There is a late photo of the Harris Theatre just below the map on this web page. The caption says the building was partly demolished in 1943, but the remaining part of the structure was incorporated into a building that is still standing, housing Pozutto & Sons Plumbing.
The caption also calls the house the Hippodrome Theatre, though the name Harris is on the vertical sign. I’ve come across references to a White’s Hippodrome Theatre and Harris Hippodrome Theatre in McKeesport, so the sequence of names should probably be White’s New Theatre, White’s Hippodrome Theatre, Harris Hippodrome Theatre, and finally Harris Theatre.
Here is an item about the Victor Theatre from the October 7, 1916, issue of Motography:
“Rapid progress has been made upon the construction of the new Victor Theater, formerly the Avenue, of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, which has been announced to be opened for personal inspection and business on October 5. The Victor will be one of the
finest photoplay houses in the State of Pennsylvania.
The Victor Amusement Company, of which H.A. Victor is president, and Isaac Victor, treasurer, has
spared no expense to make this theater the crowning
triumph of its long career in successfully catering to
the entertainment of the better class of McKeesport
people.
“In their announcement sent out recently to the
trade, they stated that they were confident that their
new house and the new policy which they will pursue
in conducting this playhouse, will undoubtedly meet
with the cordial approval and appreciation of their
many thousands of friends and patrons in their community, as they are endeavoring to have the structure represent their highest expression of sincere appreciation of the favor and friendship that the public has shown them by their patronage during the past year.
“Their plans for the Victor embody the best of all
the modern ideas in photoplay construction. They
have made careful provision to safeguard the health
and insure the comfort and convenience of all their
patrons.
“The theater management has arranged for the exclusive showing of Paramount Pictures in this district, including the four short reel subjects.”
After the theater opened, another brief item about it appeared in the November 25 issue of the same publication:
“Almost an entire new structure has been erected on the site of the former Avenue Theater to make an amusement center of the character Mr. Victor wants for McKeesport. He has spent a good sum of money making his new theater comfortable and cozy. The theater will be known as the Victor and seats nine hundred people. With all the latest appointments and a fine program of pictures the Victor is assured liberal patronage.”
A catalog of copyrights from 1944 and 1945 lists a copyright granted to architect Victor A. Rigaumont for the design of alterations to the Victor Theatre in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.
Architect Victor A. Rigaumont applied for a copyright of his design for a remodeling of the Strand Theatre in Ridgway in 1944. The project included a new roof and ceiling.
A view of 5th Street west from near Walnut Street appears on page 39 of McKeesport, by Michelle Tryon Wardle-Eggers and John W. Barna (Google Books preview), and it includes the Dreamland Theatre.
Studying the various photos in this book, it’s clear that the Dreamland Theatre was fairly close to the corner of Walnut Street, and not where the modern building from the 1960s is. It was across 5th Avenue from the Ruben Building, which was on the northwest corner of 5th and Walnut. I suspect that the modern addresses don’t quite match up with the historic addresses.
The August 30, 1934, issue of The Pittsburgh Press printed a special five-page section devoted to the newly remodeled Harris Alvin Theatre. A scan at Google News begins at this link.
Also, there are photos of the Harris State Theatre on page 36 of McKeesport, by Michelle Tryon Wardle-Eggers and John W. Barna (Google Books preview.) An earlier photo of the building appears on page 34. The building was originally a saloon called Altmeyers, but had been converted into a theater by 1908, when it became part of the Harris Amusement Company. It was located on 5th Avenue between Market and Walnut Streets.
McKeesport, by Michelle Tryon Wardle-Eggers and John W. Barna (Google Books preview) says that White’s New Theatre opened in 1908, and was designed by local architect Henry J. Lohman. It was primarily a legitimate house until sold to J. P. Harris in 1920, at which time it was renamed the Harris Theatre. It was demolished in the late 1940s.
