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Movie Theater Index

What follows is a preliminary summary of Chicago-area movie theaters in existence during the 1920 and 1930s, a period marked by the construction of numerous "movie palaces" and the huge popularity of the new "talkies" among Chicago movie-goers.

Early Theaters | Theaters A-E | Theaters F-N | Theaters O-Z | Suburban Theaters


Theater Location Yr Built Opening Yr Razed Seats Circuits Formats Present Condition Notes
North Shore
Alcyon Highland Park - - - 861 - M - C,D
Coronet 817 Chicago Ave., Evanston 1936 2/19/37 2000 700 BK M Demolished -
Deerpath Lake Forest 1928 9/28 - 935 - M - C,D
De Luxe Lake Forest - - - 500 - M - C
Evanston 1560 Sherman, Evanston 1911 8/21/11 - 950 - M,V Remodeled into Valencia C
Hoyburn 615 Davis,Evanston 1914 12/16/14 - 800 - M Demolished C
Main Street (New Main) 817 Chicago Ave., Evanston - - 1936 800 - M Demolished, replaced by Coronet C,D
Niles Niles Center - - - 250 - M - C,D
Pearl Highland Park - - - 750 - M - C
Stadium 1700 Central, Evanston - - - - - M Movie Theater -
Star Davis St, Evanston - - - - - M - -
Teatro del Lago Sheridan Rd, Wilmette - - - 1180 - M - C,D
Triangle Evanston - - - - - M - -
Valencia (Evanston) 1560 Sherman, Evanston 1911 9/30/32 - 800 BK M Demolished D
Varsity 1710 Sherman St, Evanston 1926 12/23/26 - 2500 P/BK M Retail stores C,D
Village 1158 Wilmette Ave, Wilmette 1914 - - 654 - M - -
Wilmette 1122 Central, Wilmette 1914 - - 672 - M Movie theater D
Northwestern Suburbs
Des Plaines Des Plaines - - - 940 - M - C,D
Echo Des Plaines - - - 650 - M - C,D
Morton Grove Morton Grove - - - 196 - M - D
Pickwick 5 S Prospect, Park Ridge 1929 - - 1540 - M Movie theater C,D
Ridge Park Ridge 1924 - - 1200 L M - D
Western Suburbs
Annette 2337 S 52nd,Cicero - - - 800 - M - D
Berwyn 6404 W 22nd, Berwyn - - - 1675 P/BK M Demolished D
Cicero 5610 W 22nd, Cicero - - - - - M - -
Circle 7347 W Madison, Forest Park - - - - - M - C
Clifford Cicero - - - 400 - M - C,D
DuPage Main St, Lombard 1928 7/26/28 - 1400 L M - M
Elm 7540 W Grand, Elmwood Park - - - - - M Demolished -
Elmwood Harrison and Gunderson, Oak Park - - - - - M - -
Forest 7532 W Madison, Forest Park 1920 8/20 - 1500 AB,SM M,V Demolished C
Forest Park 7322 W Madison, Forest Park - - - 1400 - M - C,D
Fourteenth Street 4914 W. 14th, Cicero - - - - - M - -
Glen Glen Ellyn - - - 900 - M - C,D
Grand Wheaton - - - 800 - M - C
Grant Cicero - - - 325 - M - D
Hawthorne Cicero - - - 550 - M - C,D
Hinsdale Hinsdale 1925 - - 600 - M Closed 1999 C,D
LaGrange 78 S 5th, LaGrange - - - 1400 - M - C.D
Lake 1022 Lake, Oak Park 1936 4/11/36 - 1420 E M Movie theater -
Lamar see Oak Park D
Lido 62 S 5th, Maywood 1925 11/25/25 - 1865 - M Demolished D
Lil Forest Park - - - 500 - M - D
Lydia Cicero - - - - - M,V - -
Maywood Maywood - - - 700 - M - C
Melrose Park Melrose Park - - - 1000 - M - D
Morton Park Cicero - - - 299 - M - C,D
New Hope Cicero - - - 175 - M - C
Oak Berwyn - - - 500 - M - D
Oak Park (Lamar) 120 S Wisconsin, Oak Park 1913 10/20/13 - 800 LT M Renamed 1930; demolished C
Oakwyn Oak Park - - - - L M - -
Olympic Roosevelt Rd, Cicero - - - - - M Movie theater C
Palace 5225 W 25th, Cicero - - - 1200 - M Demolished C,D
Parkside Lombard - - - 300 - M - C
Playhouse Wisconsin and South Blvd, Oak Park 1913 7/4/13 - 700 - M,V Converted to warehouse, 1918 -
Pioneer Dunning - - - 300 - M - C
Ritz 6334 W Roosevelt, Berwyn 1926 - - 1500 - M Condominiums C,D
Roxy Berwyn - - - 800 - M - D
Southern 828 S Oak Park, Oak Park 1913 11/15/13 - 550 - M - C,D
Strand Lake and 5th, Maywood - - - - - M - -
Strand Brookfield - - - 299 - M - C,D
Tivoli Highland Ave., Downers Grove - - - 1000 - M - D
Town Roosevelt and Austin, Oak Park - - - - - M - -
Villard Villa Park - - - 800 - M - C,D
Villas 5603 W 22nd, Cicero - - - 750 GB M - C,D
Warrington 100 S
Wisconsin, Oak Park		 1902 - - 1500 - L,V,M - -
Yale Maywood - - - 300 - M - C
York Elmhurst - - - 1500 L M - C
Southern Suburbs
Grand 13112 S Western, Blue Island - - - 680 - M - C
Hegewisch Hegewisch - - - 400 - M - C,D
Homewood Homewood - - - - - M - -
Mayfair Clearing - - - 250 - M - D
New Lyric 12954 S Western, Blue Island - - - 1200 - M - -
Oak Lawn Oak Lawn - - - 150 - M - D
Northwest Indiana
Calumet 5630 S Calumet, Hammond - - - - - M - I
Capitol Whiting 1922 3/1/23 - 1000 - M - -
DeLuxe 589 Hohman, Hammond 1915 - - 1150 - M - I
Forsythe 4608 Forsythe, East Chicago - - - - - M - I
Hoosier 613 119th, Whiting - - - - - M - I
Indiana 3458 Michigan, East Chicago - - - - - M - I
Oakwood Hammond - - - - - M - -
Orpheum 156 State, Hammond 1915 - - 1000 - M - I,S1,S2
Paramount 5405 Hohman, Hammond - - - - - M - I
Parthenon 576 Hohman, Hammond - - - - - M - -
Pasttime 165 State, Hammond - - - 240 - M - I,S2
State 266 State, Hammond 1925 - - 3165 - M - S1,S2
Gary
Broadway 1648 Broadway - - - - - M - I
Family 557 Broadway - - - - - M - I
Gary 475 Broadway 1913 - - 1142 - V,M - I,S1,S2
Glen Park 3833 Broadway - - - - - M - I
Grand 790 Broadway - - - 800 - M - I,S2
Lincoln 2169 Broadway - - - - - M - I
Orpheum 801 Broadway - - - - - V,M - I
Palace 765 Broadway 1925 - - - - M - I,S1
Plaza 1132 Broadway - - - - - M - I
Roosevelt 1446 Broadway - - - 1000 - M - I,S2
Tivoli 820 W 5th - - - 1500 - M - I,S2
Notes:
1. Locations, years built and razed, and opening dates have been compiled from a variety of sources, including theater advertisements, city directories, and fire insurance maps.
2. Seating capacities have been compiled primarily from those listed in fire insurance maps.
3. Only known circuit affiliations and entertainment formats are included in the listings; it is probable that many of the theaters listed had additional circuit affiliations and mixed formats at one time or another.
4. In most cases, theaters that relied exclusively on burlesque, vaudeville, "legitimate" drama, or some mix of the three are not listed, although I have made some exceptions.
5. The present condition of the theater is listed only if known; those for which the present condition is not listed are likely demolished.
6. This database is under constant revision; new or more accurate information is added as I complete additional research on this and related subjects.

