My favorite memory of this was going to a sneak preview of The Five Heartbeats. I got those tickets handed to me while in line for Silence of the Lambs at 900 N Michigan by a guy who if he wan’t Chris Connely (later Premiere Ed/MTV personality), he was his twin. Anyway, my brother an I went, got in and the back 4 rows seats were roped off. I jokingly said, “That’s for Robert and his crew”. I’m in my usual front row center seats, enjoyable film, everyone got into it, the credits roll and a guy stands up in front of the screen, a couple of people yell at him, and he says “We’d like to thank you all for coming out tonight”. The lights come on and it’s Robert Townsend! He says he appreciates the applause and he’d like to introduce his friends, and the 4 others “Heartbeats” come down and the place goes nuts! The cast hands out pictures, keychains and hangs in the lobby chatting and signing autographs. What a night!
I seem to remember a little 3 step drop to get to the theater doors from the main lobby. The one movie that sticks in my head from this theater is American Pop. Saw it 3 times there!
Fond memories of this palace too. Ditching school and standing in line for the 1st show of Star Wars, getting sucked into the world of Blade Runner, riding high in the Right Stuff, the plane shots in Out of Africa. Damn I hate multiplexes!!
By far the best theater in the Chicago for my formative years (now 39). Apocalypse Now stands out as the most awesome experience ever there, before it was chopped up. I recall being mesmerized by 2001 and Altered States as well. The multiplexing to me was blasphemy and it’s final demise a dark spot in my Chicago theater experience
My favorite memory of this was going to a sneak preview of The Five Heartbeats. I got those tickets handed to me while in line for Silence of the Lambs at 900 N Michigan by a guy who if he wan’t Chris Connely (later Premiere Ed/MTV personality), he was his twin. Anyway, my brother an I went, got in and the back 4 rows seats were roped off. I jokingly said, “That’s for Robert and his crew”. I’m in my usual front row center seats, enjoyable film, everyone got into it, the credits roll and a guy stands up in front of the screen, a couple of people yell at him, and he says “We’d like to thank you all for coming out tonight”. The lights come on and it’s Robert Townsend! He says he appreciates the applause and he’d like to introduce his friends, and the 4 others “Heartbeats” come down and the place goes nuts! The cast hands out pictures, keychains and hangs in the lobby chatting and signing autographs. What a night!
I seem to remember a little 3 step drop to get to the theater doors from the main lobby. The one movie that sticks in my head from this theater is American Pop. Saw it 3 times there!
Fond memories of this palace too. Ditching school and standing in line for the 1st show of Star Wars, getting sucked into the world of Blade Runner, riding high in the Right Stuff, the plane shots in Out of Africa. Damn I hate multiplexes!!
By far the best theater in the Chicago for my formative years (now 39). Apocalypse Now stands out as the most awesome experience ever there, before it was chopped up. I recall being mesmerized by 2001 and Altered States as well. The multiplexing to me was blasphemy and it’s final demise a dark spot in my Chicago theater experience