In answer to Vincent’s question as to whether there are photos of the interior of the fabulous AMBASSADOR, the answer is YES! There was a special series of pages in the issue of “Marquee” magazine of Vol. 16, #1 of 1st Qtr. 1984 where there are 7 photos of it in its prime, plus the cover illustration. There are also photos in that landmark book: “The Best Remaining Seats, The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace” by the late Ben M. Hall, still to be found at many libraries, or available on Inter-Library Loan.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
Yes, the Theatre Historical Soc. has some 35,000 images; simply go to their web site and click on the sidebar link ARCHIVE to learn how to contact them about any theatre: www.HistoricTheatres.org
When I described the “box” faces as back-lit in my previous post, I did not mean to imply that the BP had actual opera boxes, but only that the fascia of the mezzanine was configured in projections reminiscent of boxes. This meant that there was an inner face of the knee wall that confronted the feet of those seated there, and an outer face on its opposite side made of the textured glass set as panels into frames, with light bulbs concealed behind the frosted-like glass. Those light bulbs, like the thousands of others in the auditorium, were in several colors and could be turned on in varying degrees to create many wonderful color moods. The BP had no box seating, since it was never to be an opera house or vaudeville theatre, though it was a ‘Presentation House’ which means that it did have full stage facilities capable of vaudeville and production numbers on stage; but its mainstay was always movies.
The writer of the Description of the fabulous 4,084-seat Brooklyn PARAMOUNT, William Gable, says: “Many argue that the gymnasium’s organ is the finest in the country, if not the world. [a 4-manual, 26-rank Wurlitzer]” One could answer, tongue-in-cheek, that it is probably a favorable comparison, since there are very likely no other ‘gymnasium organs’ in the country! But seriously, this theatre was probably one of the very finest to have graced this country, and when one simply sees the famous photos of it in that landmark book: “The Best Remaining Seats, The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace” by the late Ben M. Hall, one falls in love with the dazzling proscenium at first glance, even if he has never set foot in there! In a number of ways it was landmark styling in itself, being one of the first indoor/outdoor themes appearing in the country, and unquestionable the finest (and largest) done. Similar photos can be found in the book: “American Theatres of Today” by Messrs. Sexton and Betts in 1930.
The ‘BP’ is an absolute symphony in back-lit grillework —even the columns and box faces were fronted with grilles backed by textured “Lalique” glass— so much so that a most unusual article about the entire lighting arrangement appeared in the technical journal “Transactions of the Illuminating Engineering Soc.”, Vol. XXIV, 1929, pages 890 through 907, still to be found at some libraries or via the Union List of Serials. Within the test and drawings by Frank Cambria (noted designer mentioned favorably by Ben Hall in the book mentioned above which is available via Inter-Library Loan at any large library) is shown the wonderful techniques pioneered in the BP and copied (always to lesser degrees) elsewhere. Among the 5 b/w photos there, are two that have not been published elsewhere, of the Cosmetic room and the Ladies' Lounge, both off their mezzanine lavatory. The photos reveal the Lounge to be one of Rapp&Rapp’s typical and lovely elliptically-shaped rooms, the mild Art Deco decor of which was said to be very popular with the patrons. It would be a thrill to be able to restore all the many thousands of lights in the auditorium and see the wonderful vista that awaits, though I very much doubt, sad to say, that anyone with that much money will step forward even for this monumental example of the finest theatre architecture that this nation has ever seen.
Perhaps the best collection of photos, aside from the sources mentioned, is the issue of “Marquee” magazine of the Theatre Hist. Soc. of Vol. 30 #3, Third Qtr., 1998 where there is the article: “Brooklyn Paramount Photo Feature” where on the cover, page 3, and on pages 10 through 18 are minimal text, but 13 large b/w photos of the BP in its prime. The Society also has a number of latter day photos in color, including the depredations brought by the university.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
$50 million is a small estimate for the extensive work needed to fix this wonderful 2-½ acres of seats in a six story high auditorium. The 4-story-high draperies that once made the looming walls look less foreboding would require the building of an assembly barn for this scale of work, since the old drapery houses that could do such work are long gone, and those few existing today do not have the perspective, experience, or talent to reproduce such monumental work, and if they could, it would cost at least $5,000,000 for just the draperies alone! (Craftspeople today will not work for the 25 cents per hour that they did in the Twenties!) And even if you could find someone willing to risk about $75 to 100 million on this space, where would the parking for the thousands attending come from?? (Americans are not in the habit of walking, even from a bus stop on the corner!) Perhaps there is available land adjacent that could be purchased, and perhaps the city would allow a parking structure to be built there, but that would add considerably to the cost. Reportedly, the electric company will not even turn on the power until someone pays the big back bills of the former operator, and the problems mount up from there. Yes, the KINGS was a most glorious movie palace, but unless TV and videos somehow disappear tomorrow, there is not likely to be found anywhere an audience large enough and CONSISTANT enough to support the theatre, which would be taxed again just as soon as a private party got ownership from the city. We must face the fact that the only reason it still stands today is that the city doesn’t want to spend upwards of $10 million to have it demolished, though they may have to do that if it becomes a refuge for undesirables in deteriorating conditions, as it inevitably will with time.
Will the equally wonderful BROOKLYN PARAMOUNT become available in a condition that enables it to be restored? I fervently hope so, but many of the same problems confront that situation as confront the KINGS. Where will the THOUSANDS of people come from to support the place? It is tax free now, but it is highly unlikely that it will remain so under new conditions! And taxes are just one of the expenses such huge facilities face, since just to pay for the utilities for a year would bankrupt the average business. (For example, few movie palaces had any insulation in the walls and ceilings to contain heat, so heating costs would be astronomical). The only real hope is for a ‘sugar daddy’ such as Donald Trump who presumably wouldn’t care if he lost millions each year, since he would be so in love with the place that he would keep it just for nostalgia and as a public monument to a day and age when people cared about such things and would support them with their hard-earned money. Now the people spend for rock spectacles and sporting events, not theatres, and even the much smaller, and therefore much more efficient theatres are in a financial bind as our culture degenerates, and people no longer support the arts in sufficient numbers to maintain them in any large scale.
For those of you in love with the KINGS, there was a documentary released in 1979 called “Memoirs of a Movie Palace” as a photographic tour of the KINGS, and it may be possible to find it in some library. Through such, it may be possible to relive some of those days of lost glory, but don’t hold your breath about reviving any such behemoths in our crass, and expensive, day and age. Unlike most cities, New York already has an abundance of theatres, and it is highly unlikely that the tax payers there will vote to pay to maintain another one.
