The Return of The Chicagoist Reader Meet-Up
Cubs Combat Casino
Notre Dame Fan Takes It Too Far, Allegedly Punches Clausen
County Sales Tax Rollback Vetoed - Here We Go Again
PHOTOS: Peaches And Amanda Blank At Metro
For many Chicago moviegoers, it’s only been a matter of time before the 
Esquire Theater in the Gold Coast closed its doors. While it dodged a bullet after the AMC/Loews merger, AMC’s other properties got the blockbusters while the worn carpeting indicated the place was fixin’ to die. Back in July, this seemed even more likely. Today? It’s a done deal.
Tonight is the last night you’ll be able to see a movie at the storied Esquire Theater, whose history dates back to the 1930s. The Sun-Times reports that by year-end, construction will begin on “a small complex of boutique stores.”
We wish we could heartily recommend one of this evening’s offerings, but … well, the anemic slate of films this week illustrates one of the reasons why the place has been hemorrhaging money faster than a drunk frat boy at the Admiral.
Unfortunately, the Esquire’s not the only old school theater biting the dust. We’ve told you about the 3 Penny in Lincoln Park, but the Sun-Times says that the Nortown Theater on the Far North Side will be torn down soon as well. The theater has not shown a film since 1990. But there is good news for cinemaphiles: in addition to condos, the complex will also host two small theaters that will show films geared to Pakistani and Indian audiences. So a loss for architecture buffs, a win for foreign film fanatics.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
The Esquire sucked. The last movie I saw there was "As Good As It Gets" and the projectionist and a friend talked LOUDLY through the entire film, which could be clearly heard by the back 1/3 of the theater. When I complained I was told that he was "training a new employee" - sure, if training consists of chatting about some hot chick in concessions. Not to mention that the place was filthy, the seats were all broken and the entire building smelled like urine. Glad to see it finally getting shuttered.
the Admiral..! ah, my first strip club experience... the memories. *fond sigh*
I went with my wife to the Esquire to see the Bettie Page movie, and there was exactly one other person in the theater with us. I think it was a Thursday night, too.
That's funny they're showing Monster's Ball in that picture, because that's where I saw that movie. Okay, maybe that's not funny, just, how you say, coincidence. That is not my Corolla out front however.
This may date me, but I remember the Esquire when it was one 1400 seat auditorium. Let me add, one BEAUTIFUL 1400 seat auditorium with balconies and classic ornamentation. Only part of the lobby and the staircase railings even hint at the original grandeur of the place. The last time I was there with the theater in it’s original condition was in 1984 for the long version of ‘Once Upon a Time in America’, and the place was a stunner (and so was the movie, for that matter).
The 1989 ‘re-model’ which consisted of chopping it up into 6 ugly, non-functional and poorly designed screening areas was most unfortunate. It literally wrecked the place. Even more unfortunate is the way that any kind of maintenance was neglected for the last 17years so that NO ONE is now sad to see it go. Kind of parallels the slipping film quality during those same 17 years, come to think of it…
Dang, I had no idea about the 3 Penny...I haven't been anywhere in the DePaul area since April or May, and was in the midst of a long trip abroad when this article ran on Chicagoist. The Biograph and 3 Penny were never GREAT theaters, but I saw lots of great films there. Same goes for the Esquire. I still feel it could have been a great theater, even in today's market with some serious refreshing. Landmark at the Century would have been an ideal template. Suckage...