Normal Theatre
456 W. 119th Street,
Chicago,
IL
60628
456 W. 119th Street,
Chicago,
IL
60628
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1967 photo added courtesy of John Wasserman.
Just added a photo of an advertising flyer from 1939. A Normal Theatre flyer advertising coming attractions from February 25 through March 3, 1939. Double features included Brother Rat & Girls on Probation, Illegal Traffic & Always in Trouble, The Citadel & Adventure in Sahara, Suez & Tarnished Angel. Plus a free Marvel Shaver to every man paying an evening admission for nine consecutive weeks! And starting March 7 & 8, free to the ladies – a Speedy-Clean lifelong chrome cooking utensil set. This flyer lists their address as 454 W. 119th St (at Normal).
Here is a THSA photo of the Normal
What is the 36 Broadway/Devon trolley car doing at 119th Street on the South Side? Just taking its regular route that began at 119th & Morgan and ran about 25 miles, mostly on State Street and Broadway until it ended at Devon. This through-routing appears to have lasted from 1937 to 1955, when buses replaced streetcars on the State Street segment. So if you didn’t like the attraction at the Normal, you could go see what was playing at the Granada…
Good photo added of the Normal Theatre after closing. Looks like it may have been a church briefly given the signage on the right. Undated photo courtesy of Tim O'Neill.
Address is 456 W. 119th St. Whoever put 452 as the address may have got it wrong. Unless the address was changed in the 90’s, but I don’t think so. If you look at the photos of old show ads they show the address as 456.
Trolleyguy; what is the 36 Broadway/Devon trolley car doing at 119th Street on the South Side?
I’ve uploaded a 1953 photo of the theatre.
Listed at 456 W. 119 in the 1954 yellow pages. Phone number was COmodor 4-9132.
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MIKE C.
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
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.
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
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
Photographed it in the late 80’s. Last movie still on the marquee. Think it was Fort Apache: the Bonx. But don’t quote me. Wasn’t very big. Maybe 800 seats. Photos I took now are part of the THS archive.
I lived at 23 East 118th Street, just a few blocks from the Normal Theater. At one time I lived even closer on Perry Ave, across the street from Scanlan School. I recall attending the Normal Theater several times, although my favorite movie house was the Roseland Theater on Michigan Ave. I do remember watching a first run viewing of Disney’s Song of the South at the Normal. I moved from Chicago to Texas in 1945 and didn’t return until the 1970’s…what a sad experience. I went by all of the old movie house locations, including the Normal and found them either closed or torn down. The Normal was still there although it was closed. I have a photo from that trip and I will attempt to put it on this site soon.
Doug Bruton Denison, Texas
Another theater in Roseland area (West Pullman) which hs sucumbed to the terrible blight of a ghetto. I lived on 116th and Wallace for many year )1950 until joining the Navy in 1956) and attended this theater on a few occasions. It was a great little neighborhood movie house