Irving Theatre

4003-5 W. Irving Park Road,
Chicago, IL 60641

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Opened in 1917, at the corner of Irving Park and Pulaski (then Crawford) Roads, near Independence Park, the Irving survived until around 1970 before closing, and was demolished sometime later.

Contributed by Bryan Krefft

Recent comments (view all 21 comments)

jackhicko
jackhicko on February 20, 2007 at 1:04 am

Here’s a recent photo!
View link
It was zero degrees… no wonder I left.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on November 18, 2008 at 11:43 pm

Next door to the North on Pulaski is a small green & black, art deco apartment building. As I remember it has a pointy almost crown like overhang above it’s entrance.
A friend of mine lived there around 1989. It still had the original built-in drop down Murphy beds & ironing boards.
Cool place. A surviving Irving Theatre would have been cooler though.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on November 30, 2008 at 1:50 pm

Here is part of a Tribune article dated 4/13/21. I don’t see that anyone has discussed Race as an AKA for this theater.

IRVING THEATER PROPERTY SOLD FOR $450,000

One of the northwest side’s large movie properties, the Race Theater building at the southwest corner of Irving Park boulevard and Crawford avenue, was sold yesterday by Charles O. Race of Charles O. Race & Co.

Broan
Broan on November 30, 2008 at 1:52 pm

It says “IRVING THEATER PROPERTY”. So obviously the building was named after the owner, and not the theater.

lostmemory
lostmemory on November 30, 2008 at 1:53 pm

Where is Irving Park boulevard and Crawford avenue? Were the streets renamed?

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on November 30, 2008 at 1:55 pm

Pulaski was Crawford, I think. It does say “Race Theater building”. I guess the Irving was in the Race Theater building, which is kind of odd.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on November 30, 2008 at 10:20 pm

Just to confirm, Pulaski becomes Crawford Ave. in Lincolnwood, North of Devon Ave. I think Pulaski is 3600 West.
The City of Chicago is who renamed Crawford Ave. after Casimer Pulaski. So it remained Crawford Ave. North of the city.
Irving Park Road or Blvd. is 4000 North.

lostmemory
lostmemory on February 17, 2009 at 3:29 pm

This site has a number of programs for the Irving Theater from 1929 and 1930.

mikey2
mikey2 on May 12, 2010 at 10:27 pm

I too saw “Night of the living dead” at the Irving, must have been in 68 or 69, gosh I was like 8? Very scary. But I thought the “Exorcist” at the Commodore (early 70’s?) was even more scary.

(I now reside at Stateville CC)

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