Englewood Theatre
726 W. 63rd Street,
Chicago,
IL
60621
726 W. 63rd Street,
Chicago,
IL
60621
3 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 33 comments
December 25th, 1949 grand opening ad for its modernization.
Here and Here are THSA pictures.
Undated photo added courtesy of Keith Scott.
Here is a 1921 view of the Stratford and Englewood.
I am writing the first book from the American point of view about 19th century rotunda panoramas. These were the biggest paintings in the world, 50 x 400=20,000 square feet, housed in their own rotundas which were 16-sided polygons. Chicago in 1893 had 6 panorama rotundas and 6 panorama companies.The Reed & Gross panorama company was located in Englewood along the Rock Island Railroad within easy walking distance of the home of attorney Howard H.Gross (1853-1920).From September 1885 through September 1888 the Reed & Gross company produced every 90 days a panorama of THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG or JERUSALEM ON THE DAY OF THE CRUCIFIXION for cities from coast to coast and beyond. I seek vintage photos of Englewood that might show the 5 story 16-sided panorama studio.Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps would not represent Englewood until 1894. I have much info to share from the pre-cinema era.
On Friday, April 24, 1959, The Englewood (along with many other theatres) was showing “HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL”. From the entertaining ad in the Tribune movie directory: TODAY- The Whole Town’s HAUNTED! 1st RUN! CHICAGOLAND Premieerie! ACCLAIMED THE SUPER-SHOCKER OF THE CENTURY! FIRST FILM WITH THE AMAZING NEW WONDER EMERGO…..THE THRILLS FLY RIGHT INTO THE AUDIENCE! Nominated for 13 SHOCK AWARDS! On Thursday, the movie ad advised ‘See it with someone with warm hands!’ I saw it across town at the Uptown;it seemed like every seat on the main floor was taken. “HOUSE” was also playing at the Granada, Century, Congress, Gateway, Imperial, Marbro, Avalon, Capitol, Jeffery, Peoples, Ramova, and many more…
Here is a March 1915 ad from the same source:
http://tinyurl.com/m94fck
Here is a July 1915 ad from the Suburbanite Economist:
http://tinyurl.com/o6a7hg
Here is a 1982 photo of the Englewood:
http://tinyurl.com/dejg78
On Sunday, February 12, 1922, the Englewood Theatre ceased being a burlesque house and began showing motion pictures exclusively, starting with ‘Hail The Woman.’
An interesting item from the Southtown Economist of Weds., June 20, 1928:
TO STAGE PUBLIC WEDDING
Wedding bells, with the necessary ring, license and minister furnished by the management, will sound for the adventurous couple who are chosen by Harry J. Bryan, manager of the Englewood Theatre, to be the principals in the public wedding which will be staged at the theater Thursday evening of next week.
Any couple in Southtown who contemplate marriage late this month is eligible for the contest. The wedding is to be no trial or companionate affair, Mr. Bryan assures, and the winning couple must be, he said, most serious in their intent. All names to be entered in the contest must be left at the theater by the end of the week.
The wedding ring, a platinum band studded with diamonds, has been donated by Holland’s Jewelry Store, 6351 So. Halsted St., A floor lamp with an onyx-trimmed base and an elaborate silk shade is to be given by the Becker-Ryan* company. Other donations, although the list is as yet incomplete, will include frocks for the bride’s party and the bride, furniture and other articles.
For the ceremony, which is to take place during the regular evening performance, the theater’s organist will play the Wedding March, and a minister, to be selected by the management after a conference with the prospective bride and bridegroom, will read the wedding service. This is the first public ceremony to be staged at the theater.
*Note: The Becker-Ryan company, a department store, occupied the 63rd & Halsted corner where Sears, Roebuck was later located. According to the Southtown Economist, the ceremony took place between Harriett Anderson, age 16, 6350 So. Racine Avenue, and Ralph G. Mixer, age 19, 524 W. 72nd St. The married on Thursday evening, June 28, 1928.
RogerW
As I mentioned before, the firehouse is still there. The college has plans to open it up as a restaurant, as part of their cuilinary program. Our Lady of Solace is still there too, but I think they changed the name to something else.
My church wasn’t so lucky. It was torn down to make way for one of the may curving streets that led to nowhere. Many people lost their homes to “urban renewal” and the community lost a large portion of it’s good citizens.
You’re so right about the westerns! When we were coming up, they were everywhere, books, magazines, serials, and full-length movies.
My older sister and my father called them “shoot ‘em ups” and all three of us were fans.
I also agree with you about Kelly Library. The new libraries being built are really nice, but even with renovations, Kelly Library is still awesome and makes you want to lower your voice when you step inside.
Flickchick, That sounds like quite a map. I have not set foot on MDW since ‘01. On 62d Street I recall the firehouse at Green, and Our Lady of Solace at Sangamon ? I recall walking to Kelly Library I think on Saturday mornings. (Very quiet inside & kind of intimidating). One book I remember taking out twice but could not read more than a few pages…too many big words. A few years ago I bought a used copy of that book just because. The title is “War Paint and Powder Horn,” a western. Likely a carryover from my Sat afternoons at the Ace & Empress & the movies of Johnny Mack Brown, Buster Crabbe, Lash LaRue, & Sunset Carson. Wha’ chu' think ?
