The last film I viewed at The Chicago was Al Pacino’s “Cruising” in the late ‘70s. What a thrill getting off the the elevated train there at State & Lake and having all those theatre marquees (The Chicago,The State Lake,The Oriental,The United Artists,The Woods,The Roosevelt & The McVickor) to look at!
I ushered a couple of performances of The Rocky Horror Show which played here in the late 1980s. It was the Organic Theatre at this time. I don’t remember anything lavish about the interior or that it was very big. It must have been converted because I don’t remember it containing any more than 600-700 seats and a small stage.
I’ve lived about 8 blocks from this theatre for about 22 years now and I’ve only attended 2 movies there before it closed in the early ‘80s. 1st was as above,Psycho II and 2nd was my first viewing of Raiders Of The Lost Ark in a many months after 1st showing. This was a mistake since it was a horrible copy with scatches and jumps. I truley didn’t totally enjoy it until VHS and now DVD.
I will post a picture of the still beautiful,near block long building in the near future. You can still see the chain-link brackets that once held the marquee in the terra-cotta facade above the martial-arts studio which,I believe was once the entrance.
The Argmore building is still intact, I live a couple of blocks away and walked past the other day. It’s still a little seedy in this neighborhood but it’s cleaning up. The liquor store that would have been the main entrance is pretty old and shabby and still has an early neon sign out front where the theater’s marquee must have been. It’s an apartment complex building and at the east and corners at the top are the words “Argmore” in terra-cotta, quite a beautiful old building. I haven’t gone in the liquor store as of yet to see if even a fragment of this theatre still remains.
The name Adelphi is beautifully carved in the terra-cotta facade overlooking Clark St. I pass this beauty every day on my way to work in Evanston. I keep it posted if I see any positive changes in it’s operating status.
My sole memory of The Tiffen is from 1977 when I was a freshman in high-school and living near Addison & Western,was of going to see Taxi Driver/Death Wish double feature real cheap,from a search through the Chicago Tribune’s movie ads and taking the long bus ride down Western to North & North west. I remember being pretty scarred about the neiborhood from my view off the bus,it seemed rather seedy to me even as a innocent kid,they were the old CTA busses with opening slide windows. The clearest and most jotful memory is seeing the huge TIFFEN lighted sign/marquee from as much as 10 blocks + down North Ave. The inside I barely remember,just dark and sticky floors.
July 10 2004,just stopped by The Rosewood (now the “Rosewood Cabinet” store of Ravenswood)at 1821/23 W Montrose and it’s still there! I stopped in and saw what must have been the entrance/lobby section and the store slopes up towards the rear. Behind the back wall of the store,must be where the theater section is or once was,it has a long section in back you can see from the alley and elevated tracks.The Oriental gentleman at the counter was aware the building was a theater once long ago and mentioned the original owners of long ago were the people who had the theater. My wife told me it was “Rosies Restaurant” at one time in the ‘70s,makes you wonder if the two buisness names had any nostolgic reference to the theater. Quite a facinating little neiborhood this little obscure theater once entertained.
The front has obviously been removed long ago,replaced with plain brown brick and storefront windows.
I went to see The Exorcist ALL WEEK for it’s late ‘70s re-issue at the State Lake. I got there early for the early-bird special,$2.00 or so,and sat through it 2 or 3 times each day for a week! I even brought a tape recorder in with me 1 day to record the Reagan demon parts from the movie,which wasn’t to hard since there were only 4 people or so in the HUGE auditorium with me and my buddy,it seemed like a large,lonely place,but a joy to a teenager to basicly have run of the place.
I live within sight of the Uptown Theater here in Chicago and saw perhaps the last of the second runs at The Riviera in November of 1982,Superman II. I just love standing at the corner of Broadway and Lawrence and looking around me at the Uptown & Riviera and behind me at the wonderfully ornate Aragon Ballroom.
