Roscoe Theatre
2042 W. Roscoe Street,
Chicago,
IL
60618
2042 W. Roscoe Street,
Chicago,
IL
60618
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The earlier posts about Sussex and Reilly are correct. If you go through the alley, you can still see the original back of the building. When I was a kid (I grew up a few blocks away from the theatre), the building was already the German club, but if I remember correctly, the facade still retained the red, white and blue ceramic tiles, which I presume were from its theatre days. My mom used to go the the Roscoe growing up. Across the street was Hoffing’s Dept. Store (where the Village thrift store is now). I hope someone turns up some pictures.
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the 1923 link above is incorrect: Here
This is the second theater on the site.
1923 Sanborn Map
1950 Sanborn Map
From the MSN Live Map, it looks like the auditorium was replaced by condos.
The above mentioned realtor Sussex & Reilly, is listed at 2044 W. Roscoe.
I’m quite certain it’s the same building, with a newer facade at street level. Again, I’ll try and ask to see the rear portion when I’m down there next.
From the Chicago Tribune, 12/9/56:
In a reent conversion, just completed last April, the venerable old Roscoe Theater, 2044 Roscoe Street, became the social hall and headquarters of a German-American club, the Schleswig-Holsteiner-Saengerbund. Buying the theater and obtaining the materials to convert it cost approximately $50,000, since the members did their own work, except for certain technical skills.
Club official Eugene Erbach said the effort was well worth it, as the 74 year old club now has an ideal showplace for its choral concerts and a neighborhood social club for its 200 members. A dance floor of some 3,000 square feet, and a terrace above it provising some 4,000 square feet, allows plenty of room for club activities.
Side walls have been improved with paintings of old country landscapes, and the projection room of the old theater has been converted into an auxiliary meeting room, Erbach said.
I drove by this address today. It appears to be rather large, older brick structure, that had a newer facade was put onto it. So possibly the original theatre building is what was converted. The entire first floor retail space is home to Sussex-Realty.
There are a couple floors of apartments above that. I’ll inquire at Sussex if it is the original building.
Since it is even numbered, it is on the North side of Roscoe.
Listed in editions of Film Daily Yearbook 1941 thru 1950 as the Roscoe Theatre, 2046 Roscoe Street, with a seating capacity between 650 and 690.
Conrad Schiecke’s book ‘Historic Movie Theatres in Illinois 1883-1960’ states: ‘It opened as the Seeley Theatre, 2046 Roscoe Boulevard in 1914. In 1929 it closed and was re-opened in 1938 as the Roscoe Theatre with 650 seats. The Roscoe Theatre closed in 1953, and currently the building houses a meeting hall’.