Bismarck Theatre

1252 N. Milwaukee Avenue,
Chicago, IL 60622

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Bismarck/American Theatre, Chicago, IL

Viewing: Photo | Street View

In business decades before the better-known Chicago movie house with the same name in the Loop (the former RKO Palace and current Cadillac Palace), this little movie house was opened as the American Theatre in 1907. It closed five years later. In 1915, it reopened as the Bismarck Theatre but closed again two years later. It reopened in 1923 again as the American Theatre and lasted until 1927, when it was converted to retail use.

The Bismarck was located in the Wicker Park neighborhood on Milwaukee Avenue at Ashland Avenue. The building still stands today but is currently vacant.

Contributed by Bryan Krefft, Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 6 comments)

lostmemory
lostmemory on May 15, 2009 at 10:57 am

GabeDF thanks for letting us know about the filmed segment of Lanny Ross. It was very enjoyable

lostmemory
lostmemory on May 15, 2009 at 10:58 am

I didn’t post the above comment but I am posting this one.

1982 Photo

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on May 15, 2009 at 11:57 am

That picture is of the downtown Bismarck on Randolph St, Which is now known as the Cadillac Palace.

lostmemory
lostmemory on May 15, 2009 at 12:09 pm

Thanks Trolleyguy. I’ll post the photo on the Cadillac Palace page.

Broan
Broan on March 9, 2011 at 11:37 am

This is likely the oldest standing movie theatre in Chicago.

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