Thanks Warren. I believe we have now solved this ‘other’ Houston Hippodrome Theatre. It must have been a live theatre known as the Houston Hippodrome, 67 E. Houston Street and by 1930 and into 1931 at least, had become a movie theatre known as the Houston Theatre with a seating capacity of 546. It should be added with its own page on CinemaTreasures.
In the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915 the Houston Hippodrome, 141 E. Houston Street, Manhattan, NY is listed. This address is also listed as being the Sunshine Theatre in the Film Daily Yearbook’s;1926 & 1927 editions with a seating capacity of 600.
I can’t find another Houston Hippodrome Theatre, but in the 1930 edition of Film Daily Yearbook there is the Houston Theatre, 67 Houston Street, Manhattan, NY with a seating capacity of 546. This must be the Houston Hippodrome, 67 W. Houston Street in the photo that is for sale. It has gone from listings in 1941 which is the next year’s F.D.Y. that I have. Currently, I can’t see the Houston Theatre listed on this site. btw 67 W. Houston Street seems to be known as 159 Wooster Street nowadays!.
Lostmemory;…Sorry for the confusion, my eyes are tired…must get out more and off this web-site! lol
So we can now establish that the building was completed in 1912, opening on 28th March 1912. Marcus Loew built it and operated it as a vaudville theatre with short movie interludes in the programme until it became a full time cinema in around 1917.
There seems to be a little confusion over dates here;Lost Memory has a build date of 1910 (posted July 12 2005) and Warren has a specific date of opening March 28 1912, built by and operated by by Marcus Loew (posted Oct 13 2005). Would it take over a year to construct?
It is not listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915, so it could be possible it was not operating as a ‘full time’ movie theatre until 1917 when the Moller organ was installed. The 3rd June 1977 transfer of ownership from Loews (Theatrefan posting June 12 2005) could be the closing down of the Loew’s Delancy. The conversion to retail shops happened in 1979.
Here is a June 2006 photograph of Loew’s Delancy Theatre: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/189035868/
The Clinton Star Theatre is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915, so it was operating with movies several years before 1917. It has gone from listings in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook, so I would think it had closed by 1949.
Looking at the building today it hard to imagine there was ever a theatre in what looks like a tenement building. But years earlier when the Clinton was in operation there was a large vertical sign on the front of the building and also a marquee over the entrance where now is a ‘Home Basics’ sign. Enter Home Basics store and you will see the decorative plasterwork of the underside of the balcony on what would have been the rear orchestra section. Further into the store there are remains of the decoration on the walls, but a false ceiling has been put across.
You see in the centre of the photograph a green painted entry door with a gentleman sitting outside. Through this door and up some stairs leads to the apartments, but there is a ‘pass door’ which leads into the former balcony of the theatre. Four years ago I had the privilage to be able to go inside though the pass door and into the former balcony space (then in use as a video/sound recording studio). All the upstairs decoration was still in place on the walls and ceiling, although where the seats had been was just bare steppings. The void in front of the balcony had been filled in (over the former front orchestra area where downstairs in the Home Basics store is the false ceiling). The new balcony level floor now extends to the proscenium arch. From here it is possible to go down a ladder and onto the stage. There are still in place old drapes and fragments of scenery hanging from the bars in the stage house. I took some photographs (pre digital) and will look them out sometime and post up any which came out with reasonable clarity.
It seems remarkable that so much detail was featured on the central section of the facade. Yet it was mostly hidden for 70 years by the large vertical sign that was in place when the theatre opened and can only be seen to its full advantage now that the sign has been removed.
Further details on the Wurlitzer organ. It was shipped from the Wurlitzer factory on 28th August 1930 and the slave (second) console was shipped on 7th October 1930 which gives a more accurate date to the opening of the theatre (October 1930?). The instrument was Opus #2129 with two BAL 4 style consoles (a similar instrument was installed in 1931 in the Paramount Theatre, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England, UK which was a 3Manual/19Rank instrument).
The Stapleton Paramount Wurlitzer was opened by Betty Gould and Priscilla Holbrook (who called herself ‘Jean’). They were billed on the marquee as Betty & Jean at the mighty Wurltizer. Betty remained at the Paramount until June 1931 when she left due to illness. Other organists to work on the twin consoles were John Winters and Leo Weber. Other resident organists at the theatre were Don Baker who spent two years here and Bill Floyd.
