Additional history courtesy Stephen Leigh.
(Images added)
“Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray in Billy Wilder’s "The Apartment” opens July 4, 1960 at the newly-renovated Rialto Theatre in Edmonton.
The interior of the building has been entirely rebuilt and renovated.
New pillow seats have been installed and are spaced to provide ample leg room.
A new 40x20 foot screen replaces the old 14x28 foot screen which will allow for the presentation of Todd AO and other 70 MM wide screen productions.
The new equipment carries six stereophonic sound tracks replacing the four for 35 MM pictures.
Cost of renovations and equipment totals $200,000.
Lillian Wilke will manage the New Rialto Theatre, Edmonton’s Most Beautiful Theatre."
Two auditorium photos added.
Below description credit Charles Payne.
“I grew up in the Sherwood Forest subdivision. My first job was as a concessionist at the Park Theatre. It was an 850 seat neighborhood movie theater located on Park Avenue near the intersection of Park and Highland. It was built in the 1940s and it had a complete apartment upstairs where the original owner lived.”
“The Odeon Theatre opens on July 1, 1954 with Gregory Peck in Ronald Neame’s "Man With a Million”. Located at 10081 Jasper Avenue in Edmonton. This single screen theatre has 1,125 seats and is managed by Sam Binder. Twinned on August 31, 1973. Theatre 1 has 626 seats and opens with “Jesus Christ Superstar”, Theatre 2 has 420 seats and opens with “A Touch of Class”. Theatres close on July 28, 1988 with Theatre 1 showing “Bull Durham” and Theatre 2 showing “The Great Outdoors”."
Five August 1928 images and description added courtesy of bldg. 51 archive and Urban Remains. (Via Urban Remains Facebook page)
“finally beginning to digitize a massive pile of original 8 x 10 silver gelatin photographic prints of work done by the short-lived chicago architectural firm of graven and mayger (1927-28). i hope to have this project completed by the end of the month.
i’ve included a few images (interior and posterior) of detroit’s 3400-seat holywood theater completed in 1927. the theater was demolished in 1963 to make way for a parking lot."
chicago architects graven and mayger had apprenticed with noted theater architects c.w. rapp and g.l. rapp, whose chicago firm designed some 400 movie palaces across the country, starting in 1921 with the lavish french baroque chicago theater.
compared to rapp & rapp, the firm of graven & mayger was a flash in the pan. in a partnership spanning just 15 months in 1927-1928, the pair designed eight grand theaters across the country before finding their way to obscurity."
Per Judy Brach Kannard: “In the 60s, the theater was then turned into a teen center. We had dances there and it was kind of comical because the floor was still slanted in the theater part from when the theater chairs were in there.”
On this day in 1879, the Tabor Opera House in Leadville opened. 🎭
After only 100 days of construction, the new opera house opened in Leadville thanks to Horace Tabor. At the time of opening it was said to be the grandest theater between Saint Louis and San Francisco.
The theater was elegant and included two retail stores, multiple floors, and an enclosed skywalk to the Clarendon Hotel (we all know how cold Leadville can be as the highest town in Colorado!).
The interior featured frescoes, custom carpets, and hand-painted stage curtains. The opera house even had the first gas lights in Leadville and they helped illuminate the fancy theater.
Today, the original Italianate exterior of the building is largely intact, making the building a contributing member of the Leadville Historic District as well as becoming one of the nation’s very first National Historic Landmarks in 1961. The Opera House has also been a State Historical Fund grant recipient, and we’re thrilled to support their ongoing efforts. The building is currently being used for theater productions, while simultaneously undergoing various rehabilitation."
The Egyptian Theater was opened in Delta in 1928. The original stage curtains were said to be beautiful with vibrant colors and a number of ancient Egyptian-style figures, each one unique.
The curtains were fabricated in the theater at cost of $3,000 (1928) dollars, which would be the equivalent of over $42,000 today.
After hanging in the theater for many years, the curtains disappeared into history. We assume they were discarded after more than two decades of use. The last photograph the Delta County Museum has is from 1950 and it is in black and white. If anyone has a color photograph of the curtains, or knows definitively what became of them, please let us know, and we will pass that information on to the Delta Museum.
After its initial heyday, the Egyptian Theater fell into decline, but was renovated in the 1990s to reflect its former glory."
