Comments from Ken Roe

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Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Riverside Theater on May 8, 2005 at 11:37 am

The Riverside Theatre opened on 29th April 1928 with the movie “The Big Noise” starring Chester Conklin. The Wurlitzer 3Manual/13Rank theatre pipe organ was opened by “Winkel” the Whiteman of the Wurlitzer! The names of the architects were Roger Kirchoff and Thomas Rose.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Wisconsin Cinemas I & II on May 8, 2005 at 11:29 am

The opening movie on 28th March 1924 was “Why Men Leave Home” starring Lewis Stone. The Wisconsin Theatre was equipped with a Barton 3Manual/17Rank theatre pipe organ that had 2 consoles.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Modjeska Theatre on May 8, 2005 at 11:05 am

The Modjeska Theatre opened on 2nd August 1924 with a seating capacity of 2,000.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Uptown Theatre on May 8, 2005 at 10:56 am

The Uptown Theatre opened on 3rd September 1927 with the movie “The Poor Nut” starring Jack Mulhall. It was equipped with a Barton 3Manual/10Rank theatre pipe organ that was opened by Les Hoadley.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Tower Theatre on May 8, 2005 at 10:44 am

The Tower Theatre opened on 1st May 1926. It was equipped with a Barton 3Manual/10Rank theatre pipe organ that was opened by Bernard Cowham.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Zenith Theatre on May 8, 2005 at 10:31 am

The Zenith Theatre opened on 29th November 1927 with the movie “Broadway Madness” starring Marguerite De La Motte and Donald Keith. It was equipped with a Kilgen theatre pipe organ.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Majestic Theatre on May 7, 2005 at 7:38 pm

The Majestic Theatre opened on 15th December 1906 as a vaudeville theatre. It went over to movies plus stage shows from 1912.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Capitol Theatre on May 7, 2005 at 7:28 pm

Opened as the Capitol Theatre on 20th January 1928 with the movie “Her Wild Oats” starring Colleen Moore plus vaudeville acts. It was operated by Warner Bros. and later by RKO-Stanley Warner who sold it to the City of Madison for $650,000 in July 1974.

The firm Hardy, Holzman & Pfiefer designed the restoration when it became the Oscar Meyer Theatre.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Bradley Symphony Center on May 7, 2005 at 6:00 pm

The Warner Theatre was built on the site of the 1911 Butterfly Theatre which seated 1,500. It was demolished in February 1930.

The Warner Theatre opened on 1st May 1931 with the movie “Sit Tight” starring Joe E. Brown. Making a personal appearance at the opening was Warner Bros. star Bebe Daniels.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Milbridge Theatre on May 7, 2005 at 5:21 pm

The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 edition has a Colonial Theatre, Main Street listed that has 360 seats. Could this be the current Millbridge Theatre?

Other theatres listed in the town (no street address given) are the Opera House with 375 seats and the Wittan Theatre (no further details given).

The 1950 F.D.Y has the Colonial and Opera House still operating.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Warner Theatre on May 7, 2005 at 3:30 pm

The Warner Theatre opened on 14th November 1930 with the movie “The Life of the Party” starring Winnie Lightner and the Warner Bros, child star Davey Lee, billed as ‘The World’s Biggest Little Star’, made a personal appearance.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Canna Theatre on May 7, 2005 at 2:42 pm

Listed in Film Daily Yearbok’s that I have (1941-1950) as the Lyric Theatre.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Center Theatre on May 7, 2005 at 1:44 pm

The Colonial Theatre opened in 1914 and was built for movies and vaudville. It was equipped with a Kimball theatre pipe organ.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Virginia Theatre on May 7, 2005 at 11:35 am

The Virginia Theatre opened in 1915 and it was equipped with a Kimball theatre pipe organ.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Studio Cinema on May 7, 2005 at 6:22 am

It is listed in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1950 edition as the Strand Theatre with a seating capacity of 627.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Polaris Theatre on May 6, 2005 at 8:11 pm

Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 as the Community Theatre with 350 seats. In the 1943 and 1950 editions of F.D.Y. it has been re-named the D & R Theatre with a seating capacity of 408 in 1950.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Hunt's Cinestage Theatre on May 6, 2005 at 7:54 pm

Ron;
The RKO Palace closed as a movie house not long after Hunt’s Cinestage. It went over to live performance and concerts. The Southern Theatre was re-named Towne Theatre and, as you state, continued for some time.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Loew's Metropolitan Theatre on May 6, 2005 at 7:47 pm

No, the Fulton Street entrance is still used when the church has ‘busy’ services. Plus, with a capacity of over 3,500 I would think that the authorities would never allow for exits to be removed.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Hunt's Cinestage Theatre on May 6, 2005 at 7:10 pm

This was built on the site of the 1,000 Park Theatre, a playhouse and variety theatre built in 1890, which was destoyed by fire in 1893.

In January 1895 a new theatre, named the High Street Theatre opened, which closed in 1914. Re-named Lyceum Theatre it re-opened as a playhouse but closed again in 1915. It was re-modeled and became the Lyceum Burlesque Theatre and this was very successful until it 1932, when it suffered fire damage. It was quickly re-built but without a balcony and re-opened in October 1932, continuing as the Lyceum Burlesque until 1935.

It then went over to a full time movie theatre re-named the Uptown Theatre with a seating capacity given as 735 and operating as a double feature ‘grind’ policy.

In 1957, Herman Hunt, a local showman, re-modeled the Uptown into Hunt’s Cinestage Theatre which opened with the Todd A-O widescreen movie presentation of “Around the World in 80 Days”. Other movies to play here were “Dr Zhivago”, “Sweet Charity” and “Ben Hur”.

With attendances falling, Hunt’s Cinestage Theatre closed on 19th April 1972 and demolition began on 22nd January 1973.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Paramount Theatre on May 6, 2005 at 6:25 pm

The Capitol Theatre opened on 1st September 1928 with Richard Dix starring in “Warming Up”, the first Paramount Pictures sound movie. The Wurlitzer 3Manual/11Rank organ was played by Stanley Anstett who had previously been with the Chicago Theatre, Chicago.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about State Theatre on May 6, 2005 at 6:03 pm

The Schine State Theatre opened in 1928 and had a seating capacity of 1,759.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Omaha Theater on May 6, 2005 at 5:49 pm

The World Theatre opened in 1922.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Carolina Theatre on May 6, 2005 at 5:43 pm

The Durham Auditorium became a full time movie theatre from 1929 when it was re-named Carolina Theatre. Operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary H.F. Kincey in the 1940’s it was listed with a seating capacity of 1,596.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Loew's Metropolitan Theatre on May 6, 2005 at 10:51 am

lostmemory;
The address used today as the main entrance to the church at 17 Smith Street is what I believe was originally an additional entrance/exit which originally served the rear orchestra level of the theatre. It is around the corner to the original main entrance on Fulton Street and retains its original decorations.

The main original entrance to the theatre at 392 Fulton Street (now I believe known as Fulton Mall)serves today as a supplementary entrance/exit. For some reason the original facade on this entrance was taken down and rebuilt to a simpler design and the marquee removed when the theatre was being transformed into the Tabernacle Church. If memory serves me right there is a low one storey retail building adjacent to this entrance which could be the current #392 you describe in the property report above.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Fremont Theatre on May 5, 2005 at 8:32 pm

Vegasite;
Thanks for the link to that great print, but it is of the Freemont Theatre, San Luis Obispo,CA (now known as the Freemont 4)listed here… /theaters/2302/