The Uptown  Oil on Canvas   ©  Don Elmi

The Uptown  Oil on Canvas   ©  Don Elmi

The Uptown   Oil on Canvas   © Don Elmi

The Esquire  Oil on Canvas   ©  Don Elmi

Address:  58 E. Oak St.
Year Built:  1937
Architect:  William L. Pereria

The Esquire was an example of an ornate movie house dating from Hollywood's Golden Age of the 1930s, but in its last years it was relegated to second-run films. The newer multiplexes got the best bookings.   The City Council turned down landmark status for the theater in 1994.

Photo courtesy of http://www.compassrose.org/uptowntheatre/history-intro.html

Address:  4816 N. Broadway
Year Built:   1925
Architect:   C. W. and George L. Rapp (Rapp & Rapp Architects)           Year Designated a Chicago Landmark:  1986

The Uptown Theatre was built by architects Rapp and Rapp for the Balaban and Katz Corp. This amazing corporation started as a family business in the late nickelodeon era and by the early 1920s had control of most film markets in Chicago.   A financial analysis Balaban and Katz completed in 1923 suggested that their best interests were served by building a theater as large and lavish as they could manage near Broadway and Lawrence. And so, the Uptown was planned.    According to the press of the time, all of these buildings were built for substantial cost and quality in order to be "for all time." When the Uptown opened in August 1925, the phrase "an acre of seats in a magic city" was coined to describe the wonders of over 4,300 seats in a theater that covered 46,000 square feet of land. At the time, it was the third largest in terms of seating. But it was the largest, by far, in land area and cubic volume, due in part to the three vast lobby areas.   Many of the details we associate with a movie palace had not been codified by the time the Uptown opened. The stage shows were planned in consideration of the feature. Music was customized for the large orchestra, as well as for the Uptown's Wurlitzer organ, the second largest one in operation. Stars of national fame played regularly. Even the posters in the display cases were custom artwork with new items every week.  By the end of the 1920s, after more than 20 million people had already attended the Uptown. Some of the greatest theaters, such as Radio City Music Hall in New York, were not even on the drawing boards yet.

Initially, sound film and depression economics did not affect the Uptown, because of the uniqueness and quality of the entertainment, and the competition that had been eliminated through the policies of Balaban and Katz. Eventually, with the availability of 1930s musicals and the like, film became the mainstay. The stage was used only on rare occasions through the 1940s. By the end of the decade, Balaban and Katz reinstituted their traveling shows, booking first the Chicago and then traveling weekly to the Uptown in the north, the Marbro in the west, and the Tivoli in the south. This system proved unsuccessful. Competing distractions such as radio and television, and an increase in the number of working housewives limited both evening and matinee audiences.

Thereafter, through the 1950s and early 1960s, film fare became the mainstay again with occasional use of the stage for rentals. The most notable rented use of the stage was for the television show "Queen for a Day," which televised one week every year in the theater. The Uptown was also used as a large hall, especially for corporate meetings, such as those held here by Standard Oil of New Jersey. These uses created revenue. But later, with declining film revenue, furnishings were sold on occasion, starting with the organ in 1962. Soon, because of high insurance costs and vandalism, all extraneous artwork was sold, including more than 90 major oil paintings and 18 major marble groups. These sales yielded several million dollars.

In the early 1970s, a campaign of interested volunteers petitioned the corporate successor to Balaban and Katz to investigate other uses for the theater beyond just movies. This was an attempt to ensure sufficient revenue and interest was generated to maintain the viability of the structure. At this time, various rock concert promoters were booked occasionally to great success and profit. Bands such as ELO and the Grateful Dead performed at the theater.

However, with deferred maintenance in the 1960s and 1970s, when revenues were failing, the building at more than 50 years had reached a point of much-needed repairs. Rather than manage the building, it was marketed, sold, and reverted back to the successor, Plitt Theatres. With no ability to manage such a complex facility, Plitt boarded up the building and awaited further ideas.

The American Broadcasting Corporation purchased the theater in 1969 and was subsequently operated as part of the Plitt Cinemas theater chain. The theater closed in 1981.

Most of the damage to the building occurred in the early 1980s, making it unusable without restoration. Subsequently, even with the assistance primarily of volunteers, the building remained in the hands of a notorious tax-sale buyer and continued to deteriorate.    In 1986, preservationists teamed up with neighborhood activists to secure the addition of the Uptown to the National Register of Historic Places. Several plans to restore the theater, perhaps as a venue for concerts and other live performances, have been proposed, but none has thus far moved beyond the planning stages. One recent restoration campaign centered around an organization known as the Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts. Founded in 2001, the organization received the support of prominent Chicago philanthropists, but suffered a major setback in April 2002, when the Illinois attorney general's office charged its head with misappropriation of funds.
office charged its head with misappropriation of funds.
The building was auctioned in August 2008 and the highest bidder was Jam Productions.  Their intent is to return it to a live performance venue.

