Just to add a few more pieces of the historical time line of this theatre to the above notes;
Wilkes' Vine Street Theatre opened on 19th January 1927.
It became a full time movie theater from 15th March 1931 and was re-named the Mirror Theater. This lasted until 1936 when CBS Radio took over and it became known as the Studio Theater. It was at this time that architect S. Charles Lee added a dazzling neon lit marquee and vertical sign on the front of the building and a new air conditioning plant was installed.
It re-opened as a legitimate playhouse again in September 1954 and was re-named the Huntington Hartford Theater, when Helen Hayes starred in “What Every Woman Wants”.
The Hove Cinematograph Theatre was a part conversion of the Belvedere Club and Tea Rooms. It opened in late 1911.
In 1922 it became the Tivoli owned by George Beyfus and the seating capacity was given as 500. In 1948 it was acquired by Harry Jacobs and re-named the Embassy.
In 1967 Miles Byrne took over and after a few years, business was dropping and he planned to divide the building into a gambling club on the orchestra floor, with a small auditorium in the circle but planning permission was refused in 1979.
The Embassy continued as a single screen cinema until it closed down at the end of March 1981 with the movie “Smokey and the Bandit Ride Again”.
The building was then converted into the Black Cat bingo club until the late 1980’s when it was converted into retail use. It is has been used as an amusement arcade in recent years.
The street address of the Odeon was 38 St. Georges Road, Kemp Town, Brighton.
It was an original Oscar Deutsch built Odeon (this one a conversion of former stables) which opened on 1st February 1934, the architect was Andrew Mather. The seating capacity was 958 in a stadium style, with no overhanging balcony.
It closed as the Odeon Theatre on 5th November 1960 and lay empty until 1962 when it re-opened as a bingo club. It was used for a short while as a church after bingo ceased and was demolished in January 1986 and a block of flats built on the site.
Ok Warren, we will give it the majority view that Krapp was the architect.
I just find it strange that in an architectural magazine like The Architectural Forum was, there would be a ‘mistake’ in captions to photographs of theaters illustrated as having been designed by the architect and writer of the article-Charles Sandblom. Maybe a correction was printed in the following issue, eh?
The opening date of the Keith’s Theater was 17th September 1928, built as a vaudelville theatre for the B.F. Keith Circuit. It went over to a films only policy in 1932.
On the side walls each side of the proscenium arch were a series of three boxes set within a tall arched opening which was draped similar to the proscenium.
The large painted murals by Willy Pogany were set in tall recesses on the side walls from the front to rear of the balcony, possibly four on each sidewall. On a photo I have, it shows two panels, one in the front balcony section which has an elephant ridden by an Indian Raja, the details on the second one, at cross aisle level unfortunately can’t be made out.
The Rialto Theatre opened on 16th March 1916 with the movie “The Ne’re Do Well” starring Harry Lonsdale and Kathlyn Williams. It’s opening seating capacity was 1,542.
The ‘headers’ for the Shore Theatre need changing as follows;
Architectural Style: French Renaissance
Chain: Loew's
Architectural Firm: Reilly & Hall
Opened as Loew’s Coney Island Theater on 17th June 1925 with the movie “The Sporting Venus” starring Blanche Sweet & Ronald Colman. Film stars Ben Lyon and Mae Bush attended the opening.
A week after opening, an attraction on the stage was The Hilton Sisters-a pair of Siamese Twins who were born joined together.
The Loew’s Kings was joint 2nd/3rd to open of the five ‘Wonder Theaters’. It opened on the same day (7th September 1929) as the Loew’s Paradise, Bronx, New York.
The opening programme at the Loew’s Kings was the ‘part talkie’ movie “Evangeline” starring Dolores Del Rio and Robert Drew. On stage was a revue “Frills and Fancies”, Wesley Eddy and his Kings of Syncopation and the Chester Hale Girls.
It is the 25th largest movie theater built in the USA.
