The DuPage Theatre and DuPage Shoppes, nicknamed "The Dupe", was a historic movie theater in Lombard, Illinois.
History
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The 1,400 capacity theater was designed by R. G. Wolff, who formerly worked for Rapp and Rapp. Wolff was a consultant for the Chicago Theatre. The theater was named after the county in an effort to bring out-of-town customers to the shows. The DuPage was an atmospheric style theater, common to the 1920s, that also incorporated commercial and residential aspects in its buildings. As a small town, the six shops incorporated into the theater comprised a large portion of the village's commerce at the time. The shops and theater also benefited from their proximity to the Chicago and North Western Railway. The theater was remodeled in the 1950s.
The DuPage Theatre and DuPage Shoppes were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. In 1998, the property was purchased by Big Idea Productions, Inc., a producer of children's videos. The company planned to renovate the theater and use the other space for their corporate headquarters. They pulled out after determining that the site would not be large enough for their plans. The theater entered a new deal with the village in 2000 giving them full ownership. Lombard appointed several committees to oversee the feasibility to rehabilitate the theater. Their efforts were ultimately fruitless, and in May 2007, the DuPage Theatre and DuPage Shoppes were demolished.
References
- National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: DuPage Theatre and DuPage Shoppes
