Tower Theatre

Technically, it was located in Woodlawn, the neighborhood south of Hyde Park. I lived a half a block away from it when I was a child.

Before the Tower was taken over by Balaban & Katz, it was one of several theaters in Chicago on the Keith-Albee-Orpheum vaudeville circuit, including the State Lake, the Majestic (the Shubert), the Riviera, and the Belmont.

When did it close, and what is now located on this site?

The Tower Theatre opened on April 11, 1926.

Ron, not sure when this theater closed, but it was open at least into the 50s. An address search shows the Tower's address, 1510 E. 63rd Street no longer exists, but a strip mall at 1502 E. 63rd Street is located on the same block as the Tower stood on and was built in the early 80s.

I loved the Tower I went there at least once a week in the late 40's and early 50's I lived on 65 th st I remember when they had the body of the Frankenstein monster laying out in the lobby and during the movie he walked around in the balcony and scared the kids half to death, what fun that was .

The Tower was built on the site of Chicago's first Coliseum, which was part of the Columbian Exhibition, and home of the 1896 Democratic Convention, where William Jennings Bryan made his landmark "Cross of Gold" speech.

How is it that nobody has yet mentioned the 210 foot octagonal tower that made this theater so unique and distinctive? Also, the firm was actually spelled "Fridstein & Company". Fridstein was primarily an engineering firm; they had also built theaters like the Portage, Howard, and also the Coliseum had housed Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show during the Columbian Exposition.

It's a real shame that this is a strip mall now.

The Tower theatre was open at least through October 1956. I suspect it closed soon thereafter. At any rate, from the Chicago Tribune, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 1956: TOWER 1500 E. 63rd Open 5:00 "TRAPEZE" "PROUD AND PROFANE" "SEA AROUND US". It is not listed with the other B&K theatres on the south side; I'm guessing that when the theatre was not all that profitable in its latter years, Balaban & Katz sold it to an independent. Same thing happened to the Lakeside, Pantheon, Howard, and other theatres in Chicago.

Does anyone have a picture of the Tower that you could email me

I have some great drawings, but i'd need your email. Mine is there if you click my name.

To marilynw: In the book "IMAGES of AMERICA - The Chicago Movie Palaces of Balaban & Katz" by David Balaban, you will find pics of the Tower theatre(and many other B&K theatres- neighborhood and downtown). On page 86, there is a drawing of the outside. It's nice, but even better- on page 87- there are two great photos. One is of the auditorium- 3,015 seats, according to the text. The other photo is of the marquee, the street, and the elevated tracks. Looks like the tracks are just a few feet away from the theatre. On the marquee: SEE AND HEAR HAROLD LLOYD IN WELCOME DANGER. Then a sign : BALABAN & KATZ. On the other side of the sign, more marquee letters: THE WHOLE SHOW ON THE LIVING SCREEN.

Here is a 1925 photo from the Chicago Daily News showing the Tower Theatre under construction. You can see in this photo what KenC mentioned above about how close the "El" tracks on 63rd Street are to the front of the theater.

Man, what a wild design.

That is pretty neat. I have never seen a full profile of the Tower before. I wonder if the two towers were clad with building materials, or if they simply mounted signs on them?

NEWS ITEM:
Chicago Daily News, Wednesday, June 5, 1940, p. 23, c. 7---
COMPLETE 'GWTW' FOR NEIGHBORHOODS
The most-talked-of picture ever filmed, "Gone With The Wind," begins its one week only engagement in the neighborhoods on Friday, June 7, when Balaban & Katz books the technicolor classic into the Tower Theater, 63rd street and Blackstone; the State Theater, 5814 West Madison street, and the Riviera Theater, Broadway at Lawrence.

It will be presented complete and intact, as it is being shown in the Loop.

Reserved seats for the engagements are on sale at special box-offices in each theater and mail orders are being given prompt attention. Seats are reserved for the evening performances which start at 8 pm and for the Sunday matinee, which will begin at 2 pm.

Week day matinees will be continuous from 10 am. Patrons may come as late as 2 pm and see a complete matinee performance.

Interesting Tower Theatre photo sent by a friend of mine from 1960. Unfortunately, the image is not centered on the theatre.

http://www.chicago-l.org/trains/gallery/images/6000

Scroll down and open this document:

cta6338.jpg

There's an aerial photo from 1962 that shows the theater's footprint, so it was demolished sometime between '60 (when the above CTA photo was taken) and '62. Interestingly, the theater's adjacent retail and apartment spaces appear intact at least until 1972, when another aerial photo was taken.

My memories of growing up in Woodlawn are very strong. I attended Scott Elementary eight years and then went to Hyde Park H.S. I think it was an honor to be raised among the diversity of culture which surrounded the community.
The Tower, the Kimbark, and the Lexington were all entertainment mainstays for our family. I was a toddler taken to Gone With The Wind, and Frankenstein laid out in the lobby is special to me to this day.
Richard