
Internet Photo Calo Theater

Internet Photo Calo Bowl
The Calo Theater was located at 5404 N. Clark Street in the Andersonville neighborhood in Chicago. It opened in 1915 for the Ascher Brothers Circuit. The architect was George Borst. The building style was described as either Beaux Arts or Spanish Baroque Revival. There was one screen and 860 seats. It was a brick building with a terra cotta facade. The theater closed in the early 1960’s.

Outside Calo Theater

Outside Calo Theater

Outside Calo Theater

Calo Theater
Rich Robinson converted the theater to a bowling alley in the 1960’s. It was called the Calo Bowl. It operated for 18 years. The building was used as a carpet store in the 1980’s.

Calo Theater

Inside of Theater distal wall is the site of the screen

Side Wall

Side Wall

Site of Projection Booth
The Griffin Theater Company acquired the theater in the 1990’s. A $100,000 dollar renovation of the theater took place. It was converted from a movie house to a legitimate theater. Seating was decreased to 135. The Griffin Theater operated at this site until the summer of 2004.
The building was acquired by Brian Posen in 2005. It was his plan to convert the building into three auditoriums These would be rented by local theater groups. This plan never materialized.
The theater building is currently operating as the Brown Elephant. This is a resale shop supporting the Howard Brown Health center. .