The History of the Telenews Theater at State and Randolph Streets, Chicago, Illinois.

Advertised as “the magazine of the screen," the Telenews Theater at 165 North State Street, Chicago, opened on December 23, 1939, as part of a chain that originated in San Francisco, California.

This small 606 seat theater was once the place where moviegoers could see a couple of cartoons, a newsreel, a comical short, and the famous “March of Time” news reports, all in a single hour. Newsreels featured world, national and local news, as well as weekly sports shorts. The Telenews Theater had seating provided in orchestra and balcony levels.

Keeping with its newsy theme, a United Press teletype machine clacked away in the lobby where an usher would continually spike the fresh news copy on the wall behind the machine.

The Telenews Theater opened showing World War II frontline footage and WWII news stories from 1939 through the end of the war in the mid 40s. With televisions in more homes, news broadcasts became a mainstay of viewers, and theaters like Telenews around the country closed or changed format. 

Telenews Theater was renamed the Loop Theater on April 8, 1950 and began to show first-run feature films. In July of 1950, the newsreel policy was restored, as was the Telenews name. Then in August of 1953, the theater again switched to first-run films, and the name was changed, this time for good, back to the Loop Theater.

In the mid-to-late-1960’s, the theater began to show a lot of B-grade films as well as Russ Meyer-type adult films, in addition to continuing to screen first-run features. The theater thrived during this mixed-format programming. Other downtown movie houses closed in the 70s with dwindeling attendance, along with the Loop Theater which closed on April 2, 1978.

For years, the former Loop Theater had housed retail stores, but had been vacant for some time. The building was demolished in November and December 2005 to make way for a mixed-use 31-story high rise originally called MoMo (for Modern Momentum), but now called the Joffrey Tower, for the Joffrey Ballet, which is now housed in the building. The tower also is home to the Residences at the Joffrey Tower condominiums and two floors of retail space. 

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FROM THE JAN. 5, 1940 ISSUE OF THE FILM DAILY:

LATEST IN EQUIPMENT IN CHICAGO’S TELENEWS THEATER
Chicago — Latest advances in motion picture theater equipment are incorporated in the new Telenews Theater recently opened here by its owners and operators, Midwest News Reel Theaters, of which Herbert Scheftel of New York City is president.

House has RCA sound, Simplex projectors, and American Seating Co.’s Bodiform chairs. Approximately 400 of the latter are installed on the main floor of the auditorium, and 200 in the balcony.

A Westinghouse air conditioning system is used, Perey turnstiles, and Stanley Bigelow carpets supplied by Marshall Field Co.

The theater has a unique front and marquee, White Way Co. lighting, plus clear cut screen effect and excellent acoustics.

Marshall Field supplied the furnishings for the rest rooms. Equipment contract was executed by National theater Supply.

Shaw, Naess, and Murphy were architects.

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Movies played from 1964 until its closing in 1978.

