Victory Theater
824 E. 47th Street,
Chicago,
IL
60653
824 E. 47th Street,
Chicago,
IL
60653
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Ascher Brothers Inc., Gollos Brothers, Schoenstadt
Previous Names: Vista Theater, Pix Theater
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News About This Theater
- Sep 16, 2004 — Sy Hirsch Reflects on Memories of the Victory
The Vista Theater was built in 1914 in the Grand Boulevard neighborhood of Chicago, on E. 47th Street near S. Cottage Grove Avenue. The Vista Theater was located next to the Neo-Classical style South Side Bank & Trust Company building. In 1923 it was taken over by the Ascher Brothers circuit. In 1937 it was renamed Pix Theater when it was taken over by the H. Schoenstadt & Sons circuit.
In 1945, at the end of World War II, the theater was renamed the Victory Theater, and continued to operate at least through the 1950’s. A fast food restaurant is now located on the site of the theater.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
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The Victory has been demolished for a long time now. The marquee read simply ‘V’. A Popeye’s now occupies the site.
The Vista was built in 1914. It was a rather intriguing building, as it had alleys to either side of it, a garage behind the building, a dance hall of almost equal size to the theater on the same level, and a billiard hall upstairs.
This theatre is listed as the Pix in the 1950 phone book.
If it was listed as the Pix in 1950 then it had gone back to an earlier name. The January 30, 1942, issue of The Film Daily said: “Chicago’s Victory Theater, formerly the Pix, has reopened after extensive modernization.”
Early `50s photo added credit The Trolley Dodger. Victory Theater marquee on the far right.
Was any Popeye cartoons shown there? It appears the tramline out front, seen in the photo is gone too!! Does anyone know where that tram ran too and from on that tramline and the years when it started and finished running?
The bank(name unknown?) seen in the photo too, is still there though.
davidcoppock: It looks like the trolley car was running on Line 28, the Stony Island route. From October 15, 1916, through June 29, 1951, it operated along 47th Street between Lake Park Avenue and Cottage Grove Avenue. The route ran from downtown to Stony Island Avenue and 94th Street.
Line 47 also ran on 47th Street. It provided local electric streetcar service along 47th between Lake Park Avenue and State Street from 1895, and was extended west to Kedzie Avenue in 1896. The route was converted to buses in 1951.