The Pearl Theater
From DirtyWiki
Also, the Pearl Theatre. Affectionately, the Little Pearl or the Pearl.
Contents |
The History
The Peal was completed in 1917 and sat only a few blocks from the Chicago Theatre. Its interior was designed in a Neo-Baroque style, during a time period when the resurgence had only begun. Its exterior was still heavily Art Deco, as was its bar and restaurant. For all the questionable activities that went on in the theatre during its heyday, it was extremely elegant from the opening to the closing.
Built between two aging apartment buildings set for demolition (and later renovated), the Pearl was not in the most ideal area for anyone to wander past dark. However, its bright lights and no-holds-barred approach to entertainment made it a popular, if not as popular as it could have been, destination for many people during the twilight of the vaudeville era.
It was closed in 1940 and demolished in 1944.
The Layout
It had one massive stage and at maximum occupancy, the auditorium could seat at least seven hundred people. The balcony seated about two hundred, and there were two elegant box seats that each sat twenty. Auditorium seating was often used for matinées, when plush red velvet seats were set up. These seats were permanent on the balcony.
For evening performances, dozens of round tables, each seating four, were set up on the orchestra level. Dining was simple but delicious, served from the restaurant and bar. The bar was closed in 1919, when Prohibition was enacted, but this didn't last for long.
The Pearl Theatre was built exclusively for the use in live entertainment--specifically vaudeville. It was never equipped for moving pictures, which ultimately led to its closing and destruction.
The stage was unusually large to allow for acts of any nature, which was why seating was cut back on the balcony. There were several dressing rooms downstairs and upstairs and some performers lived at the theatre during the Depression.
Across the street from the Pearl was a cafe that closed and reopened under four different names in ten years. Many doubted that it was really just a cafe.
The Speakeasy
But it was Prohibition that led the Pearl to her notorious reputation. The owner, James "Jimmy" Marsh, was close to both the corrupt mayor and many mob bosses, and instead of keeping a legal business of food and fair, he turned the Pearl into a late-night speakeasy for the people who didn't want to be seen at brothels or to find their booze in seedy areas. This made the Pearl an incredibly dangerous place, but also meant that business boomed and everyone was well-paid. No one was ever arrested, but there were several murders outside the building and lots of shooting inside. Never during performances.
Often, performers were unaware of the second personality of their little theatre.
The most illegal affairs went on in an underground area, keeping it separate from the performances. There were booths and a bar and gambling tables and a series of hallways that required quite a lot of proof to get through without pissing several people off. The upstairs and original bar also sold liquor, but was mainly used as a decoy for the operations below--not directly below, as they weren't that stupid.
The Performances
Marsh was also notorious for lying about his dancers. Many of the dancers were girls with no connections, or had families in the business. Some were underage. To maintain a reputation for vaudeville and not burlesque, the owner always lied about ages and never posted the more risque pictures out front. However, many acts were topless or raunchy. Matinées were often not.
As with most vaudeville performances, shows at the Little Pearl had a little bit of everything. While hitting the Pearl wasn't hitting the big time, they only did three shows a day, one in the afternoon and two in the evening. The acts were culled from circuses (trapeze artists, contortion, dancing poodles and more) and slapstick, with comedians, singers, chorus lines, tap dancers, burlesque, and just about everything there was to provide. Being very particular about his performers, most of the entertainment was of fairly high quality and seats were usually full by the last performance.
Into the 1930s, however, attendance dwindled and eventually stopped altogether. Prohibition's repeal and the Great Depression meant that there was no extra revenue, and Marsh sold the theatre in 1938. The new owners failed to update the interior or to give a damn either way, so the theatre was closed in 1940.
Notable Employees
Owners
James "Jimmy" Marsh (1917 - 1938)
Band Members
Edwin "Eddie" Jones - Maestro/band leader/pianist
Bartenders
Kenneth "Kenny" ?
Performers
Isabella "Iz" Radcliffe
Darlene "Darla" ?
Lillian "Lick 'Em Lil" ?
Darlene's parents
Joanne "Jo" Peterson
Zona Barnes