Internet Resources:  uptowntheatre.com and chicago.urban-history.org

A documentary film by John Pappas and Michael Bisberg was released in 2006 about the theater titled Uptown:  Portrait of a Palace.   The dvd is available for purchase or can be viewed for free by following this link www.nomadsland.com (click on the documentary button on their website to find the link to the film)

To purchase directly from Compass Rose follow the link below:

http://www.compassrose.org/books/available.html

 

The Nortown    Oil on Canvas   © Don Elmi

Address:    6320 N. Western Ave.
Year Built:    1931 
Architect:    J.E.O. Pridmore 

© Theater Historical Society of America (Brian Wolf)

© Theater Historical Society of America (Brian Wolf)

The Nortown was known for it sea horse, mermaid, and zodiac motifs and featured a 3/15 Wurlitzer theater organ.

After an unsuccessful triplexing in 1984, the theater closed in 1990 and was rented out as a community center and later as a church.  

Unfortunately, the Nortown was demolished in June-August 2007.   Much of the original artifacts had already been sold or stripped from the theater.

A self taught artist, Mr. Elmi worked as a freelance illustrator for most of his life and is known for his paintings of Chicago's historical buildings.    Mr. Elmi also teaches painting to youths age 10 - 16 through Anatomically Correct.

Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL

Address:  175 N. State
Year Built:   1921
Architect:   C. W. and George L. Rapp (Rapp & Rapp Architects)          

The grandeur of The Chicago Theatre often leaves its visitors breathless. The elegant lobby, majestic staircase and beautiful auditorium, complete with murals above the stage and on the ceiling, are components of an amazing building called “the Wonder Theatre of the World” when it opened on October 26, 1921.

The Chicago Theatre was the first large, lavish movie palace in America and was the prototype for all others. This beautiful movie palace was constructed for $4 million by theatre owners Barney and Abe Balaban and Sam and Morris Katz and designed by Cornelius and George Rapp.   It was the flagship of the Balaban and Katz theatre chain.

Built in French Baroque style, The Chicago Theatre’s exterior features a miniature replica of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, sculpted above its State Street marquee. Faced in a glazed, off-white terra cotta, the triumphal arch is sixty feet wide and six stories high. Within the arch is a grand window in which is set a large circular stained-glass panel bearing the coat-of-arms of the Balaban and Katz chain – two horses holding ribbons of 35-mm film in their mouths.

The grand lobby, modeled after the Royal Chapel at Versailles, is five stories high and surrounded by gallery promenades at the mezzanine and balcony levels. The grand staircase is patterned after that of the Paris Opera House and ascends to the various levels of the Great Balcony.

The 3,600 seat auditorium is seven stories high, more than one half of a city block wide, and nearly as long. The vertical sign "C-H-I-C-A-G-O," at nearly six stories high, is one of the few such signs in existence today. A symbol of State Street and Chicago, the sign and marquee are landmarks in themselves, as is the 29-rank Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ.

Balaban and Katz spared no expense on the workmanship and materials for this miniature Versailles. Marshall Field's supplied the drapes, furniture and interior decoration. Victor Pearlman and Co. designed and built the crystal chandeliers and lavish bronze light fixtures with Steuben glass shades. The McNulty Brothers' master craftsmen produced the splendid plaster details and Northwestern Terra Cotta Company provided the tiles for the facade.

The Chicago Theatre first opened its doors on October 26, 1921 with Norma Talmadge on screen in "The Sign on the Door." A 50-piece orchestra performed in the pit and Jesse Crawford played the mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ. After a "white glove inspection," a staff of 125 ushers welcomed guests who paid 25 cents until 1 p.m., 35 cents in the afternoon and 50 cents after 6 p.m.

During its first 40 years, The Chicago Theatre presented the best in live and film entertainment, including John Phillip Sousa, Duke Ellington, Jack Benny, and Benny Goodman. The Chicago Theatre was redecorated in preparation for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair and "modernized" in the 1950s when stage shows, with few exceptions, were discontinued. In the 1970s, under the ownership of the Plitt Theatres, The Chicago Theatre was the victim of a complex web of social and economic factors causing business to sag. It became an ornate but obsolete movie house, closing on September 19, 1985.

