Inside the Southtown Theater, the afternoon double feature wasn’t the only escape. The majestic movie palace, complete with chandeliers, mosaic tile floors and a pool with swans in the lobby, let patrons lose themselves, at least for a few hours, in opulence.
“The Southtown, to me, was the grandest theater I have ever seen,” said Chuck Zirino, 72.
For 27 years, residents in the Englewood neighborhood experienced that luxury and watched features like “Gone With the Wind.” Today, more than a half century after the Southtown closed, they can only conjure up memories since a discount grocery store stands at 610 W. 63rd St.

– “Southtown Theatre Made Moviegoers Feel Special” Chicago Tribune April 02, 2010

(credit: American Theatre Architecture Archive, Theatre Historical Society of America)