P.S. The KINGS is one of my favorite theatres, simply from having seen it in photos and the documentary, so I am not being negative, simply realistic, sad to say. Oh to have a ‘time machine’ to be able to travel back to those days of architectural majesty!
I must beg to differ with Ross as to this theatre being the only one “east of the Mississippi” to have a regular SILENT film series. Starting in 2002, the ORIENTAL in Milwaukee began a monthly series of films under the title: “Silents Please” as sponsored by the local Kimball Theatre Organ Society, on the ORIENTAL’S three manual, 39-rank (voice) organ of 1930.
It is also interesting to note that this is one of only three remaining theatres having organs in their lobbies, the others being the FOX theatres in Detroit and St. Louis.
“THE FABULOUS FOX” is the title of the ANNUAL of the Theatre Historical Soc. of 1985 and it is one of their most elaborate publications with varnished color covers and many other color pages within the 62-page booklet. Except for some differences between the facade and lobby, this movie palace is a twin to the other FOX in Detroit, though that one has had a fabulous new marquee and vertical sign added to it, as was profiled in color in “Signs Of The Times” magazine. This ANNUAL is different in being a co-production with Fox Theatre Associates, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103 through which one might be able to purchase a copy if THSA is out of stock. As one commenter mentioned above, this is NOT an ‘atmospheric’ theatre, since that term denotes a ‘stars-and-clouds’ decor quite unlike the awe-inspiring 100-foot-diameter mock tent ceiling here, with the huge, 20-foot-diameter sphere of colored glass jewels which constituted the chandelier. Do not confuse the name of the ANNUAL with the designation of the “Fabulous and Foolish Fox” as the San Francisco FOX was once described, with this theatre, for while both were built by the William Fox Corporation, neither were foolish in that they did, indeed, satisfy the desires of their builders and the public alike, and it is only owing to the foolishness of mankind that we have lost the very fabulous San Francisco house, but is also owing to the farsightedness of some of mankind that we still have, restored, the St. Louis FOX.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
The NEW AMSTERDAM theatre is, of course, named after the first name the Dutch colonists gave to the island of Manhattan, which the British later changed to New York, but the history of the city is not what distinguishes this notable vaudeville theatre; it’s unique decor is. It is possibly the last of the Art Nouveau style theatres in the nation, but unquestionably the best in any case. So notable is this design by Herts and Tallant, that in 1978 the Theatre Historical Society of America resolved to do one of their ANNUALS about this achievement. As if the appurtenances of the physical theatre were not enough to distinguish it, there is the fabulous decor using the sinuous forms of the style to create a mythical garden of allusion and illusion. Central to this design are the many wonderful murals which are fully featured in close-ups in this ANNUAL, as well as many photos of the rich ornamentation, both in the main theatre and in the roof garden theatre: the “Aerial Gardens.” Acquaint yourself with Art Nouveau and its artisans through this wonderful exposition in the 42 pages of the booklet.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
Theme theatres were a big part of the Movie Palace phenomenon, and the dazzling 5th AVENUE is certainly among the finest of its type in the nation, and especially since it is one of the few of its type surviving! It was/is so grand that the Theatre Historical Soc. of America sought to do an entire ANNUAL on it in 1984, and the resulting 46-page booklet with both vintage b/w photos as well as full color modern photos is a fitting tribute to this example of high Chinese art. It reveals that the auditorium was modeled upon the imperial throne room in the palace of the Forbidden City in Peking, but in a much larger scale. One has to see the photo of the enormous dragon “grasping for the pearl of perfection” (the white globe of the chandelier) to fully appreciate how vast and elaborate this ‘temple’ is. The booklet shows in a photo the unusual construction with the entire theatre inside the mass of an office building, thus having a special superstructure needed to hold up the floors of offices above the theatre. Enjoy this example of a fine ANNUAL reflecting one of America’s finest theatres.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
The fabulous CHICAGO is often mentioned as one of the ‘royalty’ in America’s collection of what was once some 30,000 palaces, according to one estimate. Opening in 1921, it was among the earliest of the truly grand Movie Palaces, and, along with Chicago’s long-lost TIVOLI movie palace, it was the harbinger of the elaborate creations of imagination and artistry to come. Rapp&Rapp may have started their real theatres with the still-going-strong AL RINGLING THEATRE in Baraboo, Wis., but it was the opening of the enormous and ornate CHICAGO that changed the way movie houses were built. It even prompted people to call such edifices ‘the Chicago style’, and many a theatre architect had to sit up and take notice —even in our large coastal cities which often smirk at the developments of the heartland. That this landmark has also had its vertical sign and now, its marquee, restored is another indicator of its preeminence. For those who have never seen this wonder, or who would like to see photos of its first and second decors (as distinguished from today’s version) there was published in 1981 (and later reprinted) a 50-page ANNUAL with color cover, titled “Chicago Theatre, A Sixtieth Anniversary Salute”. Though now listed as Out Of Print, it is possible that it could be reprinted again if enough interest is shown.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
In 1979 the Theatre Historical Soc. of America did an entire ANNUAL on this theatre, titled: “The MIDLAND THEATRE, Kansas City, MO” and the dozens of vintage photos therein reveal a most luxurious design by noted theatres architect Thomas Lamb, a biography of whom is included there. Latter day photos there reveal that the wonderful design of the upswept legs of the grand drapery on the proscenium, as originally installed, were not replaced during a recent refurbishment, and the photos reveal what a loss this is! Sixty-foot-long swags of fringed velvet would be impressive in any setting, but here with a royal crown motif as the center of the drapery it is a fitting and wonderful aura of design. The MIDLAND has been illustrated elsewhere as in the landmark book of 1927—1930: “American Theatres of Today” (which is in some libraries and sometimes available from www.Amazon.com,)) and it is also illustrated in other of the Society’s publications, such as the 2003 ANNUAL about the San Francisco FOX theatre. The 42-page 1979 ANNUAL will please anyone loving beautiful theatres.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
It must have been amazing to sit several rows away from the stage and look up and see three full size horses rearing over the audience below! The ANNUAL mentioned in the first post shows those life size plaster beauties being built in a shop and in another view, in position at the top of the proscenium, with a hand painted mural of a heard of stallions stampedeing behind them. With the drapery of the House Curtain below being painted with the Greater Birds of Paradise in full array, the thematic style may have only ben to suggest anything that architect/artist John Eberson thought of as appropriate to ‘paradise’. ‘Just some of the glories of this long-lost extravaganza. Such a pity.
