Louis Theatre
108 E. 35th Street,
Chicago,
IL
60616
108 E. 35th Street,
Chicago,
IL
60616
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Alfred Hamburger Theaters, O.C. Hammond & Sons
Architects: Alexander L. Levy
Previous Names: Lux Theatre, Pickford Theatre, Southside Center for the Performing Arts
Nearby Theaters
Originally opened in 1912 as the Lux Theatre. It reopened July 4th, 1914 as the Pickford Theatre with the film “Sealed Orders” for the Alfred Hamburger circuit, the 700 seat Pickford Theatre (possibly named for actress Mary Pickford) once had its own sixteen-piece house orchestra. It was located on E. 35th Street at S. Michigan Avenue.
In addition to movies, like many of the movie theatres in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, the Pickford Theatre featured live performances as well, many of these being jazz artists. In 1938 the theatre was renamed the Louis Theatre, apparently after boxer Joe Louis.
After closing as a movie house in 1965, it was converted into the Southside Center for the Performing Arts in 1967, which was in operation until about 1973. Part of the building later housed a grocery store, but in recent years the former Louis Theatre became disused. It was demolished in early-August 2011.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft, Brian Wolf
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Recent comments (view all 15 comments)
I go to s chool across from that theatre it is still there but is being used for store storage.
Status should be demolished! I have a brick from there they said that they were unable to restore it because it was in too much bad shape! The audiotrium is half way demolished.
The whole theatre is now unfortuatly gone they only saved the arch inside. everything else is gone. Facebook does have a page for the Louis theatre it’s Louis Theatre Chicago Il
It should be demolished staus should be demolished!
There is nothing left staus should be demolished!
The whole theatre is now unfortuatly gone they only saved the arch inside. everything else is gone. Facebook does have a page for the Louis theatre it’s Louis Theatre Chicago Il
Was the first black theatre in America! Pretty amazing!
I remember seeing this theater as a little kid while passing by on the bus heading to the Loop.
I used to go to this theater between 1957 and 1964. It was the first theater I went to when we moved to Chicago. We lived in the projects at 23rd and State St. My mom worked at a textile factory on Wabash near Quinn Chapel Church and may dad worked as a radar man at the Nike Missile site at Burnham Park(31st Street Beach).
The first movie my mom took me to see there was Rodan (1957). I then when on Sat. mornings with my friend, we would walk there down Michigan Ave to see Roger Corman films and Serials.
That is where I watched Steve McQueen in The Blob.
Scared the crap out of me. LOL
You can wonder when that was.