Ford's Theatre vs. Ford’s Opera House, Washington, DC

Ford's Athenaeum was a theatre located at 511 10th Street NW, Washington, D.C., which opened in 1861. After a fire destroyed it in 1862, he rebuilt a new building on the same site and named it Ford's Theatre, which opened in 1865. 

Ticket Color Determines the Seating Section.

 

Ford's Theatre Ticket, Late 1860s.

The building is now named "Ford's Theatre National Historic Site."

The Two Theatres Owned By John Thompson Ford (1829-1894).

Ford's Opera House was a theatre at the southwest corner of 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC., which opened in 1871. Ford's Opera House closed in 1928 and was demolished in 1930.

Ford's Opera House, 1928

The brainchild of renowned theatre manager John T. Ford, the opera house opened its doors to the public on October 2, 1871. It was a magnificent structure, boasting a grand Italianate facade, a spacious auditorium with plush seating for 1,700, and a state-of-the-art stage equipped for elaborate productions. 

Ford's Opera House Stationary Header.

The opera house quickly became a popular destination for Washingtonians, offering diverse performances, from grand operas and operettas to Shakespearean plays, vaudeville acts, and even political rallies. Notably, the famous newspaper publisher Horace Greeley was nominated as the Liberal Republican presidential candidate in 1872.

As the years passed, the opera house faced increasing competition from other theatres and entertainment venues in the city. The rise of vaudeville and musical comedy further eroded its audience for traditional operas.

By the early 20th century, the opera house was struggling financially. Attempts were made to revive its fortunes by hosting silent films and other popular attractions, but the success was short-lived.

After a final performance on April 29, 1928, the curtain fell on Ford's Opera House for the last time. The building was eventually demolished in 1930 to make way for a parking garage, sadly erasing a piece of Washington's cultural history.

While the physical structure is no more, the legacy of Ford's Opera House remains. It was a pioneering venue that brought world-class entertainment to Washington, D.C. and played a significant role in the city's cultural life. Its demise serves as a reminder of the ever-evolving nature of the arts and the importance of preserving our cultural heritage.

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John Thompson Ford worked as a bookseller in Richmond, Virginia. Ford wrote a comedy play poking fun at Richmond society. The farce was entitled "Richmond As It Is," and was produced by a minstrel company called the Nightingale Serenaders. It focused on humorous aspects of everyday life. This type of play is termed "observational comedy," which is exactly the type of humor that Jerry Seinfeld has used to established one of the most successful comedy careers of our era. He worked in management with the Nightingale Serenaders, traveling around the country. During his career, Ford managed theatres in Alexandria, Virginia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Charleston, South Carolina; and Richmond, Virginia.

Ford was the manager of this highly successful theatre at the time of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. He was a good friend of Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor. Ford drew further suspicion upon himself by being in Richmond, Virginia, at the time of the assassination on April 14, 1865. Until April 2, 1865, Richmond had been the capital of the Confederate States of America and a center of anti-Lincoln conspiracies.

An order was issued for Ford's arrest, and on April 18, he was arrested at his Baltimore home. His brothers, James and Harry Clay Ford, were thrown into prison along with him. John Ford complained of the effect that his incarceration would have on his business and family, and he offered to help with the investigation. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton made no reply to his two letters. After 39 days, the brothers were finally fully exonerated and set free since there was no evidence of their complicity in the crime. The government seized the theatre, and Ford was paid $88,000 ($1.7 Million  today) for it by Congress.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Al Capone, a big fan of jazz music, gave many now-famous jazz musicians their start in Chicago.

Louis Armstrong

Al Capone supported jazz musicians. Capone was a big fan of jazz music, and he helped to promote and support Negro jazz musicians in Chicago. 

During the Prohibition Era (1920-1933), alcohol was banned in the United States. It's claimed that Al Capone owned, in whole or part, a few hundred speakeasies in Chicago. His love for live jazz music played in speakeasies to attract more patrons. The performances saved jazz musicians from poverty and provided musicians with a steady income and stable living conditions, helping them focus on their music and promoting the development of jazz music. This also explained why the Jazz Age overlapped with the Prohibition Era.

Between 1923 and World War II, Chicago was the jazz capital of the world thanks to the Great Migration, which brought thousands of Negroes from the Deep South to Chicago's South Side. More than 70 nightclubs, ballrooms, and theatre halls lined the Douglas Community's Bronzeville Neighborhood streets, particularly along a stretch of State Street known as "The Stroll" from 31st to 39th Streets.

