Julian Theater
918 W. Belmont Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60657
918 W. Belmont Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60657
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The Julian was built for manager J. G. Conderman, who had previously owned a company that produced 40 foot ferris wheels for amusement parks. https://archive.org/details/ShowWorldv4n19/page/27/mode/1up?view=theater
Julian Theater is the third building down on the left in this December 1988 Flickr image.
Enlargeable within link.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/genial23/1434568392?fbclid=IwAR3SIM3Ns4ck4g8VHiH9I6GpvL-c27uNHhdrOi4xqhsFbUqXrQNtreuzYc0
1967 photo of the Julian as a church upper right. Flickr image will enlarge within link.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwilson1949/3164594877/in/photostream/
LakeView Historical Chronicles link covering the Julian and others.
http://www.lakeviewhistoricalchronicles.org/2011/05/theaters-past.html?fbclid=IwAR3JroNfxVrQ7kN1kOz4IzeDb9jBslhge4QWOFIO6lm0uP9GB1qzC-6qJ34
1947 photo added courtesy of Steve Lewandowski.
This page features ornament from the Julian.
This article features a very early photo and description of the Julian, as well as descriptions of the other theaters in the immediate neighborhood in 1911, most of which do not have entries on Cinema Treasures.
I am from this neighborhood, lived in this area from 1946 to 1970 with many visits afterwards. It had a large Swedish population (aprox 10 to 20%) back then. A Swedish social club nearby, with a large pool, opened to the public. And some Swedish restaurants also. Us kids used to go there on Saturday for the matinee. Cartoons, Serials (from the 30s), Westerns etc. We would sneak our guns inside. It was a mad house.
News item concerning the Julian: Chicago American, Thursday, September 5, 1940, p. 21, c. 6:
JULIAN REOPENS SEPT. 14
Chicago’s home of Scandinavian talking pictures, the Julian Theater, 918 Belmont av., which has been closed for several months because the war in Europe caused almost complete cancellation of films, has succeeded in obtaining a new Adolf Jahr feature which might be the last to be seen on the screen of the North Side cinema until the events overseas are cleared. The latest importation, “Only a Trumpeter,” will reopoen the Julian on Saturday, September 14.
Here are my photos of this theater.
Sure, i’ll do that as soon as I get home. i’d appreciate it if you emailed me (click on my name) because any link I post will expire. I think the theatre had a tin ceiling as well, from what I was seeing in the rubble. When I was there, those tin wainscots were covered partially by some cheap pine. It’s really too bad it was torn down, it looked like it would’ve made a nice replacement for the Bottom Lounge, although there’s no telling what kind of shape it was in.
Can you post a link to your photos? We climbed around in the rubble on Sunday, but there wasn’t much to see. Apparently drywall had been put up over the original walls, which were painted green and had some nice mouldings and basketweave circles on them (For lights?) There also was some red hammered tin wall decoration exposed (like that found on the ceilings in many Chicago bldgs) and a few random seat cushions strewn about. We also found some chunks of scrollwork (part of the old facade?), it seemed at one point it had been painted baby blue. Would love to see your pics.
The Julian was one of a handful of early theaters built by James Costen, including the James Costen on E 61st, the New Western, and he also acquired the Ellis (Shakespeare)
In the last few days, the Julian has been in the demolition process. The church has been gone for some time. It appeared to be a rather simple interior, with some plaster ‘frames’ on the walls, and had a small balcony. I have some photos.