Cortland Theatre
3217 W. Armitage Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
3217 W. Armitage Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
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I live right next to it!
Is this the entry you intended?
Found the site: www.fred.krauss.name
Look under Chicago Theaters, then Randolph St
Not much of a photo I’ll admit—fortunately there’re a number of other much better old images to peruse there however, I think.
G. Feret: Thanks for the memories. Things sure keep changing Downtown. I hope someday you can find that photo.
“Nothing endures but change.” Heraclitus (ca.535-475BC)
Bob Jensen: the Chinese restaurant, extremely popular until its' block was leveled early ‘60s for the Civic (now Daley) Center, was HOE SAI GAI, address 85 W. Randolph. Until recently I could find a website w/ someones’s personal old KodaChrome images from downtown Chicago late '50s, that showed this place. Except I can’t find it now!
It was replaced by a parking lot and may have remained so.
Interesting, sounds nice. I’m trying to remember what was built on that spot only to be torn down for the Civic Center, Can’t remember. I do remember the Chinese Restaurant around the corner on Randolph called (don’t laugh at the spelling, but it sounded like) Ho Say Guy.
The Cort was a very intimate playhouse at 132 N Dearborn, now site of the Civic Center. It has sometimes been cited as the first Atmospheric theater and was demolished in 1934.
BWChicago-OK, I will not add an entry for the Cort Theater to Cinema Treasures. Sometimes I wish it was called Theater Treasures. Sure wish for example the Auditorium Theater on Congress in Chicago could be listed on this site but that’s getting into another bag of worms.
Was The Cort a legitimate theater? Do you know it’s location. Seems strange for a WuliTzer to go in that type of theater.
The Cort Theater is listed on Cinema Tour as built in 1909, Status, Closed/Demolished, Style, Italian Renaissance, Arcitect, John E.O. Pridmore.
Anyway, I’m down by Kankakee and you must be up by Chicago so you must know more about what went on than I do. In any event anyone know what happened to the WurliTzer?
“Gee Dad, it "WAS” a WurliTzer!"
The Cort never functioned as a motion picture theater.
I may have errored here, the Mighty WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ, Opus 2, was shipped to the CORT Theater in Chicago, Illinois in 1912, not CORTLAND. Perhaps this calls for a new theater entry on CT, what do you think?
“Gee Dad, where does the WurliTzer go?”
I’ve submitted a new theater report for the Bell at 3064 Armitage; it should be up shortly.
I agree w/ C.Koski because yes there was a(nother) BELL cinema on Armitage Ave, small but w/ marquee I distinctly recall standing (though shuttered) till early ‘60s. However I put it @ 2900 W. street address (bldg long gone now), a couple blocks east of Kedzie
(& Kimball). Who will corroborate?
I should have added, seeing that the roof collapsed and the organ was shipped the same year, I wonder if the organ was installed before or after the roof collapsed? It could have been destroyed when it was brand new! When talkies arrived many organs were removed and installed in other places. Nothing is know if this organ was destroyed or was moved somewhere else. After all we are talking about almost 100 years ago!
WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ, Opus 1, the first one, was installed in the residence of Dr. Woodward in Cincinnati, Ohio. I think this was the theatre that Opus 2 was shipped to in 1912, which would make this the first theatre that a WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ was installed in!
There was a Bell theater on Armitage on the north side of the street in the early 50s it would have had an even numbered address now . It was between Kedzie & Kimball . C.Koski
Interesting, I show the Bell (/theaters/950/) as being located at that address. Perhaps it was rebuilt and renamed?
Another mystery! I have encovered this address from the Library of Congress for the Home Theater: 1539 North Milwaukee Avenue in the West Town community area of Chicago, Illinois.
They have a picture of the building after the roof collapsed into the structure when no patrons were present in 1912.
I think the AKA is inaccurate; the Main/Home has another listing on this site as 4815 W Armitage