Follies Theater
450 S. State Street,
Chicago,
IL
60605
450 S. State Street,
Chicago,
IL
60605
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previous Names: London Dime Museum, Gem Theater, Follies Burlesque
Nearby Theaters
Formerly the London Dime Museum, which was in operation from at least the early-1890’s, managed by ‘Captain’ John White, and featured a vaudeville house on the main floor and an ‘oddities’ museum on the upper floor. The building became the Gem Theater in 1908. It was renamed Gem Theater. In 1929, the Gem Theater began to feature burlesque in addition to movies. It stood directly across the street from the landmark Second Leiter Building, later the first Loop home of the flagship Sears, Roebuck, & Co. department store (now located at Madison Street and State Street).
By early-1950, the name of the theater was changed to the Follies Theater, also known as the Follies Burlesque. It lasted until 1972, when the management started showing hard-core pornography in order to keep in operation. It reopened in 1974 for legitimate theatrical use, but after one performance, the theater was closed again. “Deep Throat” was showing here in 1977. The Follies Theater was destroyed in a fire on January 4, 1978.
Today, the enormous Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago’s main library building, is located on the site of the theater.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft, BWChicago
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Recent comments (view all 26 comments)
Circa 1940 photo courtesy of Darla Zailskas.
Link to the Tribune’s story on the Follies fire.
On November 14, 1974, the Follies was one of four Chicago adult theaters targeted by a bomber or bombers.
1970 photo added courtesy of Jack McCabe.
9/16/77 Sun-Times movie section added with the Follies ad in the lower left hand corner. Note they used “D-T' for "Deep Throat”. This also helps date the previously posted photo with “Deep Throat” on the marquee. So the Overview can be changed from 1975 to 1977 as far as the showing of that film at the Follies.
Image courtesy of Tim O'Neill.
Post fire 5/19/1978 photo added credit Karl H. Lemke.
1978 pre-fire UIC library Digital Collections photo.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/uicdigital/7980059123?fbclid=IwAR0LU4zlKVO1xV7mHHB9hzV7KJTNDb7_6-KMKP2ZGkLGbIVdB3HUiIK4Vbg
Update: The fire that destroyed the Follies Theater was Wednesday January 4, 1978. Following day Chicago Tribune news coverage and image added.
Video of the Follies marquee lit at night in 1966.
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/lighted-signs-advertise-a-burlesque-theater-in-chicago-news-footage/1270653476?adppopup=true&fbclid=IwAR1TSKMCmHufUCaTK-gafSLGsiAjkIM-UQpRly09Qoxgvh0pXITwJfIZM-0
Follies marquee can be seen in the below film “The Street” 1953.
https://www.gospelfilmsarchive.com/street.htm?fbclid=IwAR0MqWt6g0kVsdn7tE3xj1gIcaX3G4R4dra1qYe0xjj5xLlpoDZFZI37Ve4
Follies Theater in 1966 at the 0:54 mark in the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIqz4cLuD50