Hello 70sfan too many years have passed for me to remember what material was used in the screen area. You might try contacting the current manager for answers on this matter. I do remember that the Circle was minus a stage in the screen area. When we had regional premieres featured performers had to stand at orchestra level with their backs to the screen addressing the audience with a handheld mike. No raised platform was ever built to help raise them above seating level, which always struck me as rather crude treatment toward stars of these flicks.
Two Wurlitzer organs were in use at the Orpheum Th. with the master on the first floor and a slave unit on the sixth floors Sky Th. An organist could play a selection on the main instrument and it would be repeated five floors above, but both of these theatres showed different length films at simular times so this system rarely worked to their advantage. Although Orpheum was built as an independant live theatre in 1909 it did add films and was finally taken over by RKO in the 1930’s.
This glass theater called Sky Theater was decorated with false vines ,Japanese lanterns ,and its glass panels were controlled by electric motors which allowed this house to be snugly warm in winter. Walls were also decorated by intricate lattices,but because The Sky was on the roof it must only have been used at night?
On April 4th. 1920 the Sky Theater opening was by Orpheum Theater resident manager A.J.Hettesheimer,it was for the publics enjoyment. The Sky Theater lasted into the 1930’s, but was pretty much done by depressions end. The Sky Th.long abandoned was torn down in 1952. Between the 2nd and 5th floors were banquet halls that were muchly used throughtout the years.
The London Empire 1928 by Thomas Lamb and John Meacham was a very close copy of the E.F.Albee Theatre of 1927 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The frontage of each were duplicates and their entrance lobbies were identical. Long live the original Empire Theater.
In 2002 the entire tour of the Theatre Historical Society , more than 150 people, sang along with the Apollo Stage Manager ,“America The Beautiful”,so I guess you could say we played the Apollo! Thanks to Bobby the stage manager.
Thank you atmos for confirming an Eberson fact I’ve never been able to substantitiate! The Paramount Th. had grand scale, but a department store budget for lobby furnishings. Meaning the lobby chairs and sofas where the scale used in a persons home which dwarfed them in this cinema setting. Until soon, Hank
Mr. Harmon any idea who built The American? Did it also play it vaudeville in the 20’s? Were Ed Hart or Harry Hart early owners? Did it have a fancy cast iron frotage? Was the Gus Sun Vaudeville troops frequent performers?
Chicagoins cheer up! It could be worse in Boston the glorious Metropolitan Th. first became the Wang Center to salute the computor corporation who greatly helped with the renovation. Now, the theatre is becoming the Citi-Wang Theatre to honor the Citi Bank which has given money, it sounds like the title of a porno film, Citi-Wang!
A theatre tour behind the scenes of this fascinating building is well worth your time and expense, tours daily in different languages. The house itself is a combo of Radio City Music Hall and an Eberson atmospheric cinema. The reproduced producers or moguls screening room is a delight.
A recent article in the Kentucky Post says that in 1936 the Miss Kentucky Beauty Contest was held there and that Charlotte Hiteman was the winner.The Hippodrome Theater lasted into the early 1960’s.
Hey Ed rest in peace. You surely knew how to fill out the decor in your restaurants and we enjoyed the food on a THS junket in Toronto. Thanks again for a successful life and what you shared. Until soon, Hank.
Cincinnati Enquirer article of July 12,2007 says that the Emery Wurlitzer Organ (nee Albee Th. Organ) will be installed in Cincinnati Music Halls Ballroom and have its opening concert Xmas Eve 2009. Really ironic that so much of the Albee Theater at Fifth Street built 1927-demolished 1977 should return to Music Hall. Music Hall in answer to competing movie theaters ran movies in its house in 1914&1915. Cincinnati Symphony had deserted Music Hall to move to its new home at the Emery in 1912 and stayed there until 1936 when they returned to Music Hall.
An article from the Cincinnati Enquirer dated 7/3/07 says that Mark&Trisha Rogers who had leased the 20th Century for the past 10 years have purchased the theater from Mike Belmont of the Belhow Corp. for 1.3 million on June 20,2007. The Rogers operate the Habits Cafe ,also on Oakley Square, they will continue to run the 20th Century Theater as a concert,wedding,and reception venue, plus they plan to re-light the 72 foot tall vertical marquee and tower which was last illuminated in 1983.
