Why would the Library of Congress photograph necessarily be that of the Lyceum Theater at 39th & Cottage Grove rather than the one at Desplaines & Madison? That they bought decorations from Decorators Supply Co. on Archer Ave. really proves nothing.
I’ve seen the Library of Congress’s photograph of the Lyceum and it may not be the same Lyceum Theater. There was another Lyceum Theater in Chicago, on Desplaines Street just off Madison Street. It was built in the 1880s. What makes it so important was its proximity to the Haymarket Riot of 1886. Persons attending the meeting could look down Desplaines Street and see the 180 or so policemen marching up the street silhouetted by the lights from the Lyceum Theater. This was confirmed in the trial transcript by two witnesses who named the Lyceum Theater in their testimony.
I’m trying to find more information on the Lyceum Theater of Desplaines Street to see if it’s the same as that in the Library of Congess photograph.
According to the Los Angeles Times of Monday, June 26, 1899 (111 years ago tomorrow) Harry Houdini, along with with his wife Beatrice, appeared at the Orpheum Theatre.
Thedoberman,
The restaurant at 63rd and Normal Blvd. was called the Lauer Sisters Restaurant. BTW, just after the turn of the 20th century, the original Englewood Theater stood where Lauer Sisters would later have their place.
Jan,
I wrote an article for Nostalgia Digest (Summer Issue, 2008) about Bob Hope and how he got his real start at the Stratford Theater. The year, I believe was 1928 or 1929. The name of the magazine is Nostalgia DIGEST, not Magazine. They are two different publications.
Fischer’s Theater had been operating since at least 1906.
I have an ad from the Los Angeles Herald of October 8, 1906, which reads:
FISCHER’S THEATER First st., bet. Spring and Main.
Week commencing October 8.
THE PRICE OF HEIDELBERG
Fred L. Griffiths' romantic farce-comedy with all the Fischer favorites. Latest novelties in vaudeville and motion pictures. Matinees daily, except Monday.
Ladies' souvenir matinee Thursday. Prices 10c, 20c. Reserved seats 25c.
The ad is Page 5 from the Friday, March 9, 1923 edition of the Englewood Times, a forerunner to the Southtown Economist. Also on that page you would have seen the columns that were written for the Englewood Theater and the Empress Theatre. In the column on the former you’d have seen a notice about the upcoming vaudeville bill. It would’ve included a mention of the comedy team of Billy Frawley and his wife Edna Louise. Billy Frawley would later become known as character actor William Frawley, who played Fred Mertz on the I Love Lucy show some 30 years later.
According to the Southtown Economist of Sun., Aug. 3, 1958, the Southtown Theater closed on Thursday, August 7, 1958. It’s final act as a theater was a double-bill which included “God’s Little Acre.”
George Rose, who grew up in Englewood and attended Englewood High School, signed a long-term lease with Balaban & Katz, with an option to buy.
This news short from the Englewood Economist, Tues., January 11, 1910 about the Haymarket Theatre and Chicago Cub Joe Tinker, of Tinkers-to-Evans-to-Chance fame.
“Home run Joe Tinker is billed to get the glad hand from all the Cub rooters on the West Side when he appears among the crowned heads of the vaudeville world this week at the Haymarket. The dandy shortstopper is to make his debut before the spotlight in a 22-minute sketch labeled ‘The Great Catch.’ Two hundred rooters secured ringside seats for the opening performance.
“The scene in which Joe is assisted by Sadie Sherman is laid in front of a flat overlooking the Cubs' ball park. The game goes on as Miss Sherman (has) her eyes and attention glued to the window. Finally, Joe bursts upon the scene, running up to the roof of the flat to make ‘the great catch.’ ”
(Joe Tinker died in 1948, the same year as the Haymarket Theatre, and is buried in Orlando, Florida.)
On Sunday, February 12, 1922, the Englewood Theatre ceased being a burlesque house and began showing motion pictures exclusively, starting with ‘Hail The Woman.’
According The Englewood Times, the E.A.R. Theatre opened on Saturday, January 17, 1914 with a 2 o'clock matinee, followed by their regular program at 7 p.m.
I have an ad from the Englewood Economist, dated May 6, 1912. There is an ad for the Halsted Theatre. After the name is the address, 6208 Halsted Street. Next to, in smaller type, it reads: “Opposite the National Theatre.”
In another ad of the same newspaper, dated December 7, 1914, that has two ads: One for:
“Marcus Loews Empress"
"Halsted, near 63d Street
"Always 6 Big Acts of Vaudeville”
The other:
“Halsted Theatre
"62nd and Halsted Street
"Continuous Daily 12:30 to 11 p.m.”
Obviously, these are not the same theaters. Question again, where is the real Halsted Theatre? It appears that Jazz Age Chicago had it correct all along.
