For those looking for photos of the TIFFIN and most any other theatre, your best bet is always to contact the largest repository of theatre photos in the nation: The Theatre Historical Soc. of America via their web site: www.HistoricTheatres.org
The opening description of the RIALTO in So. Pasadena uses the word ‘decadence’ to describe it, but that is unfortunate since that word cannot have a positive connotation as one would see if he looked up the dictionary definition of the word. Some have thought that it was a term meaning ‘camp’ as in ‘campy’ or even ‘obsolete’ but that is not the case, and unless one wishes to denigrate a theater, the word ‘decadent’ has no place in theatre descriptions.
REVERSE THEATRE
This is one of the few “Reverse” or ‘backwards’ theatres in the world, of which 9 were in the USA and 2 in England, of those that are known. This unusual format had the audience entering the front as usual, but the screen was at their backs as they entered, and the projection room/booth faced them! In some cases it was a construction demanded by the topography, as when the land at the rear sloped up sharply at the rear of the building (as with the DARRESS ( /theaters/1645/ ) and the little LINCOLN in Limon Colorado), but for others as with the WHITEHOUSE in Milwaukee ( /theaters/2642/ ), it was purely a gimmick to make the place memorable in competition with the dozens of other show houses in most communities in the ‘golden days!’ The known Reverse Theatres are:
Existing in the USA, if not also operating:
1) The SEBASTIAN, Ft. Smith, AR ( /theaters/257/ )
2) The DARRESS, Boonton, NJ ( /theaters/1645/ )
3) The LINCOLN, Limon, CO ( /theaters/7595/ )
No longer existing as a theatre, if still standing at all (USA):
4) The PHIEL, St. Petersburg, FL
5) The METROPOLITAN, 3308 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL (later TERMINAL, METRO)
6) The E.A.R. (for Earl A. Reisden), Chicago, IL ( /theaters/7597/ )
7) The FAMILY, Quincy, IL
8) The HAPPY HOUR, New Orleans, LA
9) The WHITEHOUSE, Milwaukee, WI ( /theaters/2642/ )
These two are known of in England, but status unknown (courtesy of Louis Barfe):
10) The CINEMA ROYAL, Epsom, Surrey (1910—1938)
11) The CINEMA LUXE, Lake, Isle of Wight (1989—?)
And then there is the FOX Theatre, Taft, CA, ( /theaters/7564/ )where one “entered on the side, the back corner, actually,” to round out our little list of eccentric theatres.
REVERSE THEATRE
This is one of the few “Reverse” or ‘backwards’ theatres in the world, of which 9 were in the USA and 2 in England, of those that are known. This unusual format had the audience entering the front as usual, but the screen was at their backs as they entered, and the projection room/booth faced them! In some cases it was a construction demanded by the topography, as when the land at the rear sloped up sharply at the rear of the building (as with the DARRESS ( /theaters/1645/ ) and the little LINCOLN in Limon Colorado), but for others as with the WHITEHOUSE in Milwaukee ( /theaters/2642/ ), it was purely a gimmick to make the place memorable in competition with the dozens of other show houses in most communities in the ‘golden days!’ The known Reverse Theatres are:
Existing in the USA, if not also operating:
1) The SEBASTIAN, Ft. Smith, AR ( /theaters/257/ )
2) The DARRESS, Boonton, NJ ( /theaters/1645/ )
3) The LINCOLN, Limon, CO ( /theaters/7595/ )
No longer existing as a theatre, if still standing at all (USA):
4) The PHIEL, St. Petersburg, FL
5) The METROPOLITAN, 3308 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL (later TERMINAL, METRO)
6) The E.A.R. (for Earl A. Reisden), Chicago, IL ( /theaters/7597/ )
7) The FAMILY, Quincy, IL
8) The HAPPY HOUR, New Orleans, LA
9) The WHITEHOUSE, Milwaukee, WI ( /theaters/2642/ )
These two are known of in England, but status unknown (courtesy of Louis Barfe):
10) The CINEMA ROYAL, Epsom, Surrey (1910—1938)
11) The CINEMA LUXE, Lake, Isle of Wight (1989—?)
And then there is the FOX Theatre, Taft, CA, ( /theaters/7564/ )where one “entered on the side, the back corner, actually,” to round out our little list of eccentric theatres.
REVERSE THEATRE
This is one of the few “Reverse” or ‘backwards’ theatres in the world, of which 9 were in the USA and 2 in England, of those that are known. This unusual format had the audience entering the front as usual, but the screen was at their backs as they entered, and the projection room/booth faced them! In some cases it was a construction demanded by the topography, as when the land at the rear sloped up sharply at the rear of the building (as with the DARRESS ( /theaters/1645/ ) and the little LINCOLN in Limon Colorado), but for others as with the WHITEHOUSE in Milwaukee ( /theaters/2642/ ), it was purely a gimmick to make the place memorable in competition with the dozens of other show houses in most communities in the ‘golden days!’ The known Reverse Theatres are:
Existing in the USA, if not also operating:
1) The SEBASTIAN, Ft. Smith, AR ( /theaters/257/ )
2) The DARRESS, Boonton, NJ ( /theaters/1645/ )
3) The LINCOLN, Limon, CO ( /theaters/7595/ )
No longer existing as a theatre, if still standing at all (USA):
4) The PHIEL, St. Petersburg, FL
5) The METROPOLITAN, 3308 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL (later TERMINAL, METRO)
6) The E.A.R. (for Earl A. Reisden), Chicago, IL ( /theaters/7597/ )
7) The FAMILY, Quincy, IL
8) The HAPPY HOUR, New Orleans, LA
9) The WHITEHOUSE, Milwaukee, WI ( /theaters/2642/ )
These two are known of in England, but status unknown (courtesy of Louis Barfe):
10) The CINEMA ROYAL, Epsom, Surrey (1910—1938)
11) The CINEMA LUXE, Lake, Isle of Wight (1989—?)
And then there is the FOX Theatre, Taft, CA, ( /theaters/7564/ )where one “entered on the side, the back corner, actually,” to round out our little list of eccentric theatres.
