Great news! I was told they had about $200,000 in funds coming soon to fix the Cameo and other projects. Its time has come. This link will disappear soon but here it is. http://news.newstimeslive.com/story.php?id=69802
The Cameo will open in 2 years and the cost to revitalize it will be $100,000.
i was there last week and checked around the corner to see the architecture. behind the stage area, it was pretty tall, maybe 60-75 feet tall. on top of that it looked like a miniature mansard roof with vents.
I went there with a friend today. Had to lock up our bikes and walk it, as there was a foot of snow the whole way. The driveway is quite long with the jersey barriers on the left. A few hundred feet up on the left is another gate, a bulldozer and a neighborhood (beaver brook road) and there’s a large hill overlooking what was the field. Further up the driveway is what is now used as a paintball field with pallets, moguls, metal pipes and other stuff for that sport. It looks like it was an old christmas tree farm after it closed as the main field has a significant amount of small xmas type trees about 5 feet high. the property sign out front says it’s 9.5 acres. the back is marked off with a wooden fence from the neighborhood.
Rowdiness under the past owner? really? i remember seeing James Brown there last year. Maybe other events were shabbily run. great to see it under control.
I found the area today but didn’t have a chance to see it as there was 5 inches of snow. It’s located next to the entrance for HART (Housatonic Area Regional Transit) at 62 Federal Road. The old gate to the drive-in is directly to the left of HART’s entrance.
i wonder when they’ll tear it down. it’s still in great shape in there. i mean come on, they have a lighting system still in there. my friend lives there now.
There is an advertisement in the Centennial Edition of the News-Times in the local history room at the danbury library, volume 1 part one on page 102 that advertises for the Capitol Theatre’s showing of “The Unwritten Law”.
I was thumbing through the Centennial Edition of the News-Times in the local history room and came across some memorabilia of the Empress. There’s an ad on page 101 of the edition that’s Volume I (Part 1) that has a large spread of combination vaudeville and motion pictures, complete with cost and showtimes. The ad is from March 1925 and refers to “5 acts of vaudeville” as well as the movies, “The Ancient Highway”, “Stage Struck” and “The King on Main Street”.
I just noticed today (and should’ve before) an enlarged copy of a program from a movie at the Palace at the Danbury Public Library. It is on the left of the door to the Local History Room. There are dancers on it but there is no name of the show. All it says is “Opening Program, Palace Theater, September 6, 1928.
when i googled Casassa, it was an old Italian surname. Throughout many directories through the 40s and 50s, there was an Eleanore Casassa who was a music teacher and clerk. Her clerk address was 7 White Street and her home was at 19 Spring Street. Her husband Frank Casassa was a newsdealer at the time at his office was at 9 White Street. I presume it was their theater.
There is a picture of the Palace on page 19 of the Centennial Edition of the News-Times, Volume 2, 1933-1983. Also, my friend told me when he was first opening the Empress, he and his co-owner broke into the Palace and saw the original ceilings of turquoise and tile work. He said the little windows in the back of the building were the old dressing rooms, which are still intact, some 6 stories of them.
I found a great pic of the Capitol, from page 3 of the Centennial Edition of the News-Times, Volume 2, 1933-1983, from the local history room of the Danbury Public Library. It shows the old News-Times building and the building next to it (still open) and the Capitol next to it on the corner of Main and Elm, but that’s now a parking lot. Its marquee had Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney’s movie “Boys Town” plus “Blockheads” with Laurel and Hardy.
yes. i mentioned it because our office building at 241 Main Street in Danbury has the same facade on the top floor (2nd floor). The bottom is storefronts.
well, i’m not from there, though i know the temple. can’t miss it. all you have to do is click the submit form and enter any information you know. everyone else will comment and the webmasters will add them accordingly.
Great news! I was told they had about $200,000 in funds coming soon to fix the Cameo and other projects. Its time has come. This link will disappear soon but here it is. http://news.newstimeslive.com/story.php?id=69802
The Cameo will open in 2 years and the cost to revitalize it will be $100,000.
i was there last week and checked around the corner to see the architecture. behind the stage area, it was pretty tall, maybe 60-75 feet tall. on top of that it looked like a miniature mansard roof with vents.
