Glencoe Theatre
630 Vernon Avenue,
Glencoe,
IL
60022
630 Vernon Avenue,
Glencoe,
IL
60022
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This opened on October 16th, 1940 with “Return of Frank James”. Grand opening ad posted.
I worked as an usher at the Glencoe Theater from 1972-1975 while in high school.The Auditorium was very large and beautiful. Some of the movies then were “Deliverance” “Jeremiah Johnson” “Godfather Part II"and "Paper Moon” and “Serpico”. I also changed the sign out front on Thursday evenings, helped at the candy counter, took tickets, etc. Carl Funk was a jovial owner, Bruce Boudreaux was the assistant manager. It had a spacious, comfortable lobby, and lounge off the candy counter, no balcony. We usually showed a cartoon before the feature.A great place to work,most fun job I ever had! My younger sister and older brother also worked there.
Architect Irving Karlin’s middle initial is M, not R.
Irving M. Karlin also designed the State Theatre at Logansport, Indiana, and the rebuilding of the Orpheum Theatre in Ottawa, Illinois.
90% certain this was not built.
The other proposed movie house mentioned in the Chicago Tribune article quoted by ken mc on Nov 20, 2008, must have been the one mentioned in the March 30, 1940, issue of Boxoffice Magazine. It was to have been designed by Rapp & Rapp, and the small architect’s rendering accompanying the item showed an art moderne building. The scan of the magazine is poor, but I think the name of the new house, to be operated by Sam Meyers, was the Glenwin. Does anybody know if it ever got built?
Thanks. I seem to remember seeing a play in Glenview around 1980.I thought it was in an older theater like building with an equally old stage.
But I could be wrong. Maybe it was strictly an old playhouse of sorts. Glenview was kind of far, and too wealthy for us to have been hangin' out there regularly.
You might be right. I can’t imagine a place the size of Glenview not having a theatre at some time.
The Glenview House tavern has been there for over a hundred years.
I’m pretty sure I once saw something about a vintage theatre in Glenview on a list from the Theatre Historical Society archives.
There also very well might have been something on the Naval Air Station before it was demolished, similar to what is found today at Great Lakes in North Chicago.
I could be mistaken, but I thought the Glencoe Theatre had toyed with idea of live music around 1980. But the village was gonna have none of it.
I don’t think nearby Glenview had a theatre, that’s why I’m thinking it was Glencoe.
Here is a brief excerpt from a Chicago Daily Tribune article dated May 5, 1940:
Glencoe, which long has lacked a moving picture theater, now is to have two. Plans were announced last March for a 1,100 seat movie at the northeast corner of Scott avenue and Glencoe road. Yesterday it was reported that work is under way on a second playhouse, also to have 1,100 seats.
The Glencoe theater was eventually owned by Carl Funk, the son-in-law
of Sam Meyers. When I was a kid a ticket was 0.25 including cartoons and movietone news. The theater also had a very large parking lot across the street in front of the public works garage. Carl let the village park their equipment in the lot when not in use for no charge. He really was a very nice fellow & had a lot of friends in that town. The village was the loser when the theater was razed.
The last film shown was Heaven Can Wait in November 1979.
The caption on this photo states that the Glencoe’s architect was Irving R. Karlin. The photo is from 1946:
http://tinyurl.com/3449o9
This blurb is from the April 8, 1965 Chicago Daily Herald, from the days where local papers would print such trivia:
Paul and Jeanne Soucy solved the too-young-for-conversation, too old for pin-the-tail party problem last month. For Michael’s 12th birthday March 14, Paul took the guests out to lunch and then to Chicago for the movie, “Dear Brigitte.” For Joan’s eighth, her group saw “Mary Poppins” at the Glencoe Theatre along with the ice cream and cake at home, 4 Francis Court, March 27.
The Glencoe was done in a colonial style, seating near 1000, and opened October 16, 1940 by Sam Meyers of the Teatro Del Lago and Wilmette theaters. Opening feature was “The Return of Frank James.”
I grew up in the area during the 1970’s and attended many movies at the Glencoe.It seems to me that the entrance was near the street and then there was a long straight lobby that led back to the auditorium.Im not sure when the theatre closed but I know it is the site of condos or townhouses now