Historic Movie Theatres in Illinois, 1883-1960

Book excerpt: This history and catalog of the movie theaters of Illinois follows their evolution from the early opera houses, to the storefront nickelodeons, to the awe-inspiring movie palaces, to the post--World War II theaters and the advent of the multiplex. Each theater has its own story, and together these stories make up a fascinating history of cinema viewing in Illinois. This richly illustrated book--the first dealing exclusively with Illinois theatres-- contains nearly 3,000 descriptions of historic movie houses, from the early 1880s to 1960. The alphabetically arranged entries, which include such information as the theater's name, location, number of seats, and the dates it opened and closed, cover cities and towns from Abingdon to Zion, including Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. The book opens with a history of the movie house, beginning with silent movies shown on walls and ending with the multiplex era. It also includes a chapter on television's impact and information on renovated historic theatres in the state. Appendices include lists of Illinois-operated movie theatre circuits, theatre websites and include a bibliography.