Mars Theater
2542 N. Milwaukee Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60647
2542 N. Milwaukee Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60647
2 people
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LTS, that was the Eighth Street Theatre on Wabash Street in the South Loop, a legitimate theater. It was home to WLS’s “Barn Dance” in the 30s and 40s.
Fourth photo down. What is this?
http://radiotimeline.com/am89wls.htm
rso1000
I was wondering which Logan theatre that October photo referred to. Then I realized that the old Logan Square ‘L’ terminated to the southeast of the present, surviving Logan Theatre.
Finally a photo and a name ! ! ! !
The Logan Square Theatre can be seen on the front page and it is also the photo of the month of October in the NEW / C.T.A. calendar.
http://tinyurl.com/2fyqpga
The Auditorium stood were the incline to the subway is now. Obviously an OLD photo as the side sign is still advertising Vaudeville. You can see it was no SMALL theatre! My Guess is the east end of the building was flush against the remaining buildings.
You can also see it in the background here of photos logansquare07 and crt223 .
http://tinyurl.com/29z948d
Could this be the Rio Theatre? At the right of the photo is a poster case that says “Rio Theatre” at the top. The poster therein is for “Roman Scandals,” which had a limited release in December, 1933, but didn’t go broad until 1934: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/cowboys02.jpg
If it’s not the Rio, it must be a theatre under the same management. The booking on the marquee was appparently a promotional tie-in with radio station WLS.
It was renamed the Rio after a 1934 remodeling, and the Mars in 1949. Interestingly the mars name was the original one announced in 1934, but apparently not adopted for 15 years.
It was under demolition (not undermining) on October 10, 1968 when the cutting of a steel support in the theatre caused a three-story brick wall to collapse, raining debris on cars and el tracks.
This LOGAN SQUARE theatre was called the MARS in its final years (had large marquee), and its' demolition I would place @ 1965 (technically before the subway ramp began in 1969). I used to go right past it then although shuttered for (apparently) years, when you rode the Kimball CTA bus from the north entering the old ‘L’ terminal bus lanes. Another name for the LOGAN SQUARE / MARS theatre would be the RIO. The MegaMall bldgs alluded to elsewhere here definately were not the theatre(s); they’d be a couple doors south of the original site. Hope I’ve been of some help.
Part of the Logan Square is visible in this photo of the Logan Square El Terminal.