Midway Theatre
6250 S. Cottage Grove Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60637
6250 S. Cottage Grove Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60637
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There was also a plan for a West Side Empress and a North Side Empress, but these remained unbuilt.
Also AKA Royal, in 1914
This was originally known as the Trevett in November, 1909. Soon it was renamed Empress. When the second Empress (on the same Sullivan-Considine Circuit) opened, it became the Cottage Grove Empress. A few years later, it turned to the Midway Hippodrome.
The July 17, 1909 issue of The Economist said that a brick theater, 52x140, being built for Thomas Chamales at 6248-6252 Cottage Grove Avenue had been designed by Sidney Lovell.
As children we went to the Tivoli, Maryland, Ark and the Hippodrone in the1940’s.
I’d place the photo at 1924. The bank building just beyond the tracks was completed that year, the Gypsy Lane dine and dance (marquee visible on the left) was closed by 1928, and the theater itself is presenting ‘Shuffle Along’ on stage, which, after its Broadway run, went on a road tour that year.
This theatre would have been very close to the Trianon Ballroom. If anyone has pics of either they’d be greatly appreciated.
Does anyone remember the name of the ice cream parlor on 63rd near Cottage Grove that served giant bowls of ice cream in the 60’s?