Voge Theatre
811 W. Chicago Avenue,
East Chicago,
IN
46312
811 W. Chicago Avenue,
East Chicago,
IN
46312
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The S.J. Gregory Theatrical Company on October 1, 1923, acquired the Lyric and Hartley theaters in East Chicago, from Joseph Hartley Sr. Both briefly closed while they were remodeled, redecorated and fitted with large electric street signs. The Lyric Theatre reopened on October 6, 1923. The Hartley Theatre reopened as the Forsyth Theatre on October 27, 1923. On December 5, 1923, the spelling changed to Forsythe. The local newspaper reported on July 15, 1925, that the Lyric shut down for remodeling. After that it reopened from time to time for events. Both playhouses eventually reverted to the Hartley family, which formed the Hartley Theater Corporation in January 1930. Incorporators were the children of Joseph Hartley Sr. The firm continued to operate the Forsythe theater and in 1936 completely remodeled and modernized the long-shuttered Lyric, which had been closed since the advent of sound pictures. The venue reopened on March 18, 1936, as the Voge theater.
The aka Lyric Theatre needs to be added.
The Lyric Theatre is first listed in the FDY in 1928, so the 1930 project I cited in an earlier comment must have been either a remodeling of the existing house or a project for a different theater nearby that fell through.
However, a thumbnail biography of Lewis Harry Warriner in the NRHP registration form for the Lincoln Street Historic District does attribute the design of the Lyric to him. As it is first listed in 1928, it most likely opened in 1927, unless it had operated earlier under a different name.
The January 17, 1936, issue of The Hammond Times said that the Hartley Theatre Company would remodel and reopen “…the long closed Lyric theater in East Chicago….” with a new name, no more than four letters long, to be chosen in a public contest. I guess that accounts for the non-standard spelling “Voge” that the house ended up with.
This opened on March 18th, 1936. Grand opening ad in the photo section and below
Found on Newspapers.com
It’s possible that this item from the July 5, 1930, issue of Exhibitors Herald World is about the Vogue Theater:
Forsythe Street was the former name of Indianapolis Boulevard.In the website for the Hoosier Theatre (Whiting), it mentions that the owner’s family used to own the Vogue Theatre, so I’m sure if he is contacted some info and possibly pictures will turn up.
www.hoosiertheatre.com