DeKalb Theater
145 N. Third Street,
DeKalb,
IL
60115
145 N. Third Street,
DeKalb,
IL
60115
8 people
favorited this theater
The DeKalb Theater opened on March 16, 1949 and was dubbed “The Theatre of Tomorrow.”
Part of the Anderson Theatres circuit, the New DeKalb Theater was designed by Axel J. Claesson and contained a television lounge on its balcony level. Top ticket prices were 50 cents, with children’s prices as low as 15 cents.
Twinned in its later years as part of the Kerasotes circuit it was closed in 1991. The theater was last operated as a “brew pub.” It has since closed.
Opened to such fanfare over five decades ago, “The Theatre of Tomorrow” is now the “The Theatre of Yesterday.”
Contributed by
Cinema Treasures, Paul Salley
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Recent comments (view all 19 comments)
The marquee and vertical sign are still intact but the DeKalb Theatre is now being used by Debutantes School of Cosmetology and Nail Technology. If you look closely at my picture listed above (posted by Chuck), the poster boxes have signs for Debutantes. Here is the link to the school:
http://www.debschool.com/careerinfo/
1980 Photo
View link
Here is another photo. Function should be changed to school or beauty school.
http://tinyurl.com/ycow9qj
Check out the virtual tour on the school site. Some good interior photos there.
Nice virtual tour.
The DeKalb’s auditorium was featured in this 1950 trade ad: boxofficemagazine
This 1930 photo suggests that there was an earlier DeKalb or that this DeKalb is older than thought: archive
Interesting Movie related link Tinseltoes. However, I need to set this 80-odd year old error straight. The 1930 ad piece has misidentified the photo as being of THE DEKALB theater on 3rd Street. The photo is actually of THE EGYPTIAN one block over on 2nd street. THE EGYPTIAN is also featured on this site. I was likewise confused when I first moved to the area. I used the theater as a landmark to find places near down-town. I kept getting lost until I realized there were TWO theater buildings in downtown DeKalb!
Tonny, if you look closely a the front of the marquee in tinseltoes link you can see it says Dekalb Egyptian Theatre.
In 1929 the Egyptian Theatre replaced an earlier DeKalb Theatre that was located southwest about a block and a half away at First Street and Lincoln Highway. At some point it became a Montgomery Ward until the 70s when that moved out onto Sycamore Road (past the DeVal Drive in, also here on Cinema Treasures). It was remodeled into retail and office space in the 1970s (I recall my dentist having the most psychedelic foil wallpaper throughout his office there).