Chicago Theatre Day and Night  Oil on Canvas © 2003  Don Elmi

In 1986, Chicago Theatre Restoration Associates, with assistance from the City of Chicago, bought and saved the theatre from demolition and began a meticulous nine-month multi-million dollar restoration undertaken by Chicago architects Daniel P. Coffey & Associates, Ltd. and interior design consultants A.T. Heinsbergen & Co. of Los Angeles, interior design consultants. The Chicago Theatre reopened on September 10, 1986 with a gala performance by Frank Sinatra.

Since that time, an array of the entertainment world’s brightest stars and greatest productions have graced the stage, including Johnny Mathis, Al Jarreau, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Barry White, Harry Connick Jr, Lyle Lovett, Prince, the Isley Brothers, Allman Brothers Band, Indigo Girls, Blues Traveler, Gipsy Kings, Buena Vista Social Club, Oasis, Beck, Robin Williams, David Letterman, Ellen DeGeneres and lengthy engagements of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Donny Osmond and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

The Chicago Theatre remains a vital part of both the history of State Street and the future of the North Loop Theatre District.   It was purchased by TheatreDreams Chicago, LLC on April 1, 2004, and will continue to be an active and vibrant venue offering a variety of entertainment, including stage events, concerts, dance, comedy and special events. With something for everyone to enjoy, The Chicago Theatre is truly Chicago’s Theatre.
 

The Granada, Mt. Vernon, IL   Oil on Canvas ©  2007 Don Elmi

On December 14 - 17, 2007, the Granada Theater celebrated its Grand Re-Opening and 70th anniversary after an extensive renovation and held a marquee re-lighting ceremony.      As part of the celebration, theater goers gathered to share memories, hear live musical and theatrical performances, and watch the first movie shown in the theater when it opened in 1937, True Confession starring Carole Lombard.   The Granada is an Illinois Historic Landmark and after its 70th birthday (Dec. 2007), will be eligible to be listed as a National Historic Landmark. 

[Following is an excerpt from the Mt. Vernon Register News:   Dec. 12, 2007 by Kandace McCoy]

...Clinton Electric has been putting in sconce lighting on the walls, Lipps Construction has done a lot of work, as well as Ray Black and Sons and T. Ham Signs. These people are trying to get it done.   In order to remain open, the Granada Center for the Performing Arts has to be a multipurpose facility, Lister said, and construction and renovation of the building has been expensive. Some furniture, though, has been donated. Among the donations are 376 theater chairs which came courtesy of Rend Lake College, of which Lister says 190 will be installed. Other furniture — original items from the theater itself even — has been donated back to the project.  However, tiering of the floor is estimated to cost $90,000, while ceilings and walls have been repainted and fabric on walls has been repleated. New heating has been added as well as a renovation of the lobby and women’s bathroom.   Lister has been in communication with former Granada manager Mary Hall Rollinson, who has provided pictures of the old building and theater that have never been viewed by the public. It is those pictures that Lister said has been the foundation for the renovation. “(We’re) trying to stay as close to the original design as possible.  And though those pictures will be displayed during the anniversary celebration, the public is reminded that help is still needed to front the cost of reopening the theater. Lister said the men’s bathroom still needs work as well as other operating expenses. Light bulbs for the marquee may still be purchased at $25 a light. Those who purchase one will have their names listed and displayed as contributors.

CORONADO THEATRE

Address: 314 N. Main St., Rockford, IL.
Year Built: 1926
Architect: Frederic Klein
1979: Listed on National Register of Historic Places
1980: Entered onto the State of Illinois Register of Historic Sites (one of only six in the state at that time). It is also listed as an historical landmark of the City of Rockford, Illinois.

The Coronado opened on Oct. 9, 1927 as an atmospheric style theatre and movie palace - complete with Spanish castles, Italian villas, oriental dragons, starlit skies and a Grande Barton Pipe Organ. The name "Coronado" was chosen through a contest sponsored by the Rockford Register Gazette and Great States Theaters. On its first day of operation, the Coronado hosted 9,000 patrons during three showings of "Swim Girl Swim," a silent film starring Bebe Daniels. In 1927, Bob Hope appeared in "Roberta." In 1928, the theatre hosted legends of show business, the Marx Brothers. That same year, the Coronado showed its first "talkie," the Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolsen. In 1941, Gypsy Rose Lee scandalizes the community by appearing at the theatre, performing her striptease routine on Easter Sunday! Sammy Davis, Jr., Liberace, Tommy Dorsey, George Gershwin, Louis Armstrong, and Frank Sinatra all performed at the Coronado.

