I was traveling westbound on 59th Street one evening last week, and spotted this old memory from My southside past still standing today.We are looking west on 59th street at the intersection of South Kedzie avenue in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. This was the old Colony Movie theatre that I had seen many movies at during the 1970's before the era of VCR's , Video Rental Stores, and Cable TV.
The theatre showed movies untill approximately 1981 when it had closed. The theatre was sold to a new owner who planned to have Live Stage shows at the Colony, one of them being a broadway stage play entitled "Beatlemania" wich honored the Fab 4 1960's Brittish Invasion music group known as "The Beatles". An angry local Elderly lady resident complained to her local politicians, obtained a signed petition or two from fellow neighborhood residents, and blocked the debut of Beatlemania and other live shows due to mounting community preasure from a small group of Chronic Complainers in the neighborhood.
Once again......The Colony Theatre closed.
For a short while afterwards, the theatre was remodeled and featured a short lived indoor flea market. Unfortunately, that effort didn't last long either.
The Colony Theatre has been closed and boarded up now for nearly thirty years now.
The storefront on the corner, was one of the original Gertie's Ice Cream Shop locations.
There was nothing like going to the Colony Theatre on a Friday or Saturday night, and
stopping for a delicious and refreshing Ice Crean Sundae at Gerties on the corner before
or after the movie. It was good Family fun.
I recall seeing the following movies at the Colony during the 1970's and early 80's.
Feature Film ...............................................Starring
Gone with the wind ......................Vivian Leigh / Clark Gable
Honeysuckle Rose ......................Willie Nelson / Slim Pickens
For Your eyes only ( James Bond 007) ...........Roger Moore
Mad Magazine's Up the Academy .............( unknown young cast)
The Computer that wore tennis shoes ..( Disney) .....Kurt Russel l/ Joe Flynn
Indiana Jones and the temple of doom..............Harrison Ford.
Thank You.
Eddie K.
5 comments:
And kiddie corner to that Gerties was that restaurant...I don't remember the name, but I do recall it had tha typical aqua facade and the name of "Beef Burger"...all in beautiful neon.
In the 80's on the television show; Crime Story, you can clearly see this restaurant in the background as they are sitting in Gerties.
Wow the Colony still stands. I never got a chance to see a movie there but it makes me happy to see that the building survives, unlike the Brighton :(
I can recall shoping for grocery's with My Family at the Meyer's Certified Grocery Store north of here about a 1/2 block on the east side of South Kedzie Avenue. It was demolished in the late 1980's to make way for todays stripmall.
I remember that corner grill with the Beef Burgers neon sign. There was also a Hot Dog stand across the street from the Colony theatre.
I think that they used Meyer's grocery store for a TV episode
of Crime Story just before it
was demolished.
Thank You.
Eddie K.
I spent a lot of time seeing movies at the Colony when I was a kid. It was a beautiful theater back in the day. I'm surprised it is still standing after siting idle for around 30 years.
I wonder if vaudeville acts like the Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, Ben Turpin, Milton Berle or other ones played live shows here in the 1920's and 30's.
Post a Comment