The 20th Century Theatre in Oakley was purchased by the leasees of that site and they plan to re-light the 72 foot tall vertical. Hooray, it will stand out for miles! More news on this soon.
Dear Joe; A belated thankx for sharing your extensive city knowledge and theatre love with us all. What a thrill to have used Mr. Roxy’s telephone to reach Bill Benedict in a call from your home on one of my visits. Also for driving us to your favorite hot fudge ice cream parlor with the over the top decor. I will miss your splendid articles as seen in ,“Marquee”. God Bless you Joe. Until soon,Hank
I have been to the former Peoples Theater which is now a pizza parlor and sandwich cafe. Amazingly the original plaster ceiling beautifully detailed work still shows ,although at the end of what was the lobby a large pizza oven sits. The remaining theatre and beer garden was long in an area now footprinted by a huge parking lot. My sandwich by the by was delicious
Another such backwards or double entry cinema was located in Cincinnati,Ohio, called Gifts Theater on Vine Street having been erected upon the footprint of a former firehouse. The Gifts ran from the 1920’s until 1945.
Recent death of owner Charles"Fred"Baum on Memorial Day 2007 at age 64 has not left the Holiday Auto Theatre with a dark screen. Current co-owner Gregory Reinhold and The Holiday employees continue to operate this venue as Fred would have wished, even though Baum put the Drive -In up for sale in 2006. This is Butler County’s only remaining Drive-In which Baum had purchased in 1995. At least the theatre is open for the summer season.
Hello 70sfan too many years have passed for me to remember what material was used in the screen area. You might try contacting the current manager for answers on this matter. I do remember that the Circle was minus a stage in the screen area. When we had regional premieres featured performers had to stand at orchestra level with their backs to the screen addressing the audience with a handheld mike. No raised platform was ever built to help raise them above seating level, which always struck me as rather crude treatment toward stars of these flicks.
Two Wurlitzer organs were in use at the Orpheum Th. with the master on the first floor and a slave unit on the sixth floors Sky Th. An organist could play a selection on the main instrument and it would be repeated five floors above, but both of these theatres showed different length films at simular times so this system rarely worked to their advantage. Although Orpheum was built as an independant live theatre in 1909 it did add films and was finally taken over by RKO in the 1930’s.
This glass theater called Sky Theater was decorated with false vines ,Japanese lanterns ,and its glass panels were controlled by electric motors which allowed this house to be snugly warm in winter. Walls were also decorated by intricate lattices,but because The Sky was on the roof it must only have been used at night?
On April 4th. 1920 the Sky Theater opening was by Orpheum Theater resident manager A.J.Hettesheimer,it was for the publics enjoyment. The Sky Theater lasted into the 1930’s, but was pretty much done by depressions end. The Sky Th.long abandoned was torn down in 1952. Between the 2nd and 5th floors were banquet halls that were muchly used throughtout the years.
The London Empire 1928 by Thomas Lamb and John Meacham was a very close copy of the E.F.Albee Theatre of 1927 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The frontage of each were duplicates and their entrance lobbies were identical. Long live the original Empire Theater.
In 2002 the entire tour of the Theatre Historical Society , more than 150 people, sang along with the Apollo Stage Manager ,“America The Beautiful”,so I guess you could say we played the Apollo! Thanks to Bobby the stage manager.
Thank you atmos for confirming an Eberson fact I’ve never been able to substantitiate! The Paramount Th. had grand scale, but a department store budget for lobby furnishings. Meaning the lobby chairs and sofas where the scale used in a persons home which dwarfed them in this cinema setting. Until soon, Hank
Mr. Harmon any idea who built The American? Did it also play it vaudeville in the 20’s? Were Ed Hart or Harry Hart early owners? Did it have a fancy cast iron frotage? Was the Gus Sun Vaudeville troops frequent performers?