In the 1930s, the Theater Softball League was formed among the employees of the six theaters in Englewood: the Ace, Empress, Englewood, Linden, Stratford, and Southtown. They played on Saturdays and Sundays at Ogden Park. The Englewood and Linden teams were combined to form one team, while each of the others had their own team. The reason for this is unclear. It might have been because neither the Linden and Englewood had enough to fill a roster or because both theaters were owned by the same person. In 1938, the team from the Ace was favored for the title.
“Strand Art Theaters, Inc., filed suit yesterday in Circuit court against Mayor Daley and the city of Chicago contesting the city’s denial of a 1967 license for the Kim Art theater, 6217 Halsted st.”
I think the names ‘Strand Art Theaters, Inc’ and the ‘Kim Art theater’ are pretty good indicators that they intended to open the Kim as a porno house.
Shedding a bit of light on the start of the Linden …
One thing, real quick, in the early days of Englewood, i.e., pre-Fire of 1871 and possibly pre-Civil War, what would become the intersection of 63d and Halsted was known as Linden Grove.
OK, that’s out of the way.
From the Englewood Times, Fri., April 30, 1909, small item on the front page:
“ANOTHER THEATER
"The old frame structure, built originally as the Linden theater on 63rd St., just east of Halsted, on the south side of the street, is being torn down, and it is said another theater will be built on the grounds. The new owner, Tom Gaynor, wants it to yield some revenue, as he does not intend to build on the corner for five years, and it was impossible to rebuild the old structure to comply with the fire ordinance.”
Hopefully, more to come [at some point]. Also, Tom Gaynor, at the time, also owned most of the properties at the intersections of 63rd and Cottage Grove Ave.,63rd and Ashland Ave., as well as most of 63rd and Halsted St.
Within a few weeks the patrons of the Harvard theatre will have the pleasure of having one of the latest models of Robert Morton Organs. In speaking to Mr. Costen, the Harvard manager said:
“This organ will be equal to the best found anywhere in this country, as it combines all the merits of a unified organ, with its wonderful flexibility and ease of control. It is indeed an organ worthy of its cost, which totals over twenty thousand dollars.”
This organ should have been installed last November, but owning to the illness of Mr. Costen and other obstructions it has been delayed.
From the Southtown Economist, Wednesday, April 13, 1927:
“Held up on the street in broad daylight, J.V. Hogan, manager of the Stratford theater, had a thrilling experience Monday afternoon when he, with Officer Michael Stapleton, was faced by three armed men in front of the theater and forced to hand over $4,875 in currency and coin.”
Need help here. I have an advertisement from the Englewood Economist, dated Tues., October 19, 1909 which reads:
Hamilton Theatre
High-Class Vaudeville
6811-13 South Halsted Street
CHANGE OF PROGRAM
Monday & Thursday
Admission 10 Cents
Sunday Evenings: Reserved Seats
20c Sunday Mat. Children 5c
2 Shows a Night – Sunday Matinee
Another Hamilton theater – in Englewood? I found a 1910 ad for the Blue Mouse Theatre (also a vaudeville house) listed as 69th and Halsted. Did the Hamilton later become the Blue Mouse?
It appears that the Tulane opened earlier, in July 1907, as the Bona Venture Theatre. An ad for the theater boasted: “Restful. Educating. Refined. Strictly Moral Entertaining. The patronage of Ladies and Children especially solicited;” and admission, five cents.
From the front page of the January 30, 1911 edition of the Englewood Economist (precursor to the Southtown Economist),there are three short blurbs regarding upcoming acts at local theaters. They list three: the Linden, the Marlowe (63d/Stewart), and the Empress. The first graf reads:
“The master ventriloquist, "Trovello,” is bringing to the Empress (formerly Trevett) theater next week a spectacular scenic ventriloquist novelty entitled “The Little Chauffer at the Boston Road Inn,” which will eclipse any production of this kind ever seen in vaudeville… . “ It then further describes Trovello.
My question is: What was this Trevett (theater) that was around two years before the Empress opened?
There is also a news brief of the same newspaper but from June 1907 that headlines: “Vaudette Still Open” Under that, in parentheses it reads: “Sixty-third street near Halsted)” It goes to describe the bill at the theater. Never heard of this one either. Anybody? Bryan? I’m very curious. If I find out anything else, I’ll post it.
Thanks. Where can I get that catalog?
Why would the Library of Congress photograph necessarily be that of the Lyceum Theater at 39th & Cottage Grove rather than the one at Desplaines & Madison? That they bought decorations from Decorators Supply Co. on Archer Ave. really proves nothing.
