Building permit issued July 3, 1909. Client Anna Kiel (or Kiehl according to “Continuous Performances” - Estate owned the land and paid for the shell of the building while Balabans were responsible for interior and front). Architects were given as J. F. & J. P. Doerr.
In a curious coincidence, John P. Doerr’s daughter, Lilly Doerr, was a victim of the Iroquois Theater fire. William Doerr, who worked as a draftsman for his brothers, identified her body. William would later become an architect himself, designing the Jeffery Theatre. Abe Balaban recalled watching the bodies being removed after the fire, as an avid theater buff and aspiring singer.
The Circle opened Labor Day, September 6, 1909. It switched from primarily WVMA vaudeville to primarily film in 1911. The Circle is noted as damaged by fire in the 1950 Sanborn map, but aerial photos indicate that it was demolished between 1963 and 1972.
The building was built as Chicago Natatorium Hall in 1892. The seating capacity, though given as 299 for fire purposes, was actually 524. It was one of 9 second floor “loft” theaters in Chicago targeted for closure in 1912 due to the danger of crowd panic deaths. The Iola was described, “good fire escapes with main floor fifteen feet above the ground; balcony, seating 100, bad to leave because of steep, narrow exit stairs.” The other eight were:
Teddy, 461 E 31st St, 767 seats, “gallery contains box stalls almost impossible to escape from in rush; wood construction everywhere and seats where aisleways should be; numerous fire escapes on three sides”;
Humboldt, 849 Ohio St, 800 seats, “steep, ladderlike steps at entrance, winding rear exit with three turns and no lights, no rear fire escapes”;
Schindler, 1005 W Huron, 980 seats, “windows fitted with heavy screening, property room filled with inflammable trash, lack of red lights to indicate rear exitway, balcony bad”;
Arcade, 112th & Paulina, 711 seats, “built thirty years ago and only modernized to the extent of sheet iron walls for dressing rooms; balcony especially bad; labyrinthine rear exitways”;
Sittner’s, 335 North Ave, 800 seats, “next to Ideal, worst visited; big balcony with poor exitways; rear exitways of ladderlike steepness; added danger seen in first floor tenants including dry goods, tailor, and dyers and cleaners establishments”;
Ideal, 538 North Ave, 530 seats, “third floor fire trap, heated with stoves; exits bad and long way to ground; clothing store on first floor added danger”;
La Salle, 110 W Madison, 770 seats, “insufficient fire escapes for second floor; double deck style balcony reaching nearly to stage line; rear exit from dressing rooms on first floor locked”
The Thalia was excepted as being relatively safe. Ultimately some were closed, some rebuilt.
It was opened as the Parkway April 17, 1911. It did not experience great success in vaudeville and closed before the end of the season. It soon went to primarily pictures. It closed and reopened repeatedly, with redecorations and policy changes. On May 4, 1918 it reopened as the Drury Lane, including the largest movie screen in the city at that time. Later, it returned to the Parkway name.
I don’t see any relationship to a “Comus” theater; I don’t know what that’s about. The Woodlawn is pretty overlooked - descriptions from its opening rank it among the most elaborate motion picture theaters in the city when it opened. But it was independent, not part of a chain like Ascher Brothers, Lubliner & Trinz, or Alfred Hamburger. It appears to have been an enter-at-screen configuration.
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.
This first opened as the Comedy Theatre December 15, 1909. It was apparently a huge failure initially, as crowds stuck to Sittner’s Theatre across the street. It soon reopened as the Plaza.
The Julian was built for manager J. G. Conderman, who had previously owned a company that produced 40 foot ferris wheels for amusement parks. https://archive.org/details/ShowWorldv4n19/page/27/mode/1up?view=theater
“The new Lincoln Theatre, located at Lincoln and Belmont Avenues, is by far the finest house in the outlying district of Chicago. There are even some big loop theatres that can not compare. The house is undoubtedly the most modern and carefully constructed in the city. A wonderful ventilating system brings the house to the top of the ladder where the comfort of patrons is concerned. The stage is also one of the largest and best equipped in Chicago, there being no known vaudeville act too large nor elaborate for production on it. The house has been opened about two and a half months and has been a great financial success from the opening night. It la the largest family theatre in the city and plays only the highest class of refined vaudeville.” -https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1912-03-23_24_12/page/18/mode/1up?view=theater
It was managed by Anderson & Price initially and booked with WVMA vaudeville.
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Construction_News/YN9aAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1 From 1912, the Annex could very well be the earliest atmospheric theater.
The Hamlin/Alex was evidently an elaborate but failed dance hall called the Wigwam from 1925-1926. The Tribune gives the address of the Wigwam as 3826 Madison. The owners were Butch Crowley, a Joliet bootlegger, and Ned Allen, former warden of Joliet prison. http://archive.org/details/variety81-1926-01/page/n109/mode/1up?view=theater
Seated 270. Address 67 N Williams St. Still standing.
https://www.facebook.com/reclaimedcl/posts/4430095707082646
https://www.mchenrycountyliving.com/history/tripletsofwilliamsst
The Majestic was built by George H. Johnson in five months during 1904 and opened October 21. It burned December 27 of that year but was quickly rebuilt, reopening April 13, 1905.
The Marlowe Theatre opened May 1902. It was named for famed Shakespearean actress Julia Marlowe. One of many small town opera houses developed by George H. Johnston.
Building permit issued July 3, 1909. Client Anna Kiel (or Kiehl according to “Continuous Performances” - Estate owned the land and paid for the shell of the building while Balabans were responsible for interior and front). Architects were given as J. F. & J. P. Doerr.
In a curious coincidence, John P. Doerr’s daughter, Lilly Doerr, was a victim of the Iroquois Theater fire. William Doerr, who worked as a draftsman for his brothers, identified her body. William would later become an architect himself, designing the Jeffery Theatre. Abe Balaban recalled watching the bodies being removed after the fire, as an avid theater buff and aspiring singer.
The Circle opened Labor Day, September 6, 1909. It switched from primarily WVMA vaudeville to primarily film in 1911. The Circle is noted as damaged by fire in the 1950 Sanborn map, but aerial photos indicate that it was demolished between 1963 and 1972.
https://archive.org/details/variety20-1910-10/page/n151/mode/1up?view=theater
The building was built as Chicago Natatorium Hall in 1892. The seating capacity, though given as 299 for fire purposes, was actually 524. It was one of 9 second floor “loft” theaters in Chicago targeted for closure in 1912 due to the danger of crowd panic deaths. The Iola was described, “good fire escapes with main floor fifteen feet above the ground; balcony, seating 100, bad to leave because of steep, narrow exit stairs.” The other eight were:
Teddy, 461 E 31st St, 767 seats, “gallery contains box stalls almost impossible to escape from in rush; wood construction everywhere and seats where aisleways should be; numerous fire escapes on three sides”;
Humboldt, 849 Ohio St, 800 seats, “steep, ladderlike steps at entrance, winding rear exit with three turns and no lights, no rear fire escapes”;
Schindler, 1005 W Huron, 980 seats, “windows fitted with heavy screening, property room filled with inflammable trash, lack of red lights to indicate rear exitway, balcony bad”;
Arcade, 112th & Paulina, 711 seats, “built thirty years ago and only modernized to the extent of sheet iron walls for dressing rooms; balcony especially bad; labyrinthine rear exitways”;
Sittner’s, 335 North Ave, 800 seats, “next to Ideal, worst visited; big balcony with poor exitways; rear exitways of ladderlike steepness; added danger seen in first floor tenants including dry goods, tailor, and dyers and cleaners establishments”;
Ideal, 538 North Ave, 530 seats, “third floor fire trap, heated with stoves; exits bad and long way to ground; clothing store on first floor added danger”;
La Salle, 110 W Madison, 770 seats, “insufficient fire escapes for second floor; double deck style balcony reaching nearly to stage line; rear exit from dressing rooms on first floor locked”
The Thalia was excepted as being relatively safe. Ultimately some were closed, some rebuilt.
https://archive.org/details/moviwor09chal/page/449/mode/1up?view=theater
It was opened as the Parkway April 17, 1911. It did not experience great success in vaudeville and closed before the end of the season. It soon went to primarily pictures. It closed and reopened repeatedly, with redecorations and policy changes. On May 4, 1918 it reopened as the Drury Lane, including the largest movie screen in the city at that time. Later, it returned to the Parkway name.
As the Plaza, it was apparently owned for a time by Karl Hoblitzelle of the Interstate chain, which normally did not operate in Chicago.
There was also a plan for a West Side Empress and a North Side Empress, but these remained unbuilt.
I don’t see any relationship to a “Comus” theater; I don’t know what that’s about. The Woodlawn is pretty overlooked - descriptions from its opening rank it among the most elaborate motion picture theaters in the city when it opened. But it was independent, not part of a chain like Ascher Brothers, Lubliner & Trinz, or Alfred Hamburger. It appears to have been an enter-at-screen configuration.
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.
This was a fairly large theater, probably about 600 seats range.
This first opened as the Comedy Theatre December 15, 1909. It was apparently a huge failure initially, as crowds stuck to Sittner’s Theatre across the street. It soon reopened as the Plaza.
The Julian was built for manager J. G. Conderman, who had previously owned a company that produced 40 foot ferris wheels for amusement parks. https://archive.org/details/ShowWorldv4n19/page/27/mode/1up?view=theater
“The new Lincoln Theatre, located at Lincoln and Belmont Avenues, is by far the finest house in the outlying district of Chicago. There are even some big loop theatres that can not compare. The house is undoubtedly the most modern and carefully constructed in the city. A wonderful ventilating system brings the house to the top of the ladder where the comfort of patrons is concerned. The stage is also one of the largest and best equipped in Chicago, there being no known vaudeville act too large nor elaborate for production on it. The house has been opened about two and a half months and has been a great financial success from the opening night. It la the largest family theatre in the city and plays only the highest class of refined vaudeville.” -https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1912-03-23_24_12/page/18/mode/1up?view=theater
It was managed by Anderson & Price initially and booked with WVMA vaudeville.
L&T also held the 1917 summer lease.
Operated by Abe Balaban in 1915: https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1915-01-30_27_5/page/54/mode/1up?view=theater
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Construction_News/YN9aAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1 From 1912, the Annex could very well be the earliest atmospheric theater.
The Hamlin/Alex was evidently an elaborate but failed dance hall called the Wigwam from 1925-1926. The Tribune gives the address of the Wigwam as 3826 Madison. The owners were Butch Crowley, a Joliet bootlegger, and Ned Allen, former warden of Joliet prison. http://archive.org/details/variety81-1926-01/page/n109/mode/1up?view=theater
The Marx Brothers played here early on. https://archive.org/details/variety25-1911-12/page/n77/mode/2up?view=theater
Seated 270. Address 67 N Williams St. Still standing. https://www.facebook.com/reclaimedcl/posts/4430095707082646 https://www.mchenrycountyliving.com/history/tripletsofwilliamsst
The Majestic was built by George H. Johnson in five months during 1904 and opened October 21. It burned December 27 of that year but was quickly rebuilt, reopening April 13, 1905.
The building across the street, at 225 2nd Street, sure looks like it was an old upper floor opera house.
The Marlowe Theatre opened May 1902. It was named for famed Shakespearean actress Julia Marlowe. One of many small town opera houses developed by George H. Johnston.
Updated NYPL link: https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-52da-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
Original Architect was Sidney Lovell
Several good early photos here: https://archive.org/details/exhibitorsherald24unse/page/n391/mode/2up?view=theater