I went there with a friend today. Had to lock up our bikes and walk it, as there was a foot of snow the whole way. The driveway is quite long with the jersey barriers on the left. A few hundred feet up on the left is another gate, a bulldozer and a neighborhood (beaver brook road) and there’s a large hill overlooking what was the field. Further up the driveway is what is now used as a paintball field with pallets, moguls, metal pipes and other stuff for that sport. It looks like it was an old christmas tree farm after it closed as the main field has a significant amount of small xmas type trees about 5 feet high. the property sign out front says it’s 9.5 acres. the back is marked off with a wooden fence from the neighborhood.
Rowdiness under the past owner? really? i remember seeing James Brown there last year. Maybe other events were shabbily run. great to see it under control.
I found the area today but didn’t have a chance to see it as there was 5 inches of snow. It’s located next to the entrance for HART (Housatonic Area Regional Transit) at 62 Federal Road. The old gate to the drive-in is directly to the left of HART’s entrance.
i wonder when they’ll tear it down. it’s still in great shape in there. i mean come on, they have a lighting system still in there. my friend lives there now.
well, according to my above comments, the theater opened under the name “Capitol” in 1924 (1923 as the Taylor), so i presume it was the 1925 version.
There is an advertisement in the Centennial Edition of the News-Times in the local history room at the danbury library, volume 1 part one on page 102 that advertises for the Capitol Theatre’s showing of “The Unwritten Law”.
I was thumbing through the Centennial Edition of the News-Times in the local history room and came across some memorabilia of the Empress. There’s an ad on page 101 of the edition that’s Volume I (Part 1) that has a large spread of combination vaudeville and motion pictures, complete with cost and showtimes. The ad is from March 1925 and refers to “5 acts of vaudeville” as well as the movies, “The Ancient Highway”, “Stage Struck” and “The King on Main Street”.
I just noticed today (and should’ve before) an enlarged copy of a program from a movie at the Palace at the Danbury Public Library. It is on the left of the door to the Local History Room. There are dancers on it but there is no name of the show. All it says is “Opening Program, Palace Theater, September 6, 1928.
1922 was the first year the Empress was listed as vaudeville and motion pictures according to the 1922 City Directory.
The 1919 Danbury/Bethel City Directory has it showing motion pictures and in 1921 there is no longer a theater there.
its current use is a restaurant/pub on the ground floor called Greenwoods and the top floor rents rooms.
oops. i realized that after i typed it. how obvious. there are also apartments upstairs.
when i googled Casassa, it was an old Italian surname. Throughout many directories through the 40s and 50s, there was an Eleanore Casassa who was a music teacher and clerk. Her clerk address was 7 White Street and her home was at 19 Spring Street. Her husband Frank Casassa was a newsdealer at the time at his office was at 9 White Street. I presume it was their theater.
Actually, the first year it showcased vaudeville was in 1913 according to the 1913 Danbury City Directory.
The Lyceum lasted from its first listing in 1908 and was last listed in the 1909 directory.
From the 1929 Directory, 165 Main Street was called Danbury Theatres Inc. only in that year.
There is a picture of the Palace on page 19 of the Centennial Edition of the News-Times, Volume 2, 1933-1983. Also, my friend told me when he was first opening the Empress, he and his co-owner broke into the Palace and saw the original ceilings of turquoise and tile work. He said the little windows in the back of the building were the old dressing rooms, which are still intact, some 6 stories of them.
I found a great pic of the Capitol, from page 3 of the Centennial Edition of the News-Times, Volume 2, 1933-1983, from the local history room of the Danbury Public Library. It shows the old News-Times building and the building next to it (still open) and the Capitol next to it on the corner of Main and Elm, but that’s now a parking lot. Its marquee had Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney’s movie “Boys Town” plus “Blockheads” with Laurel and Hardy.
i went by the address of the largest retailer in the mall presently. so whatever the address you have is, was probably the former.
yes. i mentioned it because our office building at 241 Main Street in Danbury has the same facade on the top floor (2nd floor). The bottom is storefronts.
well, i’m not from there, though i know the temple. can’t miss it. all you have to do is click the submit form and enter any information you know. everyone else will comment and the webmasters will add them accordingly.
For some reason, the Palace wasn’t listed in the 1988 Directory. Any reason for the omittance? A changing of ownership?
The 1984 Directory lists the name change to Translux Cinema Theater.