It is wonderful to keep a positive attitude toward reopening the beloved PARADISE, but we must also be frank in admitting that the odds are not good in this case. It is not that no one appreciates the “acre of seats in a garden of dreams” but the sad reality is that costs today are FAR greater than they were in 1929! At that time, light bulbs were about 5 cents each; today nearly a dollar each. Electricity was about ½ cent per kilowatt hour; today about 10 cents. If you add up the costs of just replacing all the THOUSANDS of lightbulbs in the PARADISE, plus the labor cost, plus the price of the electricity, you see that just one aspect of reopening this beauty is daunting, to say the least. If I had the MILLIONS of dollars to spare, I would take the risk, but the fact is that very few entertainment venues today make a real profit. Most are considered successful if they just meet their costs (taxes, repairs, services, personnel, etc. etc.!) and that is not any inducement to lure big investors who want a return on their investment. The PARADISE would be a wonderful setting for a number of businesses, but the costs to divide, heat and cool (as well as light) such new areas can be overwhelming to small businesses. And these days, the people are different too. In the 20s it was unlikely that significant vandalism could occur, but these days anything that ‘isn’t nailed down’ is up for grabs, and youngsters absolutely delight in seeing just how much damage they do without being seen. No place is safe, and so ornamental a property as a former movie palace is a ripe target to them, sad to say. So, how much more will sufficient security guards add to the already awsome costs?! I shed tears along with all the rest of you at the loss of our great movie palace heritage, but I would also hate to be the investor watching his building crumble for lack of enormous funds, while the city taxes it whether it earns money or not, and while battling thieves and vandals at every turn. Anyway, may the glorious PARADISE long continue in some form, despite these problems!
In 1973 the late Terry Helgesen wrote perhaps his finest story in the form of the ANNUAL for that year of the Theatre Historical Society of America, titled “The Hollywood Pantages” and in its 26 pages, he produced its whole story to that time. There are dozens of large scale black and white photos to be seen there, as well as a reproduction of the longitudinal cross section from the blueprints, and a full page portrait photo of Alexander Pantages. The 8-1/2x11 inch softbound is Out Of Print, but may be available from the sources listed below.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
For those wishing to relive this, one of the most ornate, yet genteel of the movies palaces ever built, he would do no better than to view the ANNUAL of 1986 of the “The Earle Theatre” by the late Irvin R. Glazer, as listed for sale on the site of the Theatre Historical Soc. of America. Go to their ‘Publications: Back Issues List’ page by clicking on the link by that name on their sidebar, and details are there given to order it. The 40 pages of this softbound contain dozens of black and white photos (color still photography did not exist when the theatre opened) that reveal the extravagance of detail and materials expended upon this Adam style design. From its birth in 1924 to its razing in 1953, it was a hallmark of ‘class’ in theatres of restrained opulence. In fact, the draperies on just the lobby’s minor archways were of such richness that just one pair of the double sided portieres with their elaborate galloons, tassels with rosettes, mold double fringes and embroidered panels of velvet over the antique sating legs, would cost approx. $150,000 each in this day and age! This is one of the reasons that such elaborate draperies are rarely if ever reproduced today. The design of the tassels shown there also appears on page 151 (center photo) of the 1981 book “La Passementerie” by Pierre Boudet and Bernard Gomond, published by Dessain et Tolra, Paris, hence the draperies as well as their passementeries (trimmings) may well have been designed and made in France, an unusually expensive practice not know to have been done in other movie palaces.
The ANNUAL also has a most unusual photo on its page 38 of the Interior Decorating Dept. of the architects Hoffman-Henon in 1924 showing the unnamed man responsible for putting all the interior artistry together, a rare view into internal workings. The EARLE sported enough marble to fill a small quarry, and even the marble drinking fountains had stained glass canopies — illuminated — above them! Giant murals and tapestries filled areas that were not marble, and the auditorium sported two elegant panels of gilded grillework in classical motifs to conceal the swell shutters of the theatre pipe organ. As the photos reveal, much of the organ pipework fell with the demolition. They will not build theatres as opulent as the EARLE again, so enjoy the memories of it in this lavish 8-1/2x11 inch booklet.
Jim Rankin
The Theatre Historical Soc. issued a 41-page ANNUAL titled: “Times Square Paramount” in 1976, but it is unfortunately out of print. Some libraries were/are subscribers to their “Marquee” magazine and therefore also received the ANNUAL for that year, so check nearby libraries; every library can also check for you the Union List of Serials to find out what other libraries have copies of it from that year that you might go to see. The Society retains all the original photos used in that publication as well as many more that they will reproduce for you for a fee. See their ARCHIVE link on the sidebar of their site at: www.HistoricTheatres.org It is possible that if enough interest is present, they will reprint that ANNUAL as they have done with other titles.
There was no color still photography in the 1920s, hence photos of that day are always black and white, but we are fortunate in the case of the NY PARAMOUNT to have had a color painting done of the proscenium to show the enormous Grand Drapery on it, and that painting is reproduced in color on page 255 of the 1927—1932 book: “Decorative Draperies and Upholsteries” by Edward Thorne. You could put that volume on any color copier and get an excellent copy suitable for framing. It is interesting that the 6-story-high draperies depicted there were made also by men from Chicago, as a commenter alludes to in a previous Comment. They and all the many other draperies in the theatre had their trimmings (giant pendants, tassles, fringes, gonfalons, etc.) made by the E.L. Mansure Co., formerly of Chicago. The portion of the proscenium ceiling dome shown there is depicted as merely painted clouds, but in reality, the cove-lit, long rectangular space had a mural of a winged goddess standing in front of the disk of the moon, with cupids aflight all around her, as revealed by the opening day photos in that ANNUAL.
That Annual also reveals that the Grand Lobby originaly had TWO enormous crystal chandeliers, which were removed during World War II in fear of their falling upon people during anticipated bombings during the war, which turned out to be an excess of caution. For the same reason, the eight auditorium chandeliers were also removed; it appears that none of them were ever replaced, so what one person commenting saw in later years were likely smaller, cheaper replacements in the lobby in later years.
