Metro Theatre

The Metro was actually between Christiana (not Spaulding) and Kimball Aves. a bit closer to Kimball. It closed around 1953.

This was originally the first Terminal theater, listed under that name on this site. That page should probably refer only to the second Terminal, at 3315. The first Terminal was designed by Henry L. Newhouse.

Thanks Brian. I was a bit confused by the references to the two "Terminals." The Terminal I knew growing up in the late forties and fifties (going back several decades as shown in a picture of this theater on this site) was the large theater on the South side of the street (with the large vertical marquee), while the Metro was on the North side closer to Kimball Ave. When did the Terminal change its name to the Metro?

Here are some recent photos of the first Terminal/Mode.

It has always appeared to me that the store occupies former lobby space. My best guess is that the auditorium is used as a storage area.

The Terminal on the South side of Lawrence avenue-- which I believe Brian's front view photo shows-- entered directly into a large lobby, so your guess that the store at front represents lobby space would be correct. The actual auditorium was further back from the lobby and then entered to the left (east); so it would have filled up space going east to Spaulding avenue (about 60 feet to the east of the photo showing the front of the theater, and about 50 feet back-- south-- from Lawrence avenue at the front).

Looking at the Satellite view, we can see that the lobby was roughly the same depth as the surrounding storefronts. So if you compare the depths of stores in the building you should be able to tell. Since the store doesn't kick over to the side like the auditorium does you're probably right. It looks like the roof of the auditorium was built sort of oddly too.

That map was very helpful Brian. I've been confused about Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and the Metro, believeing that the Terminal on the south side of Lawrence near Spaulding avenue was one Terminal, and the Metro I knew from childhood (small theater on North side of Lawrence just east of Kimball, was the earlier Terminal location referred to). But your map, and the picture of the theater front shows up on your map on the north side of Lawrence, between Christiana (where I lved) and Spaulding, a location for the Terminal I never knew existed. The small Metro near Kimball, closed in the early fifties, and its facade can still be seen (much smaller than the one shown in the photo for the first Terminal). Thanks for the map, and for finally helping me to understand the different locations for the Terminal and Metro.

The one shown on the map, on the north side of the street, with the facade that is still there, is the first Terminal theater, which became the Metro when the second Terminal opened. The second Terminal was where the CTA lot is now. Right?

The Metro theater I went to from c. 1948 to when it closed about 1953, was a block west of where you have shown the first Terminal on the map. The Metro I went to was about five or six businesses east of Kimball on the north side of the street, and as shown in the description of the Metro at the top of this page, was a reverse seated theater (you entered the auditorium at the screen side). It was a small theater.

One of the last times I was in Chicago visiting my old haunts, I walked east from Kimball down the north side of Lawrence avenue and found a theater type facade which was in the location for the Metro that I remembered (much smaller than the one that you provided in your frontal photo, shown on the next block east between Christiana and Spaulding on your map). If the original site of the Terminal was the Metro that I went to, it was not on the block that you showed on the map. However, the block that you showed om your map is the one that I knew for the Terminal I went to (shown with the large vertical marquee on the south side of Lawrence as shown in the photo on the Terminal site). If you move the frontal facade photo you provided here, from the north to the south side of Lawrence, then all of the confusion would be resolved.

Everything i've ever seen shows both theaters between Spaulding and Christiania: the Terminal (I)/Metro at 3308 W Lawrence, on the north side of the street, with the facade pictured above, and the Terminal (II) at 3315 W Lawrence, south side of the street, adjacent to the CTA terminal, now the site of the Village Discount Store.

The Terminal (I) is pictured in a 1915 Tribune article, the same facade shown above. A 1918 movie listing shows the address as 3308 W Lawrence. A 1926 listing shows that when the Terminal (II) opened, the Terminal (I) became the Metro. A July 1, 1952 listing, likewise shows the address as being 3308 W Lawrence. The final listing I can find for the Metro was July 31, 1952, showing Just This Once and The African Queen.

The Terminal (II) is pictured in a February 1925 advertisement selling bonds, with a Greek facade and the auditorium and stage running along the street east to Spaulding. The 3315 W Lawrence address appears in a Fox Theaters ad in 1929. The last listing I can find for the Terminal is April 18, 1963, as a 50-cent house showing "Sweet Bird of Youth" and "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?"

Brian,

I called my cousins who are about ten years older than me, and who regularly went to the Terminal and Metro through the Forties and Fifties, and they confirmed that you are correct-- the Metro was across the street from the Terminal on the same block, not as I remembered it on the block west of Christiana. I was about 8 to 9 years old when the Metro closed, and my memory was playing tricks on me-- the block I remembered going east from to the Metro was actually Christiana and not Kimball. My cousins thought that the Terminal probably moved across to the south side of the street to use the much larger auditorium there (the Metro was small and without any balcony to my memory).

