Normal Theatre
456 W. 119th Street,
Chicago,
IL
60628
456 W. 119th Street,
Chicago,
IL
60628
1 person
favorited this theater
This Art Moderne style movie house opened on March 21, 1936. The theatre was located in the West Pullman/Roseland neighboorhood, on W. 119th Street, at the intersection of S. Normal Avenue. The Normal Theatre operated through the 1980’s, but unfortunately has since been torn down and is today just a vacant lot.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 17 comments)
ROSELAND PEOPLE:
ARE YOU AWARE OF THESE ROSELAND MESSAGE BOARD LINKS?
http://www.gromak.com/phpBB2/index.php
http://www.chicagosnapshot.com/board/index.php?
MIKE C.
Listed at 456 W. 119 in the 1954 yellow pages. Phone number was COmodor 4-9132.
I’ve uploaded a 1953 photo of the theatre.
Trolleyguy; what is the 36 Broadway/Devon trolley car doing at 119th Street on the South Side?
Address is 456 W. 119th St. Whoever put 452 as the address may have got it wrong. Unless the address was changed in the 90’s, but I don’t think so. If you look at the photos of old show ads they show the address as 456.
Good photo added of the Normal Theatre after closing. Looks like it may have been a church briefly given the signage on the right. Undated photo courtesy of Tim O'Neill.
What is the 36 Broadway/Devon trolley car doing at 119th Street on the South Side? Just taking its regular route that began at 119th & Morgan and ran about 25 miles, mostly on State Street and Broadway until it ended at Devon. This through-routing appears to have lasted from 1937 to 1955, when buses replaced streetcars on the State Street segment. So if you didn’t like the attraction at the Normal, you could go see what was playing at the Granada…
Here is a THSA photo of the Normal
Just added a photo of an advertising flyer from 1939. A Normal Theatre flyer advertising coming attractions from February 25 through March 3, 1939. Double features included Brother Rat & Girls on Probation, Illegal Traffic & Always in Trouble, The Citadel & Adventure in Sahara, Suez & Tarnished Angel. Plus a free Marvel Shaver to every man paying an evening admission for nine consecutive weeks! And starting March 7 & 8, free to the ladies – a Speedy-Clean lifelong chrome cooking utensil set. This flyer lists their address as 454 W. 119th St (at Normal).
1967 photo added courtesy of John Wasserman.