Music Box Theatre
3733 N. Southport Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60613
3733 N. Southport Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60613
63 people
favorited this theater
When it was opened in 1929, the Music Box Theatre was considered tiny compared to its much larger, more palatial neighbors. Many of these larger theaters, like the Uptown Theatre, were often too large to stay in business throughout the rest of the 20th century.
The Music Box Theatre later played mainly second and third-run movies as well as closing and reopening several times. By the 1970’s, the theater was showing Spanish and Arabic-language movies, as well as porn. The theater had become more than a bit rough around the edges when it was closed in 1977.
Renovated in 1982, the Music Box Theatre reopened in 1983 and has been showing an eclectic mix of classic, foreign, and art house films ever since. In 1991, the Music Box Theatre added a small 100 person auditorium. The theater is located in the bustling Southport area of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood.
Contributed by
Alan Van Landschoot, Cinema Treasures
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Recent comments (view all 74 comments)
Hello, gentle readers.
I am a graduate student writing a recent (since 1970) history of the Music Box Theatre. I am looking for people who have firsthand experience attending or working at the Music Box prior to 1983. Maybe this is a longshot, but if anyone is or knows a possible source, please contact me here or at Any help or leads would be greatly appreciated.
I just went to the Music Box Theatre Yesterday, and they are now showing forign films there.
Foreign films on some days, art films on others. They are soon to start a Film Noir series in August I believe.
It’s always an eclectic line up of films at the Music Box.
Just saw Cropsey at the Music Box! I felt a strange presence in the front right hand corner of the theatre and there was a strange seat light flickering in a way that seemed inexplicable throughout most of the film. There were also some weird sounds over there, even though that area remained vacant. I thought about asking a staff person if a ghost lived in the theater, but didn’t. Now that I have come online and see that a ghost does in fact hang out at the theatre I am intruiged. I have been to old theatres before, by myself and not noticed anything like this. Has anyone noticed/felt the ghost?? If so, where and what did you feel, see or hear?
My father is the reputed “ghost” known as “Whitey” who reportedly “haunts” the Music Box. The Music Box Theatre’s website tells about him. A few years ago, I visited the Music Box with my teenage daughter to check things out. The employees we spoke to were all familiar with “Whitey”, and had many questions about him for me. The manager invited us to explore the theatre. We walked all around inside, but “Whitey” never made his appearance known to us. He and my mother, who worked as cashier at the Music Box until my fathers death in 1977, are buried in Graceland Cemetery.
Interesting! Thanks for the info. Maybe it was someone/something else….I mean so many people (living and now dead) have come through that space…
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1975
excellent i will visit the theater,,it sounds very interesting,,and nostalgic
Saw Vertigo here in 2005; auditorium is lovely. And took a peek at the mini-cinema, which is wildy decorated like an outdoor garden (I think). It was great to a see a 100 seat “atmospheric.”
The second screening room will be closed for nearly a month for renovations. Add: a much larger screen and digital capability. Subtract: 28 seats, reducing the seating capacity to 70. Story at DNAinfo.