The advert I have in the S.F. Chronicle 24th Nov 1976 lists the Sutter Street Theatre playing ‘Live Burlesque’ opening daily at 11am with adult films and live shows daily at 12 noon, 2:30, 5:30 9:00.
In a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle I have for Wed, Nov 24th 1976, the Avenue Theatre is listed under the ‘International’ section screening Bela Lugosi “The Midnight Girl” + “The Monster Walks” (1940) for one day only!
By coincidence, I happen to have a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle dated Wed Nov 24, 1976, which according to the introduction to this theatre above, was the opening date of the Alexandria as a triple screen cinema.
Films advertised on this date were;
Screen 1. “Shout at the Devil” + “Hard Times"
Screen 2. "Super Bug, Super Agent” + “Magic Christmas Tree"
Screen 3. "Singing in the Rain” + “The Wizard of Oz”
Evening shows only with the main feature showing twice, commencing at 6:30pm.
Just to add a few more pieces of the historical time line of this theatre to the above notes;
Wilkes' Vine Street Theatre opened on 19th January 1927.
It became a full time movie theater from 15th March 1931 and was re-named the Mirror Theater. This lasted until 1936 when CBS Radio took over and it became known as the Studio Theater. It was at this time that architect S. Charles Lee added a dazzling neon lit marquee and vertical sign on the front of the building and a new air conditioning plant was installed.
It re-opened as a legitimate playhouse again in September 1954 and was re-named the Huntington Hartford Theater, when Helen Hayes starred in “What Every Woman Wants”.
The Hove Cinematograph Theatre was a part conversion of the Belvedere Club and Tea Rooms. It opened in late 1911.
In 1922 it became the Tivoli owned by George Beyfus and the seating capacity was given as 500. In 1948 it was acquired by Harry Jacobs and re-named the Embassy.
In 1967 Miles Byrne took over and after a few years, business was dropping and he planned to divide the building into a gambling club on the orchestra floor, with a small auditorium in the circle but planning permission was refused in 1979.
The Embassy continued as a single screen cinema until it closed down at the end of March 1981 with the movie “Smokey and the Bandit Ride Again”.
The building was then converted into the Black Cat bingo club until the late 1980’s when it was converted into retail use. It is has been used as an amusement arcade in recent years.
The street address of the Odeon was 38 St. Georges Road, Kemp Town, Brighton.
It was an original Oscar Deutsch built Odeon (this one a conversion of former stables) which opened on 1st February 1934, the architect was Andrew Mather. The seating capacity was 958 in a stadium style, with no overhanging balcony.
It closed as the Odeon Theatre on 5th November 1960 and lay empty until 1962 when it re-opened as a bingo club. It was used for a short while as a church after bingo ceased and was demolished in January 1986 and a block of flats built on the site.
Thanks Ian,
You are correct. The current status of the Classic Cinema should be ammended to Demolished. I believe a supermarket was built on the site.
The street address of the Classic Cinema is 129B Western Road, Brighton.
It was modernised into an Art Deco style in 1936.
It closed as a cinema on 31st August 1979 with the films 2The Spaceman & King Arthur" + “The Warriors”.
The last time I visited the building, about 5 years ago, it was use as an amusement arcade.
The architect of the Empire Theatre was Herbert Brewster, it opened with a seating capacity of 1,810.
It went over to showing movies in 1938 and was later part of the Brandt Theatres Circuit. It closed as a movie theatre in 1953.
Film Daily Yearbook’s, 1941 and 1950 give a seating capacity of 500.
OK Bryan, can we cancel this listing and transfer comments over to the Regency III listing.
I agree that it should be listed as Stage Door Theatre as it was known as that much longer than Regency III.
Ok Warren, we will give it the majority view that Krapp was the architect.
I just find it strange that in an architectural magazine like The Architectural Forum was, there would be a ‘mistake’ in captions to photographs of theaters illustrated as having been designed by the architect and writer of the article-Charles Sandblom. Maybe a correction was printed in the following issue, eh?
The opening date of the Keith’s Theater was 17th September 1928, built as a vaudelville theatre for the B.F. Keith Circuit. It went over to a films only policy in 1932.