 

The Coronado Oil on Canvas © 2003 Don Elmi

In 1970, the Theatre was sold to the Kerasotes Corporation. Upon finalizing the sale, George Kerasotes stated that the acquisition of the "showplace of Rockford" by his group was a proud event in his business career, because the Coronado had long been recognized as one of the finest theatres in the nation.

In 1973, the Land of Lincoln Theatre Organ Society formed to restore the Coronado's Grande Barton Pipe Organ and to host concerts. In 1984 (its 56th year), the Coronado closed its movie business. The Disney feature, "Mickey's Christmas Carol" was the last movie scheduled in the theatre and the theater went “dark”.

In 1995, the Rockford Area Arts Council commissions architectural firm van Dijk Pace Westlake to conduct a feasibility study on restoring the Coronado and/or Midway Theatres. The study recommended expanding and renovating the Coronado, creating a comprehensive performing arts and entertainment center. In 1997, the Kerasotes Theatre Organization donated the Coronado Theatre to the City of Rockford and in 1998, The Friends of the Coronado was formed to raise $18.5 million to renovate and restore the historic movie palace. In 2001, the theater re-opened with a black-tie celebration and in 2002, a 75 year historic gala was held. Since then, the theatre has continued its original grand style as a state-of-the-art performance and entertainment facility.

Devon Theatre, Chicago, IL

Address:  6225 N. Broadway
Year Built:  1915
Architect:  Henry L. Newhouse

The Devon was originally known as the Knickerbocker by the Lubliner & Trinz circuit.   Located in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, the theater was later renamed the Devon (although it was more than two blocks away from Devon Avenue. It actually stood on Broadway.)   Around the time it was renamed, the operation of the Devon was taken over by Essaness.    It continued to operate through the 70' as a second-run movie theater, and later housed a church for a time.   The Devon was demolished in 1996 after the block was acquired by Loyola University.

The Devon  Oil on Canvas © Don Elmi
 

Address:  1548-50 N. Clark St.
Year Built:  1916
Architect:  Adolph Werner

The Village, built as the Germania in 1916 but changed to the Parkside after the US entry into the First World War when anti-German sentiment was running high. The theater later went through a couple of other name changes over the years including the Gold Coast and the Globe. The theater is located on Clark Street at Germania Place in the Old Town neighborhood of Chicago.  Prior to being divided into four small auditoriums in the early 90s, the theater could seat 900. Little remains of the original interior design, but the facade, despite being almost entirely hidden behind an ugly modern marquee, is still intact and features red brick and beige terra-cotta highlights.

Long a popular venue for art, foreign and cult films, the Village was closed in March 2007.

The Village  Oil on Canvas © Don Elmi
 

Music Box Theatre, Chicago, IL

Address:  3733 N. Southport
Year Built:   1929
Architect:  Louis I. Simon

When it was opened in 1929, the Music Box Theatre was considered tiny compared to its much larger, more palatial neighbors. Many of these larger theaters, like the Uptown, were often too large to stay in business throughout the rest of the 20th century.   The Music Box later played mainly second and third-run movies as well as closing and reopening several times.   By the 1970s, the theater was showing Spanish and Arabic-language movies, as well as porn. The theater had become more than a bit rough around the edges when it was closed in 1977.

Renovated in 1982, the Music Box reopened in 1983 and has been showing an eclectic mix of classic, foreign, and art house films ever since.   In 1991, the Music Box added a small 100 person auditorium.   The theater is located in the bustling Southport area of Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.
 

The Music Box  Oil on Canvas © Don Elmi

Bruce Sharp

Photography

Bruce Sharp is the founder of the Mekong Network and lives in a very old house in Chicago, with three cats, two children, and one wife. He is currently the network administrator for a software development company, and maintains the Mekong Network websites in his spare time.   His photographs from Cambodia have appeared in several magazines and newspapers, including the Washington Post. His photos appear in David Chandler's biography of Pol Pot, Brother Number One, and on the cover of Richard Lunn's book, Leaving Year Zero.   He has been involved with Cambodian issues since 1987, when he began tutoring refugees for the Cambodian Association of Illinois, and for the Southeast Asia Center.

More recently, he has written several essays on the Iraq War, including a comparison of Iraq and Vietnam for the online journal Sobaka, and an analysis of the work of conservative commentator Michelle Malkin. He is currently working on several short stories and longer works of fiction, which he expects to languish indefinitely on the hard drive of his computer.