01/03/1964 – WHO’S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED?
01/24/1964 – FANTASIA
03/06/1964 – TWO WOMEN plus THE SKY ABOVE, THE MUD BELOW
03/20/1964 – THE SILENCE
05/01/1964 – THE EMPTY CANVAS
05/15/1964 – WEEKEND
06/05/1964 – THE CHRISTINE KEELER STORY
06/19/1964 – HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM plus HOUSE OF FRIGHT
06/26/1964 – ZULU
07/24/1964 – YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW
09/25/1964 – ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO
10/16/1964 - SHOCK TREATMENT
10/23/1964 - MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH plus BLACK SABBATH
10/30/1964 - LOS TARANTOS
11/06/1964 – LILI
11/27/1964 - DIARY OF A BACHELOR
12/18/1964 - SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS plus SANTA’S MAGIC
             KINGDOM 
12/25/1964 - GOODBYE CHARLIE
01/22/1965 – MARRIAGE – ITALIAN STYLE
03/19/1965 – ZORBA THE GREEK
07/02/1965 – THE PAWNBROKER
08/06/1965 – CASANOVA 70
10/08/1965 – DARLING
11/17/1965 - UNDER AGE? – THE VERDICT IS YOURS
11/26/1965 - PARIS SECRET
12/22/1965 - THE 1OTH VICTIM
02/11/1966 – THE SLENDER THREAD
03/10/1966 – DARLING
04/22/1966 – THE SHOP ON MAIN STREET
06/03/1966 – MALE COMPANION
06/24/1966 – AROUND THE WORLD, UNDER THE SEA
07/27/1966 – DEAR JOHN
08/17/1966 – THE WILD ANGELS
10/21/1966 - GIGI
11/18/1966 - HOTEL PARADISO
11/30/1966 - MATA HARI plus THE THIN MAN
12/07/1966 – NINOTCHKA plus MIN AND BILL
12/14/1966 - ANNA KARENINA plus GO WEST
12/21/1966 - CAMILLE plus THE BIG STORE
12/28/1966 - THE SOUND OF MUSIC
04/21/1967 – THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
09/27/1967 – ENTER LAUGHING
10/13/1967 - BLACKBOARD JUNGLE plus A PATCH OF BLUE
10/27/1967 - THE FLIM FLAM MAN
11/10/1967 - OUR MOTHER’S HOUSE
12/01/1967 – HOUSE OF 1000 DOLLS
12/22/1967 - THE GRADUATE
01/18/1968 – FAR FROM THE MADDENING CROWD
02/23/1968 – THE GRADUATE
06/14/1968 – BLUE
07/03/1968 – THE PRODUCERS
08/14/1968 – TARGETS
08/28/1968 – ANYONE CAN PLAY
09/18/1968 – THE PRODUCERS
10/04/1968 – THE YOUNG RUNAWAYS
10/25/1968 - THERESE AND ISABELLE
12/27/1968 - SKIDOO
01/10/1969 – LES BICHES
02/21/1969 – VIXEN
12/19/1969 - JOHN AND MARY
03/13/1970 – CHERRY, HARRY AND RAQUEL
08/26/1970 – WITHOUT A STITCH
12/16/1970 - EQUINOX
02/10/1971 – UNCLE TOM’S CABIN
03/19/1971 – THE STEWARDESSES
06/30/1971 – EVIL KNIEVEL
07/28/1971 – BILLY JACK
09/24/1971 – HONKY
11/05/1971 – THE ANIMALS
11/12/1971 - THE BUS IS COMING
11/19/1971 - HOUSE OF WAX (IN 3-D)
12/17/1971 - THE STEWARDESSES
12/25/1971 - DIRTY HARRY
04/21/1972 – BUCK AND THE PREACHER
07/28/1972 – FRITZ THE CAT
09/22/1972 – A GROUP MARRIAGE
10/13/1972 - IS THE FATHER BLACK ENOUGH?
10/27/1972 - PRIVATE PARTY
11/03/1972 – BUCK AND THE PREACHER plus COOL BREEZE
11/17/1972 - RAGE
12/01/1972 – SUPERFLY plus MELINDA
12/20/1972 - TRICK BABY
02/02/1973 – BLACK GIRL
02/23/1973 – SHAMUS
03/14/1973 – DELIVERANCE
03/23/1973 – WATTSTAX
04/13/1973 – SCHLOCK
04/22/1973 – DUEL OF THE IRON FIST
05/11/1973 – THE MACK
06/01/1973 – THE MAN FROM DEEP RIVER
06/15/1973 – KUNG FU: THE INVISIBLE FIST
06/29/1973 – EMPEROR OF THE NORTH
07/06/1973 – DUEL OF THE IRON FIST plus KUNG FU: THE INVISIBLE FIST
07/27/1973 – CAHILL – U.S. MARSHALL
08/10/1973 – THEY CALL ME TRINITY plus TRINITY IS STILL MY NAME
08/24/1973 – HEAVY TRAFFIC
