During the War Years 1941-1945 and before the Korean War, the Oak Theater not only showed movies of the day but had Stage Shows as well.
This was during the time between the Vaudeville and Television eras, which was called the Golden Years of Movies, but the Oak Theater and a few others in Chicago, were still trying to cater to both the movie and live entertainment audiences.
I can’t remember exactly how many nights a week there was live entertainment but it wasn’t every night like the Downtown venues, the Chicago, State and Lake and the Oriental Theaters. Their stage shows ran seven days a week, several times a day and night, and drew some of the top names in Radio and Movies of the day.
My sister and I were on the circuit that included the Oak Theater with, what was called a Song and Dance Novelty Act, and we played it several times around the end of World War Two. We also played dates on just about every Saturday night at some Elks, Moose, Eagles, VFW or American Legion Hall somewhere in the city, or one of the nearby suburbs. We also entertained at the Naval Hospital at Great Lakes Navel Training Station for the wounded coming back from overseas.
Then came Television and that form of entertainment quickly went away. I left Chicago in 1952 at the request of my Uncle Sam and became a United States Marine, stationed in California, never to see my home town again, but I never forgot the Oak Theater and its dressing rooms back stage, and waiting in the wings to go on. We always got a warm welcome there.
It was the best of times.
This was during the time between the Vaudeville and Television eras, which was called the Golden Years of Movies, but the Oak Theater and a few others in Chicago, were still trying to cater to both the movie and live entertainment audiences. I can’t remember exactly how many nights a week there was live entertainment but it wasn’t every night like the Downtown venues, the Chicago, State and Lake and the Oriental Theaters. Their stage shows ran seven days a week, several times a day and night, and drew some of the top names in Radio and Movies of the day.