Comments on: Iconic Charlie Chaplin Theatre Up For Auction

By: RightWingersSuck

RightWingersSuck — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 04:36:00 +0000

This is pretty much what your wife said while she was blowing me.

By: zagotta

zagotta — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 17:29:00 +0000

Thanks Natalie and Turbo60640. We got our info from the Auction website but dug a little further with some Edgewater historians. Though it looks like it could have been a theatre, it sounds like it in fact could have been built as an auto dealership. They were a lot fancier dealers back then. This could be a story in itself. Your posts are so appreciated.

By: Turbo60640

Turbo60640 — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:51:00 +0000

As cynical as it may sound, you’re 100% correct. When I toured this building there was all sorts of grandiose and intricate work going on, but no clear plan for an end result. I think Rosi had good intentions, but lacked foresight in terms of follow through.

By: StopBullyingMe Waaaaaaaahhhhhh

StopBullyingMe Waaaaaaaahhhhhh — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 10:35:00 +0000

Everything in the area is associated with Charlie Chaplain in some way or another. Really need to let it go and move on. These abandoned buildings and fire houses aren’t going to be “art galleries”. At this point they need to be converted to something useful or torn down. And it’s time to put the bongs away too.

Find somebody to finance these pipe dreams. It’s not “da man”s fault anymore. H, open a cupcake store there. A CPD mini-station or….something.

By: Turbo60640

Turbo60640 — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 01:52:00 +0000

I believe this was purpose-built as a car dealership, and was later used as a cab repair garage. I’ve toured the building extensively in its current state, and it retains a large car-sized elevator as well.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 22:30:00 +0000

It is only a rumor that this building was ever a theatre, let alone one associated with Charlie Chaplin.

The building was most likely built as an auto dealership. Found this comment on a curbed article that also claims this building as a “Charlie Chaplin theatre.”

“Matter of fact, I found a 1922 Tribune ad listing a Glenwood Motor Sales at 5755 Ridge. This building absolutely looks like a 1918-1922 dealership, and it does not have the characteristic notches for exterior exit aisles that a theater would have.”

(source: http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2012/12/10/a-charlie-chaplinbuilt-theater-for-your-private-conversion.php)