I'll add my two cents here. Here is the story as I have always understood it:

The first Terminal Theatre was the reverse theatre on the north side of Lawrence (opened maybe teens, early twenties). It was a succesful operation which was later replaced by the larger more elaborate Terminal on the south side of Lawrence Avenue. At that time the name of the first Terminal was changed to Metro. The Metro was the first to go, closing late 50's maybe. It was converted to retail (the capacity in which it continues to function today). The second Terminal was closed in the 60's and demolished. The first Terminal (Metro) today looks much as it does in Brian Wolf's pictures above. The site of the second Terminal today is a pretty drab, brown retail building (like a supermarket or flea market) along with parking. It is the structure just east of the CTA property.

99.99999% sure that is the fact of the matter. But those THSA guys in Elmhurst could tell you for sure. THSA is the mother ship when it comes to theatre info.

That seems to be the picture; but I remember the Metro closing in the early fifties rather than late fifties. I can set the date of its closing fairly closely, because I remember waiting for the movie "Superman and The Mole Men" to arrive at the Metro, which the manager had told me was coming there-- this was in circa '53 at the latest, and the Metro closed within a year of that time.

Well, "Mole Men" came out in 1951. I would guess that it did close at the beginning of July 1952. It makes some sense that they would close at the beginning of a month. When I say it was the last listing, I mean that it was in that day's paper and not the next. So unless there was a temporary closing, that was probably it.

Good to see we all finally agree! :)

Hello.

I have some bad news, as of Wed.27,Sept.2006 The auditorium section of this Building Collaped, due to gas!. What will happen to this building is unknown?. I'de like to know if there are Any Pictures of this Building and it's Auditorium when opened around 1915 or before it closed in 1953?.

Thank you very much, Jerry L Saunders, Jr. Elgin,IL.

Really?! Wow, that's very unfortunate.

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_271161054.html
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_270210728.html
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/76552,collapse092806.article
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/75096,CST-NWS-boom28.article

Hi jlsii and Brian,

Thanks for the info on the collapse. Do you know if the collapse affected the building which housed the Metro-- 3308 vs. the reported collapse at 3318?

Brian-- thanks for all of the info on the old and new Terminal you provided here. It was good to talk to my cousins and, together with your info, to finally get it straight :)

It appears that it was the auditorium that collapsed, but the storefronts were mostly unaffected but may be demolished anyway.

I don't believe the collapse was due to roof deterioration. If that were the case, I think that we would have seen a lot more such collapses. A large number of old cinema buildings exist in marginal states of repair throughout the neighborhoods of our large U.S. cities. But it is not too often that something like this happens.

I do actually have copies of a couple small pictures of the exterior and interior from 1916.

I went by the site the other day, and it really is a mess. They have not done any demolition work yet, and the back wall of a few of the stores has collapsed. I don't see it standing too terribly much longer, unfortunately. It was an attractive building.

Brian,

If you can link to the pictures online, I'd love to see them. I have memories of the interior from the early fifties, but it would be great to see it at its prime.

Sad to hear that the building will soon be history.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11826414@N00/tags/terminal/ . You'll have to look at the newspaper images full-size to discern them.

Brian,
Thanks for the photos.

If you're ever in Springfield, look me up. I have a home theater in my basement, complete with velvet motorized curtains, an 8 foot screen, and 6.1 surround sound. We can talk about Chicago cinema palaces, and movies in general. I have a film library of several hundred films of all genres for viewing; so you can take your pick. It would be nice to share our love of movies, and movie theaters, together.

Best,
Richard

Hello All!.

I have Some Sad News!.
The Metro is being Demolished, National Wrecking Co. has Started today-
Monday.16,Oct. 2006.
It is so sad to see this Lovely Building Go!.
There has been Problems with the Building's Owner and the City, But the Building has lost it's battle in the End!.
Anyway, I will take some Pic.s if I can and Post.

Thanks, Jerry Saunders, Jr.

A friend of a friend of a friend of mine from the area says that in the days just before it collapsed the tenants were screaming at the owner to do something. Apparently the walls were cracking and bricks were falling. The story also goes that the city has been after the owner for years. Apparently the alderman values the historical buildings along Lawrence Avenue and has been heard to say that at least the facade will be reused. All in all a very strange situation.

Hello- Life's To Short!.

