Irving Theatre
4003-5 W. Irving Park Road,
Chicago,
IL
60641
4003-5 W. Irving Park Road,
Chicago,
IL
60641
2 people
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Essaness Theaters Corp.
Architects: Jeremiah J. Cerny, John Adolph Emil Eberson
Nearby Theaters
Opened September 1, 1917, at the corner of W. Irving Park Road and N. Pulaski (then Crawford) Road, near Independence Park, the Irving Theatre survived until around 1970 before closing, and was demolished sometime later.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 23 comments)
It says “IRVING THEATER PROPERTY”. So obviously the building was named after the owner, and not the theater.
Pulaski was Crawford, I think. It does say “Race Theater building”. I guess the Irving was in the Race Theater building, which is kind of odd.
Just to confirm, Pulaski becomes Crawford Ave. in Lincolnwood, North of Devon Ave. I think Pulaski is 3600 West.
The City of Chicago is who renamed Crawford Ave. after Casimer Pulaski. So it remained Crawford Ave. North of the city.
Irving Park Road or Blvd. is 4000 North.
I too saw “Night of the living dead” at the Irving, must have been in 68 or 69, gosh I was like 8? Very scary. But I thought the “Exorcist” at the Commodore (early 70’s?) was even more scary.
(I now reside at Stateville CC)
This opened on September 1st, 1917. Grand opening ad here.
The theater was in the Race Hotel, a large, residential hotel that also housed Andie’s Candies and a restaurant. I’m not sure what name is most correct, but it was more known as “Race Hotel” than “Race Theater building” in the neighborhood.
Although the address is a little bit off (I believe Chicago shifted some addresses in the late 1910s-early 1920s) an item in June 17, 1916, issue of The American Contractor could be about the theater that opened as the Irving. It was a three story hotel and theater building for A. Y. Race, at 3946-3956 N. Crawford Avenue. It was 132x175, and was designed by architect Jeremiah J. Cerny. Cerny was also the architect of the Essanay Studios, where Charlie Chaplin’s early movies were filmed, and which is now a designated Chicago landmark.
Going Tuesday 3/6/2018 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to see an old Vincent Price movie Last Man on Earth. His daughter will be at the showing. Saw the movie the first time in the spring of 1965 at the Irving Park Theater in Chicago at the cost of 25 cents.
As I can recall, after the theater was sold and demolished, a Mobil gas station was built there. I can remember they had a new style of gas pumps. They were round, like a cylinder.
This was likely an early John Eberson work, as the American Terra Cotta Index notes for this building, “Records list both Cerny and Ebertson”. Eberson likely handled the theater portion of the building.