thanks mp775 for providing the link to a photo of the theater . The gallery is centered around buses but it is loaded with great photos of Chicago neighborhoods and intersections in the late 60’s.
I used to bowl at Drake Bowling alley when I was a kid in the mid 70’s. In the late 70’s The owner of the bowling alley name was Matt and his daughter’s name was Barbara. I don’t think the lot next door was technically the lot for the bowling alley. I know the owned lot was west on Montrose and on the South side of the street. It had a sign that sadi parking for Drake bowl.
I remember the theater building but mostly because of the store fronts. I was never in an area I would recogize as a theater. One of the stores was a beer can collector store. He didn’t have a lot of beer cans, now that I’m older I have no clue how he stayed in business.
I forwarded the link photo to a friend of mine last night, who lived in the neighborhood and worked / lived at the bowling alley. At one time he was in 7 leagues in a week.
He told me that there was a rumour in the neighborhood (in the 70’s)that the buildng’s basement had been sealed off during remolding and that many films remained in the basement.
I don’t understand the post from above about a “radar that picks up on theater buildings” by Life’s too short but it might be possible that there is a small treasure under that parking lot.
I grew up a few blocks away from the Commodore. i recently found a video tape I made while driving down Irving in the early 80’s. It was so dark out that I can barely recognize it.
I saw my first movie ther . It’s a mad mad mad world. It must have been well after it’s original relaease date.
I remember being way to young to have seen Godfather 2 in a theater. I never wanted to see it again.
They used to play Bruce Lee movies. A kid in the neighborhood on Sacramento used to sneak in a camera and film some of the scenes. He was always scared that Osco would bust him on developing the film. I don’t think he was worried about the copyright,as much as the obligitory “romantic scene” he captured that supplimented the Bruce Lee films.
My last memory of the theater is the year or two they ran Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein. Guts in 3-D
i wish I could see an old photo. So if any finds one, please direct us to where to see it.
I miss this place as well. M & R seemed to have a grip on my social life in th late 70’s and 80’s. They ran the Axle roller rink in Norridge and Niles, I went to Niles Axle every Saturday and Sunday. (I learned to skate in the early 60’s at less than 2 years old ,My dad was a guard at the old Riverview in Chicago) We would go to the Wheeling Twin Drive In on dates. Then we got or just looked older we would go to McGreevy’s on Golf road just east of Milwaukee. It later turned into Club Metroplolis to Club Metropol. There is a Walgreens there now.
The drive in always showed the Dancing Hot Dog intermission clip. I usually enjoyed this more than the movie.
On weekends in the summer they would have a flea market. I went occasionally . Never bought anything but it was a great place to people watch.
My memory is that it was closed / bought out because the airport next door needed a drainage ditch due to FA regulations so they could have certain types of jets.
I live in Wisconsin now and found a drive in in Jefferson.
Still the entire night is defined if they show the dancing hot dog intermission film.
thanks mp775 for providing the link to a photo of the theater . The gallery is centered around buses but it is loaded with great photos of Chicago neighborhoods and intersections in the late 60’s.
I used to bowl at Drake Bowling alley when I was a kid in the mid 70’s. In the late 70’s The owner of the bowling alley name was Matt and his daughter’s name was Barbara. I don’t think the lot next door was technically the lot for the bowling alley. I know the owned lot was west on Montrose and on the South side of the street. It had a sign that sadi parking for Drake bowl.
I remember the theater building but mostly because of the store fronts. I was never in an area I would recogize as a theater. One of the stores was a beer can collector store. He didn’t have a lot of beer cans, now that I’m older I have no clue how he stayed in business.
I forwarded the link photo to a friend of mine last night, who lived in the neighborhood and worked / lived at the bowling alley. At one time he was in 7 leagues in a week.
He told me that there was a rumour in the neighborhood (in the 70’s)that the buildng’s basement had been sealed off during remolding and that many films remained in the basement.
I don’t understand the post from above about a “radar that picks up on theater buildings” by Life’s too short but it might be possible that there is a small treasure under that parking lot.
Geraldo time to dig out another vault
There is a handfull in the suburbs. There might be some in Chicago left on the south side.
The Coachlite in Roselle (western suburbs) is where the Riverview Roller Rink and Axle (Hub) reunions are held in October
I remember the Theater reopening and seeing Bad News Bears. If it wasn’t the first movie after the reopening it was close to it. 1978 sounds right.
keep the roller rink discussion going
I grew up a few blocks away from the Commodore. i recently found a video tape I made while driving down Irving in the early 80’s. It was so dark out that I can barely recognize it.
I saw my first movie ther . It’s a mad mad mad world. It must have been well after it’s original relaease date.
I remember being way to young to have seen Godfather 2 in a theater. I never wanted to see it again.
They used to play Bruce Lee movies. A kid in the neighborhood on Sacramento used to sneak in a camera and film some of the scenes. He was always scared that Osco would bust him on developing the film. I don’t think he was worried about the copyright,as much as the obligitory “romantic scene” he captured that supplimented the Bruce Lee films.
My last memory of the theater is the year or two they ran Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein. Guts in 3-D
i wish I could see an old photo. So if any finds one, please direct us to where to see it.
I miss this place as well. M & R seemed to have a grip on my social life in th late 70’s and 80’s. They ran the Axle roller rink in Norridge and Niles, I went to Niles Axle every Saturday and Sunday. (I learned to skate in the early 60’s at less than 2 years old ,My dad was a guard at the old Riverview in Chicago) We would go to the Wheeling Twin Drive In on dates. Then we got or just looked older we would go to McGreevy’s on Golf road just east of Milwaukee. It later turned into Club Metroplolis to Club Metropol. There is a Walgreens there now.
The drive in always showed the Dancing Hot Dog intermission clip. I usually enjoyed this more than the movie.
On weekends in the summer they would have a flea market. I went occasionally . Never bought anything but it was a great place to people watch.
My memory is that it was closed / bought out because the airport next door needed a drainage ditch due to FA regulations so they could have certain types of jets.
I live in Wisconsin now and found a drive in in Jefferson.
Still the entire night is defined if they show the dancing hot dog intermission film.