The organ was removed in 1953 (possibly when Cinemascope was installed in the theatre) and it went to a private residence in Jamaica, Queens, NY.
The Paramount Theatre was built by Paramount Publix Theatres and was operated in conjunction with the Moses bothers who built and operated several cinemas on the island.
It was a splendid Art Deco style theatre, designed late in the careers of noted theatre architects Rapp & Rapp with a seating capacity given as 2,300 in the Film Daily Yearbook;1930 edition. It had a twin console Wurlitzer theatre organ (one of only 10 theatres in the USA to be equipped with twin consoles) and it also presented live vaudeville shows with its movie programmes. Stars who appeared ‘live’ on stage here include;Gary Cooper, Mary Pickford, Richard Arlen, Miriam Hopkins and Mae West.
In 1961, while under the ownership of Fabian Theatres, the theatre underwent a $35,000 renovation and was closed for four weeks. It re-opened as the New Paramount with new wider seating and aisles, this reduded the seating capacity to 2,000.
Bt September 1980 it had closed as a movie theatre and was being advertised as the Paramount Nightclub, presenting disco and new wave entertainment on Friday & Saturday nights from 10:00pm. But this was a short lived venture and the building became a live rock venue from October 1980 when a new sound system was installed. This new use lasted only a few years, closing in the mid to late-1980’s. I believe this was the last use for the building and it has remained closed and shuttered since then.
Thanks for that great link Lost Memory: It sure has had a colourful history. So it all started here with Errol Flynn playing piano with his d**k! and so it continues…..
The roller shutter is down, because it is daytime and the cinema is closed. When the Bijou opens in the evenings, the roller shutter is rolled up to reveal a large black metal door.
In the 1926, 1927 and 1930 edition’s of Film Daily Yearbook, this is listed as the Parkway Theatre with a seating capacity given as 400 in the 1920’s and 701 seats in 1930. By 1941 it is listed as the 599 seat Metro Theatre and is still open in 1950. By 1957 it has gone from listings.
The Academy Theatre is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915. There is a large ‘full frontal’ photograph of the Academy Theatre in Vol 13 No. 1 (First Quarter 1981) edition of Marquee, published by the Theatre Historical Society of America. It seems like the photograph was taken at the same time as the ‘then’ picture posted by rollingrock on Oct 4 2005. The caption on the THS photo states that the Academy Theatre was an early Marcus Loew operation and the photo comes from THS Loew’s Collection.
EdSolero: The notice over the center entrance on the THS photo reads;For information regarding these 3 buildings 283-287-291 E. Houston Street- Inquire in Sweater Shop (next door). There are the remains of torn posters over the front doors advertising the Pelestine Theatre and the Avenue A Theatre.
On my recent June 2006 visit to New York I took a look at the current building located at 287 East Houston Street and can confirm it is the Academy Theatre (now with a modified facade) and is in use as tax offices. Yes there is now a rooftop garden on top of the old theatre auditorium!
Here are a couple of photographs I took: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188231745/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188232247/
Thanks Ed; Exhaustive, but not that exhausting LOL. I love wandering around cities seeking out cinema buildings. I took over 800 photos on this last visit and would love to have done a lot more but time was against me!
The actual auditorium is at the rear of the two shop units and I believe runs parallel to Broadway. It can’t be seen from the angle I took the photograph. It is about the same height as the entrance block which is currently the restaurant.
I believe the configuration of the theatre was…enter through the foyer and then turn left into the auditorium. The projection booth would be in a raised room at the end of the foyer.
Thanks Warren. I believe we have now solved this ‘other’ Houston Hippodrome Theatre. It must have been a live theatre known as the Houston Hippodrome, 67 E. Houston Street and by 1930 and into 1931 at least, had become a movie theatre known as the Houston Theatre with a seating capacity of 546. It should be added with its own page on CinemaTreasures.
In the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915 the Houston Hippodrome, 141 E. Houston Street, Manhattan, NY is listed. This address is also listed as being the Sunshine Theatre in the Film Daily Yearbook’s;1926 & 1927 editions with a seating capacity of 600.
I can’t find another Houston Hippodrome Theatre, but in the 1930 edition of Film Daily Yearbook there is the Houston Theatre, 67 Houston Street, Manhattan, NY with a seating capacity of 546. This must be the Houston Hippodrome, 67 W. Houston Street in the photo that is for sale. It has gone from listings in 1941 which is the next year’s F.D.Y. that I have. Currently, I can’t see the Houston Theatre listed on this site. btw 67 W. Houston Street seems to be known as 159 Wooster Street nowadays!.