10/05/1973 – LAST TANGO IN PARIS
11/16/1973 - DAY OF THE JACKAL plus PETE N TILLIE
11/22/1973 - BLACKBELT
11/30/1973 - BLACK GIRL plus ACROSS 110TH STREET
12/20/1973 - TROUBLE MAN plus HAMMER
12/25/1973 - THE STING
07/19/1974 – THE LORDS OF FLATBUSH
08/02/1974 – BUSTER AND BILLIE
08/16/1974 – THE CHINESE GODFATHER
09/04/1974 – BLAZING SADDLES plus BLUME IN LOVE
09/13/1974 – EXORCISM’S DAUGHTER
09/20/1974 – VIXEN/CHERRY, HARRY, RAQUEL/BEYOND VALLEY OF THE DOLLS
10/18/1974 - UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT plus THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE
10/25/1974 - LAW AND DISORDER
11/08/1974 – THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR/5 ON THE BLACK HAND SIDE
11/15/1974 - THE MANDARIN MAGICIAN
11/22/1974 - GOLD
12/06/1974 – LOVE UNDER 18 plus SENSUOUS YOUTH
12/20/1974 - THE FRONT PAGE
01/15/1975 – VOODOO BLACK EXORCIST
01/31/1975 – YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
03/14/1975 – A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE
04/25/1975 – SUPERVIXENS
06/20/1975 – DOLEMITE
06/27/1975 – SHAMPOO
07/04/1975 – THE GROOVE TUBE plus FLESH GORDON
07/11/1975 – LOVE (IN 3-D)
08/08/1975 – ILSA – SHE WOLF OF THE SS
08/29/1975 – SUPERVIXENS/CHERRY,HARRY,RAQUEL/VIXEN/FINDERS KEEPERS
             LOVERS WEEPERS
10/03/1975 – THE MASTER GUNFIGHTER
10/31/1975 - LENNY plus LAST TANGO IN PARIS
11/21/1975 - BLACK ALLEYCATS plus THE BLACK BUNCH
12/19/1975 - VIXEN/CHERRY,HARRY,RAQUEL/FINDERS KEEPERS LOVERS
             WEEPERS
12/26/1975 - SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
01/16/1976 – THE NAUGHTIEST SHOW IN TOWN plus HOT TIMES
01/23/1976 – THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR
01/30/1976 – THE ADVENTURES OF FRONTIER FREEMONT
02/11/1976 – NO DEPOSIT, NO RETURN
02/27/1976 – BLACK HOOKER plus COME BACK, CHARLESTON BLUE
03/12/1976 – MAN FRIDAY
03/19/1976 – BRUCE LEE – ALIVE OR DEAD?
04/16/1976 – DEEP JAWS
05/07/1976 – TAXI DRIVER
05/28/1976 – JACKSON COUNTY JAIL plus MEAN FRANK AND CRAZY TONY
06/18/1976 – VIGILANTE FORCE
06/15/1976 – PETER PAN
07/09/1976 – A SMALL TOWN IN TEXAS
07/16/1976 – THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES
08/06/1976 – INFRA-MAN plus WONDER WOMEN
08/27/1976 – THE SPOOK WHO SAT BY THE DOOR
10/01/1976 – APE (IN 3-D)
10/15/1976 - ADIOS AMIGO plus THE KILLER ELITE
10/20/1976 - THE POM POM GIRLS plus SWINGING STEWARDESSES
10/29/1976 - WOODSTOCK
11/05/1975 – RUSS MEYER’S UP
12/24/1976 - MARATHON MAN
01/14/1977 – TRICK BABY plus BLACKBELT JONES
01/28/1977 – IN SEARCH OF NOAH’S ARK
02/18/1977 – THE ENFORCER
03/04/1977 – MANDINGO plus DRUM
03/11/1977 – ANDY WARHOL’S FRANKENSTEIN
04/22/1977 – FANTASTIC INVASION OF PLANET EARTH (IN 3-D)
05/06/1977 – THE STEWARDESSES (IN 3-D)
05/20/1977 – FRITZ THE CAT plus HEAVY TRAFFIC
06/03/1977 – CINDERELLA (X-rated)
10/14/1977 - SHORT EYES
12/21/1977 - OH, GOD! plus AMAZING GRACE
12/30/1977 - CINDERELLA plus ALICE IN WONDERLAND (X-rated)
01/27/1978 – THE ADVENTURES OF THE WILDERNESS FAMILY
02/03/1978 – LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR plus LIPSTICK
02/10/1978 – EMMANUELLE IN BANGKOCK
02/24/1978 – WHICH WAY IS UP? plus THE BLACK BIRD
03/17/1978 – STRAIGHT TIME

CLOSED AFTER PERFORMANCES SUNDAY APRIL 2, 1978

Edited by Dr. Neil Galer Ph.D.