RKO Grand Theatre
119 N. Clark Street,
Chicago,
IL
60602
119 N. Clark Street,
Chicago,
IL
60602
4 people
favorited this theater
The Grand Opera House opened in 1880 on Clark Street between Randolph and Washington Streets, a total renovation of the 1872 Hamlin’s Theatre building by the firm of Adler & Sullivan. It originally could seat about 1,500.
By the 1910’s, it was taken over by George M. Cohan, and renamed Cohan’s Grand Opera House. After Cohan, it was operated by the Shubert Organization. The Grand was modernized in 1926 by architect A.N. Rebori.
In 1942, the Grand became a movie house. A year later, the theater became the RKO Grand Theatre, and operated until March 1958. It was razed a month later. The Chicago Civic Center (renamed the Richard J. Daley Center in 1976) was later constructed on the site.
Contributed by
Brian Wolf, Ron Salters, Ray Martinez
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Recent comments (view all 25 comments)
On Wednesday, Christmas Day, 1946, “It’s a Wonderful Life” had it’s Chicago premiere at the RKO Grand Theatre.
Cliches come to life, from the LA Times on November 24, 1909:
FIRE PANIC AVERTED
CHICAGO, Nov. 23 – Fire in a hotel adjacent to the Grand Operahouse tonight caused the audience to leave the theater. A panic in the theater was averted by theater employees stopping a policeman, who ran into the building shouting “Fire, fire, there’s a fire in the building”.
Here is a 1957 photo.
http://bit.ly/30YNu6 – Photo of demoliition
There was a small photo of the marquee in Boxoffice, March 1947:
http://tinyurl.com/yedajw2
Here is a 1952 view of the RKO Grand from the corner of Clark and Washington Streets. The Erlanger Theatre is next door to the Grand.
Thanks for sharing that great pic, Bryan. Never got the chance to attend the Grand as a kid ; never saw the outside. (The photo I saw at the Corner Bakery Cafe doesn’t count…yours is much better). And now I know where “RED PLANET MARS” opened first run! lol…Thanks again.
When i was young during the WWII, i went to The Grand to see Guadalcanal Diary, i saw that film 13 times at 13 different theatres, the first being the Grand. I guess you could say i loved the movie.
Here’s a great circa-1945 photograph of the Erlanger (former Palace Music Hall) and RKO Grand Theatres.
Thanks to all who shared photos of the RKO Grand. In one of the pics, the marquee states OPEN ALL NIGHT AND ALL DAY. Just like the Clark theatre- about 1 block away, and, around the corner on Randolph- the Woods theatre (MIDNIGHT SHOWS EVERY NIGHT TO 6 A.M.) Back when downtown Chicago was busy almost 24/7.