I am starting to feel pesty but one other thing I forgot to mention.In the forties and fiftieswe usually had to go down town to the Chicago and State and Lake theatres to see big name entertainers such as Gene Krupa,Nat King Cole and one of my favorites Don Cornell but the Southtown and Stratford brought some down to Englewood.I remember Penny Singleton from the Dagwood movies Johnny Johnston, Johnnie Ray and for all the oldsers who remember when accordions were cool Mr.Accordion the great Dick Contino and the Horace Hight revue which by the way was a sell out. At a time when admissions were seventeen cents for an adult it always makes me wonder just how much money these entertainers made as you still seen two movies and they had a full orchestra in the pits!!!! I’m outta here,see ya!
If you notice that the closest sign in the picture is the old Stratford drug store. it was operated by a Bill Eisenstead his wife Blanch and son Jack. We were childhood pals. Many times we went out the back door and a across the area way and entered back stage of the Stratford. We met many of the entertainers who were performing there on the stage show bills.Many were unknowns but I remember meeting Sammy Davis Jr. and the Will Masters trio.Senior Wences and his famous hand puppet.The great Gwenn the magician and the best of all the Hollywood Midgets.Animal acts, roller skaters many comedians whistlers and singers. The stratford showed a lot of Warner Bros and Universal movies while the Southtown showed many Paramount ,Columbia and Metro Golden Meyer.Both theatres had there own personalities and both went down in the late fifties. The Stratford became a revival meeting house and the Southtown became Carr’s department store. What a shame that The generations That came after never had a chance to enjoy the excitement and splendor of these old movie houses Which made the Englewood area one of the finest in the city of Chicago!!
Chuckie Z.
Well sir, now you’ve hit my soft spot!The Harvard was the seventh and I went there many times. It was just a basic theatre. No frills very small.Now I don’t think you would remember that during the war years they turned the Empress into a burlesk house for a short term but it did'nt work.That was the time when admission was two cents at the Empress and a nickel at the Linden.We used to stand in line at the Linden on cartoon Saturday to see fifteen cartoons and then the regular show which was 3 full lenth features four weeks of coming attractions, a travelog, a newsreel,sometimes a comedy short all for 5 cents. we would go to the show at 12:30 and it would be dark out when we got out.Mom would get rid of us for the day! Then if you did'nt have the price there was always something to doin the neighborhood.We Ogden park with a pool, Sherman park with a pool,The YMCA where you could get a full course meal in the cafeteria for a quarter, two roller rinks(Skateland on 60th. and Halsted and the Planet on76th and Racine.We also had the pool room next to the Englwood behind the barber shop for when you got a little older and Brucks bowling alley on 61st and Halsted.And then last but not least the best,The old Kershaw school playground. it had supervised field houses where there was always something going on. You could always get a baseball or football or basketball to play with.It was flooded in the winter for ice skateing and sledding. They had crafts, Ping Pong wrestling little wooden projects and all free.Parents never worried about the kids. They new they were in the neighborhood somewhere having fun.Occasionally they might get into trouble for shop lifting something from Kresges dime store but what are ya going to do they were kids!!!Ther was a season for everthing, bean blowers, hi-li paddles Yo Yo’s, marbles, God those were good days. I could go on and on but I’ll give you a break for now and by the way I am sixty eight years old and still a kid!!!!! Stay in touch.
Chuckie Z.
You are right it was a Balaban&Katz theatre as was the Chicago.It was one of seven theatres in the Englewood Neighborhood and the grandest.As a kid I lived directly across the street and could look down on the front and ticket office.I remember it being so busy that they would have a usher out front with a drum major hat and a cape yelling 45 minute wait for all seats and there were lines all the way to the China Clipper restaurant midway between Lowe ave, and Union ave. as the Southtown was really at 63rd. and Lowe. It was the first to give up the stage shows in the forties. but two other theatres the Stratford and Englewood continued till the early fifties.They played two features newsreels coming attractions and a cartoon for the admission of 9 cents for a kid and you could watch them over in air conditioning.The Southtown was truly a master piece in decor luxury and in the stage era they always had a live orchestra in the pit.I will always remember that show as we called them with fondness in a neighborhood that was a kids dream!
Chuckie Z.