Here is a June 2006 photograph I took of the Cinema Kings Highway:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/189079112/
Lostmemory;…Sorry for the confusion, my eyes are tired…must get out more and off this web-site! lol
So we can now establish that the building was completed in 1912, opening on 28th March 1912. Marcus Loew built it and operated it as a vaudville theatre with short movie interludes in the programme until it became a full time cinema in around 1917.
There seems to be a little confusion over dates here;Lost Memory has a build date of 1910 (posted July 12 2005) and Warren has a specific date of opening March 28 1912, built by and operated by by Marcus Loew (posted Oct 13 2005). Would it take over a year to construct?
It is not listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915, so it could be possible it was not operating as a ‘full time’ movie theatre until 1917 when the Moller organ was installed. The 3rd June 1977 transfer of ownership from Loews (Theatrefan posting June 12 2005) could be the closing down of the Loew’s Delancy. The conversion to retail shops happened in 1979.
Here is a June 2006 photograph of Loew’s Delancy Theatre:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/189035868/
The Clinton Star Theatre is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915, so it was operating with movies several years before 1917. It has gone from listings in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook, so I would think it had closed by 1949.
Looking at the building today it hard to imagine there was ever a theatre in what looks like a tenement building. But years earlier when the Clinton was in operation there was a large vertical sign on the front of the building and also a marquee over the entrance where now is a ‘Home Basics’ sign. Enter Home Basics store and you will see the decorative plasterwork of the underside of the balcony on what would have been the rear orchestra section. Further into the store there are remains of the decoration on the walls, but a false ceiling has been put across.
Here is a photograph I took of the exterior in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188951748/
You see in the centre of the photograph a green painted entry door with a gentleman sitting outside. Through this door and up some stairs leads to the apartments, but there is a ‘pass door’ which leads into the former balcony of the theatre. Four years ago I had the privilage to be able to go inside though the pass door and into the former balcony space (then in use as a video/sound recording studio). All the upstairs decoration was still in place on the walls and ceiling, although where the seats had been was just bare steppings. The void in front of the balcony had been filled in (over the former front orchestra area where downstairs in the Home Basics store is the false ceiling). The new balcony level floor now extends to the proscenium arch. From here it is possible to go down a ladder and onto the stage. There are still in place old drapes and fragments of scenery hanging from the bars in the stage house. I took some photographs (pre digital) and will look them out sometime and post up any which came out with reasonable clarity.
Looking around at the rear of the building is the bulk of the auditorium and the stage house, photographed here in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188952118/
Thanks Shoty, unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing left of the theatre to photograph inside (it’s all been covered over-or even maybe removed?)
Well back on subject here, as if people don’t already know, this is after all is said and done;
the Loew’s Kings Theatre page…….
Here are some photographs I took in June 2006.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188844420/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188844951/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188845371/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188845826/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188846250/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188846764/
It seems remarkable that so much detail was featured on the central section of the facade. Yet it was mostly hidden for 70 years by the large vertical sign that was in place when the theatre opened and can only be seen to its full advantage now that the sign has been removed.
The Odeon Theatre was demolished in 1932 and a row of single storey retail shops was built on the site, and they remain there today.
Three photos I took in June 2006 of the recently opened Modell’s store (formerly the UA Crossbay Theatre):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188762977/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188763338/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188763622/
Further details on the Wurlitzer organ. It was shipped from the Wurlitzer factory on 28th August 1930 and the slave (second) console was shipped on 7th October 1930 which gives a more accurate date to the opening of the theatre (October 1930?). The instrument was Opus #2129 with two BAL 4 style consoles (a similar instrument was installed in 1931 in the Paramount Theatre, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England, UK which was a 3Manual/19Rank instrument).
The Stapleton Paramount Wurlitzer was opened by Betty Gould and Priscilla Holbrook (who called herself ‘Jean’). They were billed on the marquee as Betty & Jean at the mighty Wurltizer. Betty remained at the Paramount until June 1931 when she left due to illness. Other organists to work on the twin consoles were John Winters and Leo Weber. Other resident organists at the theatre were Don Baker who spent two years here and Bill Floyd.
The organ was removed in 1953 (possibly when Cinemascope was installed in the theatre) and it went to a private residence in Jamaica, Queens, NY.
