Banner Theatre

Banner Theater was located at one of the busiest triple intersections on Chicago’s Near Northwest Side, in the heart of the historic Wicker Park community. The theater was just around the corner from the confluence of Damen, Milwaukee and North Avenues, in a deep and very narrow building, rather gloomy-looking, outside and in. Two doors to the north was a Chicago fire department station, a hook & ladder company, home to a long, articulated rig, the kind with an elevated rear seat and steering wheel for a tillerman, seated high above, negotiating street corners. Often after exiting the Banner, my kid friends and I would stop at the fire house for a treat of a drink of water from a garden hose attached to a hydrant on the sidewalk out in front. The H & L house was a busy station, and when an alarm came in, or a rig returned from a “run,” the long truck was forced to manuever back and forth for some time, in order to negotiate the sharp turn on narrow Damen Avenue. Firefighters stood in front of the Banner with flares, blocking foot traffic and cars, until the rig was safely in or out of the station’s bay. Around the corner, to the east on North Avenue, was about the only Chinese restaurant in the predominently Polish-American community. As a family, we often took in a week-end movie at Banner, then scooted around the corner for a treat of Chinese cuisine, a great and exotic venture, and quite a change from kapusta and kielbasa and pierogi. (Gotcha?) Both the Banner and the firehouse have been replaced with a long parking lot— Joannie Mitchell, anyone?

The Banner Theatre originally opened around 1910. In 1934 the house was bought by Abe Gumbiner who had it remodeled in a Streamline Modern style, with plans by architect Mark D. Kalischer. Two pages about the project, with before and after photos, appeared in the May 4, 1935, issue of Motion Picture Herald.

Originally to be called “Old Robey Rink”, it opened as Sittners Banner Theatre (see 1910 entrance photo) and the following from the Wicker Park Eagle, Feb 10, 1910:

Old Robey Rink, 1611-15 N. Robey St. is the new theatre which will open its doors to the public. Entirely renovated for $10,000, will contain a large stage with steel curtain and balcony with a seating capacity of about 800. F. C. Smalley, of the Smalley Manufacturing Company 1835 W. Lake St., who has the lease for the theatre, says “nothing but high class numbers will be staged.” Wm. J. Van Keuren with offices at 78 La Salle St. is the architect.