State-Lake Theatre
190 N. State Street,
Chicago,
IL
60601
190 N. State Street,
Chicago,
IL
60601
23 people
favorited this theater
Built in 1919 as a vaudeville house for the Orpheum circuit, the State-Lake later became the major venue for the RKO theater chain in Chicago (along with the Palace on Randolph Street). The theater is named for its location on the corner of State and Lake Streets, across the street from the State and Lake “El” Station.
It was built a couple years before the Chicago Theatre, which sits just across the street from the State-Lake, by the same architects, Rapp & Rapp, who designed it in a similar style as the French Renaissance style Chicago, though the State-Lake was nowhere near as grandiose as its cousin across the street. The theater became part of the Balaban & Katz chain in 1938, which continued a policy of live acts and movies until 1941, when the State-Lake switched to movies-only.
After closing in 1985, the State-Lake’s interior was gutted and converted into studios and offices for the ABC network’s Chicago affiliate, WLS-TV.
The exterior was restored to it’s 1920s appearance (except for its marquee and ticket booth) and is still quite an impressive bookend to the Chicago Theatre across State Street.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 163 comments)
Here is an unusual wide view of the State-Lake building.
Thanks for the posted photographs of the State-Lake Theater in Chicago, IL. The one and only time I was in the State-Lake Theater was when a friend and I decided to see “Saturday Night Fever” on a cold winter’s day. That was quite a visit. The theater was in sad shape by the late 1970’s (I seem to remember a rip in the screen; I also remember never seeing the place with the lights full up) and I think served that day as shelter for street and other vulnerable people, not a bad idea, just kind of unsettling. The usual stinky popcorn machine was in the lobby. I wish we had seen it in its prime.
A 1985 photo showing the demolition of the State-Lake’s marquee in preparation for converting the building into ABC Channel 7’s television studios can be seen here.
The State-Lake Theater can be seen in this 1951 view of State Street from Lake Street.
I can’t believe there are no interior photos of the State-Lake? I’ve looked everywhere for them. Anyone have access to any?
Theatre Historical Society in Elmhurst.
A 1940 view of the State-Lake can be seen here.
This is supposed to be a view of the State-Lake’s auditorium. Can anyone verify?
for btkrefft: Confirming photograph is interior of State-Lake. Verified from B'hend and Kaufmann Collection at AMPAS Margaret Herrick Library
This photo of the State-Lake from the Chicago Tribune is dated 11/9/75 and the caption from the photo reads “Police cars in front of the State Lake Theatre where a man was shoot (sic) tonight”