Ambassador Theatre
4604 Liberty Heights Avenue,
Baltimore,
MD
21207
4604 Liberty Heights Avenue,
Baltimore,
MD
21207
8 people
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Showing 26 - 37 of 37 comments
Its beeen two years since there was a post about making this place a theater again. Anyone know what is going on, if anything? With the recent Senator woes, who happens to be a not too distant neighbor, what is the viability of revitalizing this theater?
On page 39 of Herbert H. Harwood Jr.’s book, “Baltimore and Its Streetcars” (Quadrant Press, NY, softcover, 1984), there is a wide panoramic shot which features the Ambassador on the left (“Gypsy Wildcat” is featured on the marquee) and the Gwynn on the right. The photo is dated April 1951.
Am posting this in the hope that someone out there with the technical capability has access to this book so that a link can be posted here for everyone’s enjoyment. Good luck!
Here is a link with some photos:
http://www.kilduffs.com/AAA.html
Currently the project is still in the phase of acquistion of all the parcels involved, which should be completed by the end of January. After the final settlement, we are going to be having a press release issued and a big ground breaking ceremony.
As for the website, our server was hit by a virus around mid December and is in the process of being put back online. We are taking this opportunity to revamp the entire site and include the new site plan for the project, as well as interior shots and more currents shots of the project area.
Feel free to contact me directly Thomas and I would be happy to email the interior view over to you.
I heard about a year ago that tere was something in the works to save the Ambassador. I have yet to be able to get the web site that was listed up. JamesW, if you have a few interior shots you would like to share, I’d love to share them with everyone. My page on Kilduffs has no interior shots at all. I would love to see this theatre come back, and in time, who knows. But I have to agree Charles that the area really might not be up for a theatre quite yet. Maybe in a few years though. Remember the Hippodrome in the 1980’s.
The website has disappeared.
Does anyone have the current status on this theatre?
There are several interior pictures of the Ambassador Theatre, that I have been able to find, and I would be more than glad to share them with you.
The Ambassador was designed by the same architect that designed the Senator, being that of John Zink. The interior of the Ambassador has been said to be one of the best examples of an Art Deco interior in the Mid Atlantic region. The interior is very different from the Senator, but the seating arrangements are somewhat similar.
Artist renderings of the entertainment complex are slated to be posted to the theatre’s site by mid August. The entire project has a projected start date of October 2004 and a completion date of eighteen to twenty-four months.
The main screen and the adjoining multiplex will all feature state of the art projection and sound equipment.
The project seems rather daunting. I hope that it succeeds, too. It would be nice to have yet another gem of a theater in Baltimore restored to its former glory. If the refurbished Ambassador and new six-plex are THX certified and, at least one theater has DLP, you can bet I’ll be seeing movies there on a regular basis.
A few questions:
Are there any known pictures of the interior (then and now) that someone could post?
If this theater is the Senator’s sister, is it safe to assume that the interiors are the same?
Does anyone know if there are any posted artist renderings on this new entertainment complex? Is there a timetable as to when the project will start and be finished?
The website for the Ambassador Theatre, has been officially launched.
The official launch of the site is May 15th
The Ambassador, opened in September of 1935, and was designed by architect John Zink, the same architect that designed the Senator. It was know as the “Wonder Theatre” and was said to have to the most exuberant art deco interior in town.
Currently the theatre is being used as a church. The area surrounding the theatre, know as Howard Park, is not on the decline, but is a very stable Middle class neighborhood that is on the up swing.
Actually there is an effort to restore the theatre and surrounding commercial district, into an entertainment complex. The complex that is being planned involves the addition of 6 more movie screens on the adjacent lot, a family restaurant, bookstore/cafe, and music store. The theatre will be fully restored and host 1st run movies, and Christian concerts.
www.ambassadortheatre.net