REVERSE THEATRE
This is one of the few “Reverse” or ‘backwards’ theatres in the world, of which 9 were in the USA and 2 in England, of those that are known. This unusual format had the audience entering the front as usual, but the screen was at their backs as they entered, and the projection room/booth faced them! In some cases it was a construction demanded by the topography, as when the land at the rear sloped up sharply at the rear of the building (as with the DARRESS ( /theaters/1645/ ) and the little LINCOLN in Limon Colorado), but for others as with the WHITEHOUSE in Milwaukee ( /theaters/2642/ ), it was purely a gimmick to make the place memorable in competition with the dozens of other show houses in most communities in the ‘golden days!’ The known Reverse Theatres are:
Existing in the USA, if not also operating:
1) The SEBASTIAN, Ft. Smith, AR ( /theaters/257/ )
2) The DARRESS, Boonton, NJ ( /theaters/1645/ )
3) The LINCOLN, Limon, CO ( /theaters/7595/ )
No longer existing as a theatre, if still standing at all (USA):
4) The PHIEL, St. Petersburg, FL
5) The METROPOLITAN, 3308 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL (later TERMINAL, METRO)
6) The E.A.R. (for Earl A. Reisden), Chicago, IL ( /theaters/7597/ )
7) The FAMILY, Quincy, IL
8) The HAPPY HOUR, New Orleans, LA
9) The WHITEHOUSE, Milwaukee, WI ( /theaters/2642/ )
These two are known of in England, but status unknown (courtesy of Louis Barfe):
10) The CINEMA ROYAL, Epsom, Surrey (1910—1938)
11) The CINEMA LUXE, Lake, Isle of Wight (1989—?)
And then there is the FOX Theatre, Taft, CA, ( /theaters/7564/ )where one “entered on the side, the back corner, actually,” to round out our little list of eccentric theatres.
REVERSE THEATRE
This is one of the few “Reverse” or ‘backwards’ theatres in the world, of which 9 were in the USA and 2 in England, of those that are known. This unusual format had the audience entering the front as usual, but the screen was at their backs as they entered, and the projection room/booth faced them! In some cases it was a construction demanded by the topography, as when the land at the rear sloped up sharply at the rear of the building (as with the DARRESS ( /theaters/1645/ ) and the little LINCOLN in Limon Colorado), but for others as with the WHITEHOUSE in Milwaukee ( /theaters/2642/ ), it was purely a gimmick to make the place memorable in competition with the dozens of other show houses in most communities in the ‘golden days!’ The known Reverse Theatres are:
Existing in the USA, if not also operating:
1) The SEBASTIAN, Ft. Smith, AR ( /theaters/257/ )
2) The DARRESS, Boonton, NJ ( /theaters/1645/ )
3) The LINCOLN, Limon, CO ( /theaters/7595/ )
No longer existing as a theatre, if still standing at all (USA):
4) The PHIEL, St. Petersburg, FL
5) The METROPOLITAN, 3308 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL (later TERMINAL, METRO)
6) The E.A.R. (for Earl A. Reisden), Chicago, IL ( /theaters/7597/ )
7) The FAMILY, Quincy, IL
8) The HAPPY HOUR, New Orleans, LA
9) The WHITEHOUSE, Milwaukee, WI ( /theaters/2642/ )
These two are known of in England, but status unknown (courtesy of Louis Barfe):
10) The CINEMA ROYAL, Epsom, Surrey (1910—1938)
11) The CINEMA LUXE, Lake, Isle of Wight (1989—?)
And then there is the FOX Theatre, Taft, CA, ( /theaters/7564/ )where one “entered on the side, the back corner, actually,” to round out our little list of eccentric theatres.
Just found the LINCOLN’s one-page web site, with no history section, but a nice photo of the facade. The admission prices have increased slightly, but that appears to be the only change. This is the link: View link
The Darress Theatre enjoyed a full page write-up in “AMC” (American Movie Classics) magazine of March 1999 on page 22 as part of its Movie Palace Memories series. They have a web site at: www.amctv.com
Ironically, one of the finest collections of photos of one theatre on the net, is not on that theatre’s web site, that of the former Shea’s BUFFALO Theatre of Buffalo, NY. It is on an architectural site: “The Buffalo Architectural Index” and “Illustrated Architecture Dictionary” which uses the theatre and many other buildings to illustrate the terms in their extensive Dictionary of Architecture. There are over one hundred enlargeable, color photos at: http://ah.bfn.org/a/main/646/hp.html
I too must add my praise for Mr. Laffel’s wonderful and evocative description of this place in time. It may not be an architectural description, but the history he leaves is priceless to those who were not so fortunate to have a wonderful neighborhood cinema to experience. The other comments posted here are as good, and I envy those who grew up in this stable neighborhood that allowed a ‘UTOPIA’ for its citizens. The name was indeed apt.
The caption of the photo here speaks of showing the “grill” but nowhere is there a COOKING GRILL in evidence. What the writer meant was a GRILLE, speaking of the pierced ornament around the proscenium. It is not an idle misspelling, since using the wrong version of that word (as without the ‘E’ in this instance) can bring an entirely different meaning to someone’s description of a theatre, few of which had actual cooking grills, thank goodness!
It is amazing how many theatres are named ROXY as inspired by the once famous name of the New York City panjandrum of the movie palace: Samuel Lionel Rothapfel = “Roxy”. His namesake was the famous, 6000-seat ROXY THEATRE in NYC, which outlasted him by only 25 years when it was demolished in 1960. The whole story is nowhere better told than in that landmark book “The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace” by the late Ben M. Hall in 1961. Various editions of it are sometimes available from www.Amazon.com, but only the first edition contains the color plates, though many libraries have, or can order, copies of it. The Theatre Historical Soc. of America ( www.HistoricTheatres.org ) was his legacy, and they have much data/photos of the original ROXY, as well as the many other such namesakes.
It is amazing how many theatres are named ROXY as inspired by the once famous name of the New York City panjandrum of the movie palace: Samuel Lionel Rothapfel = “Roxy”. His namesake was the famous, 6000-seat ROXY THEATRE in NYC, which outlasted him by only 25 years when it was demolished in 1960. The whole story is nowhere better told than in that landmark book “The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace” by the late Ben M. Hall in 1961. Various editions of it are sometimes available from www.Amazon.com, but only the first edition contains the color plates, though many libraries have, or can order, copies of it. The Theatre Historical Soc. of America ( www.HistoricTheatres.org ) was his legacy, and they have much data/photos of the ROXY..