The Sunset Café, 315 East 35th Street, Chicago, Illinois.

Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Earl Hines, Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, King Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band, and Nat King Cole all came of age in clubs owned and controlled by Al Capone. Sadly, "The Stroll" was demolished after World War II.

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The Sunset Café is highly recognized in the earliest forms of U.S. jazz history.

The Sunset Café held significant value to the infamous Al Capone. Joe Glaser's mother was the original owner of the building until her passing. She leased the building to Edward Fox and Sam Rifas, who were direct employees of Al Capone. After Louis Armstrong and Joe Glaser left for New York, Edward Fox became the sole manager of the Café and the band under the leadership of Earl Hines. Since the Café was located within the Chicago Outfit properties, that connection allowed the Sunset Café to remain open during the Great Depression, unlike many other jazz clubs.

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Joe E. Lewis, comedian, actor and singer, was attacked by Al Capone lieutenant, "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn's men in 1927 after he refused to take his act to the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, 4802 North Broadway, which Capone partly owned.

Lewis was assaulted in his 10th-floor Commonwealth Hotel room, on November 8, 1927, by three enforcers sent by McGurn. The enforcers, including Sam Giancana and Leonard "Needles" Gianola, mutilated Lewis by cutting his throat and tongue and leaving him for dead. Capone was fond of Lewis and was upset with the assault but would not take action against one of his top lieutenants. Instead, he provided Lewis with $10,000 ($175,000 today) to aid his recovery and eventually resumed his career.

Later renamed the Grand Terrace Café when Al Capone bought a 25% stake, this "black-and-tan" (integrated) jazz club was one of the most essential venues in music history. It's where Earl "Fatha" Hines and Louis Armstrong made a name for themselves playing duets in the mid-20s. A few years later, it's where Cab Calloway and Nat King Cole landed some of their first professional gigs alongside legends like Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, and even Benny Goodman.

When the Grand Terrace Café opened in place of the Sunset Café, pianist Earl Hines took up the mantle of bandleader. Ed Fox managed both Hines and the club. During Hines' time at the Grand Terrace, the band was broadcast nationally every weekend for an hour on WMAQ and another hour on WNEP. 

The Grand Terrace Café closed in 1940, and the building served as the district office of Congressman William L. Dawson for many years. Glaser sold the building to Meyers' father, Henry, in 1962, who then opened Meyers Ace Hardware.

Capone's support helped to make jazz music a mainstream art form.

A Chicago branch of New York City's Cotton Club was run by Al's brother Ralph "Bottles" Capone.

As a result of Capone's support, jazz music flourished during the Prohibition era, making jazz music a mainstream art form.

It is important to note that Capone's support of jazz musicians was not entirely altruistic. He saw jazz music as a way to make money and gain influence. However, his support positively impacted the development of jazz music, and he is credited with helping to make it one of the world's most popular genres of music.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

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June 28, 2023, 10:12 AM CT.

Thank you, Neil, for unequivocally portraying Al Capone the way he was. It is an excellent article. There was a reason that my family was so good to the opposition.

Your Friend,                                             

Deirdre Marie Capone 

Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie, Illinois. A Comprehensive History.

Nestled amidst the bustling suburbs of Chicago, Westfield Old Orchard stands as a testament to the transformative power of visionary development. Yet, the story of this iconic shopping center traces its roots back to a more tranquil era when the land was enveloped by a vast expanse of apple trees. In the early 1900s, the land now occupied by Westfield Old Orchard was home to a sprawling apple orchard lovingly tended by the family of Philip Morris Klutznick, a prominent Chicago developer and philanthropist.

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Phillip Klutznick was instrumental in creating Park Forest Plaza (1949), Old Orchard Center (1956), and Oakbrook Center (1962) shopping malls. River Oaks Center was developed by a joint venture of the Hartford, Connecticut-based Aetna Life Insurance Company and Chicago's Phillip Klutznick of KLC Venture, Limited. (1966)

Klutznick, a man with an astute eye for opportunity, recognized the potential of this idyllic landscape to flourish into a vibrant commercial hub. With a vision for the future, Klutznick set out to transform the apple orchard into a thriving commercial center. In 1956, his vision materialized as Old Orchard Shopping Center, a groundbreaking retail destination that would forever alter the landscape of Skokie, Illinois. 

