Tag: Chicago Landmark

Music Box Theater – Preserving Motion Pictures

 

 

By Adrian Naves

 

 

 

 

 

Capturing the magic of the movies and then watching it on the silver screen is truly a special moment in time. But as of lately, modern movies seem to have lost a step in terms of making films looking like films. It’s difficult to describe the missing component in modern movies but there’s something the classic films have that the modern ones don’t, excluding the updated CGI and sound systems, and that something is that modern movie making can’t capture…the look and feel of film. Folks can sometimes find it challenging to see the distinction between the look and feel of modem movies and classic films – Luckly there’s a place in Chicago that can help out with that.

Chicago’s Music Box Theatre features classic films in both 70- and 30-mm formats with new independent and commercial releases, and also featuring a very old fashion way of watching movies that has disappeared with time and technology – theater organs and organists. The Music Box Theatre has become a historic landmark, located in the North Side Lakeview of Chicago. One of the theater managers in the Music Box proclaims the theatre as special because “it’s kind of a meeting place between old and new,” and the Music Box’s organist, Dennis Scott, “is the quintessential example of what goes on here.”

 

 

History

The Music Box opened on August 22, 1929, as a single screen theater with a seating capacity of 750. The Music Box was one of the numerous theaters bombed in 1931, there was an ongoing disagreement between the Allied Independent Theaters’ Association and the Motion Picture Operators’ Union as Music Box was employing non-union projectionists. During the years of 1977 through 1983, the Music Box was occasionally used for Spanish language films, Arabic language films, and pornographic films. The theater was briefly closed until 1983 when Robert Chaney, Christopher Carlo, and Stan Hightower created the Music Box Theatre Corporation – they restored and reopened the theater with a format of featuring revival and repertory films. Foreign, independent, and cult films were eventually added to the main roster and performance screenings were moved to the weekend matinee and midnight time slots.

 

 

Current Operations

William Schopf took over operations of the theater in 2003, was the building owner since 1986. The theater has been independently owned and operated by the Southport Music Box Corporation ever since. The Southport Music Box Corporation also owns and operates Music Box Films, they are a distributor of foreign and independent films which started in 2007. Recently the Music Box’s biggest project was called “Music Box: Revive at 95” – the project goal was to replace the auditorium seating with brand-new seats, chiefly seats with cup holders which was a feature that the venue has long needed.

 

Customers watching a movie in the Music Box Garden venue.

 

 

Currently, the Music Box Theatre has plenty to offer in the upcoming months – during the month of February, Music Box will host a month-long film series called “Melanin, Roots, and Culture” will feature films by Black artists of on the big screen. Films like Barbershop and The Last Dragon to name a few. During the month of March, Music Box will host their next month-long film series called “Play Ball! A Baseball Series” which will lead up to baseball’s opening season – featuring films like A League of Their Own and Moneyball to name a few. However you enjoy watching movies, make sure to give the old fashion way a chance. It’s truly a unique feeling seeing a film the way our parents and grandparents used to, seeing the magic of motion pictures through their eyes.

 

For more information and showtime listings, please visit: musicboxtheatre.com

Exploring the Best of Beverly in Chicago, IL

 

 

By Bob Glaze

 

 

This is a continuation of my exploration of the neighborhoods in Chicago. I had a great time exploring this beautiful area of the city on a beautiful fall day last October.

Beverly, or officially Beverly Hills, is an attractive neighborhood on the southwest side of the city that became popular in the late 1870s and 80s. The borders are 87th Street on the north, S. Beverly Blvd. and Hale Ave. on the east, 107th Street on the south, and S. Western Ave. on the west.  I recommend that you take some time to enjoy the architecture, historic sites, bars and restaurants.

 

Chicago’s Beverly Neighborhood

The highlight, in my opinion, is a collection of Prairie-style homes similar to Oak Park. It is known for its natural elevation or ridgeline that runs through the area. The midsection of the ridgeline tracing Pleasant Ave and Longwood Drive from the 9300 block to the 10500 block has a large concentration of grand homes by influential architects including Frank Lloyd Wright.

 

 FL Wright Houses

 

There are four Frank Lloyd Wright homes that you can drive by and see.

Howard Hyde House: At 10541 S. Hoyne Ave., this one of the Chicago Landmark “American System-Built Homes,” built in 1917. It was the second and last home designed by Wright as part of this subdivision before the project was abandoned at the start of World War I.

 

Howard Hyde House

The Guy C. Smith House, at 10410 S. Hoyne Ave., was also built in 1917 as one of the Chicago Landmark “American System-Built Houses.” It was to be the model home for a subdivision consisting of Frank Lloyd Wright’s prefabricated designs. The project was terminated at the beginning of World War I with only two of Wright’s houses built.

 

The Guy C. Smith House

Raymond W Evans House: This hilltop Wright home at 9914 S. Longwood Dr. was built in 1908 in the Prairie School style.

