Portage Theater

The historic Portage Theater, located on the northwest side of Chicago, is the new home for The Silent Film Society of Chicago. Designed by architect Henry Newhouse, the theatre opened on December 11, 1920 with 1,938 seats as part of the Ascher Brothers theatre chain. Pre-dating the advent of America's movie palaces, the Portage Theater's megaphone-shaped auditorium features a formal beaux-arts opera house design. When the theatre was taken over by Balaban and Katz in 1940, its marquee, entrance lobby and foyer were redecorated in a sleek, streamlined art deco style to complement its new art deco neighbors -- the monolithic Sears department store and the five-story Klee Brothers building. In the 1980s, the theater underwent a dramatic change when a wall was constructed down the middle of the existing auditorium, resulting in two oddly-shaped cinemas. After a five-year period of darkness, the theater has reopened to its original shape, and has been refurbished and restored to its 1920s splendor.