Blog posts matching ‘roosevelt theatre chicago’ (2024)

Commentary

HAPPY 30TH, “RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK”
CELEBRATING THE ACTION-ADVENTURE CLASSIC ON ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY

Compiled by Michael Coate

“The thing to keep in mind about RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is that it is only a movie. It takes all the license of an exotic entertainment that aims to thrill and scare and strike one with a sense of wonder.” — Steven Spielberg

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Theaters

CHICAGO, IL — The film series previously known as the Bank of America Cinema that was housed in a B of A branch office on Irving Park Road has now found a very appropriate new home in Chicago’s Portage Theatre, not far from the bank. Built in 1920 and opened as the Portage Park Theatre, the Portage is also home to the showings of the Chicago Silent Film Society. The series is devoted to showing actual projected film, not digital images.

“Dennis was really happy when we approached him about it. He thought what we were doing was really cool and worthwhile, and he did everything within his power to make this happen,” Hall said.

The Portage, also home to Silent Film Society of Chicago, is an old-school movie palace built in 1920, which seats about 1300 – a far cry from the modest Bank cinema which topped out at a mere 300 seats.

There is more about the move in the Roosevelt Torch.

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Industry

CHICAGO, IL — Kerasotes Showplace Theatres LLC, have announced that they (with the exception of three theatres) will be bought by AMC Entertainment.

Providence Equity Partners, which became a majority owner of Kerasotes Showplace Theatres in 2003, wanted to cash out of its investment, said Jim DeBruzzi, Kerasotes Showplace’s chief financial officer.

“We put a line in the water,” he said, and AMC appeared as a suitor.

See Also

Emagine Entertainment hiring Cleaning Crew in Portage, IN | LinkedIn

AMC will take over 93 of Kerasotes' 96 movie theaters. Tony and Dean Kerasotes will continue to own and operate the ShowPlace Icon theater that opened in December on Roosevelt Road near Clark Street. The brothers will also retain an Icon theater in Minneapolis and a ShowPlace theater in Secaucus, N.J.

Read more in the Chicago Business Journal.

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Memories

REMEMBERING CINERAMA
Part 27: Miami

The following is Part Twenty-seven in a series of retrospectives on Cinerama, the legendary motion picture process that kicked off the widescreen revolution. The series focuses on providing a market-by-market, film-by-film, historical record of when and where Cinerama and its multi-panel clones were exhibited. The easy-to-reference articles also serve to provide nostalgia to those who experienced the Cinerama presentations when they were new and to highlight the movie palaces in which the memorable events took place.

Part 1: New York
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 8: San Diego
Part 9: Dallas
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 12: Toronto
Part 13: Columbus
Part 14: Montreal
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 18: Salt Lake City
Part 19: Boston
Part 20: Philadelphia
Part 21: Fresno
Part 22: Detroit
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 25: El Paso
Part 26: Des Moines

And now… Part 27: Cinerama Presentations in Miami!

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Events

CHICAGO, IL — “It may not get any better than this for history buffs in Chicago,” is the theme organizers are singing in promotion of a special event this weekend.

In fact, there’s no overestimating the uniqueness of a cinema opportunity this Sunday, Feb. 15, at the historic Central Park Theatre/House of Prayer building in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood, event organizers said today.

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Events

CHICAGO, IL — Silent Film Returns to the Historic Central Park Theatre!

“Within Our Gates,” the famous 1919 silent film by Oscar Micheaux, will be screened at the historic Central Park Theatre in Chicago on Sunday, February 15, 2004. This will be the first film shown in the theater since 1971. The event begins at 3 p.m. at 3535 W. Roosevelt Road in Chicago’s West Side, Lawndale neighborhood.

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Events

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Today's Newsreel

Telethon Raises Over $100,000 to Restore Tennessee Theatre
KNOXVILLE, TN — Read the WATE-TV story
Read the Knoxville News article

Fox Visalia Announces Its Summer Movie Lineup
VISALIA, CA — Read the Tulare Advance Register
Visit the Fox Visalia website

Cinema Scoped for Block 37 Site
CHICAGO, IL — Read the Chicago Business article

As Bryan Krefft notes, “The old movie palaces that used to sit on this block were the United Artists and the Roosevelt, which were both torn down with the rest of the block in 1989-90.”

Thanks to Bryan and Brendan McKenna for the update.

Car Museum at State Theatre Closes
WAIRARAPA, AUSTRALIA — Read the Wairarapa Times-Age

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Theaters

CHICAGO, IL — The following email was sent in by the Friends of the Uptown. The Central Park was Balaban & Katz' first movie palace and, according to Douglas Gomery’s “Shared Pleasures,” the first theater in America cooled by air conditioning for the sweltering summer months.

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED to assist in some house chores and heavy lifting, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 31, at the former Central Park Theatre, on the West Side, in the North Lawndale neighborhood, at 3535 W. Roosevelt, east of Central Park Avenue. Look for the large sign that reads House of Prayer.

We will work until approximately 2 p.m. Please come and work for any amount of time that you can. Meet the group in the vestibule/lobby of the theatre/church building itself. RSVP by email to: .

Work clothes, gloves, a bottle of water and a snack are good things to bring along. Surplus cleaning supplies, brooms, mops, trash bags, light bulbs, etc. are always are appreciated.

We will meet and work with the Rev. Dr. Lincoln Scott and his staff. You may meet Mr. Butler or Mr. Roosevelt first if you choose to use the fenced parking lot adjacent to the building to the immediate west.

Home to The House of Prayer COGIC since the 1970s, this important Chicago venue will be featured on a special Chicago: Three Centuries of Theatres tour, July 8 through 13. A little work from Friends of the Uptown this Saturday will make for a better tour and will show our support for this very special landmark.

Theatre historians recall that the 1916 CENTRAL PARK is the fountainhead of movie palace design and the second successful venue of Balaban & Katz (following the CIRCLE). Its success led B&K to build later landmark venues and its design influence can be seen in other important theaters. After the RIVIERA came the TIVOLI, the CHICAGO, the UPTOWN, the ORIENTAL … from B&K and the same architects, C.W. and George L. Rapp!

Thank you for your time and attention. You will definitely enjoy this unique opportunity to experience the combination of historic theatre, appreciative owner-operator and vested constituency! Apologies for the impromptu notice. This was arranged to fit the venue’s schedule and needs.

The Friends' effort is in anticipation of the upcoming Theatre Historical Society of America conclave, “Three Centuries of Theatres,” to be held from July 8 -13, 2003 in Chicago.

For more information on the conclave, visit THSA’s website.

Have a great weekend everyone and see you on Monday!

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Cinema Treasures

We return to the fine city of Chicago, Illinois with today’s batch of new theater photos. (Ok, that’s not entirely true, one of these photos is actually from East. St. Louis, but you get the idea.)

Today’s new images include a recent photo of the former Marshall Square Theatre; vintage postcard views of the Colonial Theatre, the Illinois Theatre, the Majestic, and the Roosevelt Theater; and a stunning image of the Congress Theater.

Thanks to Bryan Krefft, Carla G. Surratt/PicturingChicago.com, Mike Conway/Congress Theater, and Jo Reizner/University of Chicago for sending us these images.

Browse the new photos

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