20th Century Theatre

3538 W. Roosevelt Road,
Chicago, IL 60624

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KenC
KenC on December 27, 2008 at 10:34 am

From the Chicago Sun Times movie listings-Friday May 17, 1957: 20th CENTURY 3530 W. Roosevelt Road CHA-CHA-CHA vs. ROCK ‘N’ ROLL “Cha-Cha-Cha Boom!” ALSO IN C'SCOPE! “Gun for a Coward”.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on December 19, 2008 at 5:13 pm

More on the Sears complex:

View link

Many patrons of the Central Park and 20th Century must have worked there and lived nearby. This is the concept that made the neighborhood movie palace a success. It was pretty sharp marketing. Imagine working in a drab industrial setting and being able to walk down the street and hang out in a “palace”.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on December 19, 2008 at 4:48 pm

On a side-note, I still can’t believe that entire Sears complex directly to the north has been demolished.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on December 19, 2008 at 4:45 pm

Looks like it was directly across from the Central Park, which would mean the liquor store was built on the west end of the theatre property after demolition. To my eye the theatre complex also looks like it was directly next door to the vintage building still found directly west of the liquor store.

Broan
Broan on December 19, 2008 at 3:17 pm

http://www.historicaerials.com/?poi=3379 – If you switch to the 1938 aerial, you can see the old auditorium was to the rear of the lot, running parallel to the street. It is gone.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on December 19, 2008 at 3:11 pm

The building to the left is a church.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on December 19, 2008 at 3:02 pm

I think that is a mistaken assumption. The liquor store doesn’t look like an old 750 seat theatre to me.

Life's Too Short
Life's Too Short on December 19, 2008 at 2:47 pm

The church is located at the old Central Park Theatre.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on December 19, 2008 at 2:35 pm

There’s a church and a liquor store at this address. The church looks more like a former theater. Any ideas?

Broan
Broan on October 16, 2007 at 10:32 am

Now I can’t seem to find where I got that information. Maybe not.

Broan
Broan on October 16, 2007 at 9:48 am

Architect Alexander L. Levy