There are also there photos of the unique Promenade in the dome of the auditorium as someone alludes to previously, and while it may have been closed off due to patron noises, it seems more likely to me that it was too difficult and expensive to ‘police’ with perhaps 15 more ushers needed to survey the 60-foot-long ellipse, the corridors leading to it, as well as the elevators serving it. When the Great Depression arrived just three years after opening, the PARAMOUNT no doubt began to feel the pressure to reduce costs as did everyone else; the grand decade of the extravagant was definitely over. It is also possible that the patrons were prone to toss little things down upon the audience —just for kicks, you know— and obviously the ushers couldn’t be at everyone’s side when something was tossed, and management couldn’t allow such goingson to continue! A novel idea, but too impractical given human nature, and glazing the 24 openings would have been prohibitively expensive at the time they closed the area. In Milwaukee, Rapp&Rapp also did two theatres that had the ‘Overview’ portals from the back wall of the mezzanine lobby looking down upon the orchestra seats below, and they quickly found that the patrons loved to toss items down upon the audience, and therefore in the case of the WISCONSIN the portals were glazed over, allowing views but nothing else. In the case of the MODJESKA, which is still standing, the portals are boarded over and not apparent except fromt the seats below.
Some other photos of the “Times Sq. Paramount” are also to be seen in that landmark book: “The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace” by the late Ben M. Hall, founder of the Theatre Historical Society. This 1961 opus is the seminal work in the field and not to be missed; copies of it are available on Inter-Library Loan, as well as for sale from www.Amazon.com .
The “bicycling” of films, as Mr. Coles refers to in his Comment, was referred to as “railroading” of films here in Milwaukee in years past, and a fascinating article about one of its practitioners, Robert Rothschild, appeared by him in the issue of MARQUEE magazine of Third Qtr., 1985, pages 10 through 12, where his 4000-some word article pictures the 1940s through 1960s. While his article is not itself illustrated, the issue does feature a “Portfolio [of photos] of Milwaukee Theatres” that feature some mentioned in his text. It is their Vol. 17, #3, and is available as a Back Issue via their web site’s link at: www.HistoricTheatres.org . One might do well to inquire of them via the address on their front page as to any other Projectiionist items they may hav
I must add my Congratulations also, since CT has become one of the most well known resources on the web and a pleasure for me to add some 20 theatres to. I must also comment upon the very gentlemanly team of Messrs. Crowley and Melnick; they are a pleasure to work with, and I am sure that they will continue to improve this resource in the years to come. Who really knows how many theatres that they have unwittingly contributed to through the means of this site? Who will ever know how many theatres will be able to trace their rebirth back to this site and those who use it? Bravo, gentlemen
These may not be quite the ‘golden oldies’ you had hoped for in memories, but if you clik on the link to Milwukee’s PARADISE theatre: /theaters/2927/ you will see in my comment at bottom a possible gem. Also, if you click on the link at the top ‘MILWAUKEE’ you will get a list and there click on WARNER/GRAND to get another projection experience at the bottom.
Of course, you will get the most such responses at the www.Film-Tech.com site. It is a huge site and you may have to scan dozens of pages.
Mr. Racey, I envy you your years experiencing the CAPITOL. You give some wonderful memories of the theatre which could make for a fine story at the CAPITOL’s listing here, and for the printed record in the MARQUEE magazine of the Theatre Historical Society. You might also consider their MEMORIES page on their site, given below.
There are two other premiere sites which may have information you seek:
The Theatre Historical Soc. of America also has files/photos on many Canadian theatres, and you would do well to contact them via their web site: www.HistoricTheatres.org by E-mailing the Executive Director, Richard Sklenar, as to what they might have about the CAPITOL. Go to their ARCHIVE link on the sidebar to learn more about their services.
Information about the sound system will no doubt be available at: www.Film-Tech.com They have hundreds of pages on their site of not only operating manuals, and photos of theatres, but also books on the subject, and a galaxy of experts in the field to answer any question you might have.
You might want to round out your research by reading such books as: “Palaces of the Night: Canada’s Grand Theatres” by John Lindsay; and that landmark book: “The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace” by the late Ben M. Hall. Both books are available from www.amazon.com and also via Inter-Library loan at your local public or school library.
I didn’t send in this story because it is not the end of the story; the common council must still vote on this recommendation. No date for that has been given. Jim Rankin
RedDawg is perfectly correct as to the sad depredations done to theatres in the guise of “restoration.” True restoration does not include such odious intrusions as he describes that are now common in today’s ‘modern’ theatres. Sad to say, modern stagecraft is all about technology and virtually worships it. Ever since President Kennedy called for the heavy promotion of science and mathematics in our schools to the virtual exclusion of arts and history, we have had an ever more crass population without the moral and artistic grounding that our forebears had. People born since then often have no real historic or social reference, and science is touted then as the ‘god’ to emulate. From this stock we get not only technicians/engineers, but also the architects and ‘artists’ that are competent to duplicate by consulting vintage photographs the artistry of earlier days, but are quite without the cultural frame of reference to understand the ‘whys’ of the graciousness of earlier days. The godless generations from that time have replaced artistry with efficiency, and restraint with a greed for quick money in all they do. Could we expect this not to influence the theatres they are called upon to ‘restore’? To them, the calls of the modern thralls of science in the form of countless technical consultants are the calls of the gods of their day and age. The old designs may be quaint to them, but they are never taken seriously, so if an ‘authority’ on theatres and stages calls for a monstrous truss to hang in bold view with cables dangling through holes punched in murals, it is only to increase ‘usability’ they say. With only a profit motive ever in view, it is easy to justify the desecration of any space, no matter how revered. You ask for more “subtle” solutions? Do not hold your breath. In a day and age of crass and brazenness, we cannot expect them to take the time to devise artistic and subtle (or “transparent” as current lingo goes) means to hide the devices really necessary to achieve a good show. Trouble is, a good show is as the movies these days: no real story or artistry, but a vapid display of special effects at deafening sound levels. To a populace raised on such, what is a few more holes in the plaster? When a style is promoted called ‘High Tech’, are we to expect it to be to us appreciators of beauty, other than ‘High Ugly’? Resign yourself to this audacity, RedDwag, since to criticize the blatancy of High Tech is to disavow the worship of their real gods: money and power. They have the power now, and the Hipp and many other theatres will become their victims, all in the name of keeping their doors open at any cos
That is the situation about restrictive ordinances as disclosed in that landmark book: “The Best Remaining Seats…” by the late Ben M. Hall.
