20th Century Theatre
3538 W. Roosevelt Road,
Chicago,
IL
60624
3538 W. Roosevelt Road,
Chicago,
IL
60624
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From the Chicago Tribune, March 26, 1959:
$5,000 Fire in Theater
A fire of undetermined orgin in the 20th Century theater, 3538 Roosevelt rd., which was vacant at the time, caused an estimated $5,000 in damage Wednesday, Clarence Hlavaty, 2nd division fire marshal reported. The fire started under the stage and spread to the roof before being brought under control.
Thanks KenC.
From the Chicago Sun Times movie listings-Friday May 17, 1957: 20th CENTURY 3530 W. Roosevelt Road CHA-CHA-CHA vs. ROCK ‘N’ ROLL “Cha-Cha-Cha Boom!” ALSO IN C'SCOPE! “Gun for a Coward”.
On October 29, 1929, the 20th Century was advertised in the Chicago Tribune as one of the “Essaness Talkie Theatres,” with an address given of 3538 W. Roosevelt Road. It was showing William Boyd in “The Flying Fool,” day-and-date with the circuit’s Knickerbocker and Lakeside Theatres.
More on the Sears complex:
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Many patrons of the Central Park and 20th Century must have worked there and lived nearby. This is the concept that made the neighborhood movie palace a success. It was pretty sharp marketing. Imagine working in a drab industrial setting and being able to walk down the street and hang out in a “palace”.
On a side-note, I still can’t believe that entire Sears complex directly to the north has been demolished.
Looks like it was directly across from the Central Park, which would mean the liquor store was built on the west end of the theatre property after demolition. To my eye the theatre complex also looks like it was directly next door to the vintage building still found directly west of the liquor store.
http://www.historicaerials.com/?poi=3379 – If you switch to the 1938 aerial, you can see the old auditorium was to the rear of the lot, running parallel to the street. It is gone.
The building to the left is a church.
The building to the left of the liquor store looks like it might have been a theater. Hard to tell from the Google photo.
I think that is a mistaken assumption. The liquor store doesn’t look like an old 750 seat theatre to me.
The introduction already reads liquor store.
The church is located at the old Central Park Theatre.
There’s a church and a liquor store at this address. The church looks more like a former theater. Any ideas?
Now I can’t seem to find where I got that information. Maybe not.
Architect Alexander L. Levy
A Kilgen theater organ opus 3673 size 3/5 style U014X was installed in the 20th Century Theater in 1926.