United Artists Theatre
A historic Chicago Loop theater that began as the Apollo live-performance venue, later operated as the United Artists Theatre cinema, and was demolished in 1989.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
United Artists Theatre was a major entertainment venue in Chicago's Loop district, occupying a prominent corner on Randolph Street, a street historically associated with the city's theater corridor. The building opened in 1921 as the Apollo Theatre, a live-performance house developed by theatrical producer A. H. Woods, who also owned the nearby Woods Theatre. Designed by the Chicago architectural firm Holabird and Roche, the venue incorporated Greek Revival elements and was conceived as part of the large-scale theatrical and commercial development that characterized Chicago's central entertainment district in the early twentieth century. The Apollo's original role as a live theater changed after the building was acquired by the Balaban and Katz cinema chain. In 1927 it was renamed the United Artists Theatre and became primarily a motion-picture venue. The theater belonged to the era of ornate movie palaces, combining a large auditorium and decorative interior with a highly visible street presence. Its curved corner entrance and elaborate marquee became among its most recognizable features. From the 1950s onward, the marquee wrapped around the corner of the building and was sufficiently prominent to appear in several films set or filmed in Chicago, including The Blues Brothers, Adventures in Babysitting, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. As a cinema, the United Artists Theatre was known for exclusive engagements and premieres of prominent Hollywood releases. Its programming changed with the market. During the 1970s it showed a substantial number of action and horror films, while also hosting occasional major blockbusters. Its run of Jaws set a house record, illustrating the theater's continuing importance as a high-capacity downtown exhibition venue even as moviegoing patterns and the economics of large urban cinemas began to shift. The venue was later operated by ABC/Great States and then by Cineplex Odeon. These changes placed the theater within successive generations of cinema operating companies, but did not erase its identity as a landmark single-screen downtown movie palace. It continued operating until late 1987. The building was demolished in 1989, during the clearance of much of Block 37 in the Chicago Loop. Various redevelopment proposals followed for the parcel, with construction of a new structure eventually beginning in 2005. United Artists Theatre therefore survives primarily through architectural and film-history references, photographs, memories of its marquee, and documentation of Chicago's former theater district rather than as an operating venue.
History
The building associated with United Artists Theatre began life in 1921 as the Apollo Theatre, a live-performance venue on Randolph Street in Chicago's Loop. Randolph Street was part of the city's established theater district, then widely identified with Chicago's entertainment-centered "Great White Way." The Apollo was developed by theatrical producer A. H. Woods, who also owned the nearby Woods Theatre. Its architecture was commissioned from Holabird and Roche, a prominent Chicago firm, and the design incorporated Greek Revival references within a large urban theater building. The venue's first identity was as a live theater, but its commercial role changed during the rapid expansion of motion-picture exhibition. Balaban and Katz purchased the building and renamed it the United Artists Theatre in 1927. From that point, it functioned principally as a cinema. Like many large movie palaces of the period, it relied on a combination of prominent downtown placement, decorative interiors, a substantial auditorium, and an elaborate exterior marquee to attract audiences. The theater became associated with exclusive engagements and premieres of important Hollywood releases. The United Artists Theatre remained a visible part of Chicago's central cinema landscape through several operating eras. ABC/Great States later operated the theater, followed by Cineplex Odeon. Its programming reflected changing audience tastes and distribution practices. During the 1970s, action and horror films formed a significant part of its schedule, though the venue also showed occasional blockbuster productions. Its engagement of Jaws produced a house record, demonstrating that the theater could still serve as a major event-screening venue despite broader changes in the exhibition business. The building's marquee became an important part of its public identity. From the 1950s until the theater closed, a large sign wrapped around the curved corner entrance. Its distinctive appearance made the location useful to filmmakers and helped preserve the theater's image beyond its paying audience. The marquee can be seen in Chicago-associated films such as The Blues Brothers, Adventures in Babysitting, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The theater operated until late 1987. In 1989, the building was demolished during the clearance of much of Block 37, a central Chicago parcel whose buildings were removed as part of redevelopment activity. The site did not immediately receive a replacement project; multiple proposals were considered before construction of a new structure began in 2005. The former United Artists Theatre is consequently a defunct venue rather than an operating brand. Its historical significance rests on its succession of live-theater and cinema functions, its architecture, its role in Chicago's movie-palace era, its recognizable marquee, and its connection to the redevelopment history of the Loop.