In answer to Vincent’s question as to whether there are photos of the interior of the fabulous AMBASSADOR, the answer is YES! There was a special series of pages in the issue of “Marquee” magazine of Vol. 16, #1 of 1st Qtr. 1984 where there are 7 photos of it in its prime, plus the cover illustration. There are also photos in that landmark book: “The Best Remaining Seats, The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace” by the late Ben M. Hall, still to be found at many libraries, or available on Inter-Library Loan.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
Yes, the Theatre Historical Soc. has some 35,000 images; simply go to their web site and click on the sidebar link ARCHIVE to learn how to contact them about any theatre: www.HistoricTheatres.org
When I described the “box” faces as back-lit in my previous post, I did not mean to imply that the BP had actual opera boxes, but only that the fascia of the mezzanine was configured in projections reminiscent of boxes. This meant that there was an inner face of the knee wall that confronted the feet of those seated there, and an outer face on its opposite side made of the textured glass set as panels into frames, with light bulbs concealed behind the frosted-like glass. Those light bulbs, like the thousands of others in the auditorium, were in several colors and could be turned on in varying degrees to create many wonderful color moods. The BP had no box seating, since it was never to be an opera house or vaudeville theatre, though it was a ‘Presentation House’ which means that it did have full stage facilities capable of vaudeville and production numbers on stage; but its mainstay was always movies.
The writer of the Description of the fabulous 4,084-seat Brooklyn PARAMOUNT, William Gable, says: “Many argue that the gymnasium’s organ is the finest in the country, if not the world. [a 4-manual, 26-rank Wurlitzer]” One could answer, tongue-in-cheek, that it is probably a favorable comparison, since there are very likely no other ‘gymnasium organs’ in the country! But seriously, this theatre was probably one of the very finest to have graced this country, and when one simply sees the famous photos of it in that landmark book: “The Best Remaining Seats, The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace” by the late Ben M. Hall, one falls in love with the dazzling proscenium at first glance, even if he has never set foot in there! In a number of ways it was landmark styling in itself, being one of the first indoor/outdoor themes appearing in the country, and unquestionable the finest (and largest) done. Similar photos can be found in the book: “American Theatres of Today” by Messrs. Sexton and Betts in 1930.
The ‘BP’ is an absolute symphony in back-lit grillework —even the columns and box faces were fronted with grilles backed by textured “Lalique” glass— so much so that a most unusual article about the entire lighting arrangement appeared in the technical journal “Transactions of the Illuminating Engineering Soc.”, Vol. XXIV, 1929, pages 890 through 907, still to be found at some libraries or via the Union List of Serials. Within the test and drawings by Frank Cambria (noted designer mentioned favorably by Ben Hall in the book mentioned above which is available via Inter-Library Loan at any large library) is shown the wonderful techniques pioneered in the BP and copied (always to lesser degrees) elsewhere. Among the 5 b/w photos there, are two that have not been published elsewhere, of the Cosmetic room and the Ladies' Lounge, both off their mezzanine lavatory. The photos reveal the Lounge to be one of Rapp&Rapp’s typical and lovely elliptically-shaped rooms, the mild Art Deco decor of which was said to be very popular with the patrons. It would be a thrill to be able to restore all the many thousands of lights in the auditorium and see the wonderful vista that awaits, though I very much doubt, sad to say, that anyone with that much money will step forward even for this monumental example of the finest theatre architecture that this nation has ever seen.
Perhaps the best collection of photos, aside from the sources mentioned, is the issue of “Marquee” magazine of the Theatre Hist. Soc. of Vol. 30 #3, Third Qtr., 1998 where there is the article: “Brooklyn Paramount Photo Feature” where on the cover, page 3, and on pages 10 through 18 are minimal text, but 13 large b/w photos of the BP in its prime. The Society also has a number of latter day photos in color, including the depredations brought by the university.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
$50 million is a small estimate for the extensive work needed to fix this wonderful 2-½ acres of seats in a six story high auditorium. The 4-story-high draperies that once made the looming walls look less foreboding would require the building of an assembly barn for this scale of work, since the old drapery houses that could do such work are long gone, and those few existing today do not have the perspective, experience, or talent to reproduce such monumental work, and if they could, it would cost at least $5,000,000 for just the draperies alone! (Craftspeople today will not work for the 25 cents per hour that they did in the Twenties!) And even if you could find someone willing to risk about $75 to 100 million on this space, where would the parking for the thousands attending come from?? (Americans are not in the habit of walking, even from a bus stop on the corner!) Perhaps there is available land adjacent that could be purchased, and perhaps the city would allow a parking structure to be built there, but that would add considerably to the cost. Reportedly, the electric company will not even turn on the power until someone pays the big back bills of the former operator, and the problems mount up from there. Yes, the KINGS was a most glorious movie palace, but unless TV and videos somehow disappear tomorrow, there is not likely to be found anywhere an audience large enough and CONSISTANT enough to support the theatre, which would be taxed again just as soon as a private party got ownership from the city. We must face the fact that the only reason it still stands today is that the city doesn’t want to spend upwards of $10 million to have it demolished, though they may have to do that if it becomes a refuge for undesirables in deteriorating conditions, as it inevitably will with time.
Will the equally wonderful BROOKLYN PARAMOUNT become available in a condition that enables it to be restored? I fervently hope so, but many of the same problems confront that situation as confront the KINGS. Where will the THOUSANDS of people come from to support the place? It is tax free now, but it is highly unlikely that it will remain so under new conditions! And taxes are just one of the expenses such huge facilities face, since just to pay for the utilities for a year would bankrupt the average business. (For example, few movie palaces had any insulation in the walls and ceilings to contain heat, so heating costs would be astronomical). The only real hope is for a ‘sugar daddy’ such as Donald Trump who presumably wouldn’t care if he lost millions each year, since he would be so in love with the place that he would keep it just for nostalgia and as a public monument to a day and age when people cared about such things and would support them with their hard-earned money. Now the people spend for rock spectacles and sporting events, not theatres, and even the much smaller, and therefore much more efficient theatres are in a financial bind as our culture degenerates, and people no longer support the arts in sufficient numbers to maintain them in any large scale.
For those of you in love with the KINGS, there was a documentary released in 1979 called “Memoirs of a Movie Palace” as a photographic tour of the KINGS, and it may be possible to find it in some library. Through such, it may be possible to relive some of those days of lost glory, but don’t hold your breath about reviving any such behemoths in our crass, and expensive, day and age. Unlike most cities, New York already has an abundance of theatres, and it is highly unlikely that the tax payers there will vote to pay to maintain another one.