On the side walls each side of the proscenium arch were a series of three boxes set within a tall arched opening which was draped similar to the proscenium.
The large painted murals by Willy Pogany were set in tall recesses on the side walls from the front to rear of the balcony, possibly four on each sidewall. On a photo I have, it shows two panels, one in the front balcony section which has an elephant ridden by an Indian Raja, the details on the second one, at cross aisle level unfortunately can’t be made out.
Opened in September 1914, the Flatbush Theatre was a vaudeville theatre on the B.S.Moss circuit. It was known as Werba’s Theatre from 1925 – 1929.
It was equipped with a Wurlitzer 2 Manual/8 Rank theater organ.
In later years it was taken over and operated by the Brandt Theatres Circuit and they closed it in 1952.
I last saw it four years ago when it was being used as a furniture showroom and part office space. It still looked pretty much intact then.
Headers for the Astor Theatre need changing;
aka: Trans-Lux Theatre
Screens: 1
Architect: Thomas W. Lamb
The Trans-Lux opened in 1933 and it closed as the Astor in 1977.
The Rialto Theatre opened on 16th March 1916 with the movie “The Ne’re Do Well” starring Harry Lonsdale and Kathlyn Williams. It’s opening seating capacity was 1,542.
The header Function should be changed to; Church
The ‘headers’ for the Shore Theatre need changing as follows;
Architectural Style: French Renaissance
Chain: Loew's
Architectural Firm: Reilly & Hall
Opened as Loew’s Coney Island Theater on 17th June 1925 with the movie “The Sporting Venus” starring Blanche Sweet & Ronald Colman. Film stars Ben Lyon and Mae Bush attended the opening.
A week after opening, an attraction on the stage was The Hilton Sisters-a pair of Siamese Twins who were born joined together.
The Loew’s Kings was joint 2nd/3rd to open of the five ‘Wonder Theaters’. It opened on the same day (7th September 1929) as the Loew’s Paradise, Bronx, New York.
The opening programme at the Loew’s Kings was the ‘part talkie’ movie “Evangeline” starring Dolores Del Rio and Robert Drew. On stage was a revue “Frills and Fancies”, Wesley Eddy and his Kings of Syncopation and the Chester Hale Girls.
It is the 25th largest movie theater built in the USA.
The address was Moody Street, Waltham, MA.
The original architectural style of the Academy Picture Palace was Moorish. It was re-modelled by Gaumont into an Art Deco style in the 1930’s.
The Academy was demolished in 1974 and an office block – Academy House – was built on the site.
That looks like a very nice terra cotta facade on the building. I will check it out when I am in San Francisco in February.
The advert I have in the S.F. Chronicle 24th Nov 1976 lists the Sutter Street Theatre playing ‘Live Burlesque’ opening daily at 11am with adult films and live shows daily at 12 noon, 2:30, 5:30 9:00.
I have it still listed as the Bijou, operated by the Mitchell Brothers in the S.F. Chronicle dated 24 Nov 1976
The current Spartacus International Gay Guide 2004/2005 lists the ‘All Male Jewel Theatre’ operating at the former Bijou Theatre.
The current status need to be changed to; Open, Function; Adult Movies
In a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle I have for Wed, Nov 24th 1976, the Avenue Theatre is listed under the ‘International’ section screening Bela Lugosi “The Midnight Girl” + “The Monster Walks” (1940) for one day only!
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 gives a seating capacity of the American Theatre as 1,210.
The Alhambra was operating as a twin screen cinema in November 1976.
By coincidence, I happen to have a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle dated Wed Nov 24, 1976, which according to the introduction to this theatre above, was the opening date of the Alexandria as a triple screen cinema.
Films advertised on this date were;
Screen 1. “Shout at the Devil” + “Hard Times"
Screen 2. "Super Bug, Super Agent” + “Magic Christmas Tree"
Screen 3. "Singing in the Rain” + “The Wizard of Oz”
Evening shows only with the main feature showing twice, commencing at 6:30pm.