Normal Theatre
452 W. 119th Street,
Chicago,
IL
60628
452 W. 119th Street,
Chicago,
IL
60628
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This Art Moderne style movie house opened on March 21, 1936. The theatre was located in the West Pullman/Roseland neighboorhood, on 119th Street, at the intersection of Normal Avenue. The Normal operated through the 1980’s, but unfortunately has since been torn down and is today just a vacant lot.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
The 1945 Film Daily Yearbook shows the Normal as seating 750.
I took a photo of the Normal in the 1980’s and it has the same title on the Marquee..Fort Apache, the Bronx. Don’t know hyow to post the photo..
Doug Bruton
The Normal was a nice neighborhood theater and I remember standing in line for about an hour to see Song of the South. Funny, that film has been withdrawn by Disney as racial. I thought it was a beautiful story, maybe I’m missing something. I took a picture of the Normal in 1990, it was closed and in very bad condition. Brought tears to my eyes. The Normal, Roseland, State, Parkway, Ridge and Verdi were the theaters I grew up with and still remember the first film I ever saw in 1942 at the Roseland…Boots & Saddles starring Gene Autry.
Doug Bruton Denison, Tx
Yes the last movie listed on the Normal marquee was Fort Apache, the Bronx, prior to it being torn down. The last movies I saw there were:
Cornbread, Earl & Me
It’s Alive and Adios Amigos (a double feature).
I also seem to remember seeing The Omen there. I remember the theater being a nice alternative to going downtown.
Natalie,
I took a picture of the Normal back around 1990…it was in bad condition and Fort Apache, the Bronx was still on the marquee. Great neighborhood theater and wonderful memories
Doug
ROSELAND PEOPLE:
ARE YOU AWARE OF THESE ROSELAND MESSAGE BOARD LINKS?
http://www.gromak.com/phpBB2/index.php
http://www.chicagosnapshot.com/board/index.php?
MIKE C.
Listed at 456 W. 119 in the 1954 yellow pages. Phone number was COmodor 4-9132.
From Library of Congress comes this auditorium view of the Normal Theatre. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/det.4a26676/
… And a 1909 entrance view http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3b38424/
Either the Normal Theatre had an AKA- of Sheldon, or the exterior design came from the exact same architectural design catalog, http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3b38426/