Tivoli Theatre

I became interested in the name TIVOLI when I worked at a Milwaukee area hotel which had a restaurant with this name; they had no idea where the name came from, so I did some research, especially since it had also become the name of a number of theatres. It was popularized in the 19th century by the famous Tivoli amusement park and gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark founded in 1843 in imitation of the famous gardens and palaces of the Italian ruling princes of the 16th century, the Estes, who built the famed Villa d'Este palace in the region of Tivoli, a popular tourist attraction to this day. Thus, the pleasure-assuring name was thought auspicious by the developers of theatres, theatres being the pleasure palaces of the masses of their day.

This is akin to the common theatre name: RIALTO, for the famous enclosed Rialto bridge of 1591 in Venice, Italy over the Grand Canal, which to this day contains many amusing boutiques and is at the heart of an entertainment district. The distinctive architecture of the Rialto bridge also inspired many latter day architects, and perhaps found its forms reproduced in some movie palaces. A monograph on the origin of theatre names was presented at the 1981 Conclave of the Theatre Historical Society of America then meeting at the PABST theater in Milwaukee, but the origins of the above names and others were not known by the author of that paper. Perhaps this will add a little bit to that quest.

Two large, magnificant chandeliers from the Tivoli auditorium now hang in The Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago, on Central Ave.

Here is a link to a photograph from 1928 showing a parade at 63rd and Cottage Grove, with the marquee of the Tivoli visible in the background, and in the foreground, the signage of the neighboring Cinderella Cafe is seen. From the Chicago Daily News collection of the Library of Congress.

Here is that link to the photo I mentioned in 11/03 (hopefully this one doesn't expire):
http://chsmedia.org/media/dn/08/0860/DN-0086071.jpg

Here is a link to an excellent picture of the Tivoli
http://www.maildogmanager.com/page.html?p=000001XDDtjKF79ccbkAUjuDGJ1ZYEGZF8

A view of the Tivoli's proscenium and stage can be seen here.

The following is from an article in Variety dated 1921:

New Tivoli Called "Finest Theatre"

Balaban and Katz's $2,000,000 Masterpiece Opens.

Source: Variety, February 1921

"What is generally called here "the finest theatre in the world," opened, when Balaban & Katz revealed the new Tivoli, at Sixty-third street and Cottage Grove avenue, a 4,500-seat house costing more than $2,000,000, eight miles from "the loop." To lay eye [on] the interior of the Tivoli makes anything ever seen on this continent in the way of theatre look inferior.

The Keith Circuit sent John Royal, manager of the Hippodrome, Cleveland, and Claude S. Humphrey, local representative, to see the Tivoli and report, as the new Keith Cleveland house, is of similar model.

A 55-piece orchestra, an organist brought here from California and many individual features in film presentation were shown. Vivian Holt and Lillian Rosedale, vocal harmonists, especially engaged, appeared in a marvelously staged song creation, "Hiawatha's Melody of Love," and were applauded to the fartherest [sic] echoes of the huge enclosure.

There is room in the grand lobby, which is in two stories, for 3,000 waiting patrons. The promenades are vast and luxurious. There is no straight wall expanse within the whole building. Lovers' lane and lighted niches and cozy nooks are embellished with art works. The entire structure is of palace plan rather than theatre model. Thousands of lights, projected and concealed, give myriad effects. By color arrangements the entire auditorium is lighted up, yet has the necessary effects for film projection usually accomplished only in darkness.

The opening was the biggest in Chicago history, fully 20,000 people gathering at the premiere. Business started and has remained capacity".

Does anyone know what stands in the Tivoli's place now?

The site the theatre sat on is still vacant. I drove by it a couple of years ago after visiting the Science and Industry museum and don't recall seeing anything there. In case you're not familiar with the area, it is a very bad neighborhood.

Here is a 1923 Chicago Daily News photo of the Tivoli

I looks like there is a dollar store in its place now. Can anyone confirm that?

As a younb boy from 1936 to 1940, I lived in the 63rd street area..mostly around Cottage Grove, St. Lawrence, and a few other streets I can't recall. I was born on Dante Ave. I do recall the Tivol and attneding a movie there on at least one occasion. Most of all, I remember being on the street car and passing the Tivoli lit up in all it's splendor. The sad thing, is it is not safe to even go to that area anymore. But for all of you who were not fortunate to be part of the great movie theater era...you can sit in front of your one eyed monsters in the living room or pay $8.00 to attend one of the 10 to 20 cracker boxes in the things they call theaters now.
Doug Bruton Denison, Texas

Well as a street kid of the forties and fifties I've probably been in every theatre on the south side includeing this one.It was kind of out of the way for me but occassionly I went there. It was a very nice theatre,but being from Englewood which had the Southtown as an example it did nothing for me! I remember taking a girl there to see A Walk in the Sun with Dana Andrews and God I hated that movie. War stories always seemed to give me a headache. It might of been the Flashing light of the cannon fire. That movie seemed like it went on for ever! She liked it.I felt like, somone please SHOOT ME!!!!
Chuckie Z.

