Apollo Theatre
526 E. 47th Street,
Chicago,
IL
60653
526 E. 47th Street,
Chicago,
IL
60653
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The Apollo opened in 1909 on 47th Street, in the Grand Boulevard neighborhood, close to the 47th Street/South Parkway (now Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive) commercial/entertainment center. Originally a vaudeville hall seating over 700, the Apollo served what was at that time a solidly Irish and Jewish-German neighborhood.
During the 20s, African-Americans poured into the neighborhood from the South, and within a few years, the area around 47th Street and South Parkway later gained the nickname, “The Harlem of Chicago” for its many African-American cultural and entertainment institutions, such as the Regal Theatre, the Savoy Ballroom, the Palm Tavern, and the Metropolitan (Met) Theatre. (Sadly, of all these great venues, only the Palm Tavern still stands today).
In 1920, the Apollo was renamed the Earl, and switched to a movies-only format, and continued to operate in this capacity until it closed in the 50s. The theater’s name reverted back to the Apollo by the 40s. The theater building remains standing, having last housed a medical center.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
Here is a map from the 1920s that shows the Apollo and the other theaters in the area:
http://tinyurl.com/26lsrt
Trying to place this building, if in fact it was a theater. Thanks.
http://tinyurl.com/d62rot
The photo in the link posted by Ken mc http://tinyurl.com/d62rot is the New Apollo Theatre on Pulaski Rd just south of North Ave. It’s now a banquet hall. See Cinema Treasures posting for New Apollo.