Comments from kencmcintyre

They do look like two different buildings, though.

I’m having a little trouble reconciling the 1948 exterior photo posted on 7/9/07 with the current photos of the building. I’m hoping that we’re not mixing up the Opera House with another stand alone theater called the Smyrna.

Artist’s conception from a January 2009 blog:
http://tinyurl.com/dfzagd

Looks a lot better there than when I saw it a few years ago.

1924 ad on Central Pier can be seen here:
http://tinyurl.com/dxmago

Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/d2mr6f

Here are photos from 1980 and 1986:
http://tinyurl.com/dkb88p
http://tinyurl.com/dmkuo8

Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/d4mxnn

Here is a 1957 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dafdq8

Here is a 1922 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dcznkv

This may be the image Bryan was referring to in 2005:
http://tinyurl.com/ck8jvr

Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/cgwa2d

Here are photos dated 1979 and 1982:
http://tinyurl.com/d9qkmr
http://tinyurl.com/cy2pqj

Here is a part of a 1/14/73 article in the Chicago News Journal:

In 1913 when most neighborhood movie houses were simply converted stores with folding chairs to accommodate patrons and the price of admission was five cents, the newly opened 800-seat Tiffin theater on North avenue just east of Karlov, was regarded as one of the finest outlying movie theaters in the entire city.

This week, beginning Friday, Jan. 19, the Tiffin theater is celebrating its 60th anniversary and is turning the clock back many, many years by offering moviegoers a rare bargain, an admission price of just 60 cents for a double feature. Two excellent films, “Butterflies are Free” and “The Burglar,” will be shown during the anniversary week beginning Friday and continuing through Thursday, Jan. 25.

Partners in the building of the Tiffin theater 60 years ago were William J. Clark, realtor and attorney; George Kappus, a Northwest Side druggist and Vincent T. Lynch, who served as manager of the theater. Right from the start business boomed and moviegoers flocked by the hundreds to the “showplace of the Northwest Side.” It was soon apparent that the building was too small to adequately serve the growing numbers of movie fans, so owners Clark, Kappus and Lynch made plans for a bigger theater. They acquired property at the corner of North Karlov, just west of the original theater building. Taking their cue from the grandiose movie palaces then being constructed in the Loop, the partners built the present Tiffin theater with seating for more than 2,200 patrons.

Looking back over the years, owner Jack Clark, son of William J., one of the original partners in the enterprise, said. “The Tiffin, since the day it opened in 1913 has continued to operate through wars, the big depression, recessions, inflation, the advent of radio and television and lastly, x-rated movies and has survived it all. The reason the Tiffin survived when many others went down the drain has been our policy of offering the best in family movie entertainment at the lowest possible prices. Also, we never gave in to the current fad of showing pornographic, x-rated movies. Our patrons feel they can come to the Tiffin and not be offended by the movies on our screen.”