- 1989
Building demolished
[1]The theater is demolished during clearance of Chicago's Block 37.
- 1987
Operations end
[1]The United Artists Theatre closes after operating until late in the year.
- 1970
Action and horror programming expands
[1]During the 1970s, the theater emphasized popular action and horror releases while continuing to show selected major blockbusters.
- 1950
Marquee becomes a long-term visual landmark
[1]By the 1950s, the theater's elaborate marquee wrapped around its curved corner entrance and became a defining feature of the building.
- 1927
Cinema conversion and renaming
[1]Balaban and Katz acquires the building, renames it the United Artists Theatre, and establishes it as a movie theater.
- 1921
Apollo Theatre opens
[1]A. H. Woods opens the Apollo Theatre as a live-performance venue on Randolph Street in Chicago's Loop.
Products and positioning
A prominent downtown Chicago entertainment palace that transitioned from live theater to premium motion-picture exhibition, combining central-location visibility, ornate architecture, and high-profile film programming.
Live entertainment · 1921
Live theater performances
During its Apollo Theatre period, the venue presented live theatrical entertainment. It was built as a conventional urban theater for stage use and formed part of Randolph Street's live-performance district.
Cinema exhibition · 1927
Exclusive film engagements and premieres
After its 1927 conversion, the theater's principal offering was motion-picture exhibition, with an emphasis on exclusive engagements and premieres of prominent Hollywood films. Its downtown location and large movie-palace format supported event-oriented releases.
Film programming · 1970
Action, horror, and blockbuster screenings
In the 1970s, the theater programmed many action and horror films, alongside occasional major blockbusters. Its run of Jaws set a house record, indicating the venue's ability to generate unusually strong attendance for a major release.
Brand decisions
1987
Closure of the theaterOtherBackground
After decades as a downtown cinema, the venue reached the end of its operating life.
Action taken
Operations ended in late 1987.
Aftermath
The building was demolished in 1989 as part of the clearance of Block 37, ending the physical presence of the theater.
1927
Conversion from live theater to cinemaStrategyBackground
The Apollo Theatre was acquired by Balaban and Katz during the period when motion pictures were becoming a dominant form of mass entertainment.
Action taken
The building was renamed the United Artists Theatre and operated primarily as a movie theater.
Aftermath
The venue developed a long-running identity as a Chicago movie palace known for exclusive engagements, premieres, and major commercial film runs.
Recent events
- 1989
United Artists Theatre building is demolished[1]
Other
The theater was demolished as part of the widespread clearance of buildings on Chicago's Block 37.
- 1987
The theater closes after its final operating period[1]
Other
The United Artists Theatre continued operating until late 1987, after which the downtown venue ceased functioning as a cinema.
- 1927
The Apollo is converted into the United Artists Theatre[1]
Other
After acquisition by the Balaban and Katz cinema chain, the former Apollo was renamed the United Artists Theatre and shifted to motion-picture exhibition.
- 1921
Apollo Theatre opens as a live-performance venue[1]
Other
A. H. Woods's Apollo Theatre opened on Randolph Street in Chicago's Loop. The building was designed by Holabird and Roche and included Greek Revival architectural elements.
United Artists Theatre becomes a recognizable Chicago film location[1]
Campaign · Other
The theater's prominent wraparound marquee appeared in films including The Blues Brothers, Adventures in Babysitting, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Sources2 sources
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