From JAZZ AGE CHICAGO, here is an interesting article about a black dentist who sued the owners of the Tivoli.

http://chicago.urban-history.org/ven/ths/th_ar21.shtml

Here is a photo:

http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/SouthElevated/cottagegrove-tivoli.jpg

In the book "CHICAGO INTERIORS" by David Garrard Lowe, there are some really nice pictures of the Tivoli, Central Park, and Uptown theatres (pages 44 to 49).

Here is a postcard view of the lobby

It is hard to believe that this neighborhood, which is now so devastated, once had things like the Tivoli Theatre and Trianon Ballroom.

Regarding the discussion of what now stands there:

I was under the impression that there is a Social Security office on the theatre site today.

I think that it is not even an office but a parking lot.

Famed "Schmeling-Louis" fight film shown at Tivoli---

NEWS ITEM:

Chicago Daily News, Friday, June 26, 1936, p. 36, c. 1---

FIGHT FILMS OPEN AT B-K THEATERS

The Joe Louis-Max Schmeling fight pictures, complete from beginning to end have been booked in as extra screen attractions at eight Balaban & Katz theaters starting today. In the loop the pictures will be shown at the Roosevelt and Apollo theaters; west side Marbro; south side, Tivoli and Southtown; north side, Granada, Varsity and Uptown. The pictures showing the knockdown in slow motion, also start at the Regal theater on the south side on Sunday

NEWS ITEM:
Chicago Daily News, Tuesday, February 4, 1936, p. 18, c. 3:
TIVOLI HAS ANNIVERSARY
The Balaban & Katz Tivoli theater, the first of the large de luxe neighborhood theaters, will celebrate its fifteenth anniversary during the week of Friday, Feb. 7. Although there doesn't seem to be any great importance attached to theater birthdays, it is interesting to know that the Tivoli, when built, set the pace for the pretentious movie house of today.

The stage show for this event will be unit Mo. 5 of the Major Bowes amateur group. This group has never appeared on any other Chicago stage before. It will be their local debut.

The screen attraction for Anniversary week will be Lloyd C. Douglas' "Magnificent Obsession," starring Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor.

I went to the Tivoli Theatre a total of three times. All in 1962 to
see their live stage shows. I remember in March of 1962 I saw the fantastic Jackie Wilson (still my all-time favorite performer.) He was even better then he was on Dick Clark or Ed Sullivan shows. The next time I went was in May to see Clyde McPhatter and Laven Baker. Also on the bill was Pigmeat Markham. The third and last time was to see Della Reese, Adam Wade and Billy Stewart. They had a poster in the lobby that Dinah Washington and Dick Gregory were to appear at the next live show, but this never happened. I believe by the end of 1962, they were closed. It was still a beautiful theatre,
but they never had the talent roster that the Regal Theatre on South Parkway had. I believe that the Tivoli was more adult oriented, and the Regal was more for younger people.

This is off topic, but if anyone has any links to exterior shots of the once nearby Trianon Ballroom, I'd appreciate them.

The only shots I can ever find on the web, are the same color drawings of the interior on postcards. But nothing of the outside. Thanks.

Reactivate Notification Status.

I've only ever seen two exterior photos of the Trianon, and one of those only has the building's marquee and radio transmission towers ever so slightly in the background (find it in Max Grinell's book on Hyde Park). The other is a good shot taken from a building across the street that can be seen in William Kenney's book Chicago Jazz: A Cultural History. Hope this helps.

There is a photo of the updated Tivoli marquee visible in a different book called Chicago Jazz, by Sandor Demlinger.

Thanks for the Trianon info. I'll hunt down a copy.

From the Chicago Sun Times movie directory dated Saturday, May 9, 1959: Redecorated-Refurbished for Your Enjoyment! TIVOLI "THE 3 STOOGES" ON OUR STAGE- IN PERSON! Open 10:30 A.M.- Show Starts 11:30 A.M. FREE "CROONOLAS" to First 500 Kiddies! (Huh?)

Google has a "Croonola" as some type of "sub-musical instrument" in a December 1959 New Yorker article link.

P.S. Given it's the same year as the Stooges visit, a Croonola must have been the current fad.

Thanks, David. My first thought was some kind of candy bar or edible treat...guess not. I wonder how many youngsters showed up that day.Hope that beautiful palace was at least half full.