In 1921 the Empress Theatre is listed as being in use as a 600 seat capacity Vaudeville and picture house for Negro audiences. The manager was an African-American;R. Chase.
In the 1943 edition of Film Daily Yearbook it is listed with a seating capacity of 600 and was under the control of Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary E.J. Sparks. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. the seating capacity had been reduced to 534.
Warren; Many thanks for posting that great vintage photograph on July 22 2005. It was not until I saw it that I now realise the current furniture store is in the former stage house and was not the main entrance to the theatre.
The furniture store operates out of the former stage house, so obviously there is no decorative detail inside that part of the building, although rather unusually for a theatre stage house, there is some nice decorative brickwork on this section of the building). The block to the left could be the remains of the auditorium or a replacement building, it is difficult to say. I would think it strange to demolish a theatre auditorium and leave the stage house standing? But then strange things do happen!
Warren, Bway, Greenpoint & metz…. This Eagle theatre page is a duplicate of the Midway Theatre and is about to get removed. I have already posted relevent information from here to the Midway Theatre page and it will eventually be updated.
Vincent…Sorry, I don’t have any photographs of the Astoria in the 1960’s ‘Roadshow’ era. I did go and see several 70mm presentations there: “West Side Story”, “Fall of the Roman Empire”, Paint Your Wagon".
The exterior has not altered over the years, apart from in the days of 70mm presentations there was a large billboard which covered most of the exterior of the building. Inside, the Italian Renaissance style decoration was retained in the foyer areas (helping set an atmosphere when Fall of the Roman Empire had its World Premier at the Astoria, for which it had a redecoration), but in the auditorium, most of the decoration was covered in drapes (typical of what they did to theatres in the 1960’s). It was always a prestigious first run cinema during this period, but when the 70mm product dried up, it became an also run cinema in the West End, even playing dubbed foreign movies, sub-standard horror movies and even the occasional soft core sex film. The owners (The Rank Organisation) wanted rid of the place and booked in this type of product so that it would be yet another closure.
Don’t talk to me about the Thatcher revolution, that woman? practically destroyed the UK (in more ways than one), together with successive governments! I agree with you totally, but I still live here in the city(almost 40 years now)!
The current auditorium (as seen in the photo’s by Woody which I posted on March 26 2006) was originally the former balcony of the Empire (The orchestra stalls area was converted into a damce hall in 1962).
Regarding the size of the 70mm screen, I am not sure on actual size, but the cinema has just been re-furbished (June 2006) and a new larger screen has been installed. This extends 1 metre wider on each side, to what the previous screen was. It is THX certified, as is the sound system.
Unfortunately the new wider screen has mean’t the removal of some of the sets of drapes(screen curtains). The Empire used to have a house curtain and a screen curtain (both travellers), and main curtain which rose in sections.
Listed in Film Daily Yearbook;1941 edition as the Hippodrome Theatre with a seating capacity of 1,000. By the 1943 edition of F.D.Y. it was known as the Marlow Theater with a seating capacity given as 1,400. Same in 1950, althoough the address given in F.D.Y. is 14th Street.
In the new (2006) book by Konrad Scheicke ‘Historic Movie Theatres in Illinois-1883-1960 it states:
Hippodrome Theatre opened on 1st January 1919 and closed in 1967. Seating capacity was 1,200. It was re-named Marlow Theater in 1941 after the then owner James Marlow. It carried the name 'Hippodrome’ on the marquee until it was demolished in 1967. The address in this new book is given as above at 14 S. 13th Street.
As you can see, the marquee has been damaged by a passing truck (or something?) at some time. The building is still in use as a church as can be seen on the sign on the right-hand side over the alley entrance on the second photo
The American Film Directory 1914-1915 has this listed as the Manhattan Theatre, a name it retained thru the 1930’s. By 1941 it had been re-named the Midway Theatre.
It is listed as the Midway Theatre in the Film Daily Yearbook;1957 edition but without a seating capacity being given, which usually indicates a theatre has closed (as mentioned by Lost Memory in his Oct 8 2005 posting above). Later the building was used as a factory. Looking at the site in June 2006, it is an empty plot of land awaiting developement
Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook;1941 edition as the Lantex Theatre with 406 seats. In the 1943 edition of F.D.Y. the seating capacity had been reduced to 367. By the 1950 edition is is the Laantex Theatre (must be a typo) with the same 367 seats.
The opening text giving a 1905 opening date is incorrect. See cjdv’s posting on December 31st 2004 which gives the actual opening date and newspaper reports of the 1908 opening.
The 1948 comedy/musical movie “Killer Diller” (made for Black audiences) staring Dusty Fletcher, Butterfly McQueen, Nat ‘King’ Cole and the King Cole Trio, The Clark Brothers and Moms Mabley was filmed inside and on stage of the Lincoln Theatre.
In 1921 the Empress Theatre is listed as being in use as a 600 seat capacity Vaudeville and picture house for Negro audiences. The manager was an African-American;R. Chase.
In the 1943 edition of Film Daily Yearbook it is listed with a seating capacity of 600 and was under the control of Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary E.J. Sparks. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. the seating capacity had been reduced to 534.
Two recent photographs of the College Theatre I took in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/205177951/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/205178457/
A recent photograph I took of the Glenwood Theater in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/205098329/
A vintage 1920’s postcard view of the Farragut Theatre:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/205007492/
Four current photographs I took in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/205007977/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/205008528/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/205020212/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/205020739/
Here is a vintage postcard view from the early 1930’s:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/204748759/
Warren; Many thanks for posting that great vintage photograph on July 22 2005. It was not until I saw it that I now realise the current furniture store is in the former stage house and was not the main entrance to the theatre.