I also remember many a matinee at both theaters in the ‘70s.
I used to walk past this theater all the time in the mid-late ‘70s when they showed pornos and always made comments to my buddy about the poster for the current adult film playing there. I finally got in during the time it was a concert venue in the early '90s and saw Weird Al Yankovic,also got a couple of cool cardbaord posters for the show which state the performance is at “The Oak” with its address! During this time,Margie’s Candies was featured on the WTTW show “Wild Chicago” and this inspired my wife and myself to finally go to Margie’s for some home-made ice cream and candies. We not only met the legendary Margie but also sat in the very booth The Beatles sat in when they visited in 1962 or 63 for their Comisky Park concert.
I attended this theater in the mid-late 1970s for the horror triple features they showed. I saw The Legend Of Hell House and a couple of John Carradine B-titles. I took the bus all the way up there from Roscoe Village for the obscure horror titles and the cheap admission!
I helped clean and polished this theater’s interior in 1980/81 for the North American tour of The Rocky Horror Show. I was a regular of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at The Biograph Theater when I was asked to usher and hand out programs at The Granada in my costume (Eddie).
It was wonderful,I attended at least 10 performances and even made it on TV for a Fox (channel 32) show with host Mike Liederman. They intrviewed people in costume for the Rocky phenominum. I remember being at the top of the balcony at the Last,higest possible seat and looking down and wondering how anybody could see the screen,not to mention the stage actors! What a beautiful palace it was!
I went to The Commodore in the mid-1970s to see “Return Of The Dragon” & “Enter The Dragon” with Bruce Lee.
I lived within walking distance of it,as well as the famous “Riverview” park!
I attended “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at The Biograph from 3/80 to 6/83 and it holds very special memories for me.
Anybody know if the beautifully ornate building a little to the north which once housed Wax Trax records was of any historic signifigence?
The last film I viewed at The Chicago was Al Pacino’s “Cruising” in the late ‘70s. What a thrill getting off the the elevated train there at State & Lake and having all those theatre marquees (The Chicago,The State Lake,The Oriental,The United Artists,The Woods,The Roosevelt & The McVickor) to look at!
I ushered a couple of performances of The Rocky Horror Show which played here in the late 1980s. It was the Organic Theatre at this time. I don’t remember anything lavish about the interior or that it was very big. It must have been converted because I don’t remember it containing any more than 600-700 seats and a small stage.
I’ve lived about 8 blocks from this theatre for about 22 years now and I’ve only attended 2 movies there before it closed in the early ‘80s. 1st was as above,Psycho II and 2nd was my first viewing of Raiders Of The Lost Ark in a many months after 1st showing. This was a mistake since it was a horrible copy with scatches and jumps. I truley didn’t totally enjoy it until VHS and now DVD.
I will post a picture of the still beautiful,near block long building in the near future. You can still see the chain-link brackets that once held the marquee in the terra-cotta facade above the martial-arts studio which,I believe was once the entrance.
The Argmore building is still intact, I live a couple of blocks away and walked past the other day. It’s still a little seedy in this neighborhood but it’s cleaning up. The liquor store that would have been the main entrance is pretty old and shabby and still has an early neon sign out front where the theater’s marquee must have been. It’s an apartment complex building and at the east and corners at the top are the words “Argmore” in terra-cotta, quite a beautiful old building. I haven’t gone in the liquor store as of yet to see if even a fragment of this theatre still remains.
The name Adelphi is beautifully carved in the terra-cotta facade overlooking Clark St. I pass this beauty every day on my way to work in Evanston. I keep it posted if I see any positive changes in it’s operating status.
I saw The Ramones there for the 1st time during the fall of 1980,labeled as The Holiday Ballroom on my ticket stub.