What was the very first movie palace? It turns out that it was the famous CAPITOL of New York City in 1919, and this is the story of how that was determined. Was the AL RINGLING theatre of the 8,000-resident Baraboo, Wis. in 1915 the very first movie palace? That was the question asked of the “History Detectives” TV show in the autumn of 2003, but an earlier TV program led one to believe that The NEW AMSTERDAM theatre of New York city of 1903 was the first. In the VHS video “America’s Castles: Movie Palaces” produced in the year 2000, detailed at Amazon.com: ( View link ), several theatres are shown as examples of the American movie palace, and the impression is given that it was the NEW AMSTERDAM of 1903 that was the first. Contrary to this idea (which suited the photographic aims of the producers of this originally cable-TV program), the idea of what was the very first Movie Palace will depend upon just how one defines that phenomenon. When the producers of the 2003 PBS TV series “History Detectives” (viewable as a PDF file at: View link ) were asked if the AL RINGLING THEATRE in Baraboo, Wis. was the very first movie palace, they turned to the nationally recognized authority on the subject for the answer: The Theatre Historical Soc. of America ( www.HistoricTheatres.org ) and asked their Ex. Dir. what the Society’s standard was. Ex. Dir. Richard Sklenar replied that for a theatre to have been a movie palace it had to have been (1) built as a movie theatre, (2) have a workable stage, and (3) have more than 1,000 seats. By that composite standard neither the NEW AMSTERDAM nor the AL RINGLING ( http://www.alringling.com/ )qualify, and they determined that the CAPITOL THEATRE of New York City in 1919 was the first. Therefore, while the NEW AMSTERDAM did show movies for part of its life, it could not be called a “movie palace” by the usual and customary definition of the term since it was NOT built to show movies, even if it is shown in a commercially produced video on the subject. Since the RINGLING’S seating is only 800, that would disqualify it on that basis alone, but its palatial decor was not lost on the Balaban&Katz theatre chain of Chicago when they were invited to see the RINGLING and were inspired by it to the extent of hiring its architects, Rapp&Rapp of Chicago, to do their forthcoming movie palaces, starting with the CHICAGO in 1921, followed by a great many others throughout the nation, but Thomas Lamb’s CAPITOL takes ‘first’ place.
Was the AL RINGLING theatre the very first movie palace? That was the question asked of the “History Detectives” TV show in the autumn of 2003 (alluded to in the first Comment here), but an earlier TV program led one to believe that The NEW AMSTERDAM theatre of New York city was the first. In the VHS video “America’s Castles: Movie Palaces” produced in the year 2000, detailed at Amazon.com: ( View link ), several theatres are shown as examples of the American movie palace, and the impression is given that it was the NEW AMSTERDAM that was the first. Contrary to this idea (which suited the aims of the producers of this originally cable-TV program), the idea of what was the very first Movie Palace will depend upon just how one defines that phenomenon. When the producers of the 2003 PBS TV series “History Detectives” (viewable as a PDF file at: View link ) were asked if the AL RINGLING THEATRE in Baraboo, Wis. was the very first movie palace, they turned to the nationally recognized authority on the subject for the answer: The Theatre Historical Soc. of America ( www.HistoricTheatres.org ) and asked their Ex. Dir. what the Society’s standard was. Ex. Dir. Richard Sklenar replied that for a theatre to have been a movie palace it had to have been (1) built as a movie theatre, (2) have a workable stage, and (3) have more than 1,000 seats. By that composite standard neither the NEW AMSTERDAM nor the AL RINGLING qualify, and they determined that the CAPITOL THEATRE of New York City in 1919 was the first. Therefore, while the NEW AMSTERDAM did show movies for part of its life, it could not be called a “movie palace” by the usual and customary definition of the term, even if it is shown in a commercially produced video on the subject. Since the RINGLING’S seating is only 800, that would disqualify it on that basis alone, but its palatial decor was not lost on the Balaban&Katz theatre chain of Chicago when they were invited to see the RINGLING and were inspired by it to the extent of hiring its architects, Rapp&Rapp of Chicago, to do their forthcoming movie palaces, starting with the CHICAGO in 1921, followed by a great many others throughout the nation.
The NEW AMSTERDAM theatre is one of the finest theatres in the nation, and we are blessed that the Disney organization performed a remarkable restoration of this beauty for us all, but in one quarter it has been labeled as the first Movie Palace, and that is simply not true. In the VHS video “America’s Castles: Movie Palaces” produced in the year 2000, detailed at Amazon.com: (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0767015363/qid%3D1088697989/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/002-8565079-4721607), several theatres are shown as examples of the American movie palace, and the impression is given that it was the NEW AMSTERDAM that was the first. Contrary to this idea (which suited the aims of the producers of this originally cable-TV program), the idea of what was the very first Movie Palace will depend upon just how one defines that phenomenon. When the producers of the 2003 PBS TV series “History Detectives” (viewable as a PDF file at: View link ) were asked if the AL RINGLING THEATRE in Baraboo, Wis. was the very first movie palace, they turned to the nationally recognized authority on the subject for the answer: The Theatre Historical Soc. of America (www.HistoricTheatres.org ) and asked their Ex. Dir. what the Society’s standard was. Ex. Dir. Richard Sklenar replied that for a theatre to have been a movie palace it had to have been (1) built as a movie theatre, (2) have a workable stage, and (3) have more than 1,000 seats. By that composite standard neither the NEW AMSTERDAM nor the AL RINGLING qualify, and they determined that the CAPITOL THEATRE of New York City in 1919 was the first. Therefore, while the NEW AMSTERDAM did show movies for part of its life, it could not be called a “movie palace” by the usual and customary definition of the term, even if it is shown in a commercially produced video on the subject.
Doug: if you are not in NYC, go to your local library and ask them to order in the microfilm of that date of any NYC newspaper such as the Times, and look at their movie listings. The listings for the ROXY will be there, plus the Theatre Historical Society of America has extensive data about the ROXY as well as a great many photos of it. Contact them at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
This is one glorious theatre, and if a theatre can have nine lives, the stories so faithfully listed here by Ross Melnick do make it seem that the KEITH’S will endure yet again. As with all such venues of larger scale, it remains to be seen if a successful programming can be found to sustain so ornate and expensive a house. This saga is repeated in a great many theatres across the land, and we can but hope that in this case so wonderful an architectural jewel has found the ‘sugar daddy’ needed to meet the expenses during the lean times that will surley come when the entertainment-sated public turns its fickle attention elsewhere. Hurrah for the KEITH’S/SAVOY/OPERA HOUSE, long may her lights shine!
My March 25th post was not meant to discourage anyone with a CONCRETE plan to rehab the venerable PARADISE, but was meant to encourage a REALISTIC view of the odds of restoring so enormous a theatre. Light bulbs were used as an example of the combined costs of renovation and subsequent operation. Sad to say, most of those involved in wishfully restoring a large theatre today, are not realistically familiar with the enormous costs involved. The situation in Jersey City may be unique, or at least uncommon, since other such initiatives elsewhere have failed, as was brought out regarding the former ‘Friends of the Kings’, certainly as worthy as any movie palace to be saved! As Warren wisely brings out, the nature of the surroundings of a venue is critical to its success, and all our “long distance” pleadings are for naught if there is not vigorous and plentiful local support. I watched as the young men who bought the late lamented GRANADA in Chicago lost their shirts trying to sustain the repairs while getting little income; they had to abandon their efforts, and the slum lord (he calls himself a “Land Banker”) who owned the property later saw it demolished. The 4000-seat UPTOWN there is in a similar bind, with more than one group vowing to save it, but no one has enough money to put into it to really do the work needed, and no one is sure that it will attract enough patrons to keep the doors open if they did find the funding. If anyone in NYC knows Donald Trump, maybe you should call him, since it will take a ‘sugar daddy’ who doesn’t care if he looses money to undertake a risk as great as the wonderful, ornate, and expensive PARADISE. Will it be Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained? We will have to wait and see if the anonymous ‘Ziggy’ and all others prevail, since as anyone clicking on my name below will see, I do not live anywhere near NYC, and long distance, EFFECTIVE support —financial or otherwise— is not possible for me, sad to say.
