Paradise Theater
231 N. Pulaski Road,
Chicago,
IL
60624
231 N. Pulaski Road,
Chicago,
IL
60624
35 people
favorited this theater
The Paradise Theater, which was built in the Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago, was billed as the world’s most beautiful theater. It was located on Crawford Avenue (now Pulaski Road) near Maypole Avenue. It is regarded as one of the finest designs by its architect, John Eberson. The sheer opulence and intricate craftsmanship that went into the theater made it a showpiece in itself.
Unfortunately, flaws in the design (blamed on the vast domed ceiling in the over 3,600-seat auditorium) were exposed with the advent of talking pictures. Poor accoustics eventually cost the theater its attendance (movie-goers would eventually turn to the nearby Marks Brothers showplace, the Marbro Theater) and it never recovered.
Unfortunately, in 1956, owners Balaban and Katz decided to demolish the theater and sell the land to a supermarket chain. The theater that was also built to stand forever almost lived up to that claim – what was to have been a six month demolition took two years!
Contributed by
Jon Erickson, Cinema Treasures
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 343 comments)
Something like this, for example: virginia.edu
I believe the way the revamped CT site works is, the last picture posted, is the most recent profile pic. All one need do is download one of the pics buried within older comments, and re-post it above. Because your sample pic was posted within a comment, it remains within the comments only. I think CT should have set it up so that whenever a pic is posted within a comment, it would be automatically added to the Photo section. Also they should have culled all existing photos within older comments, and loaded them in that way.
To make for an ever changing site, Cinema Treasures now features as a main photograph the one with the most views. At the moment on this page, no one has posted a photograph of the actual Paradise Theatre building.
Tomorrow (9/14) will mark the 83rd anniversary of the grand opening of B&K’s Paradise Theatre. Paramount’s silent Clara Bow starrer, “The Fleet’s In,” occupied the screen, with support from a stage show entitled “A Garden in Paradise” featuring the Ritz Brothers and a resident company with orchestra, soloists, and choristers. The Paradise’s advertising and promotion were targeted not only at residents of Chicago’s West Side, but also the “populous river cities” of Oak Park, Austin, River Forest, Elmhurst, Maywood, Villa Park, and Forest Park. Rest in peace, beloved Paradise, arguably the most awe-inspiring atmospheric theatre ever built.
Hear Hear!!!! It was a beauty………
My grandfather was also a concert violinist and his primary business with the music shop was concert level music lessons, at the time the Paradise was finished and he moved his shop from Elmhurst (was called McGovern music studio before the theater was finished) his health was declining from serving in battle with the army band in WWI and being exposed to mustard gas, I don’t believe he was playing at this point anymore himself but he also was the owner/director of the Civic Philharmonic Orchestra, while I don’t have any proof of at this point but I highly suspect they were the resident orchestra for the theater
The resident orchestra of any movie palace was just that, they had no civic affiliation, it was a work-a-day job, and a good paying one at that.
I have uploaded a rarely seen photo of the Paradise, probably taken during the last month of its operation, which was May, 1956. The marquee shows George Gobel and Mitzi Gaynor starring in “The Birds and the Bees.” Though the exterior was now blackened by the coal dust from a nearby railyard, the interior was still virtually pristine.
Paradise, Wonderful view of the Paradise. Seems unreal a plain lot sits there today. This building looks like it belongs in Europe.
Bobby, yes it is hard to believe that this theatre once sat on the site. I wish there were more pictures of the area available today.