Fire and Reconstruction:
Prior to 1916, there was a wooden structure at 116 E. Washington called the Princess Theater, which offered films, along with live entertainment acts and the Princess Theater Orchestra. That building was destroyed by fire in early 1916. Construction on the pres- ent theater building began sometime in 1916, with all indications pointing to Saturday, May 12, 1917 as the opening day. The film shown at the grand opening was William Farnum
in “Fires of Conscience” in six parts. The newspaper advertisement said, “Come to the Princess and be enter- tained. All our features are the high- est class films.” Matinee prices were 10 cents for children and 15 cents for adults; evening prices were 10 and 20 cents.
The Rushville Times article that announced the opening said, “The Princess Theater is one of the most complete amusement houses in central Illinois. Transient visitors to Rushville will be impressed with this magnificent theater and carry away the impression of the city’s progres- siveness as represented in its amuse- ment place. The show room is 80 feet long. The new Princess will seat 475 people and its arrangement is well nigh perfect, no expense being spared in the installation of modern equipment.” An orchestra pit was installed in front of the small stage. The films were silent, so a musician had to sit at the piano, watch the screen, and cue the needed musical sounds. The building had six handsome ceiling fixtures. Along the side pilasters were sconces, the bottom of which contained blue lights, with electric fans attached on top. A hot water system was added. The ticket counter was at the right
of the small lobby, which was adorned with posters announcing coming attractions. There were no restrooms or concession counter and although there was a popcorn stand on the corner of the square, the management forbade bringing in refreshments.
The Early Years:
A Hinners pipe organ, built in nearby Pekin, was installed in March of 1924. The Princess’s organ had five sets of pipes and a harp. The organ chamber was located to the right of the projection booth, while the console was located in the orchestra pit so the organist could watch the screen and cue the sound effects. Bigger pictures sent a score along with the reels of film, but for lesser films, he had to make up his own cues. Mrs. Steinmill- er from Peoria’s Madison Theater played for the first two weeks. After that, Beulah “Sis” Hopkins played for several months. Later, Rushville’s Mildred Sloan was the full-time organist. Former Rushvillian Robert “Bob” Moore was the organist on special occasions; he went on to be organist for Balaban & Katz theaters in the Chicago area. During the early years, the Princess showed films Monday through Saturday, but not Sunday, when one was supposed to attend church rather than going to movies. In the late 1920s, there was a movement afoot to permit showing pictures on Sunday. Although local churches opposed showing movies on Sunday, the practice was approved when put to a vote. Shows started at 7 p.m., with a second showing at 9 p.m., if there was enough of an audience. There were also matinees on Saturday, and on Sunday after the blue laws had been put to rest. The year 1929 brought talking pictures to the Princess. Several changes were made to the Princess during the 1930s. The ceiling fixtures were removed and recessed lighting installed. The lobby gained recessed cove lighting. The ticket booth was moved to the center of the lobby and the area where it had been was converted into a ladies’ restroom with a crying room. A men’s restroom was added on the opposite wall. Air conditioning was installed, and the Princess became the coolest place in town on a summer evening. The stage was extended and outfitted with a new curtain, floodlights and stage lights. A new screen was installed, the sound system was upgraded, and the old wooden seats were replaced with more com- fortable ones. The Carl Pearson family owned the theater. During one of the remodelings, the Princess was renamed the Lloyd, after Carl’s son, and a new neon-lighted marquee was installed. During the 1940s, Carl died and Lloyd returned to operate the Rushville theater. About this time, a concession stand was added in a corner of the lobby. The original flat floor was removed during the 1950s and replaced with a sloped floor that afforded better viewing. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, television changed the movie industry, and the Lloyd Theater began showing films only on weekends. After Lloyd’s health began to fail during the 1970s, the theater was closed and put up for sale.
Changes in Ownership:
Ray and Margie Roloff purchased the theater, renamed it the Schuy-Ville, and changed the marquee. They continued showing movies on the weekends, and constantly upgraded the facility during the nine years they operated it. David Grate operated the theater for a few years, but it eventually closed and was again put up for sale. Realizing that a movie theater was a definite asset for the community,
a group of local citizens formed The Princess Theater Corporation and sold stock with the purpose of purchasing and re-opening the theater. The name “Princess Theater” was restored and work began on the many repairs needed. A new screen, surround-sound system and stage curtain were purchased, the building was re-wired, new lights and air-conditioning were installed, a sagging beam was repaired and the marquee was upgraded with new neon tubes. On September 8, 1995, the Princess re-opened with Marie Wallace as manager. The first movie offered was “Apollo 13”.
Additional history credit Lisa Ruble.
