Tiffin Theatre

I was there too Rob,,hey ive seen you at the N & P historic FB site,,hi rob

that is fantastic! see you there

Wow hello June ! I grew up at Harding and North ave. I also went to Nobel grammar school. I graduated from there in 1972,(a little later than you did obviously). Thanks for sharing your memories.

I lived in the area of the Tiffen Theater from the time I was born in 1927 until I was married in 1952. I went to the Tiffen seadly throughout those years. My Aunt Maggie Perkens was cashier through the 40’s. I worked the concession stand selling popcorn and candy during my late High School years. During that time it was owned by Mr & Mrs Beck, who also owned the Murcury Theater,which was located far west on North Avenue. They were wonderful people to work for.
I have very fond memories and made many friends while working there. I attended Noble Grammer School and Austin High School and liven most of my years @ 1648 North Keystone Avenue. The Tiffen Theater was always kept well groomed during those years, I cannot remember of one fight occuring during those years. It saddens me that the Tiffen Theater has been destroyed but the memories will linger on.

I remember the Al’s pizza parler on kedvale and Armatage. question does any one know the date when helene curtis exploded I thought it was in the late 60’s please contact me at to let me know thank you for your help.

Hi Scrabble your online i see.lol. I only knew that it was the original bank due to the library’s buildings facade inscription at the top
‘PIONEER BANK’
Got to get to work now..Hey i would LOVE to share stories with you one day,

Scrabble~~Hi there WOW what a great memory you have! Did you ever go to the public library on the east side of Pulaski just north of North ave. It was across from the record store too. If you did go there did you ever notice that it was the original Pioneer bank??

I have so many fond memories of the area. My family moved to Kamerling Avenue around 1952 and I attended Nobel School. I remember Kreske’s dimestore, Woolworth’s, and I remember Demar’s Restaurant, a Shoe Store, Pioneer Bank, Crawford Dress Store, Dr. Moldenhauer’s Dental Office, Christine’s Beauty Shop (one door east of the Tiffin, Ferndell’s Restaurant, Pioneer Bank, Vollendorf’s Fish Store, Maternity BVM Church, St. Philomena’s, the Record Shop, a VFW Hall where my Mom used to take us for Penny Socials. I recall after we moved to the area, Jimmy’s Hot Dog Stand opened up and my Mom said that they must have known that we liked hot dogs.

One more thing, I remember the Woolworth fire at North and Pulaski. Being that we lived a few doors away we saw everything from our back windows. Billowing smoke etc etc. I walked on over to North ave to watch the firemen fight the fire. It was so brutally cold that day. The streets were thick with firehoses and freezing slush up to the curbs. I kept thinking of the animals in the pet dept at the back of the store.

I grew up right around the corner from the Tiffin on Keystone Ave. in the 50’s and 60’s. Played fast pitching against the Tiffin wall in the alley. I just found a picture from the 20’s or 30’s with the Tiffin in the backround, it’s looking west down North Ave from about Harding. You can see Ferndell’s, Walgreens, Harding Market and others. That record shop everyone is talking about used to be on North Ave. between Pulaski and Harding. Thanks for the memories!

Here is a part of a 1/14/73 article in the Chicago News Journal:

In 1913 when most neighborhood movie houses were simply converted stores with folding chairs to accommodate patrons and the price of admission was five cents, the newly opened 800-seat Tiffin theater on North avenue just east of Karlov, was regarded as one of the finest outlying movie theaters in the entire city.

This week, beginning Friday, Jan. 19, the Tiffin theater is celebrating its 60th anniversary and is turning the clock back many, many years by offering moviegoers a rare bargain, an admission price of just 60 cents for a double feature. Two excellent films, “Butterflies are Free” and “The Burglar,” will be shown during the anniversary week beginning Friday and continuing through Thursday, Jan. 25.

Partners in the building of the Tiffin theater 60 years ago were William J. Clark, realtor and attorney; George Kappus, a Northwest Side druggist and Vincent T. Lynch, who served as manager of the theater. Right from the start business boomed and moviegoers flocked by the hundreds to the “showplace of the Northwest Side.” It was soon apparent that the building was too small to adequately serve the growing numbers of movie fans, so owners Clark, Kappus and Lynch made plans for a bigger theater. They acquired property at the corner of North Karlov, just west of the original theater building. Taking their cue from the grandiose movie palaces then being constructed in the Loop, the partners built the present Tiffin theater with seating for more than 2,200 patrons.

Looking back over the years, owner Jack Clark, son of William J., one of the original partners in the enterprise, said. “The Tiffin, since the day it opened in 1913 has continued to operate through wars, the big depression, recessions, inflation, the advent of radio and television and lastly, x-rated movies and has survived it all. The reason the Tiffin survived when many others went down the drain has been our policy of offering the best in family movie entertainment at the lowest possible prices. Also, we never gave in to the current fad of showing pornographic, x-rated movies. Our patrons feel they can come to the Tiffin and not be offended by the movies on our screen.”

I believe it was called the Eagle Arms Hotel.

Are you thinking of California and North?