To the editors:
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First of all, the Uptown Theatre is not and has never been an “abandoned” anything. Unless you consider the time Plitt Theaters, Inc., sold the building to a group of Spanish businessmen in the late 70s only to have them skip town and revert the ownership to Plitt again. Also, a theater or any building for that matter would never be allowed to be used in shooting a movie such as the film Backdraft last year without the city fathers (not to mention the cops) looking just a bit curious. That is IF it was abandoned.
The reason that the Chicago Theatre is having so much trouble I feel, is that face it–it has NEVER sold itself to the producers and would-be lessors. In that show business bible, Variety, as well as Billboard has anyone EVER seen an ad for the theater in its yearly auditorium listings?? As far as most producers, there ARE no theaters left downtown in Chicago. Except, of course, the Auditorium. Thanks to Dulcie Gilmore really hustling (and promoting if you please) this landmark is on solid ground. No such person exists at the Chicago. Perhaps it’s time they look for someone to really promote it!