Old Orchard Shopping Center's boundaries are Skokie Boulevard (US Rt. 41) on the east, Golf Road to the south, Lavergne Avenue to the west, and Old Orchard Road on the north, in the Village of Skokie, Illinois.

The Philip Morris Klutznick American Community Builders embarked on developing a new Chicagoland shopping center. It was built as a joint venture with Marshall Field & Company. Old Orchard Center, designed by Richard M. Bennett of Loebl, Schlossman & Bennett, was developed on an 85-acre parcel located 18 miles northwest of downtown Chicago in suburban Skokie.

Original plans called for the mall to be anchored by four department stores: Marshall Field & Company, The Fair Store, Carson Pirie Scott & Co. and Sears, Roebuck & Company. This grandiose proposal was eventually altered, and only two anchor stores would be built as part of the original shopping center: Marshall Field & Company and The Fair Store.

Construction commenced in March 1955. When completed, the open-air facility encompassed approximately 1,079,000 leasable square feet. It consisted of a central retail level with basements beneath significant stores.

Old Orchard opened on October 25, 1956.

Old Orchard Center was anchored by a 3-level (310,000 sq. ft) Marshall Fields stood in the middle of the shopping center. Marshall Fields held its grand opening on October 22, 1956.

A North Mall included the 7-story Professional Building and twenty-two retail spaces. 

The South Mall, comprising three store blocks, featured thirty-six stores and The Fair Store, a 2-level (83,000 sq. ft) building, as the second anchor store. This Chicago-based store was opened on November 1, 1956.

A mall-wide grand opening was held on October 25, 1956. At that time, the retail roster included Lerner Shops, Baskin apparel, Chandler's Shoes, Baker's Shoes, Kay Howard ladies' wear, Broadstreet's men's wear and Burny Brothers Bakery.

Major inline stores were a (19,200 sq. ft) S.S. Kresge Five & Dime, (16,100 sq. ft) Walgreen Drug and Kroger supermarket (27,000 sq. ft). 

An underground concourse, The Arcade Shops, contained nine stores and services, including the Arcade Barber Shop, Arcade Currency Exchange and Arcade Easy Travel Bureau.

A 3-level (58,000 sq. ft) Saks Fifth Avenue debuted on November 10, 1958. 

The first theatrical venue in or around the mall was the Old Orchard Theatre, built 1/4 mile south of the shopping center on Skokie Boulevard. 

The 1,700-seat Raymond Marks and Martin Rosenfield (M&R) Old Orchard Theatre, 9400 Skokie Boulevard, opened with Judy Holliday in "Bells Are Ringing" on September 2, 1960.

The Fair Store was rebranded by Montgomery Ward in March 1964. In April, Montgomery Wards announced that the store would be expanded into a 3-level (114,000 sq. ft) operation. At the same time, the existing Marshall Fields was enlarged with a 4th level. With its renovation completed, this store encompassed 385,000 square feet.

A subsequent expansion of Old Orchard Center was done in the late 1970s. Two North and West Garages parking structures were completed in September 1977.

Mid-1970s

Mid-1970s

Saks Fifth Avenue relocated into a 3-level (114,000 sq. ft) building on the mall's northeast corner. The store debuted, with a preview opening, on November 10, 1978. The old Saks Fifth Avenue building reopened as Lord & Taylor on July 30, 1979.

By the late 1980s, Old Orchard had been bested by the region's newer, more trendy shopping venues, such as Woodfield Mall (1971) and Northbrook Court (1976).

A renovation of Old Orchard to make it into a more upscale shopping venue was announced in late 1991. This included an expansion of Lord & Taylor into a 3-level (115,000 sq. ft) structure. The enlarged store was reopened on November 10, 1993.

A Westfield Old Orchard view showing the North Mall and Professional Building.

The mall's south end was demolished and replaced by a 242,000 sq. ft South Promenade. This extended to a 2-level (199,200 sq. ft) Nordstrom Store that opened on October 7, 1994. The South Promenade included the 10-bay Orchard Food Court and Cineplex Odeon Old Orchard Gardens Cinemas. This 7-screen venue was opened on December 16, 1994.

On the north end of the mall, the North Garage was razed. It was replaced by a 154,000 sq. ft North Promenade, which included a 3-level (206,000 sq. ft) Bloomingdale's on its west end. This store welcomed its first shoppers on September 2, 1995.

Moreover, two parking structures, the South and the new North Garages, were constructed. The reconfigured, 1.7 million sq. ft Old Orchard Center held its official dedication on September 1, 1995. New tenants included Abercrombie & Fitch, Ann Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Cache, FAO Schwarz, The Limited, Record Town, Talbot's and Victoria's Secret.

A second theater complex opened on the west end of the South Promenade in February 2006. The old and new multiples were collectively known as Loews Gardens Cinemas 13. The original venue was promoted as Cinemas 1-6, and the second was announced as Cinemas 7-13. The multiplexes were rebranded as Regal venues in 2012.

Meanwhile, Old Orchard Center was acquired by Australia-based Westfield in January 2002. Its name was changed to Westfield Shoppingtown Old Orchard in May. This lengthy moniker was truncated to Westfield Old Orchard in June 2005.

Westfield proposed a third major property expansion but eventually decided on a much smaller addition. Work commenced in July 2006. The Saks Fifth Avenue and its Off-Fifth basement store were shuttered in July 2005. The building was torn down, with 63,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space built.

Macy's took over Marshall Fields on September 9, 2006.

Lucy, a ladies' clothier, was one of the first operational tenants in the 20 million-dollar addition. This store began business in July 2007. California Pizza Kitchen relocated into the expansion. McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks welcomed its first diners on December 6, 2007. Westfield Shoppingtown Old Orchard now encompasses approximately 1,788,800 leasable square feet and contains 150 stores and services.

The Orchard Food Court was reconfigured as the Wilde & Green Natural Market & Restaurant. This (30,000 sq. ft) facility housed eighteen food stations, with hot foods, a grill, a salad bar, a sushi shop and a coffee bar. There was also a small greengrocer and a rooftop restaurant and bar.

Installed and maintained by a Toronto-based company, the culinary complex opened on July 25, 2011. Unfortunately, it failed to catch on and was shut down on June 23, 2013. By this time, the mall's two multiplex cinemas had gone through a succession of owners: Loews (1998-2006), AMC (2006-2010) and the Regal (2010-2016).

Here is one of the center's winding shopping concourses. This extends from Macy's main entrance to Lord & Taylor.

Both theaters were shuttered in June 2016 and renovated into a state-of-the-art, dine-in luxury theater venues. The CMX Cinebistro Old Orchard (the old Cinemas 1-6) had a soft opening on December 15, 2017. On the opposite side of the mall, the CMX Market Cinema Old Orchard (the old Cinemas 7-13) was opened on July 27, 2018.

 

Westfield's American and European property portfolio was merged into the holdings of Paris-based Unibail-Rodamco. A new company, known as Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, was created in 2013. The merger did not include Westfield shopping centers in Australia and New Zealand.

A look into the future:

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield unveiled a new landmark vision in December of 2022 for Westfield Old Orchard that will create a North Shore destination unlike anything else in Chicagoland, featuring best-in-class retail, modern residences, chef-led dining, entertainment, gourmet markets, and upscale health and wellness amenities.

Click Pictures for Ginormous Images.

The development plans also feature a park and event space designed as the center's focal point and place for social gatherings. Under the center of native trees and plants, paved pathways will wind through lush landscaping and comfortable seating, leading to an open-air plaza where local events, concerts, farmer's markets, and festivals can occur. More plans for the development will be unveiled in early 2024. A tentative completion date is 2030.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Couch Place, an Infamous Alley in Chicago's Loop.

The main walkway next to where the Oriental Theatre is called Couch Place [1]. It's the same alley that was adjacent to the Iroquois Theatre at the northeast corner of Randolph and Dearborn Streets 79-83 Randolph (after the 1911 Loop Renumbering; 36 West Randolph Street).

On Wednesday, December 30,1903, the deadliest theatre and single-structure fires in United States history occurred at Chicago's new "Iroquois Theatre." The first performance at the theatre, a standing-room-only matinée, starred the famous comedian Eddie Foy.

A stage light shorted and sparked during the show, setting fire to the curtain and quickly spreading doom throughout the theatre. Though everyone tried to make a break for it, there were some major flaws in the building design, like how all the fire escapes were unlabeled, locked, and opened inward, and the second-floor fire escape over the alley named Couch Place was unfinished. 