 

Raymond W. Evans House

William and Jessie Adams House: Located at 9326 S. Pleasant Ave., it was built in 1900-1901 and now designated a Chicago Landmark.  The Adams House is an example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s experimentation with horizontal massing, a broad porch, and decorative treatment that foreshadowed his later work within the Prairie School of architecture.

 

William and Jessie Adams House

Other Things to Do

 

Ridge Historic District:  The Ridge Historic District, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976, runs through the heart of the Beverly Hills/Morgan Park neighborhood. With more than 3,000 buildings, it is one of the largest urban districts on the Register. In addition to the Frank Lloyd Wright homes described above, it also has homes designed by many significant architects including George W. Maher, Walter Burley Griffin, Daniel Burnham, and Howard Van Doren Shaw. Designs represent every regional architectural style built between 1844 and World War II.

 

Ridge Historic District

Ridge Historic District

Your focus should be on the Longwood Drive Historic District, a Chicago historic district and landmark, which extends twelve blocks from 9800 to 11000 S. Longwood Dr. and from 10400 to 10700 S. Seeley Ave. Unique in the city for its hilly topography; Longwood Drive is dominated by a natural ridgeline. The houses in this district were built starting in 1873 and include several different architectural styles, such as Italianate, Prairie School, Queen Anne, and Renaissance Revival, and are the works of noted turn of the century architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright mentioned above.

 

Longwood Drive Historic District

Longwood Drive Historic District

The Givins’ Irish Castle: Located in the Longwood Drive Historic District, is a mansion dubbed the “Irish Castle” by its neighbors. It was built in 1887 by Robert C. Givins, a real estate developer, as a gift to his wife, who used it to spark residential growth along the Rock Island Line. It has been the home of the Beverly Unitarian Church since 1942. Givins spent the then-enormous sum of $80,000 constructing the mansion of solid limestone from a quarry near Joliet with the intent of resembling a castle he visited in Ireland. 10255 S. Seeley Ave.

 

The Givens’ Irish Castle

Beverly Arts Center:  Located at 2407 W 111th St., this is a multi-faceted arts organization that builds community through diverse, quality arts programming, education, and entertainment.

Ridge Historical Society: RHS is a non-profit historical society and archive for the Beverly, Morgan Park, and Mount Greenwood neighborhoods at 10621 S Seeley Ave. in the historic Graver-Driscoll House. They host a number of events and exhibits throughout the year.

 

Ridge Historical Society

Dan Ryan Woods: This is a local 275-acre forest preserve with sledding and snowboarding hills, historic aqueducts, fitness stairs, picnic groves, and a mile-long paved loop that connects to the Major Taylor Trail. The site supports a large array of native plants, animals, and migratory birds.

 

Where to Eat and Drink 

 

Beverly has a number of casual restaurants, coffee shops, bars, microbreweries along with a popular meadery & winery. Make sure to visit:

Horse Thief Hollow Restaurant & Brewery:  This is a casual microbrewery and gastropub, featuring their house-brewed beers and soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, bbq and more at 10426 S. Western.

 

Horse Thief Hollow Restaurant & Brewery

Original Rainbow Cone: This is a popular ice cream shop since 1926, serving cones, shakes, sundaes and banana splits. I loved the butter pecan but they are known for their combination of orange sherbet, pistachio, Palmer House, strawberry and chocolate. The shop was recommended to me by a local friend who grew up down the street. 9233 S Western Ave.

 

The Original Rainbow Cone

Wild Blossom Meadery: This is a local meadery that makes mead, an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with yeast. Sometimes various fruits, spices, grains, or hops are added. This was the second time that I had tasted mead. They make a number of meads.  I enjoyed trying the Cherry Nectary made with cherries, the Chocolate Cherry Buzz, a sweet mead made with cherries and chocolate and the Green Apple Nectar made with green apples and Riesling grapes. It was fun to watch two bees fly into my two glasses. I guess they were attracted to the honey!! In addition, they produce a blend of Cabernet, Merlot & Syrah called Chicago Bull’s Blood. They have an indoor tasting room and a large outdoor patio in the rear.9030 S Hermitage Chicago IL 60620

 

Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery

Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery

Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery

Cork & Kerry: This is a popular, authentic Irish bar that is a Beverly institution. It also has a large outdoor beer garden. 10614 S. Western Ave.

I enjoyed my lunch at the Open Outcry Brewing Company. They have a large rooftop beer garden in addition to their brewpub/tap room downstairs. They make a number of ales, porters, stouts and IPAs onsite. Their food menu specialized in wood-fired pizzas, burgers and sandwiches. I enjoyed the Fire Roasted Caprese Sandwich with chicken on a beautiful day to be outside on the roof. 10934 S. Western.

 

Open Outcry Brewing Company

Open Outcry Brewing Company

Two Mile Coffee Bar: This is a casual coffee shop located at 1766 West 95th Street. It has been recommended in a number of articles, however, it was closed on Sunday when I was in the area. There is a second location at 9907 South Walden Parkway.

I hope you all have a fun day!!!

 

For more travel destinations and recommendations, visit globalphile.com.