P.S. The KINGS is one of my favorite theatres, simply from having seen it in photos and the documentary, so I am not being negative, simply realistic, sad to say. Oh to have a ‘time machine’ to be able to travel back to those days of architectural majesty!
I must beg to differ with Ross as to this theatre being the only one “east of the Mississippi” to have a regular SILENT film series. Starting in 2002, the ORIENTAL in Milwaukee began a monthly series of films under the title: “Silents Please” as sponsored by the local Kimball Theatre Organ Society, on the ORIENTAL’S three manual, 39-rank (voice) organ of 1930.
It is also interesting to note that this is one of only three remaining theatres having organs in their lobbies, the others being the FOX theatres in Detroit and St. Louis.
“THE FABULOUS FOX” is the title of the ANNUAL of the Theatre Historical Soc. of 1985 and it is one of their most elaborate publications with varnished color covers and many other color pages within the 62-page booklet. Except for some differences between the facade and lobby, this movie palace is a twin to the other FOX in Detroit, though that one has had a fabulous new marquee and vertical sign added to it, as was profiled in color in “Signs Of The Times” magazine. This ANNUAL is different in being a co-production with Fox Theatre Associates, 527 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103 through which one might be able to purchase a copy if THSA is out of stock. As one commenter mentioned above, this is NOT an ‘atmospheric’ theatre, since that term denotes a ‘stars-and-clouds’ decor quite unlike the awe-inspiring 100-foot-diameter mock tent ceiling here, with the huge, 20-foot-diameter sphere of colored glass jewels which constituted the chandelier. Do not confuse the name of the ANNUAL with the designation of the “Fabulous and Foolish Fox” as the San Francisco FOX was once described, with this theatre, for while both were built by the William Fox Corporation, neither were foolish in that they did, indeed, satisfy the desires of their builders and the public alike, and it is only owing to the foolishness of mankind that we have lost the very fabulous San Francisco house, but is also owing to the farsightedness of some of mankind that we still have, restored, the St. Louis FOX.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
The NEW AMSTERDAM theatre is, of course, named after the first name the Dutch colonists gave to the island of Manhattan, which the British later changed to New York, but the history of the city is not what distinguishes this notable vaudeville theatre; it’s unique decor is. It is possibly the last of the Art Nouveau style theatres in the nation, but unquestionably the best in any case. So notable is this design by Herts and Tallant, that in 1978 the Theatre Historical Society of America resolved to do one of their ANNUALS about this achievement. As if the appurtenances of the physical theatre were not enough to distinguish it, there is the fabulous decor using the sinuous forms of the style to create a mythical garden of allusion and illusion. Central to this design are the many wonderful murals which are fully featured in close-ups in this ANNUAL, as well as many photos of the rich ornamentation, both in the main theatre and in the roof garden theatre: the “Aerial Gardens.” Acquaint yourself with Art Nouveau and its artisans through this wonderful exposition in the 42 pages of the booklet.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
Theme theatres were a big part of the Movie Palace phenomenon, and the dazzling 5th AVENUE is certainly among the finest of its type in the nation, and especially since it is one of the few of its type surviving! It was/is so grand that the Theatre Historical Soc. of America sought to do an entire ANNUAL on it in 1984, and the resulting 46-page booklet with both vintage b/w photos as well as full color modern photos is a fitting tribute to this example of high Chinese art. It reveals that the auditorium was modeled upon the imperial throne room in the palace of the Forbidden City in Peking, but in a much larger scale. One has to see the photo of the enormous dragon “grasping for the pearl of perfection” (the white globe of the chandelier) to fully appreciate how vast and elaborate this ‘temple’ is. The booklet shows in a photo the unusual construction with the entire theatre inside the mass of an office building, thus having a special superstructure needed to hold up the floors of offices above the theatre. Enjoy this example of a fine ANNUAL reflecting one of America’s finest theatres.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
The fabulous CHICAGO is often mentioned as one of the ‘royalty’ in America’s collection of what was once some 30,000 palaces, according to one estimate. Opening in 1921, it was among the earliest of the truly grand Movie Palaces, and, along with Chicago’s long-lost TIVOLI movie palace, it was the harbinger of the elaborate creations of imagination and artistry to come. Rapp&Rapp may have started their real theatres with the still-going-strong AL RINGLING THEATRE in Baraboo, Wis., but it was the opening of the enormous and ornate CHICAGO that changed the way movie houses were built. It even prompted people to call such edifices ‘the Chicago style’, and many a theatre architect had to sit up and take notice —even in our large coastal cities which often smirk at the developments of the heartland. That this landmark has also had its vertical sign and now, its marquee, restored is another indicator of its preeminence. For those who have never seen this wonder, or who would like to see photos of its first and second decors (as distinguished from today’s version) there was published in 1981 (and later reprinted) a 50-page ANNUAL with color cover, titled “Chicago Theatre, A Sixtieth Anniversary Salute”. Though now listed as Out Of Print, it is possible that it could be reprinted again if enough interest is shown.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
In 1979 the Theatre Historical Soc. of America did an entire ANNUAL on this theatre, titled: “The MIDLAND THEATRE, Kansas City, MO” and the dozens of vintage photos therein reveal a most luxurious design by noted theatres architect Thomas Lamb, a biography of whom is included there. Latter day photos there reveal that the wonderful design of the upswept legs of the grand drapery on the proscenium, as originally installed, were not replaced during a recent refurbishment, and the photos reveal what a loss this is! Sixty-foot-long swags of fringed velvet would be impressive in any setting, but here with a royal crown motif as the center of the drapery it is a fitting and wonderful aura of design. The MIDLAND has been illustrated elsewhere as in the landmark book of 1927—1930: “American Theatres of Today” (which is in some libraries and sometimes available from www.Amazon.com,)) and it is also illustrated in other of the Society’s publications, such as the 2003 ANNUAL about the San Francisco FOX theatre. The 42-page 1979 ANNUAL will please anyone loving beautiful theatres.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
It must have been amazing to sit several rows away from the stage and look up and see three full size horses rearing over the audience below! The ANNUAL mentioned in the first post shows those life size plaster beauties being built in a shop and in another view, in position at the top of the proscenium, with a hand painted mural of a heard of stallions stampedeing behind them. With the drapery of the House Curtain below being painted with the Greater Birds of Paradise in full array, the thematic style may have only ben to suggest anything that architect/artist John Eberson thought of as appropriate to ‘paradise’. ‘Just some of the glories of this long-lost extravaganza. Such a pity.
