Jeff Theater
4750 N. Milwaukee Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60630
4750 N. Milwaukee Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60630
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This small neighborhood theater opened at the start of 1915 as the Casimir Theater. It disappears from listings in 1923. By 1937, it had been renamed the Jeff Theater, for the Jefferson Park neighborhood it served. After closing in 1950, it became home to the Magic Carpet Shop in 1951. The building still stands, covered in pink stucco.
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
The Jeff is still listed in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook. I believe this is the year that it closed according to the book ‘Historic Movie Theatres in Illinois 1883-1960’ by Konrad Schiecke.
My earlier description is inaccurate. The building in question is actually this one: LINK
Recent photos of this theatre are HERE
I went by this place a few days ago and it looks as if it’s going, as in being demolished, and taking a few adjacent addresses with it. No doubt future Milwaukee Ave redevelopment.
I maintain no great loss. Because, I was never in full agreement that particular bldg still had any part of the old JEFF Theatre still intact. Really, I scrutinized up close front and rear (not inside I admit), and believe it’s entirely post-JEFF construction. Or at least it was. Sorry.
No, no great loss.
But it was unquestionably the same building.
Examine the Satellite Photos. Comparing to the Sanborn maps that showed the outlines of the building when it was the Jeff, the current building has the same exact footprint and is also single story. It has a clear-span roof that would be necessary for a theater but offer no advantages for offices. Unless someone tore it down and built the exact same thing in its place, it is the same.
It appears that the building is being transformed into space for a new realty office. Their website is www.bigshouldersrealty.com . The interior appears to be gutted; I couldn’t see inside well enough. But its lineage should be more obvious now.
I spoke to the realtors and they intend to do a partial restoration while transforming it into their offices.
A recent photo showing the intact ceiling can be seen on page 10 of this PDF: View link
I found a vintage interior/exterior photo in a book recently: http://flickr.com/photos/bwchicago/3131793386/
I like the tag line on that vintage ad. A “Safe” Place for Your Family.