Hub Theatre
1746 W. Chicago Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60622
1746 W. Chicago Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60622
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My dad owned Hub theater in the 70s as a Spanish theatre
Reopened as a second-run house in 1989 before closing in June 1994.
History via Forbidden Root’s website.
http://www.forbiddenroot.com/content/year-young-century-old
Current article about the Forbidden Root brewpub to open Thursday.
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160216/west-town/forbidden-root-open-former-hub-theater-on-thursday-photos
“Botanical brewpub” expects to open here February 19.
Here is a THSA photo.
That proposed craft brewery wound up over at 444 N Michigan.
A craft brewer wants to open a brewery and taproom in the former Hub. DNAInfo story here.
I actually went here at times from 1989-94. Wasn’t bad at first, But seemingly things went progressively downhill. And in it’s last year?, Need I say more?. But I do miss this theatre being around, And wished that it were maintained more professionally.
Here is a circa 1991 or 1992 photo of the Hub http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmklein/3439742729/in/set-72157607401896889/
Chicago Avenue and Washington Boulevard are both east-west oriented streets one mile apart from each other and don’t intersect. The caption on that picture is incorrect.
This looks like a pretty small theater from the street, but satellite view shows that it telescopes as it goes back. Seating capacity was 769 in 1916, not 400.
I grew up near the Hub and saw Dean Martin in a Matt Helm movie there. Good times.
Here is a 1982 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/d6qaac
So the Hub theatre continued to operate into the mid 70s, possibly to 1980 or beyond? And the Alvin, Armitage, Royal, and others? Once these theatres disappeared from the movie listings in the early 70s, I assumed they were closed for good. Glad to know they flourished- at least for a while-as Spanish language theatres. Thanks for the information, Bryan.
It would be “El Centro”, if you were talking about the hub of a city, or “El Cubo”, if you were talking about a wheel.
Regarding Bravermans Deli, it wsa located east of the Alvin Theatre.
The Alvin Theatre was located several blocks east of the Hub Theatre.
thepast mentioned a horseshoe bar at Bravermans, they only had tables and chairs and no alcohol was served. The tavern several doors west of Bravermans had a horseshoe type bar.
The HUB had one of those big long “It’s Air Conditioned COLD Inside!"
banner signs out in front I remember. I had no problems with this place the few times I attended early ‘60s, but somehow the ALVIN a block or so east on Chicago usually got my business. The unused old elevated track structure for the (now) long-gone 'Paulina St L’ used to crossover Chicago Ave just a couple doors east of the HUB.
It’s currently an office for Catholic Charities. The address is 1746 W Chicago.
I was born in 1952 and remember the HUB Theater very well. Every Sunday my four sisters and I spent the afternoon there to give my parents a break. The floors were always sticky with chewing gum and the theater permeated like popcorn Heaven! As kids we thought we could get away with something without our parents but the HUB had ushers in uniforms with big flashlights and they acted like the secret police (maybe they were Catholic nuns in disquise, I don’t know)! Anyone caught talking or goofing off got escorted out the door so we learned quickly to behave ourselves. Next door was Bravermans and their hamburgers were about a pound each. I especially loved the ones that were smothered in onions. Yes! Those were the good old days!
Here is a profile from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency’s HAARGIS system. It includes a small picture.
The Hub was a small neighborhood theatre that played mostly triple features. It had a three change a week policy. The Hub had a boxy marquee; no lines for the film titles. Instead, facing east and west, in big letters: H U B in orange neon against a green background. To the left of the “H”, in black painted letters pointed up on a 45 degree angle, were the words MATINEE DAILY. The lobby was quite small- similar to the Parkway theatre (long, but not very deep). The candy counter was to the right as you entered the door. The auditorium had off white walls with a light green tinge, as I recall. It was very soothing. My first trip to the Hub was in 1966 or ‘67. Even though I lived far away and didn’t have a car, couldn’t resist “BILLY THE KID VS. DRACULA” plus “JESSE JAMES MEETS FRANKENSTEIN’S DAUGHTER”. The Hub seemed to be one of the few theatres to show this double feature.If memory serves, the Hub (and the Alvin theatre, located less than two blocks east) closed around 1969- maybe 1970. However, after many years, the Hub actually reopened (around late 1988?), showing double features changed weekly(similar to the Logan theatre at the time). In April 1989 I saw “THE NAKED GUN” ; in June of 1990 saw “THE FIRST POWER”. The theatre had not changed all that much. But, business was not too good; I think by late 1990 (early '91) the Hub closed for good.
I remember going to a great Jewish cafeteria called (BRAVERMANS) next door to the HUB with my parents in the 50s. They had a steam table to the right as you walked in with a large horseshoe shaped bar at the rear, wonderful selection of hot tasty food. Anyone else remember it??