Crawford Theater
19 S. Pulaski Road,
Chicago,
IL
60624
19 S. Pulaski Road,
Chicago,
IL
60624
2 people
favorited this theater
The Crawford Theater opened on March 14, 1914 in the Garfield Park neighborhood on Crawford Road (now Pulaski) at Madison Street, and at the time, was that neighborhood’s most lavish and largest movie house.
It supposedly cost over $150,000 to build. The Crawford Theater was originally operated by the West End Amusement Co. but was shortly thereafter taken over by the Lubliner & Trinz circuit.
It once contained a pipe organ and could seat almost 1,300.
After the opening of the huge Marbro and Paradise Theaters not far away in the late-1920s, however, the Crawford Theater began to decline in popularity. The Crawford Theater was part of the Essaness chain during the 1940’s and 1950’s.
Renamed the National Theater by the 1960’s, it was last screening Spanish-language and kung-fu films. The Crawford Theater continued to operate as least through the 1960’s before closing. The building no longer exists.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
If memory serves me the CRAWFORD theater was renamed the NATIONAL in the 60s showing low budget spanish & kung-fu type movies.
Does anyone agree with me.
I’ve heard of theatres giving away dishes on certain weeknights in the 30s, 40s, even the 1950s. This caught my eye and surprised me: From the Chicago Tribune movie listings on Saturday, April 1, 1939: CRAWFORD 19 S. Craw. “STAR REPORTER” “NEXT TIME I MARRY” 3 CREAM SOUPS FREE At One Time to Ladies Paying Evening Price.
In 1960 it was still listed as the Crawford in the Chicago yellow pages.
Can’t be sure which was the last film I saw here at CRAWFORD;
either
THE INNOCENTS (Deborah Kerr) 1963
or
THE HAUNTING (Julie Harris) 1961
those 2 old spooky (for my young age then) B&W titles’re now running together in my distant memory
(July 24, 1947) LICENSE DRIVE HITS 7 LOCAL MOVIE HOUSES
When the city’s drive on license violators hit theaters last week, seven West Side movie houses made quick amends in their admission prices. In view of speedy corrections of the violations, Judge Cecil Smith discharged the cases.
Theaters affected and their maximum prices were: Tiffin, 4045 North, 40 cents; West End, 121 N. Cicero, 40 cents; Byrd, 4730 Madison, 40 cents; Symphony, 4921 Chicago, 40 cents; Crawford, 19 S. Crawford, 40 cents; K and C, 306 S, Cicero, 25 cents; and the Plaisance, 466 N. Parkside, 40 cents.
I think they showed the Mexican vampire flicks even in the early 60s.
Saturdays were wonderful at the library and the Crawford next door followed by a soda in the 1950’s. Great times.
I’ve never seen a picture of this theatre. I barely remember it from my youth, and I would love to see a picture to remind me of what it looked like.
BEWARE, DANGER LURKS ON EVERY STREET CORNER IN THAT AREA NOW AND HAS FOR OVER 40 YEARS !!!!
There are good areas and bad areas of Garfield Park. This is not a bad area – there’s business and new development. How are you judging danger?