I’ve seen the Library of Congress’s photograph of the Lyceum and it may not be the same Lyceum Theater. There was another Lyceum Theater in Chicago, on Desplaines Street just off Madison Street. It was built in the 1880s. What makes it so important was its proximity to the Haymarket Riot of 1886. Persons attending the meeting could look down Desplaines Street and see the 180 or so policemen marching up the street silhouetted by the lights from the Lyceum Theater. This was confirmed in the trial transcript by two witnesses who named the Lyceum Theater in their testimony.
I’m trying to find more information on the Lyceum Theater of Desplaines Street to see if it’s the same as that in the Library of Congess photograph.
According to the Feb. 15, 1908 Chicago Examiner, among the 14 acts featured that week was “Great Houdini,” listed first on the bill.
According to the Los Angeles Times of Monday, June 26, 1899 (111 years ago tomorrow) Harry Houdini, along with with his wife Beatrice, appeared at the Orpheum Theatre.
To: thedoberman and Jan Fricke
Thedoberman,
The restaurant at 63rd and Normal Blvd. was called the Lauer Sisters Restaurant. BTW, just after the turn of the 20th century, the original Englewood Theater stood where Lauer Sisters would later have their place.
Jan,
I wrote an article for Nostalgia Digest (Summer Issue, 2008) about Bob Hope and how he got his real start at the Stratford Theater. The year, I believe was 1928 or 1929. The name of the magazine is Nostalgia DIGEST, not Magazine. They are two different publications.
Fischer’s Theater had been operating since at least 1906.
I have an ad from the Los Angeles Herald of October 8, 1906, which reads:
FISCHER’S THEATER First st., bet. Spring and Main.
Week commencing October 8.
THE PRICE OF HEIDELBERG
Fred L. Griffiths' romantic farce-comedy with all the Fischer favorites. Latest novelties in vaudeville and motion pictures. Matinees daily, except Monday.
Ladies' souvenir matinee Thursday. Prices 10c, 20c. Reserved seats 25c.
The ad is Page 5 from the Friday, March 9, 1923 edition of the Englewood Times, a forerunner to the Southtown Economist. Also on that page you would have seen the columns that were written for the Englewood Theater and the Empress Theatre. In the column on the former you’d have seen a notice about the upcoming vaudeville bill. It would’ve included a mention of the comedy team of Billy Frawley and his wife Edna Louise. Billy Frawley would later become known as character actor William Frawley, who played Fred Mertz on the I Love Lucy show some 30 years later.
According to the Southtown Economist of Sun., Aug. 3, 1958, the Southtown Theater closed on Thursday, August 7, 1958. It’s final act as a theater was a double-bill which included “God’s Little Acre.”
George Rose, who grew up in Englewood and attended Englewood High School, signed a long-term lease with Balaban & Katz, with an option to buy.
This news short from the Englewood Economist, Tues., January 11, 1910 about the Haymarket Theatre and Chicago Cub Joe Tinker, of Tinkers-to-Evans-to-Chance fame.
“Home run Joe Tinker is billed to get the glad hand from all the Cub rooters on the West Side when he appears among the crowned heads of the vaudeville world this week at the Haymarket. The dandy shortstopper is to make his debut before the spotlight in a 22-minute sketch labeled ‘The Great Catch.’ Two hundred rooters secured ringside seats for the opening performance.
“The scene in which Joe is assisted by Sadie Sherman is laid in front of a flat overlooking the Cubs' ball park. The game goes on as Miss Sherman (has) her eyes and attention glued to the window. Finally, Joe bursts upon the scene, running up to the roof of the flat to make ‘the great catch.’ ”
(Joe Tinker died in 1948, the same year as the Haymarket Theatre, and is buried in Orlando, Florida.)
On Sunday, February 12, 1922, the Englewood Theatre ceased being a burlesque house and began showing motion pictures exclusively, starting with ‘Hail The Woman.’
According The Englewood Times, the E.A.R. Theatre opened on Saturday, January 17, 1914 with a 2 o'clock matinee, followed by their regular program at 7 p.m.
I have an ad from the Englewood Economist, dated May 6, 1912. There is an ad for the Halsted Theatre. After the name is the address, 6208 Halsted Street. Next to, in smaller type, it reads: “Opposite the National Theatre.”
In another ad of the same newspaper, dated December 7, 1914, that has two ads: One for:
“Marcus Loews Empress"
"Halsted, near 63d Street
"Always 6 Big Acts of Vaudeville”
The other:
“Halsted Theatre
"62nd and Halsted Street
"Continuous Daily 12:30 to 11 p.m.”
Obviously, these are not the same theaters. Question again, where is the real Halsted Theatre? It appears that Jazz Age Chicago had it correct all along.
PUBLIC telephone.
