Garrick Theatre
64 W. Randolph Street,
Chicago,
IL
60601
64 W. Randolph Street,
Chicago,
IL
60601
11 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 78 comments
I seriously doubt Garrick, the British playwright, is one of the faces. That is unless he was added on later. The building was built, if I remember correctly, for a German theater group. Most likely all the faces would have been famous Germans. Also, the theater only became the Garrick a decade or so after it was built, so it would seem odd that a British playwright would be on a German theater building. I’m not saying its improbably, just seems unlikely.
Regarding the Second City building: maybe the second facade from the right is David Garrick? Here is the photo again as was previously provided: View link
A thought for consideration: the third facade face from the left in the 1919 photo might be David Garrick, who was a famous British playwright of the 18th century. (Perhaps the original Garrick Theatre facades are not necessarily all of famous Germans.) Here is information regarding David Garrick: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Garrick
Perhaps one of the famous facade faces was actually a man with the last name of Garrick — this is only my guess. If that’s so, then maybe he was a famous playwright, because there’s also a theatre named the Garrick in London. It would follow to reason that people might want to name more than one theatre (in various locations) in honor of a famous playwright of that name.
Here is a link regarding Johann Wolfgang Goethe, who was also famous and was friends with the famous Friedrich Schiller: View link
In the 1919 photo link previously provided by BWChicago, it can be seen that originally there were at least 10 relief bust medallions set into the Garrick, (which can be viewed in larger size by clicking on the photo itself a couple of times, and then waiting momentarily while the computer adjusts the focus.) Here it is again: View link
Undoubtedly, one of the men represented here was Schiller. It was probably Freidrich Schiller, because in the attached additional link I’ve just found and added here, it tells that there is a memorial for him in Lincoln Park, and that a postage stamp was made in his honor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Schiller
FYI — regarding my last comment, and in particular, the Symphony Hall photo link attachment: I realized after posting it that once you have opened the link for the photo, if you click on the photo itself a couple of times, then a small orange box with four blue arrows will appear in the lower, right-hand corner. Then, if you click on that small box, the photo itself will appear larger, and then you can view the names I was referring to. Here is the link again: View link
In answer to the questions regarding the identities of the famous German nationals on the facade, I think I may have found the answer, for the following reasons. The other week, I was walking past the Symphony Center building (formerly known as Orchestra Hall). It is, in my opinion, a sort of sister building to the Garrick, because it has archways above the entrance, and also because it has the NAMES of famous German nationals etched in stone above the archways, which are the following: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Wagner. Here is a picture of the Symphony Center, although the names are not visible in this photo. The names would appear in a larger photo: View link
By the way, the Symphony Center has been designated a national landmark, since 1994.
(I would like to give thanks to Jesus for providing the answers to difficult questions, when we ask them of Him.)
The Chicago History Museum has many close up photos in their research center of the Garrick Theatre that can be viewed. It is well worth the trip to go and see from the photos just how beautiful this building really was. Even as it was being torn down, it was determined that the building was structurally sound and could have been converted for other purposes. Among the photos are included some of Richard Nickel, as well as John Vinci, who were part of the preservationist team. I just found out on the internet (and the readers will be very glad to know), that Mr. Vinci continues to work as an architect and preservationist. His firm is Vinci/Hamp Architects. He spearheaded the project of moving the old Chicago Stock Exchange trading floor to the Art Institute in Chicago. You can view breathtaking photos of their restoration work (including the old Chicago Stock Exchange trading floor) on their website at www.vinci-hamp.com
Here is a vintage postcard view
Also, the description of this theater is based an an erroneous comment I made earlier; the Schiller’s name was changed to the Garrick in 1903 following an 1898-1903 stint as the Dearborn Theater (this, too, should be listed in prior names). The Garrick name came from the Shuberts, who named it after the famed British actor and his namesake theater.
I might have a photo of them somewhere, if you drop me an email (click my name). They were removed in one of the theater’s several renovations, well before the theater’s demolition.
Thank you BW Chicago.
Most helpful!
I believe Bock was responsible for the main sculpture on the interior were lunettes above the boxes on the sides. Over the left hand boxes was “Homer, ‘The father of poetry,’ surrounded by listeners-a bride and her love, a mother and her babe, a warrior and a tiller of the soil-all apparently absorbed in the utterances of the poet. In one upper corner is an allegorical representation of Art, and in the other a representation of Music. Over the right hand boxes is a representation of Schiller mounted upon Pegasus, led by Genius and followed by representatives of terpischore, drama, and the muses. The figures in the corner representing Strength and Beauty respectively.” I seem to recall that the original plans called for statuettes within the boxes as well but these were not executed.