The opening description of the Loew’s STATE in Boston uses the word ‘decadent’ to describe it, but that is unfortunate since that word cannot have a positive connotation as one would see if he looked up the dictionary definition of the word. Some have thought that it was a term meaning ‘camp’ as in ‘campy’ but that is not the case, and unless one wishes to denigrate a theater, the word ‘decadent’ has no place in theatre descriptions.
Indeed, as the article in 3rd Qtr. 1979 in MARQUEE magazine referred to by Warren in a previous post, brings out, the STATE was a wonderful theatre with nothing decadent about it! The article by J. Paul Chavanne states that the 4000 seats were in “Italian Renaissance” but one look at the photos in the article makes clear that it was another of the graceful Neo-Classical or Adam-inspired works which architect Thomas Lamb had perfected all over the East coast. As the famous theatres author, the late Ben M. Hall put it in his landmark book of 1961 (“The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace”): contemporaries of Lamb often referred to his firm jestingly as ‘Lamb & Adam.’
Lest one think that this was just another of Lamb’s graceful and restrained Adamesque designs, one should note that he did provide a few touches that put this theatre out of the ordinary, as many architects tried to do with their larger jobs. In this case it was not just the fish pond in the floor of the lobby and the well in the floor of the mezzanine lobby directly above it, and not the cascading waterfall next to the staircase, but also another feature that may not have been in any other theatre: an ornate, 15-foot-high by 20-foot-wide elliptical AVIARY where a number of birds, including a parrot named “Oh Boy!” and numerous canaries named after opera stars, resided! Done in polished brass with a mahogany crown piece carved in high relief, as was the wainscot base, the massive cage was as ornamental as the birds. Sad to say, it was replaced by a staircase to the balcony in the 1950s, possibly after the staff got tired of feeding, mucking-out, and listening to the indiscreet callings of the old parrot. Several early movie houses, such as the BUTTERFLY in Milwaukee, had bird cages in their lobbies, and architect John Eberson was famous for putting stuffed birds about his atmospheric-style theatres, but the STATE had possibly the only zoo-size aviary in the world in a theatre! It must have been a memorable sight (and sound!).
The documentary you are referring to was called: MEMOIRS OF A MOVIE PALACE by Christian Blackwood Productions then of New York City in 1980. The VHS tape was in limited production and a copy ‘should’ be at the Library of Congress as part of its copyright. I know that the Theatre Historical Soc. of America (http://www.HistoricTheatres.org )has a copy, but whether or not they would be willing to copy it for you, I do not know. In July, after they return from their Conclave in Kansas City, inquire of their Ex. Dir. at the address on their front page. A Google search turned up places selling the original 3x4-foot poster advertising the video, but not the video itself. Blackwood Productions does not appear in a Google search, nor do recent titles by Christian Blackwood, whom I met as a young men here in Milwaukee back in April of 1980 when he was attending the “Symposium on the American Movie Palace” then held at the Univ. of Wis. at Milwaukee. If you find a source of the video, please let us know here! No doubt there are many people who would like to get a copy, including me, Jim Rankin at
The GAUMONT STATE theatre is one of the largest if not quite the grandest in the world, and is best seen in this vintage photo from the excellent British site of Louis Barfe: View link
I was hoping an Englishman would add this theatre to the CT site (though Ross did as well as an American probably could in adapting from Allen Eyle’s book), since he would likely have the most intimate and wonderful memories of the 4800-seat theatre with room for 500 more standees according to the wonderful reminiscence by Allan House in “Marquee” magazine of the Theatre Historical Society of Oct. 1969, pages 4 and 5 concerning his days working there in the 40s. Among many interesting details he says: “The proscenium was a gorgeous arch, 60 ft. wide by 75 ft. high, masked by the pelmet [lambrequin], or Grand Drape [a sequence of ten dark velour swags separated by galloons terminated by six-foot-long tassels, the whole of which formed an arc above the lambrequin of gold satin underneath it which was in 30% fullness], to a height of 40 ft. We used a black velvet frame to reduce the opening to accommodate our scenery, which never looked better. The screen in use at this time was fifty feet wide, as they still used the Magnascopic projector at least once during a performance, but of course was usually masked down to standard size. The house curtain, whose fringe alone was ten feet high [!], was in gold satin, and weighed three tons. It few apart at two controlled speeds at the touch of a button, requiring two stagehands to keep under control when persons were on the stage, for on one occasion it caught a dancer off guard and smashed him into the proscenium! Behind this was the silver contour curtain, which could be swept up into any desired swag or frame at the touch of a button, the design set on a peg-board arrangement in the prompt-corner [a la RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL]. When the theatre was first opened, there were a dozen complete sets of drapes made, velvet on one side, lined with a contrasting slipper-satin. Each panel was wired internally so that they could be swagged in any manner by attaching ropes to the necessary wire. Only about three of these sets were still in the theatre when I was there, others having been loaned out or mislaid.”
“The switchboard seemed to be a city-block long, but the principal lighting feature I remember was the overhead battens, in the usual four-colour circuits, but each with a long drum arranged so that, by remote control, the drum would revolve and replace each of the four circuits with four different colours! There were no stage mechanics [elevator sections], as it was a solid slab due to underground springs, but I saw pictures of a complete band-stand flown from the grid, masked in front to look like a cloud.” He goes on to describe the “Prompt Corner” as having switches to control the curtains, the Orchestra Lift, the once rising pipe organ console on its turntable, as well as phones to all parts of the theatre, and even “a red phone that had been an open line to New York during the ‘Golden Era’s’ heyday.” Much more information is in his article, but just these excerpts serve to demonstrate that not all the great movie palaces were in the USA! The photos on the Barfe site: http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~lfbarfe (select CINEMAS, and then GAUMONT STATE) will help anyone appreciate this, one of the world-class theatres still among us, if only as a bingo hall, as the photos show it to be today. Interestingly, the interior photo shows the organ console at extreme house right in the pit, but it looks like nothing so much as one of Wurlitzer’s ‘Spanish’ themed cabinets, though the auditorium is a restrained neo-classical in theme.