My sole memory of The Tiffen is from 1977 when I was a freshman in high-school and living near Addison & Western,was of going to see Taxi Driver/Death Wish double feature real cheap,from a search through the Chicago Tribune’s movie ads and taking the long bus ride down Western to North & North west. I remember being pretty scarred about the neiborhood from my view off the bus,it seemed rather seedy to me even as a innocent kid,they were the old CTA busses with opening slide windows. The clearest and most jotful memory is seeing the huge TIFFEN lighted sign/marquee from as much as 10 blocks + down North Ave. The inside I barely remember,just dark and sticky floors.
I’ll post a picture as soon as I’m allowed.
July 10 2004,just stopped by The Rosewood (now the “Rosewood Cabinet” store of Ravenswood)at 1821/23 W Montrose and it’s still there! I stopped in and saw what must have been the entrance/lobby section and the store slopes up towards the rear. Behind the back wall of the store,must be where the theater section is or once was,it has a long section in back you can see from the alley and elevated tracks.The Oriental gentleman at the counter was aware the building was a theater once long ago and mentioned the original owners of long ago were the people who had the theater. My wife told me it was “Rosies Restaurant” at one time in the ‘70s,makes you wonder if the two buisness names had any nostolgic reference to the theater. Quite a facinating little neiborhood this little obscure theater once entertained.
The front has obviously been removed long ago,replaced with plain brown brick and storefront windows.
I went to see The Exorcist ALL WEEK for it’s late ‘70s re-issue at the State Lake. I got there early for the early-bird special,$2.00 or so,and sat through it 2 or 3 times each day for a week! I even brought a tape recorder in with me 1 day to record the Reagan demon parts from the movie,which wasn’t to hard since there were only 4 people or so in the HUGE auditorium with me and my buddy,it seemed like a large,lonely place,but a joy to a teenager to basicly have run of the place.
I live within sight of the Uptown Theater here in Chicago and saw perhaps the last of the second runs at The Riviera in November of 1982,Superman II. I just love standing at the corner of Broadway and Lawrence and looking around me at the Uptown & Riviera and behind me at the wonderfully ornate Aragon Ballroom.
I also remember many a matinee at both theaters in the ‘70s.
I used to walk past this theater all the time in the mid-late ‘70s when they showed pornos and always made comments to my buddy about the poster for the current adult film playing there. I finally got in during the time it was a concert venue in the early '90s and saw Weird Al Yankovic,also got a couple of cool cardbaord posters for the show which state the performance is at “The Oak” with its address! During this time,Margie’s Candies was featured on the WTTW show “Wild Chicago” and this inspired my wife and myself to finally go to Margie’s for some home-made ice cream and candies. We not only met the legendary Margie but also sat in the very booth The Beatles sat in when they visited in 1962 or 63 for their Comisky Park concert.
I attended this theater in the mid-late 1970s for the horror triple features they showed. I saw The Legend Of Hell House and a couple of John Carradine B-titles. I took the bus all the way up there from Roscoe Village for the obscure horror titles and the cheap admission!
They made me get a note from my mother to see The Omen here in the mid 1970s. It was a cool vintage theater before the split.
I helped clean and polished this theater’s interior in 1980/81 for the North American tour of The Rocky Horror Show. I was a regular of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at The Biograph Theater when I was asked to usher and hand out programs at The Granada in my costume (Eddie).
It was wonderful,I attended at least 10 performances and even made it on TV for a Fox (channel 32) show with host Mike Liederman. They intrviewed people in costume for the Rocky phenominum. I remember being at the top of the balcony at the Last,higest possible seat and looking down and wondering how anybody could see the screen,not to mention the stage actors! What a beautiful palace it was!
I went to The Commodore in the mid-1970s to see “Return Of The Dragon” & “Enter The Dragon” with Bruce Lee.
I lived within walking distance of it,as well as the famous “Riverview” park!
I attended “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at The Biograph from 3/80 to 6/83 and it holds very special memories for me.
Anybody know if the beautifully ornate building a little to the north which once housed Wax Trax records was of any historic signifigence?