RogerW
It’s not really dangerious where I live. Most of the residents are more struggling, poor people than they are criminals. As a matter of fact, the criminals are people from other places…anyway, enough of that.
Wow! You really have lived in a few places in Englewood. The only time I remember going west of Halsted was to church. I went to Bethel Lutheran Church on Sangamon, not too far from the firehouse.
I loved Kelly Library. My father would take me there every two weeks to pick our three books. I also remember going to some programs there once or twice on Saturdays(puppet shows, book readings). There were so many wholesome things for kids to do when they weren’t in school. Unfortunenately, things have changed so much. A hardworking man/woman can’t afford to put their children in programs like the ones that were free for us or only costs a small amount.
Someone told me recenly that a restaurant by the airport (Midway)has a map of the old Chicago neighborhoods hanging on the wall at the entrance. I plan to go over there one day for lunch and check it out. I’ll let you know what I find.
Flickchick,
I am aghast. I did not think we were still in Englewood…reality being what it is, unfortunately, it would be extremely dangerous, and impossible to live a “normal” life. And yes, it appears the Englewood boundaries have been extended. I’m not sure but west of Ashland may have been Ogden? (Lawndale ? Chicago Lawn police sta is at 63d & Lawndale; & Gresham near 83d Halsted ?). I lived all over Englewood…5916 Halsted; 658 W.62d; 6529 Morgan; 6316 Racine; had Times routes 63rd-64th Eggleston; 63d-65th Peoria-Halsted; 63d-67th May-Aberdeen. My first library card (1946) was Kelly-Normal Branch.
RogerW
I have been trying to tell people that what they call Englewood now is wrong. They go too far south and too far west, all the way to Western. Do you remember what they used to call the neighborhood west of ASHLAND?
I live on Normal Blvd (between Halsted and Princeton)up the street from the Kelly Library on 62nd and Normal. There are white people also living on Englewood Ave, Parnell, and Eggleston. There’s also a white couple and their children living on Garfield, just east of Halsted. You meet people at the alserman’s community meetings. There are also Hispanic people living in Englewood. We all get along just fine.
Flickchick…where you live? I last visited my old haunts about 20 yrs ago. I recall my room at Beale school had a huge map of Englewood with borders of 55th, 74th, State, and Ashland ???
On the contrary, there are many Irish, German, Italian people happily living in Englewood, like at my house for instance!
I too walked many times from 59th street to 63rd & Halsted, and later from 62nd & Union (before Union went thro'). Many saturday afternoons in the Ace and Empress. In my teens saturday afternoons at the Planet 76th & Racine, thence Sunday afternoons at the Southtown. Got lots of phone numbers. Its a real shame the neighborhood has grown totally hostile to Euros.
This from the Chicago Tribune of January 3, 1920, Pg. 17:
“Chicago’s outlying burlesque theater, the Englewood, at 726 West Sixth-third Street, which has been in successful operation for around seven years, has been sold by Thomas Gaynor of Los Angeles to E. Thomas Beatty, manager of the house since its opening, for an indicated consideration of $160,000. The playhouse seats 1,300, is fireproof, and is one of the most attractive in the city. The lot is 88'x124'.
Mr. Beatty is part owner of the American Burlesque association, which operates a “wheel” throughout the country. He also operates the Linden, a movie directly accross the street from the Englewood, and about 55 feet east of Halsted; the Harvard, at Sixty-third and Harvard, and the E.A.R. at Sixty-ninth street and Wentworth avenue"
Mr. Gaynor owns the southeast corner of Sixty-third street and Halsted, 123'x110', which is leased at an unusually high figure, even for that corner, the figures of which have just become public"
Boy, that is a little different than the block looked in the 80’s.
A 1930s video clip of the Englewood is available by searching http://www.wttwdigitalarchives.com/searchres.php for 22275
I spent many hours sitting in the dark at the Englewood watching movies. It was great. I could walk to it from my house on 59th. I miss the neighborhood, the way it used to be. I would love to see a marquee of the Englewood from the old days. If anyone knows where I can get one, please let me know.
Recently I was on 63rd & Halsted, or rather as close as you can get to it now. They are building the college there now, so most of the streets are blocked off. It all looked so strange … no more SEARS, Wieboldts, etc. If the bank building wasn’t there, the intersection could have been anywhere.
I just heard they are closing Carson’s on State St. downtown. Add that to Marshall Field’s becoming a Macy’s store and pretty soon State Street will be almost hard to recognize as 63rd & Halsted is now.
I visited and photographed the Englewood around 1990. The building appeared to be structurally sound, and not suffering from an advanced state of decay at that point.
It is my understanding that the entire shopping plaza built as an effort to bring back 63rd and Halsted has been demolished now, leaving a barren wasteland.
It is a shame that they couldn’t have found a use for at least the exterior of the Englewood, similar to the conversion of the Belmont Theatre on the city’s north side.
Here is a profile from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency’s HAARGIS system. It includes a small picture.