For those looking for photos of the TIFFIN and most any other theatre, your best bet is always to contact the largest repository of theatre photos in the nation: The Theatre Historical Soc. of America via their web site: www.HistoricTheatres.org
The opening description of the RIALTO in So. Pasadena uses the word ‘decadence’ to describe it, but that is unfortunate since that word cannot have a positive connotation as one would see if he looked up the dictionary definition of the word. Some have thought that it was a term meaning ‘camp’ as in ‘campy’ or even ‘obsolete’ but that is not the case, and unless one wishes to denigrate a theater, the word ‘decadent’ has no place in theatre descriptions.
REVERSE THEATRE
This is one of the few “Reverse” or ‘backwards’ theatres in the world, of which 9 were in the USA and 2 in England, of those that are known. This unusual format had the audience entering the front as usual, but the screen was at their backs as they entered, and the projection room/booth faced them! In some cases it was a construction demanded by the topography, as when the land at the rear sloped up sharply at the rear of the building (as with the DARRESS ( /theaters/1645/ ) and the little LINCOLN in Limon Colorado), but for others as with the WHITEHOUSE in Milwaukee ( /theaters/2642/ ), it was purely a gimmick to make the place memorable in competition with the dozens of other show houses in most communities in the ‘golden days!’ The known Reverse Theatres are:
Existing in the USA, if not also operating:
1) The SEBASTIAN, Ft. Smith, AR ( /theaters/257/ )
2) The DARRESS, Boonton, NJ ( /theaters/1645/ )
3) The LINCOLN, Limon, CO ( /theaters/7595/ )
No longer existing as a theatre, if still standing at all (USA):
4) The PHIEL, St. Petersburg, FL
5) The METROPOLITAN, 3308 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL (later TERMINAL, METRO)
6) The E.A.R. (for Earl A. Reisden), Chicago, IL ( /theaters/7597/ )
7) The FAMILY, Quincy, IL
8) The HAPPY HOUR, New Orleans, LA
9) The WHITEHOUSE, Milwaukee, WI ( /theaters/2642/ )
These two are known of in England, but status unknown (courtesy of Louis Barfe):
10) The CINEMA ROYAL, Epsom, Surrey (1910—1938)
11) The CINEMA LUXE, Lake, Isle of Wight (1989—?)
And then there is the FOX Theatre, Taft, CA, ( /theaters/7564/ )where one “entered on the side, the back corner, actually,” to round out our little list of eccentric theatres.
REVERSE THEATRE
This is one of the few “Reverse” or ‘backwards’ theatres in the world, of which 9 were in the USA and 2 in England, of those that are known. This unusual format had the audience entering the front as usual, but the screen was at their backs as they entered, and the projection room/booth faced them! In some cases it was a construction demanded by the topography, as when the land at the rear sloped up sharply at the rear of the building (as with the DARRESS ( /theaters/1645/ ) and the little LINCOLN in Limon Colorado), but for others as with the WHITEHOUSE in Milwaukee ( /theaters/2642/ ), it was purely a gimmick to make the place memorable in competition with the dozens of other show houses in most communities in the ‘golden days!’ The known Reverse Theatres are:
Existing in the USA, if not also operating:
1) The SEBASTIAN, Ft. Smith, AR ( /theaters/257/ )
2) The DARRESS, Boonton, NJ ( /theaters/1645/ )
3) The LINCOLN, Limon, CO ( /theaters/7595/ )
No longer existing as a theatre, if still standing at all (USA):
4) The PHIEL, St. Petersburg, FL
5) The METROPOLITAN, 3308 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL (later TERMINAL, METRO)
6) The E.A.R. (for Earl A. Reisden), Chicago, IL ( /theaters/7597/ )
7) The FAMILY, Quincy, IL
8) The HAPPY HOUR, New Orleans, LA
9) The WHITEHOUSE, Milwaukee, WI ( /theaters/2642/ )
These two are known of in England, but status unknown (courtesy of Louis Barfe):
10) The CINEMA ROYAL, Epsom, Surrey (1910—1938)
11) The CINEMA LUXE, Lake, Isle of Wight (1989—?)
And then there is the FOX Theatre, Taft, CA, ( /theaters/7564/ )where one “entered on the side, the back corner, actually,” to round out our little list of eccentric theatres.
REVERSE THEATRE
This is one of the few “Reverse” or ‘backwards’ theatres in the world, of which 9 were in the USA and 2 in England, of those that are known. This unusual format had the audience entering the front as usual, but the screen was at their backs as they entered, and the projection room/booth faced them! In some cases it was a construction demanded by the topography, as when the land at the rear sloped up sharply at the rear of the building (as with the DARRESS ( /theaters/1645/ ) and the little LINCOLN in Limon Colorado), but for others as with the WHITEHOUSE in Milwaukee ( /theaters/2642/ ), it was purely a gimmick to make the place memorable in competition with the dozens of other show houses in most communities in the ‘golden days!’ The known Reverse Theatres are:
Existing in the USA, if not also operating:
1) The SEBASTIAN, Ft. Smith, AR ( /theaters/257/ )
2) The DARRESS, Boonton, NJ ( /theaters/1645/ )
3) The LINCOLN, Limon, CO ( /theaters/7595/ )
No longer existing as a theatre, if still standing at all (USA):
4) The PHIEL, St. Petersburg, FL
5) The METROPOLITAN, 3308 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL (later TERMINAL, METRO)
6) The E.A.R. (for Earl A. Reisden), Chicago, IL ( /theaters/7597/ )
7) The FAMILY, Quincy, IL
8) The HAPPY HOUR, New Orleans, LA
9) The WHITEHOUSE, Milwaukee, WI ( /theaters/2642/ )
These two are known of in England, but status unknown (courtesy of Louis Barfe):
10) The CINEMA ROYAL, Epsom, Surrey (1910—1938)
11) The CINEMA LUXE, Lake, Isle of Wight (1989—?)
And then there is the FOX Theatre, Taft, CA, ( /theaters/7564/ )where one “entered on the side, the back corner, actually,” to round out our little list of eccentric theatres.