TivFan: John P. Harris might have been the person who coined the name Nickelodeon, which was the name of the five-cent movie house he opened with his brother-in-law, Harry Davis, at Pittsburgh in 1905. Before his death in 1926, Harris parlayed his small theatre into a substantial regional chain. There were houses called the Harris Theatre throughout western Pennsylvania. Here is a 1934 newspaper article about the Harris Amusement Company.
The December 2, 1916, issue of insurance industry publication The Standard ran an item about a fire at Savin Rock which destroyed a Wilcox Motion Picture Theatre. I don’t know if the burned house was this theater or a predecessor to this theater:
“New Haven, Conn., November 24. The Jackson Dance Hall, and the Wilcox Motion Picture theatre were destroyed, and several nearby hotels and cottages were damaged by fire tonight at Savin Rock pleasure resort. A high wind was blowing at the time, and fearing that the whole district might be wiped out, the West Haven fire department called on New Haven for assistance. The fire was finally put out after property of value estimated at $78,000 had been destroyed.
“The heaviest losers were: Jackson Dance Hall, $20,000; Wilcox Motion Picture theatre, $20,000; Mrs. White, cottage, $8,000; Fred Kroomer, cottage, $6,000; J. B. Smith, house, $4,000; and G. D. Jackson, house, $3,500.
“All of the buildings were of frame construction.
“The insurance loss was small as many of the buildings were uninsured.”
I’ve found no other dated references to a Wilcox or Wilcox’s Theatre, but there was a Wilcox’s Pier, featuring a large restaurant, fronting on Beach Street just east of Oak Street, and across Beach Street was a Wilcox’s Miniature Railway. They appear on the Savin Rock Map (East) which is linked at this web page.
The April, 1913, issue of a regional magazine called The Northern Crown contains an advertisement for the Mystic Theatre. No address is given, but assuming it was the same house as the current Mystic Theatre, it has gone back to what was probably its original name.
A card headed “Theaters—Riverside” in the Los Angeles Public Library’s California Index quotes this item from the August 17, 1912, issue of Southwest Builder & Contractor:
As 1075 Main Street would have been the Mission Theatre’s address under Riverside’s old numbering system, it must have been called the Auditorium Theater before it became the Orpheum.
This United Artists house in Chula Vista was one of a number of six-screen multiplexes designed for United Artists in the 1980s by San Francisco architect Daniel T. Uesugi.
The United Artists Greenback 6 was designed by San Francisco architect Daniel T. Uesugi, and was one of a number of six-screen projects he designed for UA in the 1980s. There were others in Pasadena, San Diego, and Chula Vista.
The two-screen theater in the Whampoa shopping arcade was designed by San Francisco architect Daniel T. Uesugi, who designed many projects for United Artists in the 1980s.
The United Artists Queensway Cinemas was designed by San Francisco architect Daniel T. Uesugi, and was one of at least three Hong Kong projects he designed for UA.
Black light murals had been around for about a decade before the Chief Theatre was built. The first use of black light decoration in a theater that I know of was at the Academy Theatre in Inglewood, California, designed by architect S. Charles Lee. It opened on November 7, 1939.
On December 17 that year, the Tower Theatre in Fresno, California, was opened. It, too, was designed by Lee for the Fox West Coast circuit, and featured black light murals painted by Tom and Frank Bouman of the A. B. Heinsbergen Company. The Tower even had fibers that would fluoresce under ultraviolet light woven into the auditorium carpets.
I’m not sure if the black light murals of the Academy, which now houses a church, have survived, but those in the Tower are intact.
An article about new theaters in Denver that appeared in the August 5, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World said that finishing touches were being put on the new Rialto Theatre on Curtis Street. However, the Rialto was apparently not a new theater at that time. In this comment on the Isis Theatre page, paulomalley says that the Rialto opened in 1913 as the United States Theatre.
I found the following item about the United States Theatre in the March 4, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World:
“The United States theater, one of Denver’s newest downtown photoplay Houses, which for several months was operated under lease by R. H. McCluskey, has closed down. Plans for the future of the theater are a matter of much discussion in the local field. McCluskey’s retirement is said to be due to the expiration of his lease, which the owners would not renew, and it is understood that Albert Lewin, principal owner, is considering plans for remodelling and enlarging the theater. If his plans mature, it is reported, he will make it one of the largest moving picture houses in Denver and will conduct it himself.”