Recent(June 2006) photographs that I took of the Paramount Theatre:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188680137/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188680510/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188680869/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188681127/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188685211/
The Paramount Theatre was built by Paramount Publix Theatres and was operated in conjunction with the Moses bothers who built and operated several cinemas on the island.
It was a splendid Art Deco style theatre, designed late in the careers of noted theatre architects Rapp & Rapp with a seating capacity given as 2,300 in the Film Daily Yearbook;1930 edition. It had a twin console Wurlitzer theatre organ (one of only 10 theatres in the USA to be equipped with twin consoles) and it also presented live vaudeville shows with its movie programmes. Stars who appeared ‘live’ on stage here include;Gary Cooper, Mary Pickford, Richard Arlen, Miriam Hopkins and Mae West.
In 1961, while under the ownership of Fabian Theatres, the theatre underwent a $35,000 renovation and was closed for four weeks. It re-opened as the New Paramount with new wider seating and aisles, this reduded the seating capacity to 2,000.
Bt September 1980 it had closed as a movie theatre and was being advertised as the Paramount Nightclub, presenting disco and new wave entertainment on Friday & Saturday nights from 10:00pm. But this was a short lived venture and the building became a live rock venue from October 1980 when a new sound system was installed. This new use lasted only a few years, closing in the mid to late-1980’s. I believe this was the last use for the building and it has remained closed and shuttered since then.
Thanks for that great link Lost Memory: It sure has had a colourful history. So it all started here with Errol Flynn playing piano with his d**k! and so it continues…..
Here is a photograph I took in June 2006 of the entrance doorway to the Bijou Cinema.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188372803/
The roller shutter is down, because it is daytime and the cinema is closed. When the Bijou opens in the evenings, the roller shutter is rolled up to reveal a large black metal door.
In the 1926, 1927 and 1930 edition’s of Film Daily Yearbook, this is listed as the Parkway Theatre with a seating capacity given as 400 in the 1920’s and 701 seats in 1930. By 1941 it is listed as the 599 seat Metro Theatre and is still open in 1950. By 1957 it has gone from listings.
Ken Layton: We are talking North West of England, UK here! No wonder you have never heard of any of these names LOL
The Academy Theatre is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915. There is a large ‘full frontal’ photograph of the Academy Theatre in Vol 13 No. 1 (First Quarter 1981) edition of Marquee, published by the Theatre Historical Society of America. It seems like the photograph was taken at the same time as the ‘then’ picture posted by rollingrock on Oct 4 2005. The caption on the THS photo states that the Academy Theatre was an early Marcus Loew operation and the photo comes from THS Loew’s Collection.
EdSolero: The notice over the center entrance on the THS photo reads;For information regarding these 3 buildings 283-287-291 E. Houston Street- Inquire in Sweater Shop (next door). There are the remains of torn posters over the front doors advertising the Pelestine Theatre and the Avenue A Theatre.
On my recent June 2006 visit to New York I took a look at the current building located at 287 East Houston Street and can confirm it is the Academy Theatre (now with a modified facade) and is in use as tax offices. Yes there is now a rooftop garden on top of the old theatre auditorium!
Here are a couple of photographs I took:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188231745/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188232247/
Three recent(June 2006) photographs I took of the Liberty Theatre:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188064824/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188065295/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188065772/
Note:The red and blue painted wooden awning as seen in the main photograph above has now been removed.
Four recent(June 2006) photographs I took of the Lane Theater:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188047075/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188047319/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188047628/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188047907/
Here are four views of the Stadium Theatre that I took in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188014603/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188014845/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188015051/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188015311/
Note:The building is currently ‘For Sale’ or “To Lease'.
Thanks Ed; Exhaustive, but not that exhausting LOL. I love wandering around cities seeking out cinema buildings. I took over 800 photos on this last visit and would love to have done a lot more but time was against me!
Glad to hear you are enjoying my input.
A June 2006 view of the re-faced and altered Staten Theatre:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/187989504/
The actual auditorium is at the rear of the two shop units and I believe runs parallel to Broadway. It can’t be seen from the angle I took the photograph. It is about the same height as the entrance block which is currently the restaurant.
I believe the configuration of the theatre was…enter through the foyer and then turn left into the auditorium. The projection booth would be in a raised room at the end of the foyer.
Here is a recent(June 2006) photograph I took of the Plaza/New Broadway/Square/Aster Theater:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/187630477/
A recent(June 2006) photograph I took of the Lee/Model Theater:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/187616709/