United Artists Theatre (Chicago)
The United Artists Theatre was a popular movie theatre located in Chicago. It was constructed in 1921 and was originally titled The Apollo. It was purchased by the Balaban and Katz cinema chain and renamed in 1927. The theatre began life showing live theatre and later exclusively showed films. It was located at the southeast corner of Randolph and Dearborn. It was later operated by ABC/Great States and Cineplex Odeon. It continued operation until late 1987, and was demolished in 1989.
The United Artists was located on Randolph Street, which was once known as Chicago's Great White Way and continues to be the center of Chicago's theatre district. The theatre featured ornate interior design common of the movie palaces of its era. It was known for showing exclusive runs and premieres of top Hollywood films. In the 1970s, the theatre focused mostly on the action and horror films popular at the time, with the occasional blockbuster, such as the house-record breaking run of Jaws.
From the 1950s until its closing, the theater featured an elaborate marquee, which wrapped around the building's curved corner entrance. This marquee can be seen in many films including The Blues Brothers, Adventures in Babysitting, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
The building was located on Block 37, a parcel in the Chicago Loop that saw nearly every building demolished in 1989. Various projects were proposed for the site before construction began on a new structure in 2005. The retail section will feature a new 7-screen movie theatre from Muvico Theatres.
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