The September 16, 1916, issue of the same publication said that the United States Theatre in Denver had been remodeled and renamed the Rialto. As the project had cost only $20,000, it’s likely that the changes had been less extensive than originally planned.
The NRHP registration form for the Jefferson Square Historic District reveals that the Sierra Theatre was built in 1884 as Head’s Opera House, and was dedicated on December 17 that year. The theater was on the ground floor and a Masonic hall was upstairs. In 1914, the Masons bought the entire building.
The theater was extensively remodeled in 1916, as noted in the December 23 issue of The Moving Picture World, which said that iron columns had been removed and replaced by girders, and heating upgraded from wood stoves to a steam plant. Four boxes had been added, the stage had been remodeled, and new opera chairs installed. The opening program at the renovated house was Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation.
There is a late photo of the Harris Theatre just below the map on this web page. The caption says the building was partly demolished in 1943, but the remaining part of the structure was incorporated into a building that is still standing, housing Pozutto & Sons Plumbing.
The caption also calls the house the Hippodrome Theatre, though the name Harris is on the vertical sign. I’ve come across references to a White’s Hippodrome Theatre and Harris Hippodrome Theatre in McKeesport, so the sequence of names should probably be White’s New Theatre, White’s Hippodrome Theatre, Harris Hippodrome Theatre, and finally Harris Theatre.
Here is an item about the Victor Theatre from the October 7, 1916, issue of Motography:
After the theater opened, another brief item about it appeared in the November 25 issue of the same publication:A catalog of copyrights from 1944 and 1945 lists a copyright granted to architect Victor A. Rigaumont for the design of alterations to the Victor Theatre in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.
Architect Victor A. Rigaumont applied for a copyright of his design for a remodeling of the Strand Theatre in Ridgway in 1944. The project included a new roof and ceiling.
A view of 5th Street west from near Walnut Street appears on page 39 of McKeesport, by Michelle Tryon Wardle-Eggers and John W. Barna (Google Books preview), and it includes the Dreamland Theatre.
Studying the various photos in this book, it’s clear that the Dreamland Theatre was fairly close to the corner of Walnut Street, and not where the modern building from the 1960s is. It was across 5th Avenue from the Ruben Building, which was on the northwest corner of 5th and Walnut. I suspect that the modern addresses don’t quite match up with the historic addresses.
The August 30, 1934, issue of The Pittsburgh Press printed a special five-page section devoted to the newly remodeled Harris Alvin Theatre. A scan at Google News begins at this link.
Also, there are photos of the Harris State Theatre on page 36 of McKeesport, by Michelle Tryon Wardle-Eggers and John W. Barna (Google Books preview.) An earlier photo of the building appears on page 34. The building was originally a saloon called Altmeyers, but had been converted into a theater by 1908, when it became part of the Harris Amusement Company. It was located on 5th Avenue between Market and Walnut Streets.
McKeesport, by Michelle Tryon Wardle-Eggers and John W. Barna (Google Books preview) says that White’s New Theatre opened in 1908, and was designed by local architect Henry J. Lohman. It was primarily a legitimate house until sold to J. P. Harris in 1920, at which time it was renamed the Harris Theatre. It was demolished in the late 1940s.
TivFan: John P. Harris might have been the person who coined the name Nickelodeon, which was the name of the five-cent movie house he opened with his brother-in-law, Harry Davis, at Pittsburgh in 1905. Before his death in 1926, Harris parlayed his small theatre into a substantial regional chain. There were houses called the Harris Theatre throughout western Pennsylvania. Here is a 1934 newspaper article about the Harris Amusement Company.