The Iroquois Theatre was billed as "Absolutely Fireproof" in advertisements and in the performances playbill. The spread of the fire is attributed to the large amount of inflammable stuff on the stage. Many people had been found dead in their seats in the balcony and gallery.

Regular "Iroquois" Prices: $1.50, $1.00, 75¢, 50¢

So, by failing to make it outside or jumping to the alley below out of desperation, 602 people died because of the Iroquois Theatre Fire (my robust article) that day.

One hundred and twenty years later, Couch Place is still considered haunted.

Compiled By Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

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People that believe there were no real safety standards for public buildings during the turn of the 20th Century, nothing could be further from the truth.

The construction manager, W.A. Merriam, had declared the building “absolutely fireproof”, although he had ignored a number of contemporary safety precautions. On the day of the fire, audience demand was so great to attend the ornate new theatre that there were 200 standing attendees; the fire vents were closed, and the theatre doors were locked. Even by the looser standards of the day, the construction company and theatre owners committed flagrant safety violations. According to some reports, the city safety inspectors had been bribed with free theatre tickets to ignore the offenses.

Very soon after the fire, a grand jury indicted five people: theatre owner Will Davis, Iroquois treasurer and assistant manager Thomas J. Noonan, and stage manager James E. Cummings–for manslaughter, and Chicago’s Building Commissioner Williams and Building Inspector Edward Laughlin–for malfeasance. Ultimately, the defense got the judge to dismiss the case by arguing that the city’s fire ordinances were invalid. No one was punished for the deaths of 602 victims.

The only positive outcome of this tragic event was the major overhaul of the city’s fire safety standards. Not only did the city of Chicago tighten its fire code, but other major cities changed their practices almost immediately as well. Shortly after this fire, New York and London made rules to stop locking theatre doors. The doors of the Iroquois had been locked to prevent people from sneaking in the theatre, which was one of the contributory factors to the high death toll. On June 8, 1904, New York introduced new building standards for theatres in response to the Iroquois tragedy. In 1904 the Von DuPrin company developed the panic bar (also called push bar or crash bar), a version of which is still used today so that people inside a locked building can now exit in an emergency. Most importantly, fire codes were updated throughout the country.

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[1] Ira Couch (1806-1857) was a prominent early settler and entrepreneur in Chicago, Illinois, during the mid-19th century. Born in New York in 1806, Couch arrived in Chicago in 1834, just one year after the town was incorporated.

Upon his arrival in Chicago, Couch quickly established himself as a successful businessman. He founded several businesses, including a livery stable, a stagecoach line, and a hotel. In 1837, he built the Tremont House, one of Chicago's most famous hotels during the mid-19th century. The hotel was known for its luxurious accommodations and was a popular destination for politicians, business leaders, and other prominent figures.

Couch was also active in politics. He served as an alderman in the Chicago City Council in the 1840s and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1846. 

In 1850, Chicago was booming, and the Tremont Hotel was so overbooked that guests had to sleep in the halls. Within three years, Couch was a rich man. He rented the hotel to two men from Boston and retired on his riches.

In 1852, he was elected to the Illinois Senate.

Despite his success, Couch suffered financial setbacks in the mid-1850s. He was forced to sell the Tremont House in 1854 and was later sued by his creditors. He died in 1857, reportedly from complications related to alcoholism.

Couch lies in his Mausoleum in Lincoln Park when the area was a city cemetery.

The Original Iroquois Theatre Matinée Playbill for the December 30, 1903. (pdf).

A complete, robust history of the Iroquois Theatre fire with 15 photographs.

The free PDF book, "The Great Chicago Theater Disaster, The Complete Story Told By The Survivors," published in 1904 by Marshall Everett. 

The Varsity Theater, 1710 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, Illinois. (1926-1988)

The Varsity Theater opened on December 24, 1926, at 1710 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, Illinois. The theater was commissioned by Evanston native Clyde Elliot and was designed by John E.O. Pridmore. It was the only known example of an atmospheric theater designed as a French Chateau. 

The Varsity Theater, 1944, and the Marshall Field & Company Evanston Store.

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Just 4 years, 3 months, and 11 days later, the Nortown Theater, 6320 North Western Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, opened on April 4, 1931, another Pridmore design. It was also an atmospheric theater designed with a seaside theme, sea horses, mermaids, and zodiac motifs. The theater closed in 1990 and was demolished in 2007.

