Roscoe Theatre
2042 W. Roscoe Street,
Chicago,
IL
60618
2042 W. Roscoe Street,
Chicago,
IL
60618
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 17 comments
Yes I’m aware, thank you. I added one more from Tim Paske of his father out front. He had private messaged me on Facebook.
The photos are now on this site.
FYI, I was waiting for permission to post those. So I could credit the original source and share his story.
Photos posted in photo section via Forgotten Chicago on Facebook
To gjvalent: Hey, I lived right around the corner from you at 3425 N. Claremont, from 1959-1988. You’ll be happy to know that so far, your old building is still intact, even after a plague of McMansions in the area.
To ALDO7: Please, oh please, pester that pub owner again. I would absolutely love to see pictures of Roscoe Street from that era. I know I’ll be sorry I ever said this, but I’d even pay to to see pictures of Roscoe Street from that era. I’ve been online many times trying to dig up Roscoe images from my youth, and found next to nothing.
I was born in 1950, and grew up at 2315 Roscoe from 1952 to 1969. My dad said that he took me to the Roscoe Theater once. I remember it mostly as the Rosco Hall, the German social club. The E was removed from the bottom of the sign, during renovation I guess. My family shopped a lot at Hoffings, unless we went to swanky Wieboldt’s on Lincoln Ave.
i lived at 3452 hamilton from 1939 to 56. have been in the theater countless times. changed the marquee, sold popcorn, etc. i believe the capacity was around 300, as it had no balcony. i had correspondence with a local pub owner several years ago. she said she had lots of roscoe st. pix, incl the Roscoe, but had to rummage the basement, nothing ever came of it. maybe it’s time to bug her again. if she’s still alive, and is willing to look for the treasure. i’ll be happy to share.
I grew up at 3517 n bell, wish there were some pictures as well, never was in the theater building but we sure went to Hoffing’s a lot!
The earlier posts about Sussex and Reilly are correct. If you go through the alley, you can still see the original back of the building. When I was a kid (I grew up a few blocks away from the theatre), the building was already the German club, but if I remember correctly, the facade still retained the red, white and blue ceramic tiles, which I presume were from its theatre days. My mom used to go the the Roscoe growing up. Across the street was Hoffing’s Dept. Store (where the Village thrift store is now). I hope someone turns up some pictures.
Reactivate Notification Status.
the 1923 link above is incorrect: Here
This is the second theater on the site.
1923 Sanborn Map
1950 Sanborn Map
From the MSN Live Map, it looks like the auditorium was replaced by condos.
The above mentioned realtor Sussex & Reilly, is listed at 2044 W. Roscoe.
I’m quite certain it’s the same building, with a newer facade at street level. Again, I’ll try and ask to see the rear portion when I’m down there next.
From the Chicago Tribune, 12/9/56:
In a reent conversion, just completed last April, the venerable old Roscoe Theater, 2044 Roscoe Street, became the social hall and headquarters of a German-American club, the Schleswig-Holsteiner-Saengerbund. Buying the theater and obtaining the materials to convert it cost approximately $50,000, since the members did their own work, except for certain technical skills.
Club official Eugene Erbach said the effort was well worth it, as the 74 year old club now has an ideal showplace for its choral concerts and a neighborhood social club for its 200 members. A dance floor of some 3,000 square feet, and a terrace above it provising some 4,000 square feet, allows plenty of room for club activities.
Side walls have been improved with paintings of old country landscapes, and the projection room of the old theater has been converted into an auxiliary meeting room, Erbach said.
I drove by this address today. It appears to be rather large, older brick structure, that had a newer facade was put onto it. So possibly the original theatre building is what was converted. The entire first floor retail space is home to Sussex-Realty.
There are a couple floors of apartments above that. I’ll inquire at Sussex if it is the original building.
Since it is even numbered, it is on the North side of Roscoe.
Listed in editions of Film Daily Yearbook 1941 thru 1950 as the Roscoe Theatre, 2046 Roscoe Street, with a seating capacity between 650 and 690.
Conrad Schiecke’s book ‘Historic Movie Theatres in Illinois 1883-1960’ states: ‘It opened as the Seeley Theatre, 2046 Roscoe Boulevard in 1914. In 1929 it closed and was re-opened in 1938 as the Roscoe Theatre with 650 seats. The Roscoe Theatre closed in 1953, and currently the building houses a meeting hall’.