The furniture store operates out of the former stage house, so obviously there is no decorative detail inside that part of the building, although rather unusually for a theatre stage house, there is some nice decorative brickwork on this section of the building). The block to the left could be the remains of the auditorium or a replacement building, it is difficult to say. I would think it strange to demolish a theatre auditorium and leave the stage house standing? But then strange things do happen!
Here is a photograph I took of the Flatbush Theatre in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/204345017/
Warren, Bway, Greenpoint & metz…. This Eagle theatre page is a duplicate of the Midway Theatre and is about to get removed. I have already posted relevent information from here to the Midway Theatre page and it will eventually be updated.
Vincent…Sorry, I don’t have any photographs of the Astoria in the 1960’s ‘Roadshow’ era. I did go and see several 70mm presentations there: “West Side Story”, “Fall of the Roman Empire”, Paint Your Wagon".
The exterior has not altered over the years, apart from in the days of 70mm presentations there was a large billboard which covered most of the exterior of the building. Inside, the Italian Renaissance style decoration was retained in the foyer areas (helping set an atmosphere when Fall of the Roman Empire had its World Premier at the Astoria, for which it had a redecoration), but in the auditorium, most of the decoration was covered in drapes (typical of what they did to theatres in the 1960’s). It was always a prestigious first run cinema during this period, but when the 70mm product dried up, it became an also run cinema in the West End, even playing dubbed foreign movies, sub-standard horror movies and even the occasional soft core sex film. The owners (The Rank Organisation) wanted rid of the place and booked in this type of product so that it would be yet another closure.
Don’t talk to me about the Thatcher revolution, that woman? practically destroyed the UK (in more ways than one), together with successive governments! I agree with you totally, but I still live here in the city(almost 40 years now)!
The current auditorium (as seen in the photo’s by Woody which I posted on March 26 2006) was originally the former balcony of the Empire (The orchestra stalls area was converted into a damce hall in 1962).
Regarding the size of the 70mm screen, I am not sure on actual size, but the cinema has just been re-furbished (June 2006) and a new larger screen has been installed. This extends 1 metre wider on each side, to what the previous screen was. It is THX certified, as is the sound system.
Unfortunately the new wider screen has mean’t the removal of some of the sets of drapes(screen curtains). The Empire used to have a house curtain and a screen curtain (both travellers), and main curtain which rose in sections.
Listed in Film Daily Yearbook;1941 edition as the Hippodrome Theatre with a seating capacity of 1,000. By the 1943 edition of F.D.Y. it was known as the Marlow Theater with a seating capacity given as 1,400. Same in 1950, althoough the address given in F.D.Y. is 14th Street.
In the new (2006) book by Konrad Scheicke ‘Historic Movie Theatres in Illinois-1883-1960 it states:
Hippodrome Theatre opened on 1st January 1919 and closed in 1967. Seating capacity was 1,200. It was re-named Marlow Theater in 1941 after the then owner James Marlow. It carried the name 'Hippodrome’ on the marquee until it was demolished in 1967. The address in this new book is given as above at 14 S. 13th Street.
The name of the church is the ‘Eglise De Dieu’.
As you can see, the marquee has been damaged by a passing truck (or something?) at some time. The building is still in use as a church as can be seen on the sign on the right-hand side over the alley entrance on the second photo
Yes Warren, I can confirm you have the correct Rialto Theatre building. Here are a couple more photographs which I took in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/203850519/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/203851727/
The American Film Directory 1914-1915 has this listed as the Manhattan Theatre, a name it retained thru the 1930’s. By 1941 it had been re-named the Midway Theatre.
It is listed as the Midway Theatre in the Film Daily Yearbook;1957 edition but without a seating capacity being given, which usually indicates a theatre has closed (as mentioned by Lost Memory in his Oct 8 2005 posting above). Later the building was used as a factory. Looking at the site in June 2006, it is an empty plot of land awaiting developement
Not listed in the Film Daily Yearbook’s 1941 or 1943, so must have closed earlier.
Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook;1941 edition as the Lantex Theatre with 406 seats. In the 1943 edition of F.D.Y. the seating capacity had been reduced to 367. By the 1950 edition is is the Laantex Theatre (must be a typo) with the same 367 seats.
Four photographs I took in June 2006 of the Eagle Theatre:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/200857669/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/200857928/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/200858117/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/200858259/
Six photographs I took in June 2006 of the soon to be demolished Subway Theatre:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/200262930/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/200263384/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/200263708/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/200263967/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/200264221/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/200264405/
Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook;1950 edition with a seating capacity of 650. The address given is; 7528 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA.
Two photographs I took in June 2006 of the remains of the derelict Luna Theater:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/199881499/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/199882239/
Here is a June 2006 photograph I took of of the Pioneer Theatre:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/199875072/
Three photographs I took in June 2006 of the decorative entrance arch of the former Gloria Theater. This is all that remains after the building was demolished and an apartment block was built on the site of the theatre:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/199850316/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/199850872/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/199851483/
The opening text giving a 1905 opening date is incorrect. See cjdv’s posting on December 31st 2004 which gives the actual opening date and newspaper reports of the 1908 opening.
The 1948 comedy/musical movie “Killer Diller” (made for Black audiences) staring Dusty Fletcher, Butterfly McQueen, Nat ‘King’ Cole and the King Cole Trio, The Clark Brothers and Moms Mabley was filmed inside and on stage of the Lincoln Theatre.
Here are three photographs I took of the Lincoln Theatre in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/199808019/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/199808231/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/199808512/
A photograph of the Empire Theatre that I took in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/199783684/