The Kankakee Paramount was a virtual twin to the Paramount Theater ibn Aurora, IL. They were built at the same time, 1931; the Aurora version opened in September. It’s now the Paramount Arts Centre.
The Luna Theater, 238 S. Schuyler Ave. in its early years showed grade-c movies. After a change in ownership ca. 1953, they upscaled to first-run movies in competition with the Paramount Theater on N. Schuyler. They were able to offer Cinemascope films with the stereo sound. Among their major coups overe the Paramount was the first to get the last film of James Dean, “Giant”.
On a personal note, the rock band “Ron Strawn & the Bucks” of which I was a member, made a stage appearance there in August 1958.
The films on that day were (as billed) “Dynamite Double Bill of Thrill Girls!”, ‘Teenage Doll’ and ‘Undersea Girl’.
The Majestic Theater was a second-run theater for most of its existence. The Paramount Theater, half a block to the North on Schuyler, would usually get the first-run major movies, play them for one or two weeks, then move them over to the Majestic. The Majestic would often pair the major film then with a grade-b film.
Occasionally the Majestic would score a major movie When the Paramount hung on to a huge hit movie beyond two weeks.
I spent many of my youthful years at one or the other of these theaters during the 1940s.
Admission then was 12 cents (10 cents plus 20% war-time luxury tax).
12 years old and up paid the “adult” price of 18 cents (15 + 3).
The Luna Theater 238 S Schuyler Ave. at that time ran grade-c films.
The Kankakee Paramount was a virtual twin to the Paramount Theater ibn Aurora, IL. They were built at the same time, 1931; the Aurora version opened in September. It’s now the Paramount Arts Centre.
The Luna Theater, 238 S. Schuyler Ave. in its early years showed grade-c movies. After a change in ownership ca. 1953, they upscaled to first-run movies in competition with the Paramount Theater on N. Schuyler. They were able to offer Cinemascope films with the stereo sound. Among their major coups overe the Paramount was the first to get the last film of James Dean, “Giant”.
On a personal note, the rock band “Ron Strawn & the Bucks” of which I was a member, made a stage appearance there in August 1958.
The films on that day were (as billed) “Dynamite Double Bill of Thrill Girls!”, ‘Teenage Doll’ and ‘Undersea Girl’.
The Majestic Theater was a second-run theater for most of its existence. The Paramount Theater, half a block to the North on Schuyler, would usually get the first-run major movies, play them for one or two weeks, then move them over to the Majestic. The Majestic would often pair the major film then with a grade-b film.
Occasionally the Majestic would score a major movie When the Paramount hung on to a huge hit movie beyond two weeks.
I spent many of my youthful years at one or the other of these theaters during the 1940s.
Admission then was 12 cents (10 cents plus 20% war-time luxury tax).
12 years old and up paid the “adult” price of 18 cents (15 + 3).
The Luna Theater 238 S Schuyler Ave. at that time ran grade-c films.