I saw a re-release of Giant at The Uptown in either 1970 or ‘71. The theater was already in disrepair. The balcony was closed. I was an early teen at the time and really enjoyed seeing movies at the grand old theaters. The manager took me on a tour. He was disheartened that the theater was shabby.
When this theater was still a single screen in the early seventies, it was the site of a traffic accident. A car jumped onto the sidewalk and crashed into a couple of the doors. One of the Shaft movies was playing (I think it was one of the sequels). I remember seeing a photo of the crashed car in one of the Chicago newspapers. I don’t think anyone was seriously hurt.
In the 1982 photo, the double feature is On Golden Pond and Victor, Victoria. I went to The Village to see that double bill. I think it cost $1.75 and eventually went up to $2.50. At that time, the theater was very crowded on weekends, but the admission price was great. The audience was also polite.
I probably went to that theater for about five years, when it was still a single screen. Off-hand, I also remember seeing Shoot the Moon, Electric Cowboy, Thief of Hearts, The Verdict, Absence of Malice, An Officer and a Gentleman, Falling in Love, Hair, Altered States, Body Heat, Used cars, Foxes, The World According to Garp and possibly Apocalypse Now.
I think Jerry Usher may have been the manager during part of that period. I remember seeing him at the concession counter. I also remember when he was the manager of The Cinema on Chicago Avenue.
There is an interesting footnote to Gremlins 2 and the Vogue. A scene from Gremlins 2 was filmed inside the Vogue. It’s was a weird feeling watching the movie and suddenly seeing the lobby appear on the screen. I think this was actually in 1988 or ‘89.
After the Garden Court Apartments were demolished, the site was vacant for nearly 10 years. The CGC Galaxy Complex opened in the early ‘90s (I think it was 1992). The complex has never lived up to its potential and has been altered several times. At one point, a Hollywood museum was located in the lower level.
LA Fitness is in the space formerly occupied by the theaters. It opened in the fall of 2006. The fitness center follows the layout of where the various theaters stood. There used to be escalators leading up to the theaters, but they were removed and only the stairs remain. There is an elevator that leads directly into the fitness center. Before, when you got off the elevator, you basically faced the box office window. It was a few steps to the left.
In true Hollywood fashion, the site of the former Hitching Post Theater is changing once again. The entrance to the subway station stairs remain, but the W hotel is currently in construction.
The first double bill I ever saw as a kid was at the Valencia in 1964, Rhino and Flipper’s New Adventure. You entered the theater, there was a lobby and, to the right, a concession counter. Later that same summer, I saw a trailer of A Hard Day’s Night (it played down the street, at the Varsity, on a double bill with The Magic Carpet). You could barely hear the sound through all the screams and cheering.
Compared to the Varsity down the street, the Valenica seemed small. It was hardly majestic.
The Dave Clark Five made an appearance at the theater when their film, Having A Wild Weekend, opened in the summer of 1965. They made several theater appearances throughout Chicago that night. At the Valencia, one of the guys tripped on the stairs to the stage.
Oher matinees I remember seeing at The Valencia in the summers of 1964 and ‘65 include Bikini Beach, The Sons of Katie Elder and Fluffy.
In 1964, the price of admission for a child under 12 was 35 cents. By 1965 it increased to 50 cents.
I saw a re-release of Giant at The Uptown in either 1970 or ‘71. The theater was already in disrepair. The balcony was closed. I was an early teen at the time and really enjoyed seeing movies at the grand old theaters. The manager took me on a tour. He was disheartened that the theater was shabby.
When this theater was still a single screen in the early seventies, it was the site of a traffic accident. A car jumped onto the sidewalk and crashed into a couple of the doors. One of the Shaft movies was playing (I think it was one of the sequels). I remember seeing a photo of the crashed car in one of the Chicago newspapers. I don’t think anyone was seriously hurt.
In the 1982 photo, the double feature is On Golden Pond and Victor, Victoria. I went to The Village to see that double bill. I think it cost $1.75 and eventually went up to $2.50. At that time, the theater was very crowded on weekends, but the admission price was great. The audience was also polite.
I probably went to that theater for about five years, when it was still a single screen. Off-hand, I also remember seeing Shoot the Moon, Electric Cowboy, Thief of Hearts, The Verdict, Absence of Malice, An Officer and a Gentleman, Falling in Love, Hair, Altered States, Body Heat, Used cars, Foxes, The World According to Garp and possibly Apocalypse Now.
I think Jerry Usher may have been the manager during part of that period. I remember seeing him at the concession counter. I also remember when he was the manager of The Cinema on Chicago Avenue.
There is an interesting footnote to Gremlins 2 and the Vogue. A scene from Gremlins 2 was filmed inside the Vogue. It’s was a weird feeling watching the movie and suddenly seeing the lobby appear on the screen. I think this was actually in 1988 or ‘89.
Another footnote, the CGC Galaxy had the misfortune of being built a few years before stadium seating became the popular standard.
After the Garden Court Apartments were demolished, the site was vacant for nearly 10 years. The CGC Galaxy Complex opened in the early ‘90s (I think it was 1992). The complex has never lived up to its potential and has been altered several times. At one point, a Hollywood museum was located in the lower level.
LA Fitness is in the space formerly occupied by the theaters. It opened in the fall of 2006. The fitness center follows the layout of where the various theaters stood. There used to be escalators leading up to the theaters, but they were removed and only the stairs remain. There is an elevator that leads directly into the fitness center. Before, when you got off the elevator, you basically faced the box office window. It was a few steps to the left.
In true Hollywood fashion, the site of the former Hitching Post Theater is changing once again. The entrance to the subway station stairs remain, but the W hotel is currently in construction.
Why do people put links to photo bucket? You can’t see the photos!
The first double bill I ever saw as a kid was at the Valencia in 1964, Rhino and Flipper’s New Adventure. You entered the theater, there was a lobby and, to the right, a concession counter. Later that same summer, I saw a trailer of A Hard Day’s Night (it played down the street, at the Varsity, on a double bill with The Magic Carpet). You could barely hear the sound through all the screams and cheering.
Compared to the Varsity down the street, the Valenica seemed small. It was hardly majestic.
The Dave Clark Five made an appearance at the theater when their film, Having A Wild Weekend, opened in the summer of 1965. They made several theater appearances throughout Chicago that night. At the Valencia, one of the guys tripped on the stairs to the stage.
Oher matinees I remember seeing at The Valencia in the summers of 1964 and ‘65 include Bikini Beach, The Sons of Katie Elder and Fluffy.
In 1964, the price of admission for a child under 12 was 35 cents. By 1965 it increased to 50 cents.
Great memories for a kid.