Guild Theatre
717 W. Sheridan Road,
Chicago,
IL
60613
717 W. Sheridan Road,
Chicago,
IL
60613
1 person
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Alfred Hamburger Theaters, Essaness Theaters Corp.
Architects: John Edmund Oldaker Pridmore
Previous Names: Pine Grove Theatre, Panorama Theatre, Little Theatre, Essex Theatre
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Opened as the Pine Grove Theatre for the Alfred Hamburger circuit in April 1915, this Lakeview neighborhood theatre was located on W. Sheridan Road, between North Broadway and N. Pine Grove Avenue. On December 21, 1919, the theatre was renamed the Panorama Theatre. When it was acquired by the Essaness chain in 1929, the theatre was again renamed, this time as the Little Theatre. The name was returned to the Panorama Theatre from 1932-1939, but after that, became the Essex Theatre.
By about the late-1950’s, the Essex Theatre was known as the Guild Theatre and closed February 22, 1964. It was later demolished, and in the 1970’s, an apartment complex was constructed on the site of the theatre.
Contributed by
Brian Wolf, Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
An august 18, 1927 article says architect JEO Pridmore did an addition bringing this building to the sidewalk. Probably after this it was renamed.
It opened as the Pine Grove Theatre for the Alfred Hamburger circuit. It was not named Panorama until 1920. It was renamed “Little” upon acquisition by Essaness in 1929. It then returned to the Panorama name from 1932-1939, and became the Essex from then on.
If the Essex closed in the mid 50s, it reopened in the late 50s. This theatre was operating at least through May 1963 under the name GUILD. From the Chicago Sun Times movie listings, Wed. May 1, 1963: GUILD 717 W. Sheridan Rd. 549 0117 ORIGINAL UNCUT VERSIONS- Adults Only At 7:00 “LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES” “LA DOLCE VITA” At 8:55.
Thanks BWChicago & Bryan Krefft for clarifying the Guild/Essex locale & history. Though it apparently was not in the building I originally thought it was, I’ll have to take a look next time I’m down there.
My recollection is that Pine Grove starts/intersects off of Broadway North of Sheridan. So if the building was supposedly between the two streets, I’m not sure how or where. Unless I’m mistaken and Pine Grove is West of Broadway at that point. I always get Pine Grove & Clarendon mixed up. But I think Clarendon is East of Pine Grove.
Concerning the closing date, the Guild was still open when my family moved around the corner on Pine Grove in October 1961, though I believe it had closed by the time we left the neighborhood in 1969. Offhand I can only recall seeing one film there, a re-release of /The Mouse That Roared/.
Concerning the location (see 9/11/08 comment), the theater was on the south side of Sheridan Road (which runs east-west at that point) between Broadway and Pine Grove, closer to the latter. Pine Grove is parallel to Broadway, one block east.
Last ad for the Guild in the Tribune looks like February 22, 1964, with “Lost Souls” and “Nature’s Playmates” on the screen. By April the venue was presenting live theater as the Hull House Sheridan, which appears to have lasted only through the end of that year.
The Pine Grove Theatre opened in 1915, and the April 17 issue of Motography provided this effusive description of the new house:
May 11, 1937 photo added credit IDOT Chicago Traffic Photographs (University of Illinois at Chicago). It is an enlargement courtesy of Neil Arsenty, from the below original link with full size photo.
http://collections.carli.illinois.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/uic_idot/id/541/rec/10
LakeView Historical Chronicles link with additional history, floor plan of the Pine Grove and others.
http://www.lakeviewhistoricalchronicles.org/2011/05/theaters-past.html?fbclid=IwAR3JroNfxVrQ7kN1kOz4IzeDb9jBslhge4QWOFIO6lm0uP9GB1qzC-6qJ34
Reopened as Panorama on December 21st, 1919. Ad posted.