I am starting to feel pesty but one other thing I forgot to mention.In the forties and fiftieswe usually had to go down town to the Chicago and State and Lake theatres to see big name entertainers such as Gene Krupa,Nat King Cole and one of my favorites Don Cornell but the Southtown and Stratford brought some down to Englewood.I remember Penny Singleton from the Dagwood movies Johnny Johnston, Johnnie Ray and for all the oldsers who remember when accordions were cool Mr.Accordion the great Dick Contino and the Horace Hight revue which by the way was a sell out. At a time when admissions were seventeen cents for an adult it always makes me wonder just how much money these entertainers made as you still seen two movies and they had a full orchestra in the pits!!!! I’m outta here,see ya!
If you notice that the closest sign in the picture is the old Stratford drug store. it was operated by a Bill Eisenstead his wife Blanch and son Jack. We were childhood pals. Many times we went out the back door and a across the area way and entered back stage of the Stratford. We met many of the entertainers who were performing there on the stage show bills.Many were unknowns but I remember meeting Sammy Davis Jr. and the Will Masters trio.Senior Wences and his famous hand puppet.The great Gwenn the magician and the best of all the Hollywood Midgets.Animal acts, roller skaters many comedians whistlers and singers. The stratford showed a lot of Warner Bros and Universal movies while the Southtown showed many Paramount ,Columbia and Metro Golden Meyer.Both theatres had there own personalities and both went down in the late fifties. The Stratford became a revival meeting house and the Southtown became Carr’s department store. What a shame that The generations That came after never had a chance to enjoy the excitement and splendor of these old movie houses Which made the Englewood area one of the finest in the city of Chicago!!
Chuckie Z.
Well sir, now you’ve hit my soft spot!The Harvard was the seventh and I went there many times. It was just a basic theatre. No frills very small.Now I don’t think you would remember that during the war years they turned the Empress into a burlesk house for a short term but it did'nt work.That was the time when admission was two cents at the Empress and a nickel at the Linden.We used to stand in line at the Linden on cartoon Saturday to see fifteen cartoons and then the regular show which was 3 full lenth features four weeks of coming attractions, a travelog, a newsreel,sometimes a comedy short all for 5 cents. we would go to the show at 12:30 and it would be dark out when we got out.Mom would get rid of us for the day! Then if you did'nt have the price there was always something to doin the neighborhood.We Ogden park with a pool, Sherman park with a pool,The YMCA where you could get a full course meal in the cafeteria for a quarter, two roller rinks(Skateland on 60th. and Halsted and the Planet on76th and Racine.We also had the pool room next to the Englwood behind the barber shop for when you got a little older and Brucks bowling alley on 61st and Halsted.And then last but not least the best,The old Kershaw school playground. it had supervised field houses where there was always something going on. You could always get a baseball or football or basketball to play with.It was flooded in the winter for ice skateing and sledding. They had crafts, Ping Pong wrestling little wooden projects and all free.Parents never worried about the kids. They new they were in the neighborhood somewhere having fun.Occasionally they might get into trouble for shop lifting something from Kresges dime store but what are ya going to do they were kids!!!Ther was a season for everthing, bean blowers, hi-li paddles Yo Yo’s, marbles, God those were good days. I could go on and on but I’ll give you a break for now and by the way I am sixty eight years old and still a kid!!!!! Stay in touch.
Chuckie Z.
You are right it was a Balaban&Katz theatre as was the Chicago.It was one of seven theatres in the Englewood Neighborhood and the grandest.As a kid I lived directly across the street and could look down on the front and ticket office.I remember it being so busy that they would have a usher out front with a drum major hat and a cape yelling 45 minute wait for all seats and there were lines all the way to the China Clipper restaurant midway between Lowe ave, and Union ave. as the Southtown was really at 63rd. and Lowe. It was the first to give up the stage shows in the forties. but two other theatres the Stratford and Englewood continued till the early fifties.They played two features newsreels coming attractions and a cartoon for the admission of 9 cents for a kid and you could watch them over in air conditioning.The Southtown was truly a master piece in decor luxury and in the stage era they always had a live orchestra in the pit.I will always remember that show as we called them with fondness in a neighborhood that was a kids dream!
Chuckie Z.