May one assume that Laemmle ,the name, was chosen to honor Carl Laemmle the founder of Universal Studios?
Chicagoins cheer up! It could be worse in Boston the glorious Metropolitan Th. first became the Wang Center to salute the computor corporation who greatly helped with the renovation. Now, the theatre is becoming the Citi-Wang Theatre to honor the Citi Bank which has given money, it sounds like the title of a porno film, Citi-Wang!
A theatre tour behind the scenes of this fascinating building is well worth your time and expense, tours daily in different languages. The house itself is a combo of Radio City Music Hall and an Eberson atmospheric cinema. The reproduced producers or moguls screening room is a delight.
The Dayvue opened in June 194l, Jerome and Woodrow Bressler were indeed the owners and closed the Dayvue in 1955.
A recent article in the Kentucky Post says that in 1936 the Miss Kentucky Beauty Contest was held there and that Charlotte Hiteman was the winner.The Hippodrome Theater lasted into the early 1960’s.
Rumor has it that atmospheric projected rainbow on the blue sky ceiling was projected between double feature films.
Hey Ed rest in peace. You surely knew how to fill out the decor in your restaurants and we enjoyed the food on a THS junket in Toronto. Thanks again for a successful life and what you shared. Until soon, Hank.
Cincinnati Enquirer article of July 12,2007 says that the Emery Wurlitzer Organ (nee Albee Th. Organ) will be installed in Cincinnati Music Halls Ballroom and have its opening concert Xmas Eve 2009. Really ironic that so much of the Albee Theater at Fifth Street built 1927-demolished 1977 should return to Music Hall. Music Hall in answer to competing movie theaters ran movies in its house in 1914&1915. Cincinnati Symphony had deserted Music Hall to move to its new home at the Emery in 1912 and stayed there until 1936 when they returned to Music Hall.
An article from the Cincinnati Enquirer dated 7/3/07 says that Mark&Trisha Rogers who had leased the 20th Century for the past 10 years have purchased the theater from Mike Belmont of the Belhow Corp. for 1.3 million on June 20,2007. The Rogers operate the Habits Cafe ,also on Oakley Square, they will continue to run the 20th Century Theater as a concert,wedding,and reception venue, plus they plan to re-light the 72 foot tall vertical marquee and tower which was last illuminated in 1983.
The Emery Wurlitzer Organ nee Albee Theatre Organ to be re-installed in Cincinnati Music Hall Ballroom by 2009 now a done and signed thing.
The Albee theatre organ now a done thing to be re-installed in Cincinnati Music Hall Ballroom by 2009.
The 20th Century Theatre in Oakley was purchased by the leasees of that site and they plan to re-light the 72 foot tall vertical. Hooray, it will stand out for miles! More news on this soon.
I understand that the glorious OHIO Theater in Columbus is up for sale anybody have any details on this?????
Dear Joe; A belated thankx for sharing your extensive city knowledge and theatre love with us all. What a thrill to have used Mr. Roxy’s telephone to reach Bill Benedict in a call from your home on one of my visits. Also for driving us to your favorite hot fudge ice cream parlor with the over the top decor. I will miss your splendid articles as seen in ,“Marquee”. God Bless you Joe. Until soon,Hank
I have been to the former Peoples Theater which is now a pizza parlor and sandwich cafe. Amazingly the original plaster ceiling beautifully detailed work still shows ,although at the end of what was the lobby a large pizza oven sits. The remaining theatre and beer garden was long in an area now footprinted by a huge parking lot. My sandwich by the by was delicious
Another such backwards or double entry cinema was located in Cincinnati,Ohio, called Gifts Theater on Vine Street having been erected upon the footprint of a former firehouse. The Gifts ran from the 1920’s until 1945.
Recent death of owner Charles"Fred"Baum on Memorial Day 2007 at age 64 has not left the Holiday Auto Theatre with a dark screen. Current co-owner Gregory Reinhold and The Holiday employees continue to operate this venue as Fred would have wished, even though Baum put the Drive -In up for sale in 2006. This is Butler County’s only remaining Drive-In which Baum had purchased in 1995. At least the theatre is open for the summer season.