You are Right. I was there Today taking Pictures. I too heard that if the Building can't be saved the Facade will be Saved!.
I hope this Building Passes City Insp. I would hate to see this Biulding go.
The Owner was there as well. Also, The Tenants will be allowed back in some Stores along Spaulding Ave. I will post Pic.s in a Few days..


Jerry L. Saunders, Jr. Elgin, IL.

Thanks Jerry

I went by there. It looks like they're just removing the collapsed portion, for now at least. I say this because there was no scaffolding on the facade, which there would certainly be if it were all being demolished.

As of this morning, the auditorium is gone, along with the back walls of all the storefronts. I agree that it looks like the storefronts and façade may be saved; there is only construction fencing along the alley, not on the Lawrence or Spaulding building frontages.

Here are photos of this theater.

Thanks for the photo collage of the collapsed building. The photos seem to be c. two months old. What's the latest status of the restoration?

The two stores closest to Spaulding, which do not back up to where the auditorium was, have reopened. The remaining stores remain boarded up, both in front and in back, and the Tae Kwon Doe parlor on the second floor also looks like it has not reopened. There is no evidence of reconstruction going on, but it isn't exactly construction season right now.

Thanks mp.
With yours, Brian's, and other peoples' reports, I feel like I'm there keeping up with the work. It helps keep me feeling connected to the home of my roots.

Correction to my 12/5/06 post - three stores are open, Asiana Outlet Store, Asia Hosiery, and Fabulous Food Mart. There are now signs saying "Lot for Sale, 3300-3314 W. Lawrence." The owner says he is not sure yet if he is going to rebuild, tear the building down, or leave it as-is.

I wonder how many law suits were actually filed.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE ad announced on Thursday, December 31, 1925 that the Metro theatre (formerly the Terminal), 3308 W. Lawrence avenue, had opened on that date. The "new" Terminal theatre opened in 1926.

I took a walk on old Lawrenceavenue last night and saw the ornate building the Metro was housed in. Lawrence Avenue is still a street of small businesses. It's honorary name is Seoul Drive, but this is a misnomer because the presence now is overwhemingly Hispanic. The City is dynamic: Heraclitus might have said you can't step into the same neighborhood twice.

The two remaining stores in the Metro have closed.

Hmm, not good. Thanks for letting us know.

There is a notice of water service termination posted on the door of one of the stores, and it looks like some interior demolition has begun. Also, the restuarant north of the theater on Spaulding has closed, with some interior demolition going on. Interestingly, the fence around the rear of the property has been removed, and there are a couple of murals (or at least very elaborate graffiti) on the back of the building.

There's a building permit application filed with the City for 3300 W. Lawrence: ERECT 6 D.U. WITH (2) FIRST FLOOR OFFICE SPACES MASONRY BUILDING. 6 EXTERIOR PARKING SPACES ON CONCRETE PAD. 5 FEET HIGH 9 FEET BY 4 FEET MASONRY TRASH ENCLOSURE ON CONCRETE PAD WITH GATE. 74 LN. FEET OF 6 FEET HIGH WOOD FENCE. CONDITIONAL PERMIT. SUB. I didn't find a demo permit in the system for the existing building, so maybe it's staying after all.

Hello All-

As of this Writing the Metro is Coming down, Demolition started last week!(18, Feb.2008).




Jerry Saunders, Elgin,IL.

I still don't see a demo permit for this, but it is indeed being demolished. Coverage is at http://achicagosojourn.blogspot.com/2008/02/lawrence-avenue-demolition.html , and Here and here

It's there:

3300 W LAWRENCE AVE
Description: WRECK AND REMOVE A TWO STORY COMMERCIAL BUILDING.

Total Records: 2
Discipline ApprDate Status
FINAL DATA REVIEW 02/20/2008 APPROVED
FINAL DATA REVIEW 02/20/2008 APPROVED

First-class demo job, too. You can jump from the sidewalk right into one of the windowless storefronts and land in the basement.

It's gone.

Wish they had save the front of the building.

If you have $21,500.00 you can own a piece of the facade of the former Terminal/Metro Theatre:
http://www.urbanremainschicago.com/item.aspx?itemID=1579

Here's one of my pictures of the demolition of the Metro/Terminal in March 2008:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bruce_theatres/3552353919/

The Metro always showed movies made by independent film makers...
When I was about 8 years old in '45, I put a penny in the automatic pop machine that cost a nickel... and to my surprise a cup came out
and filled up.,when I took it out... another cup came down and filled up...and then another, and I got scared and went back into the movie expecting the theater was going to be flooded. That was the last time I ever tried that!