Last Chance To See A Movie at the Esquire Tonight

By Scott Smith in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 14, 2006 5:55PM

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.