 

The Nortown Theater, Chicago, Interior from the Balcony.

 
More specifically, the Varsity Theater was designed to represent the courtyard of a French chateau "of magnificent coloring and rare charm." The sidewalls represented castle walls, abutting the proscenium with turrets and buttresses hiding organ chambers and pipes within. The proscenium arch formed "a massive gateway with flying flags and pennons" and suggested the view out over a lowered drawbridge from the castle courtyard of the auditorium out onto the stage beyond.

Noted scenic company Sosman & Landis Co. was credited with creating the auditorium's elaborate French interior. They were founded in 1878, and many of its artists and mechanics have practically spent their lives developing their art. The company's first theatrical scenic painting began at the old McVicker Theater in Chicago.

At 2,500 seats, the Varsity Theater was one of the largest suburban Chicago movie palaces ever built and was also one of the most spectacular. The cerulean blue sky dome featured twinkling stars, floating fleecy clouds, and a delicate crescent moon that sailed slowly overhead during the performance.

The theater's 3-manual, 26-rank organ was built by the Genevan Organ Company. Leo Terry, former organist at the Capitol Theater, Chicago, one of the foremost theater organists in the country, will preside over the giant Geneva organ. Called an "atmospheric console," the Geneva organ was sunken and rose into view during organ numbers.

The Varsity Theater. 1967.

The lighting scheme of the Varsity expresses the early French era. The illumination in the auditorium was early French period, a crude lantern-type of fixtures enameled in bright colors. The modern Italian lobby used old iron and antique gold metalwork finishes. The company making the lighting fixtures supplied them for the new Palmer House Hotel and the new Stevens Hotel in Chicago. 

The marvelous lighting effects and the ceiling treatment enhance the illusion of sitting outdoors in the chateau courtyard. Overhead is a cerulean blue sky with twinkling stars, floating fleecy clouds and a delicate crescent moon that sailed slowly overhead during the performance. Its rising and setting begin so timed that it slowly fades from view behind the chateau just at the close of the performance, a distinctive innovation in theater decoration.

The Varsity Theatre Interior from the Balcony in 1926.

The Varsity closed in 1988. Almost immediately after the theater closed, the main level and lobby were gutted and turned into retail space.

In 2010 the City of Evanston received a $50,000 grant from the National Endowments for the Arts to conduct a feasibility study on reopening the theater as a performing arts center. In July 2011, the study concluded that the first floor of the theater was currently occupied by a retail store and not available for redevelopment and that the performing arts needs of Evanston were greater than the Varsity Theater could accommodate alone. They recommended developing several performing arts spaces in downtown Evanston instead of just one central location.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Valencia Theater, 1560 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, Illinois.

The Evanston Theater

At 1560 Sherman Avenue, where James Carney had lived since 1884 in the old Willard House. The Evanston Amusement Company built the Evanston Theatre in 1910-11. Designed by the Chicago architect John Edmund Oldaker Pridmore (1867-1940), the $65,000 ($2,058,000 today) theatre opened on August 21, 1911.

Featuring "polite vaudeville," the 950-seat theatre changed its bill on Mondays and Thursdays and had matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The interior decoration was by the H. Neilson Company, the carpets and draperies by the Hasselgren Studio, and the furniture and fixtures from Marshall Field & Company. 

After a fire that caused a loss of about $35,000 ($822,600 today) in December 1917. It reopened as the Evanston Strand Theater in 1918. In December 1922, it reopened as The New Evanston Theater. 

Renamed The Valencia Theater was completely rebuilt in September 1932 with Art Deco decor. It was taken over by Balaban & Katz. It later was operated under B & K’s successor chains, ABC Theatres and finally, Plitt Theatres.

The Valencia was razed in 1975 to make way for the American Hospital Supply building, replaced in the early-1980s by an eighteen-story building that now houses the world headquarters of Rotary International.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Devon Theater, 6225 North Broadway, Chicago, Illinois.

The Devon Theater at 6225 North Broadway, Chicago, was originally known as the Knickerbocker. It was built by the Lubliner & Trinz circuit in 1915 by architect Henry L. Newhouse. 

Located in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, the theater was later renamed the Devon, even though it was more than two blocks south of Devon Avenue on Broadway.

Around the time it was renamed, the operation of the Devon was taken over by Essaness. It continued to operate through the 70s as a second-run movie theater and later housed a church for a time. 