REVERSE THEATRE
This is one of the few “Reverse” or ‘backwards’ theatres in the world, of which 9 were in the USA and 2 in England, of those that are known. This unusual format had the audience entering the front as usual, but the screen was at their backs as they entered, and the projection room/booth faced them! In some cases it was a construction demanded by the topography, as when the land at the rear sloped up sharply at the rear of the building (as with the DARRESS ( /theaters/1645/ ) and the little LINCOLN in Limon Colorado), but for others as with the WHITEHOUSE in Milwaukee ( /theaters/2642/ ), it was purely a gimmick to make the place memorable in competition with the dozens of other show houses in most communities in the ‘golden days!’ The known Reverse Theatres are:
Existing in the USA, if not also operating:
1) The SEBASTIAN, Ft. Smith, AR ( /theaters/257/ )
2) The DARRESS, Boonton, NJ ( /theaters/1645/ )
3) The LINCOLN, Limon, CO ( /theaters/7595/ )
No longer existing as a theatre, if still standing at all (USA):
4) The PHIEL, St. Petersburg, FL
5) The METROPOLITAN, 3308 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL (later TERMINAL, METRO)
6) The E.A.R. (for Earl A. Reisden), Chicago, IL ( /theaters/7597/ )
7) The FAMILY, Quincy, IL
8) The HAPPY HOUR, New Orleans, LA
9) The WHITEHOUSE, Milwaukee, WI ( /theaters/2642/ )
These two are known of in England, but status unknown (courtesy of Louis Barfe):
10) The CINEMA ROYAL, Epsom, Surrey (1910—1938)
11) The CINEMA LUXE, Lake, Isle of Wight (1989—?)
And then there is the FOX Theatre, Taft, CA, ( /theaters/7564/ )where one “entered on the side, the back corner, actually,” to round out our little list of eccentric theatres.
REVERSE THEATRE
This is one of the few “Reverse” or ‘backwards’ theatres in the world, of which 9 were in the USA and 2 in England, of those that are known. This unusual format had the audience entering the front as usual, but the screen was at their backs as they entered, and the projection room/booth faced them! In some cases it was a construction demanded by the topography, as when the land at the rear sloped up sharply at the rear of the building (as with the DARRESS ( /theaters/1645/ ) and the little LINCOLN in Limon Colorado), but for others as with the WHITEHOUSE in Milwaukee ( /theaters/2642/ ), it was purely a gimmick to make the place memorable in competition with the dozens of other show houses in most communities in the ‘golden days!’ The known Reverse Theatres are:
Existing in the USA, if not also operating:
1) The SEBASTIAN, Ft. Smith, AR ( /theaters/257/ )
2) The DARRESS, Boonton, NJ ( /theaters/1645/ )
3) The LINCOLN, Limon, CO ( /theaters/7595/ )
No longer existing as a theatre, if still standing at all (USA):
4) The PHIEL, St. Petersburg, FL
5) The METROPOLITAN, 3308 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL (later TERMINAL, METRO)
6) The E.A.R. (for Earl A. Reisden), Chicago, IL ( /theaters/7597/ )
7) The FAMILY, Quincy, IL
8) The HAPPY HOUR, New Orleans, LA
9) The WHITEHOUSE, Milwaukee, WI ( /theaters/2642/ )
These two are known of in England, but status unknown (courtesy of Louis Barfe):
10) The CINEMA ROYAL, Epsom, Surrey (1910—1938)
11) The CINEMA LUXE, Lake, Isle of Wight (1989—?)
And then there is the FOX Theatre, Taft, CA, ( /theaters/7564/ )where one “entered on the side, the back corner, actually,” to round out our little list of eccentric theatres.
Just found the LINCOLN’s one-page web site, with no history section, but a nice photo of the facade. The admission prices have increased slightly, but that appears to be the only change. This is the link: View link
The Darress Theatre enjoyed a full page write-up in “AMC” (American Movie Classics) magazine of March 1999 on page 22 as part of its Movie Palace Memories series. They have a web site at: www.amctv.com
Ironically, one of the finest collections of photos of one theatre on the net, is not on that theatre’s web site, that of the former Shea’s BUFFALO Theatre of Buffalo, NY. It is on an architectural site: “The Buffalo Architectural Index” and “Illustrated Architecture Dictionary” which uses the theatre and many other buildings to illustrate the terms in their extensive Dictionary of Architecture. There are over one hundred enlargeable, color photos at: http://ah.bfn.org/a/main/646/hp.html
It should be mentioned that the PABST now has its own web site: www.PabstTheater.org
I too must add my praise for Mr. Laffel’s wonderful and evocative description of this place in time. It may not be an architectural description, but the history he leaves is priceless to those who were not so fortunate to have a wonderful neighborhood cinema to experience. The other comments posted here are as good, and I envy those who grew up in this stable neighborhood that allowed a ‘UTOPIA’ for its citizens. The name was indeed apt.
The caption of the photo here speaks of showing the “grill” but nowhere is there a COOKING GRILL in evidence. What the writer meant was a GRILLE, speaking of the pierced ornament around the proscenium. It is not an idle misspelling, since using the wrong version of that word (as without the ‘E’ in this instance) can bring an entirely different meaning to someone’s description of a theatre, few of which had actual cooking grills, thank goodness!
It is amazing how many theatres are named ROXY as inspired by the once famous name of the New York City panjandrum of the movie palace: Samuel Lionel Rothapfel = “Roxy”. His namesake was the famous, 6000-seat ROXY THEATRE in NYC, which outlasted him by only 25 years when it was demolished in 1960. The whole story is nowhere better told than in that landmark book “The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace” by the late Ben M. Hall in 1961. Various editions of it are sometimes available from www.Amazon.com, but only the first edition contains the color plates, though many libraries have, or can order, copies of it. The Theatre Historical Soc. of America ( www.HistoricTheatres.org ) was his legacy, and they have much data/photos of the original ROXY, as well as the many other such namesakes.
It is amazing how many theatres are named ROXY as inspired by the once famous name of the New York City panjandrum of the movie palace: Samuel Lionel Rothapfel = “Roxy”. His namesake was the famous, 6000-seat ROXY THEATRE in NYC, which outlasted him by only 25 years when it was demolished in 1960. The whole story is nowhere better told than in that landmark book “The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace” by the late Ben M. Hall in 1961. Various editions of it are sometimes available from www.Amazon.com, but only the first edition contains the color plates, though many libraries have, or can order, copies of it. The Theatre Historical Soc. of America ( www.HistoricTheatres.org ) was his legacy, and they have much data/photos of the ROXY..
