to see where they plan on putting that mall. I lived directly across from there on Claremont, well more like the building next to Sally’s Stage. Anyway, directly across from there’s the city parking lot. Unless they demolish Sally’s Stage, that place next to it and the Chinese restaraunt as well, this will be an interesting mall. Especially since that parking lot is small and well, not enough spaces for a mall, much less what they plan on doing with the place in general.
BUT (and I haven’t read the article yet) at least it sounds like there’s some hope for the old place. Here’s hoping the guy stays true to what it actually looked like, and doesn’t change things.
Like I said, I have seen very recent photos of the building, I think that the auditorium is, sadly, too damaged to come back. This is a shame, because it looks like this would otherwise be one of the most unique neighborhood theaters. Also, usually plaster that has been heavily water damaged (as often happens in theatres) literally disintegrates. Even in some of the pre-triplexing photos I posted earlier some water damage is evident, and judging from reports that the basement was flooded, I can’t say chances for survival look good. It’s a crying shame, certainly, but at least some of it lives on.
Well, it certainly is too bad that the building ended up this way. But Brian has a point. Better to remove some detail than lose it all when the building is demolished, as I imagine the Nortown eventually will be.
Even water-damaged plaster dust can be repaired…… once something has been destroyed at the level the Nortown has (according to “Larserik”) it is gone forever. Too bad there are so many merceniary-hearted people in this world.
that’s so wrong
Better that than a pile of water-damaged plaster dust.
Sorry to disappoint anyone who loved the incredible interior of this classic movie palace (myself included)… but about ten or eleven years ago I walked into an architectural salvage place and instantly recognized dozens of pieces taken from the movie house. The unique nautical theme of the theatre made it impossible not to know exactly where they had come from. It looked as though they had taken out every single piece of ornamental plaster, and every light fixture and had them for sale for many hundreds of dollars each (little metal lanterns with sculpted frogs were going for $900 each; I think the mermaids/mermen who flanked the doors up front by the stage were going for $1500-$2000).
The story I got from one of the store employees was that the church that was occupying the space called up the salvage place to sell whatever they could from inside to raise some money for their organization. “We’ve been trying to get the Nortown for YEARS” was the quote that really turned my stomach and nearly brought tears to my eyes.
I went into the building soon afterwards one day when it was opening for church services to have a peek and everything remaining in the lobby has been painted white, the horoscope murals were gone (the salvage employee said only one had survived… they ripped all of the rest attempting to remove them) and pretty much all ornament was gone from the auditorium. The wall which divided the main auditorium into two smaller spaces had been removed to make it one big room again (the balcony was still closed off and they made it clear that it was off-limits to any looky-loos). A big dumpster was out front, and the grand marquee was down on the sidewalk waiting to be relegated to a scrap heap. The church vacated maybe a year or two later, leaving the once-glorious Nortown a sad shell of its former self.
After some soul-searching, I reluctantly decided to go back to the salvage place to see if there was a memento I could get, realizing I would never again have the opportunity to see any of these incredible pieces which held so many childhood memories for me. Much as I disagree with supporting the greed that leads to the destruction of these places, in this case the damage was done and I’d imagine most of the pieces were probably going to people who had no sentimental attachment to them. I ended up buying one of the sea serpents which was high up over the doorway near the proscenium. He hung proudly in my home until I moved from Chicago… I’m trying to figure a place of honor in my new home befitting a special memory.
I have long since left the neighborhood and the city, but will always fondly remember this beautiful place from my childhood, as the glittering magical palace where the fantastic atmosphere and whimsical creatures drew my attention as much as what was playing on the big screen. The lighthouse, the twinkling stars, the clouds gently drifting across the ceiling… and the incredible neighborhood showplace it was and I’m afraid it will never be again.
heh I can imagine. Actually when we went to see it, my older brother stayed for the next show, while my sister and I went home. It was a few hours later that everyone noticed he hadn’t been around the house. Turned out he stayed for the remainder of the day. LOL
It’s funny, I was talking to my sister (Belle) about this Friday night and she was trying to see if she recognized anyone on here. ;P
Interesting to read these latest messages. I lived a block away from the Nortown on Rosemont. I used to walk home for dinner when I was working there. I may have even been working while some of you were watching a movie. By the way, to the person who saw Star Wars in 1977, we had that movie for over 6 months. I was working as an usher at that time and had every line memorized. As I recall, for the first few weeks of the Star Wars run (it started in the summer of 1977), the daily matinee started at 12:00 noon with weekend midnight showings. It was one long day!
Yeah and I remember you taking us to see those movies, as well as many others through the years. I just thought of when you, me and mom saw Temple of Doom there. lol
I have to say, in all honesty. In all the years we lived there, I don’t think I ever called the place to check show times. I can’t even tell you what the phone number was.
man I miss that place.
I do have a great idea though. They need to restore that to it’s former glory, and then to kick off the reopening, show New Hope. THAT’D be awesome! I’d drive back there for that.