Hollywood Theater
39 W. Main Street,
Gowanda,
NY
14070
39 W. Main Street,
Gowanda,
NY
14070
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7th annual
Harley Happening at the Hollywood
June 3 – 5, 2005 Gowanda, NY
Sponsored by Gowanda Harley-Davidson, Inc.
The Harley Happening is held annually to benefit the restoration of
Gowanda’s historical Hollywood Theater. The weekend rally features live
bands, a parade, motorcycle activities, games, and fun for the entire family
Starts on Friday at 4:00pm on Main Street in front of the Hollywood Theatre.
This event will include a ride in bike show on Sunday at noon. There will
also be tattoo contest, fashion show, Team Extreme stunt show, vendors
music, food, beer and more. A 2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 will be
raffled off, courtesy of Gowanda Harley-Davidson. For more information call
(716) 532-6103.
Originally modeled after Buffalo NY’s Sheas Theater, Gowanda’s historic
Hollywood Theater is currently in the middle of a painstaking effort to
restore it as a regional center for the performing arts. Held each June, the
Harley Happening at the Hollywood is the principal fund-raiser towards the
rehabilitation efforts. A motorcycle rally that draws bikers from several
states and Canada, Harley Happening features continuous live music, good
food and motorcycle-oriented events throughout the weekend.
Gowanda’s Historic Hollywood Theater is a 990-seat landmark theater
currently undergoing a multiyear $3 million historically correct total
restoration.
The Hollywood Theater will be utilized as a regional center for the visual
and performing arts serving a 40 mile radius of Gowanda including points
north of Gowanda to the Buffalo south-towns, all of southern Erie county,
points west to Fredonia/Dunkirk, points south to
Ellicotville/Salamanca/Olean and points east to Springville and Arcade.
Listed on both the New York State and National Historic Registry, the
Hollywood Theater is a highly ornate structure featuring 700 orchestra level
seats and 290 balcony seats.
The Hollywood Theater is one of only a small group of remaining historic
jewels in Western New York featuring Vermont marble floors, ornate plaster
designs, leaded glass windows, brass railings, 14-piece orchestra pit, 70'
by 30' foot stage, dual original oil murals, concave seating design and a
highly decorated softly lit ceiling dome in the center of main house.
The Hollywood Theater was built upon the original site of the Gowanda Opera
House which was lost in a fire in 1924. Designed as both a vaudeville
theater and movie house, the Hollywood Theater was built by Gowanda
businessman Richard Wilhelm in 1926.
The Architect of record is William Lampert II of Rochester, New York. This
is the same architect who designed the Rivera Theater in North Tonawanda,
New York
After years of neglect, the theater was rescued by Gowanda area businessman
Dan Gernatt, Jr. and the Gernatt Family of Companies of Collins, NY who
purchased the theater in 1999 and donated it as a gift to the Gowanda
community.
The Hollywood Theater was turned over to the Gowanda Area Redevelopment
Corp., GARC, a 501c(3) non profit organization. GARC together with the
Friends of the Hollywood Theater (a group of community volunteers) are
leading a total restoration effort of the building.
The event each June to help raise monies for the Hollywood is called Happening at the Hollywood and the website is www.hollywoodtheater.org
And I’m glad to see that someone has made the correction in the name Gowanda as it isn’t spelled Gowonda! It lists The Hollywood as having 1,000 seats. I recall the theater being very large so perhaps there were that many seats! The story of the wealthy ‘glue tycoon’ and his wife missing the theater in NYC was most interesting. I had heard the theater was built by a local man, but didn’t know the story….until now! BTW, is Farner and Parker still there as I’ll go check it out next summer?
It’s a shame that many of the listed theaters on this site do NOT have photos as it would be great to see them!
Richard Serviss: Yes, The Hollywood was a special theater for its size and grandeur in a small town the size of Gowanda NY. I was there several years ago and saw that the marquee needed to be restored, yet the lobby was finished THEN I walked into the theater and saw what had happened to it due to no heat in the building for many years and a leaking roof! One had to look past what one saw and use his or her imagination so hopefully this theater will someday be restored for all to enjoy again. There is a big Harley Davidson meet there each year to help raise money for the theater and that brings alot of people into the town for that event!
Correction! My last visit to The Hollwood was to see the Poseidon Adventure, not the Titanic.
Sorry.
This theater is special to me since it’s very much a part of my childhood summers. When I was growing up during the 1960’s, I would vacation in Gowanda during the summer months visiting family. At least once a week I would go to the Hollywood to see a film. I remember having to get cleaned up and put on a clean shirt and pants since I was ‘going into town.’ I also have a vague memory of an organist playing before the start of the film during some of these visits to the theater. Even in the 1960’s I don’t remember the crowd in the theater being very large. Even as a child I remember thinking this theater was different than the theaters back home since the audience was very small. However the best part of going to the movies in Gowanda was that after the film there was always a trip to Farner & Parker for ice cream!
Years later whenever I inquired about the status of The Hollywood, I remember relatives telling me about a woman who died and left money in her will to keep the theater going so that the townspeople would be able to see films. I don’t know who the woman is and what her connection to The Hollywood was. I’m wondering if this woman was the wife of the ‘glue tycoon.’
My last visit to The Hollywood must have been sometime in the 1970’s. The film was The Titanic. I remember the film ran on national network television about two weeks later!
Just in case you want a view of the Hollywood’s exterior, its address is; 39 West Main St., Gowanda, N.Y.
I just found the for sale listing sheet from 1992, so I’ll share some of the information on the sheet. Designed by Rapp & Rapp, 70' by 30' stage, 700 auditorium seats plus 50 in the balcony with dining area. The only 50 seats in the balcony reflects the removal of many seats for the dining area. The theatre was built in 1926. Finding the listing sheet reminded me how nice the marquee was. I also now remember the theatre organ had been removed. The last owner tried other things to supplement the movie income. I remember at least one live production took place and probably more. I hope this time around it receives better community support.
You could have bought The Hollywood Theatre for $125,000 back in 1992. It was a beautiful theatre with gumwood entry doors and stained glass inserts. I thought about buying it but every time I went to a movie there were never more than 20 or so people in attendance.
The Hollywood was built by a wealthy “glue tycoon” whose wife missed the theatre life of N.Y.C. The last owner removed some of the balcony seats and installed tables and chairs. He’d planned to offer waiter service from the snack bar to the balcony in exchange for an increased admission price. I don’t know if this concept actually ever happened before he closed the theatre and moved to Calfornia. The owner prior to the last owned a twin in Seneca, N.Y.