Chicago Theatre

Lorraine Theatre
Hoopeston, IL
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

The Lorraine Theatre has a frontage you won't easily confuse with another movie house. Its broad entrance and unusual proportions almost suggest an old fire station, but this Main Street landmark has been entertaining Hoopeston audiences since March 6, 1922.

The Lorraine closed in March 2012, prompting residents to form a foundation to save it. More than a decade of fundraising and repairs followed. A $40,667 grant awarded in 2024 helped purchase the remaining equipment needed to bring first-run movies back to the big screen.

UPDATE: First-run screenings returned in February 2025 with Captain America: Brave New World. Modern laser projection and Dolby Atmos sound now accompany the historic surroundings. Fortunately, the Lorraine's comeback includes something worth buying a ticket for, giving downtown Hoopeston its hometown movie house again. 07-26

Maumee Theatre
Maumee, OH
Photo courtesy Mark Hackett

The Maumee Theatre makes a colorful entrance to downtown at Conant Street and the Anthony Wayne Trail. Its vertical sign and streamlined frontage have the kind of roadside presence that makes you look for what's playing, even when a movie wasn't part of the day's plans. 04-06

Opened in 1946, the single-screen theater closed in 1996 before the City of Maumee purchased it in 2000. Restoration brought it back in spring 2004 with more than fresh paint: a second auditorium and community room helped turn the old movie house into a multipurpose gathering place.

UPDATE: According to the Toledo Blade newspaper, over $3M of restoration work for this theater has been approved by the Maumee City Council and will start in the next few weeks. "The theater at Anthony Wayne Trail and Conant Street will be a venue for both performing arts and movies." Many thanks to Jerry Kellogg for update. 07-03

UPDATE: The Maumee Indoor Theater continues offering movies, live performances, and community events. Its restored Art Moderne exterior still supplies the vintage welcome, while the expanded facilities give the building several ways to stay useful. Fortunately, the city's investment kept this corner entertaining people. 07-26

Irving Theatre
Indianapolis, IN
Photo courtesy Emily Steele

The Irving Theatre has been part of Indianapolis' Irvington neighborhood since December 3, 1913. The building at 5505 East Washington Street began as a 525-seat movie house charging a dime for admission. That's quite a different evening's entertainment budget from today's.

A major 1920s expansion added a second story at the front, more auditorium space, shops, and apartments. Later years brought several changes of name and programming before a 1987 revival returned the Irving name and introduced art and foreign films. Regular moviegoing ended in 1994, followed by another long quiet spell.

UPDATE: The Irving survives as a live-music and event venue. Its many alterations tell the story of a building repeatedly adjusted to keep audiences coming through the doors. Fortunately, this old neighborhood cinema found another use without losing its place along Washington Street. 07-26

Emerson Theatre
Indianapolis, IN
Photo courtesy Emily Steele

The Emerson Theatre certainly wasn't trying to blend into Indianapolis' east side in this view. The yellow exterior and projecting marquee made it easy to spot, whether you were looking for a show or simply following East Tenth Street through the neighborhood. 04-06

It opened as the Eastland on December 11, 1927, becoming the Emerson in 1930 after improvements that included sound equipment. Its movie-house years ended in 1992. On April 2, 1993, it reopened as an all-ages music venue, becoming a familiar stop for local rock, metal, and punk bands.

UPDATE: The Emerson closed during the pandemic in 2020 after years of changing management and operating challenges. Later listings indicate renewed music activity, including a reported 2026 concert, although a regular operating schedule could not be confirmed. Its decades of neighborhood movies and live music remain a distinctive part of east-side history. 07-26