The exterior busts were sculpted by Frederick Almenroder.
Does anyone recall the type of interior sculptures Richard Bock created for the Schiller Theater?
Where they Shakesperean characters?
Thanks!
Call letters of broadcasting stations in the east routinely begin with a “W”, but the BKB stood for Balaban & Katz Broadcasting.
Does any one know what the call letters W B K B stood for?
NEWS ITEM:
Chicago Tribune, Sunday, March 31, 1957, s. 7, p. 13, c. 4:
THE GARRICK WILL REOPEN ON APRIL 18
The Garrick theater will reopen Thursday, April 18, with the midwest premiere of “Fear Strikes Out,” the picture based on the life of Jim Piersall, outfielder for the Boston Red Sox. It stars Anthony Perkins as Piersall and Karl Malden, former Academy award winner. Norma Moore and Perry Wilson are featured in the dramatic story of a father’s obsessive drive to achieve his own thwarted desires thru his son.
First published as a biography with the same title, it became a best seller and later appeared in condensed form in one national magazxine and serially in another.
The Garrick, one of Randolph street’s first stage and motion picture theaters, was converted into a television studio-theater for WBKB and later WBBM, in August, 1950. Prior to its conversion it presented top Hollywood films.
Many persons will recall the 1920s and 1930s when the Garrick was one of the outstanding legitimate theaters in Chicago. Among the early stage attractions presented at the Garrick was Theda Bara in “The Blue Flame,” Fay Bainter in “East is West,” Ina Claire in “Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife,” and Jane Cowl in “Juliet.”
HEre is a photo of the Garrick ornament as installed at the Second City.
The office building was called outdated, and B&K saw a parking garage as more profitable.
What exactly was the mechanism that led to the Garrick’s destruction. Did B&K close it because someone offered them a ton of money for the property (or the owner, if the owner was not B&K)? Did B&K decide that they had too many screens for the downtown market at that time? What was the deal?
To add to the list of recently lost Sullivan buildings, the Harvey House in Chicago burned a week after the Wirt Dexter Building. It was the last of the frame houses built by Adler and Sullivan, and Frank Lloyd Wright most likely had his hand in its design.
Here is an article from the Fort Wayne Sentinel dated 12/31/03. Apparently the Garrick patrons were unaware of the terrible fire engulfing the nearby Iriquois, which took 600 lives:
HOW PANIC WAS AVERTED IN GARRICK THEATER
Chicago, Dec. 31-One of the largest audiences ever seen in the Garrick Theater, which is on the same street as the Iroquois, less than one block distant, sat in complete ignorance of the awful tragedy which was being enacted, 200 feet from where they sat.
When the fire engines commenced to patter past the Garrick, Manager
Schubert became fearful lest the impression that his theater was on fire should spread in the audience. When the intermission between acts came he ordered the doors closed and refused to allow any one to pass in or out, as he was determined that no knowledge of the fire should reach the audience.
Wilton Lackaye, the star of the play now being presented at the Garrick, stepped before the curtain and entertained the audience for over five minutes with a witty speech, which kept his hearers in continual laughter. The orchestra contributed its part toward diverting the audience and the curtain rose for the next act without anybody other than the theater employes knowing that hundreds of lives were being sacrificed almost next door to the Garrick.
When the people filed out of the Garrick they were greeted at the door by men and women, who anxiously scanned the faces to see if any of their friends were among them. They looked for members of their families and acquaintanceswho had gone down town simply to attend a matinee, without stating to what theater they had intended to go. There were many scenes of joyful recognition and astonished members of the Garrick audience were hugged and kissed in frantic delight by their relatives who up to that time had believed it possible that they were a ghastly pile of dead lying within the doors of the Iriquois Theater.
With regards to Melder’s comment above, we have lost yet another Sullivan landmark building. This was the one in the 600 South block of Wabash and contained the closed George Diamond Steakhouse. The fire was the same cause as the Pilgrim Baptist Church—careless use of a blowtorch. It was still smoking a few days later and service on the adjoining CTA L lines—the Green and Orange—had to be suspended for nearly a week.
The demolition of the Garrick was one of the turning points in the preservation movement. Unfortunately, it looks like the lessons have been lost as we are losing landmarks at an even faster rate. In the 1960s, famous buildings were lost to parking decks. Today, it’s to condos and chain retail (ie the Adelphi, the Esquire, and probably soon the Gateway).
Here is a postcard view.