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American Morning

Saving Uptown Theater in Chicago

Aired September 05, 2002 - 09:54   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: For the first time in about 50 years, live television is returning today to the famous Uptown Theater in Chicago, the largest movie theater in the country, opened in 1925, but it's been closed for years now. Now a community group is removing the padlocks and trying to save what was once the most spectacular movie palace in the land.
Jeff Flock is going to take us on a tour.

Jeff, good morning. How are you this morning?

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm good, Paula, because I'm in my element this morning. I don't know about you, but I love this thing. It's a live archaeological dig. Take a look at the plaster that's been falling off the walls. This place is partly in ruin. But if you take a look out in the lobby, you see that it's also a grand, grand palace. As you pointed out, this is the first live broadcast from uptown theater since the '50s when "Queen for a Day" was broadcast from here. So that gives you some sense of how far back in the history this building has.

I'm combing the catacombs right now. As you can see, this is the way you get down into the main theater area. I don't know if television does it justice, Paula, but it is just breathtaking. Mark Zipper is the CEO of the community organization that is trying to buy, restore and bring this back it life.

MARK ZIPPER: That's correct, the Uptown Theater and Center for the Arts.

FLOCK: And how much money do you need? How far along are you? What can we do to help?

ZIPPER: We are about half way to the purchase price. We have a contract to close on the building on October 4 of this year.

FLOCK: So you will be able to try and bring this back. Obviously, it's a major task. But if we look at this. This is back from the day when going to the movie wasn't just a movie; it was the experience of the theater.

ZIPPER: It was part of the show. It was a family event. It was an all-day experience that you took your family to.

FLOCK: This seats how many?

ZIPPER: Forty-three hundred and either one. FLOCK: But it's the largest theater when it comes to square footage in the country. Bigger than Radio City?

ZIPPER: Yes, at 46,000 square feet.

FLOCK: We have got a picture of opening day in 1925. This was built back then for I think was it for $4 million, which in today's dollars is what?

ZIPPER: About $110 million.

FLOCK: Paula, I don't know if it comes through on television or not, the spectacularness of this place, but it is really breathtaking.

ZAHN: It does. And the immensity of the place. Can you take us backstage and give us an idea of what that looks like?

FLOCK: i will ask Mark Zipper if we can. Can we get all the way in the back?

ZIPPER: Absolutely.

FLOCK: Because we know you've got some extraordinary things back there. and if we walk through here. I'm walking through water here, because this is one of the problems you've got.

ZIPPER: We have got a couple openings in the roof, and every time we have a rainstorm, the theater damages a little bit further.

FLOCK: I'm trying ton kill Rick here on the camera if run him over, but I love to look at -- you showed me this earlier. What is this I'm looking at here?

ZIPPER: This is the electrical panel that controls all the stage operations, the flies, the lights, the fire curtains. Isn't it amazing?

FLOCK: This is extraordinary. This is all rusted, but some of these still work?

ZIPPER: Yes, absolutely. Not very efficient, but they work.

FLOCK: Exactly, without setting us all on fire. And around here, What am I looking at here?

ZIPPER: We're looking at 56 flies that operated all of the backdrops for the stage, and they are still operational.

FLOCK: Right, and I'm hearing something. What am I seeing here?

ZIPPER: We are watching the fire curtain go up.

FLOCK: This isn't the stage curtain. This is what now?

ZIPPER: The fire curtain. And both sides are 36,000-pound weights that bring it up in 30 seconds. FLOCK: It comes up in 30 seconds, and it also was designed so that it would come down if there was a fire. You could cut off -- presumably the fire would be on stage, you could cut that off and protect the audience out there. So we now standing on the stage at the Uptown Theater.

ZIPPER: Isn't this incredible.

FLOCK: Incredible. Mark Zipper, I appreciate the tour. Thank you. Paula, I love it.

ZAHN: I can tell you do. I'm a little bit worried that they are only halfway there with the purchase price, and they have to close pretty soon, right? But they're feeling pretty optimistic.

ZIPPER: I know. They do. The clock is ticking. That's what Mark is saying. They are really hopeful. They have some steam behind them. So maybe we'll have some well-heeled CNN viewer out there who want to help restore a theater.

ZAHN: We'll see if that check comes through. You'll be the first to know, Jeff.

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