The December 2, 1916, issue of insurance industry publication The Standard ran an item about a fire at Savin Rock which destroyed a Wilcox Motion Picture Theatre. I don’t know if the burned house was this theater or a predecessor to this theater:
I’ve found no other dated references to a Wilcox or Wilcox’s Theatre, but there was a Wilcox’s Pier, featuring a large restaurant, fronting on Beach Street just east of Oak Street, and across Beach Street was a Wilcox’s Miniature Railway. They appear on the Savin Rock Map (East) which is linked at this web page.The April, 1913, issue of a regional magazine called The Northern Crown contains an advertisement for the Mystic Theatre. No address is given, but assuming it was the same house as the current Mystic Theatre, it has gone back to what was probably its original name.
A card headed “Theaters—Riverside” in the Los Angeles Public Library’s California Index quotes this item from the August 17, 1912, issue of Southwest Builder & Contractor:
As 1075 Main Street would have been the Mission Theatre’s address under Riverside’s old numbering system, it must have been called the Auditorium Theater before it became the Orpheum.The UA Marketplace Cinemas in Brea was designed by San Francisco architect Daniel T. Uesugi.
The rebuilding of Cinema 70 as the Galaxy 6 was designed by San Francisco architect Daniel T. Uesugi.
The Galaxy Cinemas in Pleasanton was designed by San Francisco architect Daniel T. Uesugi.
The United Artists Glasshouse 6 was the first of a number of six-screen theaters designed for UA by San Francisco architect Daniel T. Uesugi.
This United Artists house in Chula Vista was one of a number of six-screen multiplexes designed for United Artists in the 1980s by San Francisco architect Daniel T. Uesugi.
The United Artists Greenback 6 was designed by San Francisco architect Daniel T. Uesugi, and was one of a number of six-screen projects he designed for UA in the 1980s. There were others in Pasadena, San Diego, and Chula Vista.
The two-screen theater in the Whampoa shopping arcade was designed by San Francisco architect Daniel T. Uesugi, who designed many projects for United Artists in the 1980s.
The United Artists Sha Tin Cinema was designed by San Francisco architect Daniel T. Uesugi, Uesugi & Associates.
The United Artists Queensway Cinemas was designed by San Francisco architect Daniel T. Uesugi, and was one of at least three Hong Kong projects he designed for UA.
Signature Theatres' Manchester 16 was designed by the San Francisco architectural firm Uesugi & Associates.
Black light murals had been around for about a decade before the Chief Theatre was built. The first use of black light decoration in a theater that I know of was at the Academy Theatre in Inglewood, California, designed by architect S. Charles Lee. It opened on November 7, 1939.
On December 17 that year, the Tower Theatre in Fresno, California, was opened. It, too, was designed by Lee for the Fox West Coast circuit, and featured black light murals painted by Tom and Frank Bouman of the A. B. Heinsbergen Company. The Tower even had fibers that would fluoresce under ultraviolet light woven into the auditorium carpets.
I’m not sure if the black light murals of the Academy, which now houses a church, have survived, but those in the Tower are intact.
An article about new theaters in Denver that appeared in the August 5, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World said that finishing touches were being put on the new Rialto Theatre on Curtis Street. However, the Rialto was apparently not a new theater at that time. In this comment on the Isis Theatre page, paulomalley says that the Rialto opened in 1913 as the United States Theatre.
I found the following item about the United States Theatre in the March 4, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World:
The September 16, 1916, issue of the same publication said that the United States Theatre in Denver had been remodeled and renamed the Rialto. As the project had cost only $20,000, it’s likely that the changes had been less extensive than originally planned.The NRHP registration form for the Jefferson Square Historic District reveals that the Sierra Theatre was built in 1884 as Head’s Opera House, and was dedicated on December 17 that year. The theater was on the ground floor and a Masonic hall was upstairs. In 1914, the Masons bought the entire building.
The theater was extensively remodeled in 1916, as noted in the December 23 issue of The Moving Picture World, which said that iron columns had been removed and replaced by girders, and heating upgraded from wood stoves to a steam plant. Four boxes had been added, the stage had been remodeled, and new opera chairs installed. The opening program at the renovated house was Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation.