Mid-Term Question #2 - Chicago Landmark with Juxtapose Photo

The History of The Chicago Theatre

Chicago Theatre and Page Brothers Building (image from: Flickr)

The Chicago Theatre opened October 26, 1921, designed by architects Cornelius W. Rapp and George L. Rapp. This was the first large movie palace in America and was once called "The Wonder Theater of the World". The very first showing was "The Sign on the Door" with Norma Talmadge. Along with the showing was a 50-piece orchestra performing in the pit with Jesse Crawford playing on the Wurlitzer pipe organ. The theatre would then continue to show silent films along with full orchestras performing during the features making the experience truly magical. Big name entertainers such as Jack Benny, Duke Ellington and Aretha Franklin have also played in The Chicago Theatre. The theatre was a total cost of $4 million dollars to build. But the architects didn't worry about the cost, they only cared to create a magnificent palace. The outside of the seven story high building resembles a miniature replica of Paris' Arc de Triomphe and the lobby was created to look like the Royal Chapel at Versailles. The auditorium holds 3,600 seats, and the exterior of the building holds the famous six-story high vertical "Chicago" sign.