I forgot to include the fact that the RINGLING’s web site is: http://www.alringling.com/
What was the very first movie palace? It turns out that it was the famous CAPITOL of New York City in 1919, and this is the story of how that was determined. Was the AL RINGLING theatre of the 8,000-resident Baraboo, Wis. in 1915 the very first movie palace? That was the question asked of the “History Detectives” TV show in the autumn of 2003, but an earlier TV program led one to believe that The NEW AMSTERDAM theatre of New York city of 1903 was the first. In the VHS video “America’s Castles: Movie Palaces” produced in the year 2000, detailed at Amazon.com: ( View link ), several theatres are shown as examples of the American movie palace, and the impression is given that it was the NEW AMSTERDAM of 1903 that was the first. Contrary to this idea (which suited the photographic aims of the producers of this originally cable-TV program), the idea of what was the very first Movie Palace will depend upon just how one defines that phenomenon. When the producers of the 2003 PBS TV series “History Detectives” (viewable as a PDF file at: View link ) were asked if the AL RINGLING THEATRE in Baraboo, Wis. was the very first movie palace, they turned to the nationally recognized authority on the subject for the answer: The Theatre Historical Soc. of America ( www.HistoricTheatres.org ) and asked their Ex. Dir. what the Society’s standard was. Ex. Dir. Richard Sklenar replied that for a theatre to have been a movie palace it had to have been (1) built as a movie theatre, (2) have a workable stage, and (3) have more than 1,000 seats. By that composite standard neither the NEW AMSTERDAM nor the AL RINGLING ( http://www.alringling.com/ )qualify, and they determined that the CAPITOL THEATRE of New York City in 1919 was the first. Therefore, while the NEW AMSTERDAM did show movies for part of its life, it could not be called a “movie palace” by the usual and customary definition of the term since it was NOT built to show movies, even if it is shown in a commercially produced video on the subject. Since the RINGLING’S seating is only 800, that would disqualify it on that basis alone, but its palatial decor was not lost on the Balaban&Katz theatre chain of Chicago when they were invited to see the RINGLING and were inspired by it to the extent of hiring its architects, Rapp&Rapp of Chicago, to do their forthcoming movie palaces, starting with the CHICAGO in 1921, followed by a great many others throughout the nation, but Thomas Lamb’s CAPITOL takes ‘first’ place.
Was the AL RINGLING theatre the very first movie palace? That was the question asked of the “History Detectives” TV show in the autumn of 2003 (alluded to in the first Comment here), but an earlier TV program led one to believe that The NEW AMSTERDAM theatre of New York city was the first. In the VHS video “America’s Castles: Movie Palaces” produced in the year 2000, detailed at Amazon.com: ( View link ), several theatres are shown as examples of the American movie palace, and the impression is given that it was the NEW AMSTERDAM that was the first. Contrary to this idea (which suited the aims of the producers of this originally cable-TV program), the idea of what was the very first Movie Palace will depend upon just how one defines that phenomenon. When the producers of the 2003 PBS TV series “History Detectives” (viewable as a PDF file at: View link ) were asked if the AL RINGLING THEATRE in Baraboo, Wis. was the very first movie palace, they turned to the nationally recognized authority on the subject for the answer: The Theatre Historical Soc. of America ( www.HistoricTheatres.org ) and asked their Ex. Dir. what the Society’s standard was. Ex. Dir. Richard Sklenar replied that for a theatre to have been a movie palace it had to have been (1) built as a movie theatre, (2) have a workable stage, and (3) have more than 1,000 seats. By that composite standard neither the NEW AMSTERDAM nor the AL RINGLING qualify, and they determined that the CAPITOL THEATRE of New York City in 1919 was the first. Therefore, while the NEW AMSTERDAM did show movies for part of its life, it could not be called a “movie palace” by the usual and customary definition of the term, even if it is shown in a commercially produced video on the subject. Since the RINGLING’S seating is only 800, that would disqualify it on that basis alone, but its palatial decor was not lost on the Balaban&Katz theatre chain of Chicago when they were invited to see the RINGLING and were inspired by it to the extent of hiring its architects, Rapp&Rapp of Chicago, to do their forthcoming movie palaces, starting with the CHICAGO in 1921, followed by a great many others throughout the nation.
The NEW AMSTERDAM theatre is one of the finest theatres in the nation, and we are blessed that the Disney organization performed a remarkable restoration of this beauty for us all, but in one quarter it has been labeled as the first Movie Palace, and that is simply not true. In the VHS video “America’s Castles: Movie Palaces” produced in the year 2000, detailed at Amazon.com: (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0767015363/qid%3D1088697989/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/002-8565079-4721607), several theatres are shown as examples of the American movie palace, and the impression is given that it was the NEW AMSTERDAM that was the first. Contrary to this idea (which suited the aims of the producers of this originally cable-TV program), the idea of what was the very first Movie Palace will depend upon just how one defines that phenomenon. When the producers of the 2003 PBS TV series “History Detectives” (viewable as a PDF file at: View link ) were asked if the AL RINGLING THEATRE in Baraboo, Wis. was the very first movie palace, they turned to the nationally recognized authority on the subject for the answer: The Theatre Historical Soc. of America (www.HistoricTheatres.org ) and asked their Ex. Dir. what the Society’s standard was. Ex. Dir. Richard Sklenar replied that for a theatre to have been a movie palace it had to have been (1) built as a movie theatre, (2) have a workable stage, and (3) have more than 1,000 seats. By that composite standard neither the NEW AMSTERDAM nor the AL RINGLING qualify, and they determined that the CAPITOL THEATRE of New York City in 1919 was the first. Therefore, while the NEW AMSTERDAM did show movies for part of its life, it could not be called a “movie palace” by the usual and customary definition of the term, even if it is shown in a commercially produced video on the subject.
Doug: if you are not in NYC, go to your local library and ask them to order in the microfilm of that date of any NYC newspaper such as the Times, and look at their movie listings. The listings for the ROXY will be there, plus the Theatre Historical Society of America has extensive data about the ROXY as well as a great many photos of it. Contact them at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
This is one glorious theatre, and if a theatre can have nine lives, the stories so faithfully listed here by Ross Melnick do make it seem that the KEITH’S will endure yet again. As with all such venues of larger scale, it remains to be seen if a successful programming can be found to sustain so ornate and expensive a house. This saga is repeated in a great many theatres across the land, and we can but hope that in this case so wonderful an architectural jewel has found the ‘sugar daddy’ needed to meet the expenses during the lean times that will surley come when the entertainment-sated public turns its fickle attention elsewhere. Hurrah for the KEITH’S/SAVOY/OPERA HOUSE, long may her lights shine!
My March 25th post was not meant to discourage anyone with a CONCRETE plan to rehab the venerable PARADISE, but was meant to encourage a REALISTIC view of the odds of restoring so enormous a theatre. Light bulbs were used as an example of the combined costs of renovation and subsequent operation. Sad to say, most of those involved in wishfully restoring a large theatre today, are not realistically familiar with the enormous costs involved. The situation in Jersey City may be unique, or at least uncommon, since other such initiatives elsewhere have failed, as was brought out regarding the former ‘Friends of the Kings’, certainly as worthy as any movie palace to be saved! As Warren wisely brings out, the nature of the surroundings of a venue is critical to its success, and all our “long distance” pleadings are for naught if there is not vigorous and plentiful local support. I watched as the young men who bought the late lamented GRANADA in Chicago lost their shirts trying to sustain the repairs while getting little income; they had to abandon their efforts, and the slum lord (he calls himself a “Land Banker”) who owned the property later saw it demolished. The 4000-seat UPTOWN there is in a similar bind, with more than one group vowing to save it, but no one has enough money to put into it to really do the work needed, and no one is sure that it will attract enough patrons to keep the doors open if they did find the funding. If anyone in NYC knows Donald Trump, maybe you should call him, since it will take a ‘sugar daddy’ who doesn’t care if he looses money to undertake a risk as great as the wonderful, ornate, and expensive PARADISE. Will it be Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained? We will have to wait and see if the anonymous ‘Ziggy’ and all others prevail, since as anyone clicking on my name below will see, I do not live anywhere near NYC, and long distance, EFFECTIVE support —financial or otherwise— is not possible for me, sad to say.
