On August 22, 1929, only two months before the Wall Street crash that would sink the United States into the Great Depression, a movie house opened in Chicago, Illinois. Compared to theaters of the time that could hold 3,000 patrons, the Music Box Theatre only had room for 700 and was considered by many to be the little sibling to the movie palaces of the era. However, what it lacked in size, it made up for by delivering the highest quality of projection and sound. Rather than serving as a multi-purpose venue for variety performances, as well as movies, the Music Box focused exclusively on the rising popularity of motion pictures, preceding many others.
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Writing for the Chicago Tribune in 1983, architectural critic Paul Gapp wrote of the Music Box, “The architectural style is an eclectic melange of Italian, Spanish and Pardon-My-Fantasy put together with passion,” but the actual style has been defined as “atmospheric.” It features plaster ornamentation meant to elicit the feeling of being in an Italian courtyard and watching a film in an open air palazzo, with a dark blue, cove-lit ceiling that features “twinkling stars” and moving cloud formations.
Unlike many repertory cinemas across America that operate as non-profits, the Music Box Theatre is independently owned and operated by the Southport Music Box Corporation, which also distributes foreign and independent films through its Music Box Films division. Titles from Music Box include this year’s documentary on film composer Ennio Morricone, “Ennio,” the Swedish dramedy “A Man Called Ove,” and the Academy-Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film in 2015, “Ida.”
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This week, the Music Box launches their “Summer of 70mm” series, which will feature brand new prints of John Ford’s “The Searchers” and Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest,” as well as screenings of “Streets of Fire,” which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and Jacques Tati’s “Playtime.” The theater also continues its “Music Box Garden Movies” series, where guests can enjoy outdoor screenings on the garden patio, with “Music Box Bingo” taking place Wednesday, August 7, and Thursday August 8 during screenings of the cult classic “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.”
In addition to contributing to the theater by attending a screening, the Music Box is also seeking donations for its “Revive at 95” project. The revitalization project includes updates to auditorium seats, lighting, flooring & carpeting, refurbishments to their proscenium arch, as well as expanded ADA capabilities. Visit their website to help with their efforts and join us in wishing them a wonderful, cinema-filled 95 years.
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