The Devon Theater was demolished in 1996 after the entire block was acquired by Loyola University.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Lorraine Theater, 324 East Main Street, Hoopeston, Illinois, (1922-2012).

Originally opened in 1922, but was rebuilt in the Art Deco style in 1937, when it received its current appearance. This included the addition of a balcony, bringing the seating capacity to 725, and an elegant Art Deco-style marquee.

In 1998, a state-of-the-art sound system was added. It is one of the few theaters in Illinois (outside Chicago) with such a high-tech sound system.

The theater closed in September 2012.

The Lorraine is not to be confused with the newer Lorraine II Theaters.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Majestic Theatre, New Paxton Theater, Paxtonian Theater, Paxton Theater, and Finally the Majestic Paxton Theater in Paxton, Illinois. (1913-2007)

The Majestic Theatre in Paxton, Illinois (just North of Champaign) was the largest and most impressive theater when it opened in 1913, with a seating capacity of just over 350. It was designed by the firm of Mesar, Hunt and Sullivan for A.B. McCollum, who owned a handful of area theaters then.

The Majestic Building contained not only the theater but storefronts as well. Some of its interior plaster styles and metalwork were based on what the architects saw in a downtown Chicago theater. The theatre initially presented both vaudeville and concerts on its tiny stage, in addition to movies. The last vaudeville act at the Majestic was in 1929. 

In 1930, the theatre was wired for sound after being closed for about a year for remodeling. 

When the theater reopened, it had a new name, the New Paxton Theater (the original choice was the New Wonder Theater, but it was changed at the last minute). A new marquee was also put up around this time.

Not long after the name change, another name change occured, this time as the Paxtonian Theater. In 1935, air-conditioning was installed, and by this time, the theater was simply called the Paxton Theater, the name it would continue to be known for nearly five decades.

In the 50s, Cinemascope and Vistavision films played on Paxton's screen. By the end of the 70s, however, business was falling off at the theater, despite blockbusters like "Rocky" and "Star Wars" having successful runs there.

Its new owner in 1983 attempted to lure in new patrons by remodeling the aging theater, installing new seating and restoring the marquee, but the Paxton was closed within a year.

Four years later, Scott Graham and the newly formed Majestic Paxton Theater Group reopened the theater. The group, besides renaming the theater once again, the Majestic Paxton, further restored the theater, and seating was reduced to 219.

The Majestic Paxton hosted dinner theater, live performances, children's theater, and film screenings for many years but was closed in 2005.

A word from Scott Graham, who remodeled and reopened the Majestic Paxton theater in the fall of 1983.

Hello. My name is Scott Graham. I am the one who kept a promise to my community, Paxton, remodeled and reopened the long-time closed Majestic Paxton theater in the fall of 1983. I wish to clarify that business at the Majestic Paxton theater was very, very good. 

I keep reading articles that I closed the theater because it could just not make it. This is totally untrue. The theater was shut down by the then real estate owner for perceived frivolous reasons, against my will. Had this unfortunate event not happened, I guarantee that the Majestic Paxton theater would still be open, thriving, and continuing to serve the Paxton community and area. 

I understand this Grand Lady is again abandoned and in disrepair, bringing sorrow to my heart. I pray someone will again fall in love with Her and give Her the attention she deserves. Paxton, you have a real jewel under your noses. Please don't lose Her forever this time!                                                                                        —February 14, 2007   

The Historic Majestic Paxton Theatre was Destroyed by Fire on November 13, 2007.

PAXTON, IL — A fire Tuesday morning completely destroyed the historic Paxton Majestic Theatre building, which included the theater space and apartments on the upper floor. Firefighters from six area departments fought the blaze and saved nearby buildings from destruction. No one was injured in the fire. By Tuesday afternoon, firefighters were still on the scene, as the remains of the theater continued to smoke. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to the State of Illinois fire marshal's office.

The Paxton Majestic, also known as the New Paxton, Paxtonian and Majestic Theatre, originally opened in 1913 in a building dating to the 19th century. It was last used in 2005 for live theatrical stage productions.

Paxtonians are shocked and mourning the loss of a Paxton landmark. Rhonda Blackford, who works across the street from the theater building at a florist shop, says, "It was just so sad to see something so historical go up so fast."

The Paxton Majestic burned to the ground in a blaze on Tuesday, November 13, 2007.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.