Howard Theatre
1621 W. Howard Street,
Chicago,
IL
60626
1621 W. Howard Street,
Chicago,
IL
60626
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Showing 26 - 38 of 38 comments
I lived in Evanston from the mid60s to mid70s – the Howard was the theatre I went to when films a little less prestigious than the ones B&K played in my city played there. It was just across the border from Evanston, and you felt immediately that you were in the big city.
This was a real working class theatre – no pretense, by this time moldy and a bit smelly, but it had a nice large screen and provided a real movie experience.
In 1963, Balaban & Katz operated these theaters in Chicago, besides the Howard: Berwyn, Central Park, Century, Chicago, Congress, Gateway, Granada, Luna, Morboro (Marbro?), Maryland, Nortown, Portage, Riviera, Roosevelt, State-Lake, Terminal, Tivoli, United Artists, Uptown and Will Rogers. The information is from the motion picture almanac of that year.
Here is a fascinating photo set showing the theatre’s interior during the last years it stood empty. It was in far better shape than I would have ever guessed from looking at the outside:
http://www.mekong.net/random/theatres.htm
My attitude up until this point has been that the building was put out of its misery. Now I wonder if something couldn’t have been done with that old auditorium.
Here is an early postcard view
Here is a profile from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency’s HAARGIS system. It includes a small picture.
It is always a shame to see a theatre demolished. But, it’s a good thing they took this one down. I was worried that the auditorium was going to fall over onto the elevated railway. The roof was torn off in a storm, and the walls had decayed to the point where you could see into the attic from the Howard Street railway station. Plus, people you wouldn’t want to meet (without weapons at least) were hanging around in there.
Did anyone notice the gallery link on the page Bryan Posted in february? There are some cool historical views, like one from the 60s and an original rendering showing what it would have looked like with its extensive stud lighting, now all removed, working, as well as its original marquee and domes (the two-dome style seems to have been very popular around 1917). Also shows the lobby, which I think is a shoe store now. Not sure if the decoration is still there. Does anyone know what was originally above the lobby? The original plans indicate empty space.
Took the train down to the Howard to see the first run of Apocalypse Now! What a memorable place to see that film. (The horror…)
Wow. It almost looks too clean. :–)
http://206.103.49.193/cta/htm/cta0176.htm Here is a photo from the el station showing the side of the Howard circa 1997
I’m trying not to weep. I had no idea the theatre was gone. I watched so many movies there as a child in the middle 60’s and 70’s. I can still remember the smell, even if it had passed it’s prime. It was such a huge part of my childhood. There was a malt shop just east of it. I used to see all the teenagers there when I was 6 or 7 years old and think how cool they were. I haven’t been back there in over 20 yrs.since I moved. How sad.
Tom Stranich
The theatres of my youth in Chicago are all gone! What a shame.
Phil H.
The Howard closed during or before 1976; some print reports in later years said that the city had shut it down over health code violations. By then the vertical sign and ornate marquee had been removed, replaced by a plain oblong marquee in shades of brown, very similar to the dark blue one in use on the Lake Shore at Broadway and Belmont at the time.
The new marquee was removed around 1978 or ‘79, after a plan was announced to convert the building into a mixed-use development called “The Howard,” probably inspired by the then-successful “The Main” in Evanston. The theater would have been restored under this plan, most likely as a music or stage venue. Apparently the financing did not work out and the project never got underway.