It is wonderful to keep a positive attitude toward reopening the beloved PARADISE, but we must also be frank in admitting that the odds are not good in this case. It is not that no one appreciates the “acre of seats in a garden of dreams” but the sad reality is that costs today are FAR greater than they were in 1929! At that time, light bulbs were about 5 cents each; today nearly a dollar each. Electricity was about ½ cent per kilowatt hour; today about 10 cents. If you add up the costs of just replacing all the THOUSANDS of lightbulbs in the PARADISE, plus the labor cost, plus the price of the electricity, you see that just one aspect of reopening this beauty is daunting, to say the least. If I had the MILLIONS of dollars to spare, I would take the risk, but the fact is that very few entertainment venues today make a real profit. Most are considered successful if they just meet their costs (taxes, repairs, services, personnel, etc. etc.!) and that is not any inducement to lure big investors who want a return on their investment. The PARADISE would be a wonderful setting for a number of businesses, but the costs to divide, heat and cool (as well as light) such new areas can be overwhelming to small businesses. And these days, the people are different too. In the 20s it was unlikely that significant vandalism could occur, but these days anything that ‘isn’t nailed down’ is up for grabs, and youngsters absolutely delight in seeing just how much damage they do without being seen. No place is safe, and so ornamental a property as a former movie palace is a ripe target to them, sad to say. So, how much more will sufficient security guards add to the already awsome costs?! I shed tears along with all the rest of you at the loss of our great movie palace heritage, but I would also hate to be the investor watching his building crumble for lack of enormous funds, while the city taxes it whether it earns money or not, and while battling thieves and vandals at every turn. Anyway, may the glorious PARADISE long continue in some form, despite these problems!
In 1973 the late Terry Helgesen wrote perhaps his finest story in the form of the ANNUAL for that year of the Theatre Historical Society of America, titled “The Hollywood Pantages” and in its 26 pages, he produced its whole story to that time. There are dozens of large scale black and white photos to be seen there, as well as a reproduction of the longitudinal cross section from the blueprints, and a full page portrait photo of Alexander Pantages. The 8-1/2x11 inch softbound is Out Of Print, but may be available from the sources listed below.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on the sidebar of their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
And yet the subsequent two editions retain the caption to those missing color plates, no doubt confusing to a great many people!
I should have listed the URL of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOC. OF AMERICA: www.HistoricTheatres.org
For those wishing to relive this, one of the most ornate, yet genteel of the movies palaces ever built, he would do no better than to view the ANNUAL of 1986 of the “The Earle Theatre” by the late Irvin R. Glazer, as listed for sale on the site of the Theatre Historical Soc. of America. Go to their ‘Publications: Back Issues List’ page by clicking on the link by that name on their sidebar, and details are there given to order it. The 40 pages of this softbound contain dozens of black and white photos (color still photography did not exist when the theatre opened) that reveal the extravagance of detail and materials expended upon this Adam style design. From its birth in 1924 to its razing in 1953, it was a hallmark of ‘class’ in theatres of restrained opulence. In fact, the draperies on just the lobby’s minor archways were of such richness that just one pair of the double sided portieres with their elaborate galloons, tassels with rosettes, mold double fringes and embroidered panels of velvet over the antique sating legs, would cost approx. $150,000 each in this day and age! This is one of the reasons that such elaborate draperies are rarely if ever reproduced today. The design of the tassels shown there also appears on page 151 (center photo) of the 1981 book “La Passementerie” by Pierre Boudet and Bernard Gomond, published by Dessain et Tolra, Paris, hence the draperies as well as their passementeries (trimmings) may well have been designed and made in France, an unusually expensive practice not know to have been done in other movie palaces.
The ANNUAL also has a most unusual photo on its page 38 of the Interior Decorating Dept. of the architects Hoffman-Henon in 1924 showing the unnamed man responsible for putting all the interior artistry together, a rare view into internal workings. The EARLE sported enough marble to fill a small quarry, and even the marble drinking fountains had stained glass canopies — illuminated — above them! Giant murals and tapestries filled areas that were not marble, and the auditorium sported two elegant panels of gilded grillework in classical motifs to conceal the swell shutters of the theatre pipe organ. As the photos reveal, much of the organ pipework fell with the demolition. They will not build theatres as opulent as the EARLE again, so enjoy the memories of it in this lavish 8-1/2x11 inch booklet.
Jim Rankin
The Theatre Historical Soc. issued a 41-page ANNUAL titled: “Times Square Paramount” in 1976, but it is unfortunately out of print. Some libraries were/are subscribers to their “Marquee” magazine and therefore also received the ANNUAL for that year, so check nearby libraries; every library can also check for you the Union List of Serials to find out what other libraries have copies of it from that year that you might go to see. The Society retains all the original photos used in that publication as well as many more that they will reproduce for you for a fee. See their ARCHIVE link on the sidebar of their site at: www.HistoricTheatres.org It is possible that if enough interest is present, they will reprint that ANNUAL as they have done with other titles.
There was no color still photography in the 1920s, hence photos of that day are always black and white, but we are fortunate in the case of the NY PARAMOUNT to have had a color painting done of the proscenium to show the enormous Grand Drapery on it, and that painting is reproduced in color on page 255 of the 1927—1932 book: “Decorative Draperies and Upholsteries” by Edward Thorne. You could put that volume on any color copier and get an excellent copy suitable for framing. It is interesting that the 6-story-high draperies depicted there were made also by men from Chicago, as a commenter alludes to in a previous Comment. They and all the many other draperies in the theatre had their trimmings (giant pendants, tassles, fringes, gonfalons, etc.) made by the E.L. Mansure Co., formerly of Chicago. The portion of the proscenium ceiling dome shown there is depicted as merely painted clouds, but in reality, the cove-lit, long rectangular space had a mural of a winged goddess standing in front of the disk of the moon, with cupids aflight all around her, as revealed by the opening day photos in that ANNUAL.
That Annual also reveals that the Grand Lobby originaly had TWO enormous crystal chandeliers, which were removed during World War II in fear of their falling upon people during anticipated bombings during the war, which turned out to be an excess of caution. For the same reason, the eight auditorium chandeliers were also removed; it appears that none of them were ever replaced, so what one person commenting saw in later years were likely smaller, cheaper replacements in the lobby in later years.
