The brother of Harry Balaban, A. .J Balaban, Elmer Balaban and Barney Balaban. He began his career in 1908 at the Kedzie Theatre. he operated a phonograph that played music onto the street to tract customers. When family built a smal 750 seat theater across the street named the Circle, John worked as an usher. His brothers began tobuild and operate others theaters, and John became a movie salesman, licen- sing motion pictures. When the central Park Theatre was about to open in 1917, his brothers and their partners, Sam and Morris Katz, asked him to menage it. He agreed and remained there until 1920. he transferred to the Tivoli Theatre. John became a corporate officier in 1925. His office was in Chicago Theatre building on State Street with his brothers. When Barney left for New York in 1936 to become president of paramount, John was put in charge of Balaban and Katz in Chicago. John was most visible Balaban, representing the proud Balaban and Katz reputation for elegant movie palaces and exciting live shows. Balaban and Katz Theater Corporation, or B&K, was a theatre corporation which owned a chain of motion picture theaters in Chicago and surrounding areas. The company is notable for being the first to offer air conditioning in its theaters and for including lavish stage shows. Balaban and Katz operated over a hundred theaters in the midwestern United States.