Cinema Annex
3210 W. Madison Street,
Chicago,
IL
60624
3210 W. Madison Street,
Chicago,
IL
60624
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Additional Info
Architects: Sidney Lovell
Previous Names: Kedzie Avenue Theater Annex, Kedzie Theater Annex, Annex Theater
Nearby Theaters
This theater opened in July of 1912, as the Kedzie Avenue Theater Annex, located on W. Madison Street at N. Kedzie Avenue in the East Garfield Park neighborhood. It was constructed next to the Kedzie Avenue Theater (later Kedzie Theater), a very popular vaudeville and motion picture house opened three years earlier. Unlike the Kedzie Avenue Theater, the Kedzie Avenue Theater Annex featured movies only. The theater was designed by architect Sidney Lovell, and could originally seat around 900, but was later reduced to 750.
In 1943 both the Kedzie Theater and Kedzie Theater Annex were acquired by Charles Lindau who also owned the Garfield Theater and Louis Theater. The Kendzie Theatre Annex was remodeled in 1946 and was reopened in 1947 as the Annex Theater, featuring Italian-language movies. It was renamed again in 1949, as the Cinema Annex. By the late-1950’s, it was screening sub-run films, the last films shown before closing in March of 1959 “The Bravados” and “The Story of Esther Costello”.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza Apartments were built on the site of the Cinema Annex and Kedzie Theater in 1972.
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June 14, 1926 print ad as Kedzie Annex added courtesy Monicka Montiel-macias.
Feb 01, 1961:
ROSSEN TAKES OVER ASHLAND AVE. THEATER
John A. Rossen, chairman of the Chicago chapter of the Fair Play for Cuba committee, is president of a corporation operating the American theater at 8 N. Ashland, it was disclosed this week.
Rossen is the former Communist party organizer who once operated the Cinema Annex theater near Kedzie and Madison, which specialized in the showing of Russian films, many criticized as being Red propaganda.
Rossen, who was a columnist for the Daily Worker, Russian propaganda newspaper, also publishes the Maverick, regarded as a pro-Communist newspaper.
Rossen is listed as president of Empresas Latinas Inc., chartered April 12, 1960, to show Latin and Spanish films at the American theater. Julio Partillo is secretary-treasurer and Fred Rodrigues is manager. Both were associated with Rossen at the Senate theater after he left the Cinema Annex.