Cosmo Theatre
7938 S. Halsted Street,
Chicago,
IL
60620
7938 S. Halsted Street,
Chicago,
IL
60620
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An article about the Ascher Bros circuit in the March 10, 1917 issue of Moving Picture World had this paragraph about the Cosmopolitan:
Openied September 6th, 1913 Cosmopolitan theatre opening Thu, Sep 4, 1913 – 21 · Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · Newspapers.com
Records of the American Terra Cotta Company indicate that the Cosmopolitan Theatre was designed for Ascher Brothers by the architectural firm of Newhouse & Bernham (Felix M. Bernham.) An item in the August 24, 1918, issue of The Economist said that Henry L. Newhouse was preparing plans for an addition to the Cosmopolitan Theatre.
I met my first wife at the Holiday Ballroom on Halsted in 1966. The same operator also ran the north side Holiday Ballroom in the old Times Theatre on Milwaukee north of Lawrence.
Here is a THSA photo. Here is another. Interesting that the windows actually opened.
A shame the building couldn’t be saved. Wonder how The Sunset Club was? You had a theater that was turned into a nightclub, adjoining shops and offices or apts above. Englewood has no theaters left. They had a lot once. Very sad.
Here is a March 1915 ad from the same source:
http://tinyurl.com/n8v884
Here is a January 1915 ad from the Suburbanite Economist:
http://tinyurl.com/pkdp6n
Here is a 1982 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/d8f6x3
The Aschers sold in April 1923, according to the Tribune:
THEATER, STORES SOLD BY ASCHER; PRICE, $328,000
According to the revenue stamps on the deed, Nathan Ascher, president of the Cosmopolitan Securities company, was paid $328,000, subject to an incumbrance of $90,000, for the Cosmopolitan theater, store and office building.
PUBLIC telephone.
The phone number in 1953 was RAdcliff 3-9452, but since their phone was stolen I wouldn’t recommend trying to call.
From the Chicago Tribune, June 2, 1945:
“THEATER’S PAY PHONE STOLEN
John Camplan, owner of the Cosmo theatre,
7938 S. Halsted st., told police yesterday that
burglars entered the theater thru an open
stage door Wednesday and took a pay tele-
phone from a booth.”