Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1916, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “The Oak Park Theatre gave me $825.00 contract for vaudeville scenery.”
The Oak Park Theatre opened on October 20, 1913 and was a combination house, featuring both live vaudeville acts and silent films. Their advertisements promised continuous high-class vaudeville and first run motion pictures. Vaudeville acts for the venue were booked by Jones, Linick & Schaefer, the same firm that handled entertainment for McVickers Theatre, the Colonial Theatre, the Wilson Theatre and many others around Chicago.
Of the Oak Park Theatre, the “Historical American Building Survey” suggested that there was architectural evidence that the building was greatly enlarged in 1915. This coincides with Sosman & Landis delivering new vaudeville scenery in 1916; new scenery would have been ordered during the renovation. The original building structure had a footprint of 67 feet by 112 feet; the enlarged size after 1915 was 67 feet by 168 feet.
The Oak Park Theatre was located on Wisconsin Street, but the address later changed to 120 S. Marion Street. The venue was at the heart of Oak Park’s entertainment district and near Moses’ home. Many scenic artists and architects settled in Oak Park. The benefit to Oak Park residents was living a short train ride away from downtown Chicago.
There were three theaters in close proximately to one another– Oak Park’s Warrington Opera House (1902 stock theatre), the Oak Park Playhouse (1913 combination house) and the Oak Park Theatre (1913 combination house). The 800-seat Oak Park Theatre was adjacent to the Warrington Opera House, and promised “perfect ventilation.” This meant that the auditorium air was changed every ten minutes. In addition to many “fireproof” features, each seat boasted a “perfect view of the stage.”
In 1917, the “Chicago Eagle” reported, “Lubliner & Trinz” owned and operated the following high class theaters all over the city: Artcraft Theatre at Devon and Clark Streets, Biograph Theatre at 2433 Lincoln Ave, Covent Garden Theatre at 2655 North Clark Street, Knickerbocker Theatre at 6225 Broadway, Michigan Theatre at 55th and Michigan Boulevard, Paramount Theatre at 2648 Milwaukee Ave., Vitagraph Theatre at 3133 Lincoln Ave, West End Theatre, at No. Cicero and West End Avenues, and the Oak Park Theatre in Oak, Park, Illinois (22 Dec. 1917, page 7). Lubliner & Trinz was operated by Harry M. Lubliner and Joseph Trinz, whose offices were at 510 Westminster Building.
In 1930, the Oak Park Theatre was remodeled and renamed the Lamar Theater. The marquee was added in 1929, the lobby remodeled in 1930 and the stairs relocated in 1936.The new name reflected its location on Lake Street and South Marion Street. Now advertisements forcused on “truly perfect sound” in this “new wonder talkie theatre.” Unfortunately, this Art Deco theater has did not last and was razed in 1988.
To be continued…
