Drake Theatre

My Dad worked here as an usher. He said that this theater was unusual because when one entered the auditorium, one was actually facing the audience.

Correction to the above. My Dad said that another theatre had this feature. One entered the Drake facing the screen, as in most theatres. However, the Drake was in an "L" pattern with the foyer fronting Montrose Avenue and the auditorium was behind the bowling alley. This accounts for the unusual gap between the bowling alley and the city's alley.

Architect was E.P. Rupert.

When originally announced, it was said to have a 2,200 seating capacity with a mezzanine and balcony. Seating figures usually weren't that inflated; was the balcony plan scrapped? It also was said to have a working stage.

I have a radar that picks up on former theatre buildings, and it was activated by this address about two weeks ago. It looks like the Drake's retail and apartment block still stand. I think there is one column of the theatre's front wall remaining on the west wall of the apartment and office block. Useless trivia I suppose...

Yeah, looks right to me. Odd that they tore down the lobby section though, in most situations like this they seem to just send the cars straight through it.

Here's a photo of the Drake in 1967, from BusTalk.net: http://gallery.bustalk.net/displayimage.php?album=471&pos=23

Pretty cool. Wonder what they were using it for at the time?

You can also see half a sheild at the top of that column, the last remnant of the terra cotta.

Drake Bowl is also gone, having been replaced by a multistory condominium building.

On another note, does anyone know if the building at 3630 West Montrose was a theater or ballroom? Sure looks like it.

thanks mp775 for providing the link to a photo of the theater . The gallery is centered around buses but it is loaded with great photos of Chicago neighborhoods and intersections in the late 60's.


I used to bowl at Drake Bowling alley when I was a kid in the mid 70's. In the late 70's The owner of the bowling alley name was Matt and his daughter's name was Barbara. I don't think the lot next door was technically the lot for the bowling alley. I know the owned lot was west on Montrose and on the South side of the street. It had a sign that sadi parking for Drake bowl.

I remember the theater building but mostly because of the store fronts. I was never in an area I would recogize as a theater. One of the stores was a beer can collector store. He didn't have a lot of beer cans, now that I'm older I have no clue how he stayed in business.

I forwarded the link photo to a friend of mine last night, who lived in the neighborhood and worked / lived at the bowling alley. At one time he was in 7 leagues in a week.
He told me that there was a rumour in the neighborhood (in the 70's)that the buildng's basement had been sealed off during remolding and that many films remained in the basement.

I don't understand the post from above about a "radar that picks up on theater buildings" by Life's too short but it might be possible that there is a small treasure under that parking lot.

Geraldo time to dig out another vault

NEWS ITEM:
Chicago Daily News, Tuesday, January 6, 1942, p. 11, c. 4:

PORTAGE, DRAKE, ADMIRAL JOIN B. AND K. CHAIN
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Three new theaters have joined the Balaban & Katz chain. All are locatd on the Northwest Side and have been under the B. & K. banner since the first of the year. They are the Portage at 4050 Milwaukee avenue, the Admiral at 3940 Lawrence avenue, and the Drake at 3548 Montrose avenue. All three are now undergoing minor operational transitions and will offer the latest cinema advantages to neighborhood audiences.
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Here is a photo of the new drake

Hi Mp775 could you please repost the link of the Drake in 1967? I tried the above link but it didnt work.
Thanks!!
Becky

See BWChicago's post right above yours. It was the same photo.

A Wurlitzer theater organ opus 1359 style SP 3M was installed in the Drake Theater on 6/9/1926. Status: Repossessed by the manufacturer.