The opening description of the Loew’s STATE in Boston uses the word ‘decadent’ to describe it, but that is unfortunate since that word cannot have a positive connotation as one would see if he looked up the dictionary definition of the word. Some have thought that it was a term meaning ‘camp’ as in ‘campy’ but that is not the case, and unless one wishes to denigrate a theater, the word ‘decadent’ has no place in theatre descriptions.
Indeed, as the article in 3rd Qtr. 1979 in MARQUEE magazine referred to by Warren in a previous post, brings out, the STATE was a wonderful theatre with nothing decadent about it! The article by J. Paul Chavanne states that the 4000 seats were in “Italian Renaissance” but one look at the photos in the article makes clear that it was another of the graceful Neo-Classical or Adam-inspired works which architect Thomas Lamb had perfected all over the East coast. As the famous theatres author, the late Ben M. Hall put it in his landmark book of 1961 (“The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace”): contemporaries of Lamb often referred to his firm jestingly as ‘Lamb & Adam.’
Lest one think that this was just another of Lamb’s graceful and restrained Adamesque designs, one should note that he did provide a few touches that put this theatre out of the ordinary, as many architects tried to do with their larger jobs. In this case it was not just the fish pond in the floor of the lobby and the well in the floor of the mezzanine lobby directly above it, and not the cascading waterfall next to the staircase, but also another feature that may not have been in any other theatre: an ornate, 15-foot-high by 20-foot-wide elliptical AVIARY where a number of birds, including a parrot named “Oh Boy!” and numerous canaries named after opera stars, resided! Done in polished brass with a mahogany crown piece carved in high relief, as was the wainscot base, the massive cage was as ornamental as the birds. Sad to say, it was replaced by a staircase to the balcony in the 1950s, possibly after the staff got tired of feeding, mucking-out, and listening to the indiscreet callings of the old parrot. Several early movie houses, such as the BUTTERFLY in Milwaukee, had bird cages in their lobbies, and architect John Eberson was famous for putting stuffed birds about his atmospheric-style theatres, but the STATE had possibly the only zoo-size aviary in the world in a theatre! It must have been a memorable sight (and sound!).
The documentary you are referring to was called: MEMOIRS OF A MOVIE PALACE by Christian Blackwood Productions then of New York City in 1980. The VHS tape was in limited production and a copy ‘should’ be at the Library of Congress as part of its copyright. I know that the Theatre Historical Soc. of America (http://www.HistoricTheatres.org )has a copy, but whether or not they would be willing to copy it for you, I do not know. In July, after they return from their Conclave in Kansas City, inquire of their Ex. Dir. at the address on their front page. A Google search turned up places selling the original 3x4-foot poster advertising the video, but not the video itself. Blackwood Productions does not appear in a Google search, nor do recent titles by Christian Blackwood, whom I met as a young men here in Milwaukee back in April of 1980 when he was attending the “Symposium on the American Movie Palace” then held at the Univ. of Wis. at Milwaukee. If you find a source of the video, please let us know here! No doubt there are many people who would like to get a copy, including me, Jim Rankin at
The GAUMONT STATE theatre is one of the largest if not quite the grandest in the world, and is best seen in this vintage photo from the excellent British site of Louis Barfe: View link
I was hoping an Englishman would add this theatre to the CT site (though Ross did as well as an American probably could in adapting from Allen Eyle’s book), since he would likely have the most intimate and wonderful memories of the 4800-seat theatre with room for 500 more standees according to the wonderful reminiscence by Allan House in “Marquee” magazine of the Theatre Historical Society of Oct. 1969, pages 4 and 5 concerning his days working there in the 40s. Among many interesting details he says: “The proscenium was a gorgeous arch, 60 ft. wide by 75 ft. high, masked by the pelmet [lambrequin], or Grand Drape [a sequence of ten dark velour swags separated by galloons terminated by six-foot-long tassels, the whole of which formed an arc above the lambrequin of gold satin underneath it which was in 30% fullness], to a height of 40 ft. We used a black velvet frame to reduce the opening to accommodate our scenery, which never looked better. The screen in use at this time was fifty feet wide, as they still used the Magnascopic projector at least once during a performance, but of course was usually masked down to standard size. The house curtain, whose fringe alone was ten feet high [!], was in gold satin, and weighed three tons. It few apart at two controlled speeds at the touch of a button, requiring two stagehands to keep under control when persons were on the stage, for on one occasion it caught a dancer off guard and smashed him into the proscenium! Behind this was the silver contour curtain, which could be swept up into any desired swag or frame at the touch of a button, the design set on a peg-board arrangement in the prompt-corner [a la RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL]. When the theatre was first opened, there were a dozen complete sets of drapes made, velvet on one side, lined with a contrasting slipper-satin. Each panel was wired internally so that they could be swagged in any manner by attaching ropes to the necessary wire. Only about three of these sets were still in the theatre when I was there, others having been loaned out or mislaid.”
“The switchboard seemed to be a city-block long, but the principal lighting feature I remember was the overhead battens, in the usual four-colour circuits, but each with a long drum arranged so that, by remote control, the drum would revolve and replace each of the four circuits with four different colours! There were no stage mechanics [elevator sections], as it was a solid slab due to underground springs, but I saw pictures of a complete band-stand flown from the grid, masked in front to look like a cloud.” He goes on to describe the “Prompt Corner” as having switches to control the curtains, the Orchestra Lift, the once rising pipe organ console on its turntable, as well as phones to all parts of the theatre, and even “a red phone that had been an open line to New York during the ‘Golden Era’s’ heyday.” Much more information is in his article, but just these excerpts serve to demonstrate that not all the great movie palaces were in the USA! The photos on the Barfe site: http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~lfbarfe (select CINEMAS, and then GAUMONT STATE) will help anyone appreciate this, one of the world-class theatres still among us, if only as a bingo hall, as the photos show it to be today. Interestingly, the interior photo shows the organ console at extreme house right in the pit, but it looks like nothing so much as one of Wurlitzer’s ‘Spanish’ themed cabinets, though the auditorium is a restrained neo-classical in theme.