There are also there photos of the unique Promenade in the dome of the auditorium as someone alludes to previously, and while it may have been closed off due to patron noises, it seems more likely to me that it was too difficult and expensive to ‘police’ with perhaps 15 more ushers needed to survey the 60-foot-long ellipse, the corridors leading to it, as well as the elevators serving it. When the Great Depression arrived just three years after opening, the PARAMOUNT no doubt began to feel the pressure to reduce costs as did everyone else; the grand decade of the extravagant was definitely over. It is also possible that the patrons were prone to toss little things down upon the audience —just for kicks, you know— and obviously the ushers couldn’t be at everyone’s side when something was tossed, and management couldn’t allow such goingson to continue! A novel idea, but too impractical given human nature, and glazing the 24 openings would have been prohibitively expensive at the time they closed the area. In Milwaukee, Rapp&Rapp also did two theatres that had the ‘Overview’ portals from the back wall of the mezzanine lobby looking down upon the orchestra seats below, and they quickly found that the patrons loved to toss items down upon the audience, and therefore in the case of the WISCONSIN the portals were glazed over, allowing views but nothing else. In the case of the MODJESKA, which is still standing, the portals are boarded over and not apparent except fromt the seats below.
Some other photos of the “Times Sq. Paramount” are also to be seen in that landmark book: “The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace” by the late Ben M. Hall, founder of the Theatre Historical Society. This 1961 opus is the seminal work in the field and not to be missed; copies of it are available on Inter-Library Loan, as well as for sale from www.Amazon.com .
Jim Rankin [email][/email
The “bicycling” of films, as Mr. Coles refers to in his Comment, was referred to as “railroading” of films here in Milwaukee in years past, and a fascinating article about one of its practitioners, Robert Rothschild, appeared by him in the issue of MARQUEE magazine of Third Qtr., 1985, pages 10 through 12, where his 4000-some word article pictures the 1940s through 1960s. While his article is not itself illustrated, the issue does feature a “Portfolio [of photos] of Milwaukee Theatres” that feature some mentioned in his text. It is their Vol. 17, #3, and is available as a Back Issue via their web site’s link at: www.HistoricTheatres.org . One might do well to inquire of them via the address on their front page as to any other Projectiionist items they may hav
I must add my Congratulations also, since CT has become one of the most well known resources on the web and a pleasure for me to add some 20 theatres to. I must also comment upon the very gentlemanly team of Messrs. Crowley and Melnick; they are a pleasure to work with, and I am sure that they will continue to improve this resource in the years to come. Who really knows how many theatres that they have unwittingly contributed to through the means of this site? Who will ever know how many theatres will be able to trace their rebirth back to this site and those who use it? Bravo, gentlemen
These may not be quite the ‘golden oldies’ you had hoped for in memories, but if you clik on the link to Milwukee’s PARADISE theatre: /theaters/2927/ you will see in my comment at bottom a possible gem. Also, if you click on the link at the top ‘MILWAUKEE’ you will get a list and there click on WARNER/GRAND to get another projection experience at the bottom.
Of course, you will get the most such responses at the www.Film-Tech.com site. It is a huge site and you may have to scan dozens of pages.
Best Wishes, Jim Rankin
Mr. Racey, I envy you your years experiencing the CAPITOL. You give some wonderful memories of the theatre which could make for a fine story at the CAPITOL’s listing here, and for the printed record in the MARQUEE magazine of the Theatre Historical Society. You might also consider their MEMORIES page on their site, given below.
There are two other premiere sites which may have information you seek:
The Theatre Historical Soc. of America also has files/photos on many Canadian theatres, and you would do well to contact them via their web site: www.HistoricTheatres.org by E-mailing the Executive Director, Richard Sklenar, as to what they might have about the CAPITOL. Go to their ARCHIVE link on the sidebar to learn more about their services.
Information about the sound system will no doubt be available at: www.Film-Tech.com They have hundreds of pages on their site of not only operating manuals, and photos of theatres, but also books on the subject, and a galaxy of experts in the field to answer any question you might have.
You might want to round out your research by reading such books as: “Palaces of the Night: Canada’s Grand Theatres” by John Lindsay; and that landmark book: “The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace” by the late Ben M. Hall. Both books are available from www.amazon.com and also via Inter-Library loan at your local public or school library.
Best Wishes, Jim Rankin (
I didn’t send in this story because it is not the end of the story; the common council must still vote on this recommendation. No date for that has been given. Jim Rankin
RedDawg is perfectly correct as to the sad depredations done to theatres in the guise of “restoration.” True restoration does not include such odious intrusions as he describes that are now common in today’s ‘modern’ theatres. Sad to say, modern stagecraft is all about technology and virtually worships it. Ever since President Kennedy called for the heavy promotion of science and mathematics in our schools to the virtual exclusion of arts and history, we have had an ever more crass population without the moral and artistic grounding that our forebears had. People born since then often have no real historic or social reference, and science is touted then as the ‘god’ to emulate. From this stock we get not only technicians/engineers, but also the architects and ‘artists’ that are competent to duplicate by consulting vintage photographs the artistry of earlier days, but are quite without the cultural frame of reference to understand the ‘whys’ of the graciousness of earlier days. The godless generations from that time have replaced artistry with efficiency, and restraint with a greed for quick money in all they do. Could we expect this not to influence the theatres they are called upon to ‘restore’? To them, the calls of the modern thralls of science in the form of countless technical consultants are the calls of the gods of their day and age. The old designs may be quaint to them, but they are never taken seriously, so if an ‘authority’ on theatres and stages calls for a monstrous truss to hang in bold view with cables dangling through holes punched in murals, it is only to increase ‘usability’ they say. With only a profit motive ever in view, it is easy to justify the desecration of any space, no matter how revered. You ask for more “subtle” solutions? Do not hold your breath. In a day and age of crass and brazenness, we cannot expect them to take the time to devise artistic and subtle (or “transparent” as current lingo goes) means to hide the devices really necessary to achieve a good show. Trouble is, a good show is as the movies these days: no real story or artistry, but a vapid display of special effects at deafening sound levels. To a populace raised on such, what is a few more holes in the plaster? When a style is promoted called ‘High Tech’, are we to expect it to be to us appreciators of beauty, other than ‘High Ugly’? Resign yourself to this audacity, RedDwag, since to criticize the blatancy of High Tech is to disavow the worship of their real gods: money and power. They have the power now, and the Hipp and many other theatres will become their victims, all in the name of keeping their doors open at any cos