Carnegie Theatre
1026 N. Rush Street,
Chicago,
IL
60611
1026 N. Rush Street,
Chicago,
IL
60611
4 people
favorited this theater
The Carnegie Theatre was located on Rush Street, an area once notorious for its seedy nightclubs, bars, and illicit activities, but today better known for its many eclectic, upscale eating establishments.
The Streamline Moderne-style movie house, opened December 3, 1949 in an existing structure, originally as the Telenews Theatre (another Telenews Theatre, which opened a decade earlier, was located on State Street next door to the Chicago Theatre, and was later known as the Loop Theatre). Just over a month after it opened, the Telenews Theatre dropped its newsreel policy and was renamed the Carnegie Theatre.
The Carnegie Theatre hosted the first Chicago International Film Festival, in 1965, with directors King Vidor and Stanley Kubrick and screen legend Bette Davis on hand to receive awards. In 1966, it suffered damage from a fire which spread from an adjacent restaurant. The building was rebuilt and reopened 18 months later. In its last years, the Carnegie Theatre was screening a mix of both art and commercial movies. “A Man and A Woman” ran for sixty-three weeks and also the Carnegie Theatre had exclusive Chicago premiere runs of “Young Frankenstein” and “Silent Movie”.
The theatre was closed in fall of 1986. A restaurant has since been opened on the site.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 56 comments)
We likely crossed paths radbid. I was 11, and went to every one of those Chaplin movies. If you’d like, I can send you a jpeg of my original picture of the Carnegie marquee with the Chaplin festival posted above in the Photo section. It’d make a nice anniversary card for your wife. Drop me an e-mail, and I’ll forward you the pic.
http://chuckmanchicagonostalgia.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/photo-chicago-rush-oak-and-state-aerial-mr-kellys-nightclub-center-1966.jpg A photo of the original Canegie post-fire
Saw ‘Purple Rain’ at the Carnegie when it came out in 1984. Good Times!
Article and photo source for 1965 marquee pic.
http://entertainment.suntimes.com/movies/cinema-began-home-chicago-international-film-festival-founder/
‘…also the Carnegie Theatre had exclusive Chicago premiere runs of “Young Frankenstein” and “Silent Movie”.’
And as I vaguely recall, “Monty Pyhton & The Holy Grail” made its Chicago debut here.
1963 image added copyright Dexter Press Inc. From their 1964 post card published by Cameo Greeting Cards Inc. Good example of the original Carnegie marquee. Before the 1966 fire.
December 3rd, 1949 grand opening ad as Carnegie in the photo section.
“The Graduate” opened here fifty years ago today. The film went on to play six months (day-and-date with the Loop). And here’s a new retrospective article which includes some exhibition history (and other) details to commemorate the classic film’s golden anniversary.
November 21,1979 photo added courtesy of Joe Lynn via Craig Locaciato. Steve Dahl & Gary Meier during a live broadcast of The Coho Breakfast Club at the Carnegie Theatre. Steve is breaking a copy of the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack over his head.
At 4:58 a brief glimpse of the Carnegie Theatre reconstruction site in 1967, after the 1966 fire. Mister Kelly’s already rebuilt and reopened that May. View of the State Street side after that. Courtesy J.J. Sedelmaier.
https://vimeo.com/395964588?fbclid=IwAR2oyOZTms419R5lxi2IR5l_IraytCINRS5vCtJ4RppoIqv-WvmEhhcQeGk