"There was once a time when I loved movies.   I had the good fortune to work in a movie theatre, the Adelphi (North Shore Cinema) so I saw lots of movies.   I also saw lots of movie theatres. I was shocked to learn that not all theatres looked like the familiar cookie-cutter mall cinemas.   No, these buildings were fantastic: colossal, gaudy, ornate, fabulous palaces. But they were rapidly falling into decay.   I realized that something truly amazing was disappearing.   An era was ending, and I decided to do what I could to document it.   Weekends, evenings, days off: whenever I had a little time, I'd head to a theatre and take a few more photos.  In doing this, I learned something: if you are willing to click the shutter a couple thousand times, eventually, you will wind up with a few interesting pictures."
 

Double-Sized Love Seat

400 Theater, March 1987

© Bruce Sharp

© Bruce Sharp

The Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL

© Bruce Sharp

© Bruce Sharp

© Bruce Sharp

Address:    6427 N. Sheridan Rd.
Year Built:    1926 
Architect:    Edward Eichenbaum

The Granada (originally owned by the Marks Brothers) was of the Spanish baroque style and was considered the sister theater to the Marbro Theater (also owned by the Marks Brothers).    The theater was known for its Giant Wurlitzer, 3,447 seats, and live theatrical productions.  Balaban and Katz purchased the theater in 1929 and later sold to United Paramount ABC and then Plitt Theatres where it became a second-run movie house.   The theater closed in 1975; however a promotional company rented it out for rock performances for a few more years.    Following complaints from the neighborhood residents, the building was boarded up and sat vacant for many years.    The property was sold for close to $1 million and torn down in 1989-1990.    An apartment complex named the Granada Centre was built on the site.

Granada  Oil on Canvas (1989) © Don Elmi

© Bruce Sharp

© Bruce Sharp

© Bruce Sharp

© Bruce Sharp

© Bruce Sharp

© Bruce Sharp

© Bruce Sharp

Demolition

Nortown Theatre,  June 23, 2007

© Bruce Sharp

Address:    4050 N. Milwaukee
Year Built:    1920 
Architect:    Henry Newhouse

The historic Portage Park Theatre, located on the northwest side of Chicago, is the new home for The Silent Film Society of Chicago.    Designed by architect Henry Newhouse, the theatre opened on December 11, 1920 with 1,938 seats as part of the Ascher Brothers theatre chain. Pre-dating the advent of America's movie palaces, the Portage Theater's megaphone-shaped auditorium features a formal beaux-arts opera house design.   When the theatre was taken over by Balaban and Katz in 1940, its marquee, entrance lobby and foyer were redecorated in a sleek, streamlined art deco style to complement its new art deco neighbors -- the monolithic Sears department store and the five-story Klee Brothers building.     In the 1980s, the theater underwent a dramatic change when a wall was constructed down the middle of the existing auditorium, resulting in two oddly-shaped cinemas. After a five-year period of darkness, the theater has reopened to its original shape, and has been refurbished and restored to its 1920's splendor.

©  Howard A. Jacobs

©  Howard A. Jacobs

©  Howard A. Jacobs

The Biograph, Chicago, IL

Address:   2433 N. Lincoln Ave.
Year Built:   1914                                                                                                     Architect:     Samuel N. Crowen
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark:     March 28, 2001

The Biograph Theater is one of Chicago's oldest remaining theaters.     The movie house was known for its historical connection to the infamous gangster John Dillinger.   John Dillinger was shot and killed in 1934 after attending a screening of "Manhattan Melodrama" starring Clark Gable (allegedly the ghost of Dillinger has haunted the theater ever since).

During the 70s, the balcony was converted into two small additional screens. The original decor mostly lost, the historic Biograph continued to show movies until 2001.   The theater reopened in 2002 under the Village Theatres chain, which operated it until September 2004, when it again closed.

Biograph    Oil on Canvas © Don Elmi

The Biograph was purchased by Victory Gardens Theatre company in 2004.   The interior has been entirely rebuilt, from a venue which could originally seat over 900 to 299 today. The facade was repaired and cleaned and the marquee was rebuilt to resemble the original. (The words "Victory Gardens" have replaced the word "Essaness" over the neon-lit Biograph name, Essaness being the chain that operated the movie house during the 1930s.)    The original marquee is housed in the Chicago History Museum.

The Victory Gardens Theater at the Biograph was opened on September 28th, 2006, with Charles Smith's drama, "Denmark".

Photo:  Liz Lauren, courtesy Victory Gardens Theater