Lincoln Theater
1656-8 Chicago Road,
Chicago Heights,
IL
60411
1656-8 Chicago Road,
Chicago Heights,
IL
60411
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In June 1921 Fitzpatrick-McElroy acquired Carley & Hanson’s large, opulent 1600-seat Lincoln-Dixie theater in Chicago Heights – Film Daily reported the purchase that month. The Lincoln-Dixie theater probably opened on March 15, 1921 – Exhibitors Herald on April 9, 1921, referred to the “recent opening of the Lincoln-Dixie” theater in Chicago Heights (another source has June 23).
Publix acquired Fitzpatrick-McElroy in April 1929.
My father was a stockholder in this and other theaters. We would go there to do head counts. We would sit in the balcony which was closed. I remember seeing “How The West Was Won” and other movies there.
April 1, 1933 print ad via George W. Albrecht. Advertised at the time as A Publix Theatre. So Publix should be added as Previous Operators.
Added picture showing the end of the Lincoln Theatre. It was the nail in the coffin of a vibrant downtown Chicago Heights.
Vic: Thanks for the update on the Kimball which originally resided at the Lincoln-Dixie Theatre. The choice to repair, preserve and expand pipe organs is a great thing to do involving a lot of sweat equity. Here’s a link to a story involving the transfer: http://www.atos.org/new-kimball-theatre-organ-ashtabula-oh-high-school
The original Lincoln-Dixie Kimball 2/7 Theatre pipe organ still survives today, with great thanks to Gary Rickert! He saved the organ and installed it in his home. Over the years, he preserved and enlarged it, all in the Kimball style, to 3 manuals / 15 ranks. Last year, he donated it to Lakeside High School in Ashtabla, Ohio and it was moved, rebuilt and re-installed by me, Vic Marsilio of Victor Organ, LLC. The instrument is alive and well in its new home.
If anyone has any stories about going to/ working at this threatre in its adult days, I would love to hear them. I am chronicling the histories of adult theatres in the US. Please contact me at Thanks!
Tinseltoes, that Boxoffice article was a good find! I forgot all about going to the Marcus Cinema Chicago Heights when it was a two screen, they just keep adding and adding to it!
Address for the Western Lincoln matches that of the Marcus Cinema Chicago Heights.
Btkrefft – any chance I could get a scan of that Tribune page? My father moonlighted as the manager of the Lincoln and was there for the adult entertainment period. He has great stories from there and I know he would get a kick out of seeing one of the ads. A couple of times he took us to the theater while he worked around the place – I fell in love with movie palaces on one of those days. For there record, the only movie he ever took me to at the Lincoln was The Sound of Music, opening week, a private showing! I remember the projectionist was an older guy named Tony (of course I was only 8 so by older he may have been all of 30!) – he would send home his wife’s homemade meatballs for me. :–)
Make an appointment with one of the staff at the Chicago Heights Public Library; their archives are extensive (they have a room dedicated to their work in the past). It is not open to the public, hence the need to make an appointment.)
is there any one who might still have any photos taken from the inside of the lincoln theater? my father grew up going to that theater as a kid and it would be great getting something like that for him.
Sweeping, wide stairways on both sides leading to the balcony, yards upon yards of burgundy red velvet drapery,
art deco through and through. The Lincoln was my very favorite movie theatre. It was magic and beauty…at least that’s my memories of it.
Never got into the Lincoln-Dixie Theatre.
Here is that second link again
Here is the postcard view Bryan posted earlier. [url=http://bp1.blogger.com/_NtgXlrcvXZA/Rp47zQzwq_I/AAAAAAAACz0/GAcRvApMkN8/s1600-h/POSTCARD+–+CHICAGO+–+CHICAGO+HEIGHTS+–+LINCOLN-DIXIE+THEATER.jpg]Here[/ir;] is another.
Actually the Lincoln & Dixie Theatre opened on March 15, 1921. I have the original Kimball pipe organ in my home; I have owned it since 1967. It was indeed 9 ranks, but had a “straight” console and only 2 unified ranks – no so-called “toys”. A xylophone was added in and a Kinura rank replaced the Clarinet in 1929 as part of a general building facelift. I have some rather dark slides or the interior from 1967. When I bought the organ the theatre was still being operated by the B&K “Great States” theatres. The manager had recently been transfered there form the Orpheum in Springfield, Ill. and was cleaning and re-lamping the interior. The final operator was someone named Cooper who also operated the 4-STAR (built as the WILSON) at Madison and Western in Chicago; these were “Porno” houses. Persons unknown hid out in the 4-STAR one night and proceeded to remove all the copper from the electrical equipment; the Lincoln & Dixie fire occured about the same time. Neither theatre opened again. Theatre Historical Society has some “opening” interior pictures and the Chicago Heights website has a picture of the exterior. That’s it for now.
Kimball Theatre Pipe Organ, Opus KPO 6537, a 2 manual/9 rank, was installed in 1921
Opened as the Lincoln-Dixie Theater on 23rd June 1921 it featured both movies and vaudeville.
The Lincoln Theater was demolished in February 1972 after standing vacant for several years and suffering a fire which had gutted the interior.