Coronet Theatre

817 Chicago Avenue,
Evanston, IL 60202

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Showing 1 - 25 of 33 comments

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on February 2, 2021 at 6:38 pm

The Coronet marquee was at Architectural Artifacts in this photo dated July 13, 2016.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/zol87/28529626285?fbclid=IwAR3b_1UL-uH8cnhN2y4jLtSApgddWhZr0k01omcQFjJuWIwcPpgGgc3mFOE

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on March 5, 2018 at 5:16 pm

1979 photo added credit Dale Wickum.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 15, 2017 at 2:21 pm

Broan’s link goes to a photo of the Granada. I think this might be the photo he intended to link to.

Broan
Broan on April 15, 2017 at 12:39 pm

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mss2400/33923347596/in/pool-464579@N20

rivest266
rivest266 on November 11, 2016 at 1:39 am

This opened as Coronet on February 19th, 1937. Its grand opening ad in the photo section.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on February 23, 2016 at 6:28 pm

Incredible 1938 photo added courtesy of Sherry Drew. It shows the original Coronet marquee after the renaming. The W.C. Fields film showing was originally released in 1934.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on November 6, 2015 at 2:59 pm

If I e-mail you, can you supply marquee photos I can upload to this page?

Leestreet
Leestreet on November 6, 2015 at 2:44 pm

We are selling the Coronet Marquee, that was used before it was demolished. We am hoping to sell it to a collector. Contact me for information. Rosa

dvarapala
dvarapala on June 13, 2014 at 7:20 pm

A glimpse of the Coronet is visible in the background of this painting by Walter Burt Adams.

Broan
Broan on August 1, 2013 at 8:24 pm

Here is a brief view of the Coronet in a Drivers Ed video, as found by David Zornig

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on November 6, 2012 at 5:36 pm

Correction to the circa 1928 photo I just posted. Photo credit should got to Barney Neuberger via Scott Greig.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on March 16, 2012 at 5:28 am

The principals of Pereira & Pereira, the firm that did the 1936 remodeling of this theater, were William Pereira and Hal Pereira. Percival Pereira was an older architect who was never a member of this firm.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on April 16, 2009 at 3:34 pm

They almost spelled it right.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on April 16, 2009 at 3:12 pm

All new seats, but the marquee leaves something to be desired. 1982:

View link

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on April 12, 2009 at 6:42 am

Reactivate notification status.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on August 30, 2008 at 8:00 pm

Greetings. Different Evanston. Doris Day was born in Evanston, Ohio. Near Cincinatti. The Coronet was in Evanston Illinois.

GeorgeStrum
GeorgeStrum on August 30, 2008 at 7:30 pm

Doris Day grew up here. She may have attended this theatre as a child.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on August 29, 2008 at 11:25 am

I remember seeing “Carrie” at The Coronet. My friend who’d already seen it, grabbed my arm at film’s end(SpoilerAlert), when Amy Irving has a dream sequence. I nearly lept into the 80's. I also saw "Rocky" there as I recall. When it tried to become a concert venue in the90’s, I remember reading that the proprietors met nothing but community resistance. Particulary from the then Alderman, possibly not even from that ward.
It involved the sale of liquor. And a dispute about patrons being allowed to only drink in the lobby, and not carry the drinks into the auditorium. A technicality apparently in the proposed license process.
I think even spotters were snuck in to catch any possible “wrongdoing” in the act.
A mindset that was probably part of why Evanston was dry until 1975. Though the Coronet’s previous porno incarnation couldn’t have helped.

In the building known as The Main next door was Amazing Grace. Another venue that featured folk music, etc. Along with a barber shop, restaurant called the Main, and some other shops. I drove by there last week. The entire corner is gone. Aross on the S/W corner is the famous Main Street New Stand. The original neon sign adorning a newer structure.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on June 7, 2008 at 1:25 pm

The lobby was a fine design. It rose two stories and was filled with art deco “coronet” decorations. I hope someone, somewhere has a picture of it. But the time I saw the auditorium it was all painted white, but probably cool in its day as well.

Broan
Broan on June 7, 2008 at 10:00 am

B&K took it over in July 1936. It was widened, lengthened, and entirely remodeled, going from 600 seats to 1000.

“Plans by Pereira & Pereira call for a new front of smooth surfaced materials, a new lobby, foyer, and lounge, new seats with more space between and wider aisles.

Illuminated by indirect cove lighting, the new foyer will be paneled in bleached aspenwood trimmed with aluminum. The theater’s frontage will be increased to 53 feet and its depth to 182 feet."

newtriergrl83
newtriergrl83 on April 14, 2008 at 10:38 am

Ha! I remember seeing ads for X-rated movies alongside the regular movies in the Chicago Tribune back in the late 70’s. My mom would flip out because we’d be snickering and laughing at the titles (“Debbie Does Dallas”) and grab the paper from us and then she’d look for the movie times herself!
Now as a parent to 3 boys myself, the Internet looms large with adult content so severe that it makes those old ads seem like cartoons!
I saw “The Apple Dumpling Gang” at the Coronet!

tombrueggemann
tombrueggemann on March 15, 2008 at 4:24 pm

The Coronet in the period I frequented it (late 1960s on) often played foreign language films (its competition in the area was the Wilmette and sometimes the Evanston II). I saw a lot of great films there – Belle de jour, Shame, Day for Night – before I started seeing them first run on the near north side of Chicago.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on September 20, 2007 at 11:49 am

What doesn’t seem to be mentioned here is that the Coronet was a renovation project. The building previously operated as a cinema under another name, and Park sounds right to me.

Broan
Broan on January 30, 2007 at 4:57 pm

The Balaban & Katz part of the sign is now displayed in the Theatre Historical Society of America research library.

DimitriusStrong
DimitriusStrong on December 17, 2006 at 7:31 pm

I was always upset to hear that this was torn down after being in its' location for so many years. A high school buddy of mine lived in the apartment right next door to this theater above that restaurant. Of all the years is been around I can only recall seeing one film there which was “Poltergeist”.