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History. Balaban and Katz Theatre corporation started in 1916 in Chicago by A. J. Balaban and his brother-in-law Sam Katz (1892-1961). [ 1] It held its first meeting as a Delaware corporation on January 21, 1925. It merged with Lubliner and Trinz in July 1925. [ 2]
Built in 1921, the Chicago Theatre was the flagship for the Balaban and Katz (B&K) group of theaters run by A. J. Balaban, his brother Barney Balaban and partner Sam Katz. [5] Along with the other B&K theaters, from 1925 to 1945 the Chicago Theatre was a dominant movie theater enterprise. [6]
Balaban & Katz. Nortown Theater, c.1960. Founded in 1916 by West Siders Sam Katz and Barney and A. J. Balaban, by 1925 the Balaban & Katz chain of motion picture theaters had constructed theaters of unprecedented size and splendor across the Chicago region, enjoyed a monopoly from Minneapolis to St. Louis, and set the national standard for ...
- Balaban & Katz
Oct 31, 2020 · “As Balaban and Katz family historian, author, and documentarian David Lee Balaban recounts, the seed for the success of the family – there were seven Balaban brothers and one Katz, the husband of the brothers’ lone sister – was planted by the matriarch, Augusta ‘Gussie’ Mendeburskey Balaban.
Sep 6, 2010 · Barney Balaban (June 8, 1887 – March 7, 1971) was president of Paramount Pictures from 1936 to 1964, and innovator in the cinema industry. Uptown residents may recognize his name from the famous Balaban and Katz company, which built the Uptown Theatre.
Balaban & Katz pioneered the movie palace as an exhibition strategy in Chicago. Barney and A. J. Balaban opened their first nickelodeon on the West Side in 1908; Sam Katz began four years later.
Oct 26, 2023 · When Balaban and Katz opened The Chicago Theatre on October 26, 1921, eager and hopeful moviegoers swarmed State Street. Lines formed as early as two o’clock, a full three and a half hours before the scheduled opening.
