The Marbro was designed by Edward Eichenbaum for the firm of Levy & Klein, whose other notable Chicago theaters included the Granada and the Diversey (better known by its later name, the Century), for the Marks Brothers chain (hence the theater's name).
The Marbro opened in 1927 on Madison Street and Karlov Avenue, not far from the spectacular Paradise Theater, which would open a year later. The almost-4000 seat Marbro was at the time one of the biggest theaters in Chicago, and not only drew its audience from Garfield Park, but the whole West Side of the city, as well as the bordering suburbs, all but stifling the competition.
Built in the Spanish Baroque style, including a flamboyant terra-cotta facade, the Marbro wowed first-time visitors with its massive stage and proscenium arch, its soaring lobby (with a two-story marble staircase and small tree-sized European crystal chandelier) and Mighty Wurlitzer organ.
The trade paper, Variety, wrote at the time that "…its beauty is loud, but beauty nonetheless".
Opening day featured a parade with Garfield Park's most prominent businessmen, the Gloria Swanson film, "The Loves of Sunya", and performances by bandleader Benny Meroff and organist Albert Brown. Though critics warned the Marks Brothers that they'd have trouble filling the 4000 seat theater, they were silenced when the Marbro began to draw patrons away from the nearby and longer established 3000 seat Senate Theatre and smaller theaters in the area.
The opening of the Paradise around the block renewed speculation that the Marbro would falter, but the Marbro didn't miss a beat, and in fact, once sound films became standard by the late 20s, it became the favored of the two, since the Paradise was notorious for its horrible accoustics almost from the day it opened (a tragic flaw that ultimately doomed the palatial theater).
On November 1, 1929, Marks Brothers sold the Marbro to Balaban & Katz (along with the Granada in Rogers Park that same day). The theater continued the format of live stage shows and films through the 1940s.
The Marbo's huge size worked against it eventually, and by the 50s, with the popularity of television, Balaban & Katz struggled to keep it even partly filled, and in 1963, it was closed.
Sadly, this magnificent giant was razed in 1964.
Contributed by Bryan Krefft, Ray Martinez
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