In the 1930s, the Theater Softball League was formed among the employees of the six theaters in Englewood: the Ace, Empress, Englewood, Linden, Stratford, and Southtown. They played on Saturdays and Sundays at Ogden Park. The Englewood and Linden teams were combined to form one team, while each of the others had their own team. The reason for this is unclear. It might have been because neither the Linden and Englewood had enough to fill a roster or because both theaters were owned by the same person. In 1938, the team from the Ace was favored for the title.
From the Chicago Tribune, March 17, 1967, Pg. B10
“City Sued for Denying
License to S. Side Movie
“Strand Art Theaters, Inc., filed suit yesterday in Circuit court against Mayor Daley and the city of Chicago contesting the city’s denial of a 1967 license for the Kim Art theater, 6217 Halsted st.”
I think the names ‘Strand Art Theaters, Inc’ and the ‘Kim Art theater’ are pretty good indicators that they intended to open the Kim as a porno house.
Shedding a bit of light on the start of the Linden …
One thing, real quick, in the early days of Englewood, i.e., pre-Fire of 1871 and possibly pre-Civil War, what would become the intersection of 63d and Halsted was known as Linden Grove.
OK, that’s out of the way.
From the Englewood Times, Fri., April 30, 1909, small item on the front page:
“ANOTHER THEATER
"The old frame structure, built originally as the Linden theater on 63rd St., just east of Halsted, on the south side of the street, is being torn down, and it is said another theater will be built on the grounds. The new owner, Tom Gaynor, wants it to yield some revenue, as he does not intend to build on the corner for five years, and it was impossible to rebuild the old structure to comply with the fire ordinance.”
Hopefully, more to come [at some point]. Also, Tom Gaynor, at the time, also owned most of the properties at the intersections of 63rd and Cottage Grove Ave.,63rd and Ashland Ave., as well as most of 63rd and Halsted St.
From the Englewood Times of January 11, 1924
$25,000 Harvard Theater
Organ Being Installed
Within a few weeks the patrons of the Harvard theatre will have the pleasure of having one of the latest models of Robert Morton Organs. In speaking to Mr. Costen, the Harvard manager said:
“This organ will be equal to the best found anywhere in this country, as it combines all the merits of a unified organ, with its wonderful flexibility and ease of control. It is indeed an organ worthy of its cost, which totals over twenty thousand dollars.”
This organ should have been installed last November, but owning to the illness of Mr. Costen and other obstructions it has been delayed.
From the Southtown Economist, Wednesday, April 13, 1927:
“Held up on the street in broad daylight, J.V. Hogan, manager of the Stratford theater, had a thrilling experience Monday afternoon when he, with Officer Michael Stapleton, was faced by three armed men in front of the theater and forced to hand over $4,875 in currency and coin.”
Need help here. I have an advertisement from the Englewood Economist, dated Tues., October 19, 1909 which reads:
Hamilton Theatre
High-Class Vaudeville
6811-13 South Halsted Street
CHANGE OF PROGRAM
Monday & Thursday
Admission 10 Cents
Sunday Evenings: Reserved Seats
20c Sunday Mat. Children 5c
2 Shows a Night – Sunday Matinee
Another Hamilton theater – in Englewood? I found a 1910 ad for the Blue Mouse Theatre (also a vaudeville house) listed as 69th and Halsted. Did the Hamilton later become the Blue Mouse?
The first day of the demolition of the Ogden Theater was Friday, July 27, 1962, by the State Wrecking Company, 3415 So. Kedzie Avenue.
I believe this theater was known (even before it was the West Englewood) as the Hippodrome in 1910.
It appears that the Tulane opened earlier, in July 1907, as the Bona Venture Theatre. An ad for the theater boasted: “Restful. Educating. Refined. Strictly Moral Entertaining. The patronage of Ladies and Children especially solicited;” and admission, five cents.
Was this ever known as the Hippodrome Theatre?
I have an ad from March 1915 for the Hippodrome with the location given as 63rd and Ashland—-no actual address.
Don’t know quite what to make of this one:
From the front page of the January 30, 1911 edition of the Englewood Economist (precursor to the Southtown Economist),there are three short blurbs regarding upcoming acts at local theaters. They list three: the Linden, the Marlowe (63d/Stewart), and the Empress. The first graf reads:
“The master ventriloquist, "Trovello,” is bringing to the Empress (formerly Trevett) theater next week a spectacular scenic ventriloquist novelty entitled “The Little Chauffer at the Boston Road Inn,” which will eclipse any production of this kind ever seen in vaudeville… . “ It then further describes Trovello.
My question is: What was this Trevett (theater) that was around two years before the Empress opened?
There is also a news brief of the same newspaper but from June 1907 that headlines: “Vaudette Still Open” Under that, in parentheses it reads: “Sixty-third street near Halsted)” It goes to describe the bill at the theater. Never heard of this one either. Anybody? Bryan? I’m very curious. If I find out anything else, I’ll post it.