Codes:
1. Circuits: AB=Ascher Brothers, AH=Alfred Hamburger, BK=Balaban and Katz, C=Columbia (Eastern) Burlesque Wheel, CB=Cooney Brothers/National Theaters, E=Essaness, GB=Gumbiner Brothers, JLS=Jones Linick and Schaefer, L=Lynch, LT=Lubliner and Trinz, MB=Marks Brothers, O=Orpheum, P=Publix, P/BK=Publix/Balaban and Katz, R=RKO, S=Schoenstadt, SM=Simansky and Miller, WB=Warner Brothers.
2. Format: B=burlesque, L=legitimate drama, M=motion pictures, S=illustrated sing-a-longs, V=vaudeville.
3. Other: A=listed as "motion picture theater" in the 1923 edition of Polk's City Directory, B=listed as "motion picture theater" in the 1928-29 edition of Polk's City Directory, C=listed in The Film Daily 1929 Year Book, D=listed in The 1934 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures; I=address from local telephone directories; M=opening date based on Motion Picture News coverage of the event; S1=date built from Sanborn Fire Insurance Company maps; S2=capacity from Sanborn Fire Insurance Company maps.
4. Alternative Street Names: 12th=Roosevelt, 22nd=Cermak, Armitage=Center, Crawford=Pulaski, Evanston=Broadway, Grand Blvd=South Parkway=Martin Luther King Drive, Robey=Damen, Wisconsin=Marion.

Last updated: 12 April 2003





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Page authored: 19 March 1997 -
Copyright 2001 by Scott A. Newman