“Zoe Theatre in Pittsfield was named after Clark’s granddaughter Zoe Armentrout (1929-1992). Zoe was the daughter of Russell, Clark’s son, who was also involved with the theatres.”
1960 image added.
Circa 1977 photo added credit Tucson Citizen, from below link. Courtesy Save the Signs Facebook page.
https://tucson.com/news/local/speedways-label-as-ugliest-street-in-the-us-can-be-traced-back-to-tucsons-1962/article_1f190f1e-98c1-5b21-90ec-db3f5a6b0802.html?fbclid=IwAR0zWCWn9dd1jh3I3wzIvulkAr2ZZLueUrh6SsYgZzTKwBZPjlyMc3El7i8
Additional history courtesy Stephen Leigh. (Images added)
“Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray in Billy Wilder’s "The Apartment” opens July 4, 1960 at the newly-renovated Rialto Theatre in Edmonton.
The interior of the building has been entirely rebuilt and renovated.
New pillow seats have been installed and are spaced to provide ample leg room.
A new 40x20 foot screen replaces the old 14x28 foot screen which will allow for the presentation of Todd AO and other 70 MM wide screen productions.
The new equipment carries six stereophonic sound tracks replacing the four for 35 MM pictures.
Cost of renovations and equipment totals $200,000.
Lillian Wilke will manage the New Rialto Theatre, Edmonton’s Most Beautiful Theatre."
Circa 1966 print ad added courtesy Bowdoinham Historical Society.
Two auditorium photos added. Below description credit Charles Payne. “I grew up in the Sherwood Forest subdivision. My first job was as a concessionist at the Park Theatre. It was an 850 seat neighborhood movie theater located on Park Avenue near the intersection of Park and Highland. It was built in the 1940s and it had a complete apartment upstairs where the original owner lived.”
1927 photo courtesy Memphis Fire Department Archives, via Vincent Astor, from his book “Memphis Movie Theatres” Images of America.
August 8, 1974 print ad as Star Adult Cinema added.
Columbus Sports Connection is the current tenant. Multiple images added of previous conversion to Revco.
2017 article with multiple photos.
https://onmilwaukee.com/history/articles/spelunking-marquette-varsity-theater.html?fbclid=IwAR2n4crVrO8RMa47AZdsMQ82ON_00bOCn5ngYo2DfjmqCsoNcrf2UUIbNYs
Additional history credit Stephen Leigh:
“The Odeon Theatre opens on July 1, 1954 with Gregory Peck in Ronald Neame’s "Man With a Million”. Located at 10081 Jasper Avenue in Edmonton. This single screen theatre has 1,125 seats and is managed by Sam Binder. Twinned on August 31, 1973. Theatre 1 has 626 seats and opens with “Jesus Christ Superstar”, Theatre 2 has 420 seats and opens with “A Touch of Class”. Theatres close on July 28, 1988 with Theatre 1 showing “Bull Durham” and Theatre 2 showing “The Great Outdoors”."
Five August 1928 images and description added courtesy of bldg. 51 archive and Urban Remains. (Via Urban Remains Facebook page)
“finally beginning to digitize a massive pile of original 8 x 10 silver gelatin photographic prints of work done by the short-lived chicago architectural firm of graven and mayger (1927-28). i hope to have this project completed by the end of the month.
i’ve included a few images (interior and posterior) of detroit’s 3400-seat holywood theater completed in 1927. the theater was demolished in 1963 to make way for a parking lot."
chicago architects graven and mayger had apprenticed with noted theater architects c.w. rapp and g.l. rapp, whose chicago firm designed some 400 movie palaces across the country, starting in 1921 with the lavish french baroque chicago theater.
compared to rapp & rapp, the firm of graven & mayger was a flash in the pan. in a partnership spanning just 15 months in 1927-1928, the pair designed eight grand theaters across the country before finding their way to obscurity."
Water & Power Associates website with multiple vintage photos.
https://waterandpower.org/Museum2/Ivar_Theatre.html?fbclid=IwAR2rETuSNJvX0DlkoIeKew5MKc6FT1iFtfREKz1V9pUw8kikMiE1kjNoFmA
Water & Power Associates website with multiple vintage photos.
https://waterandpower.org/museum/Early_LA_Buildings%20(1925%20+)_1_of_8.html?fbclid=IwAR1lX7MwR-B7JOo00XCauScOyIvE8JH7-uWLXd3HLct6TthaapoIJLyY71U
Update: Photo credit Dr. Gene Ossello.
Update: Photo credit Dr. Gene Ossello.
Images added.
January – February 1944.
Per Judy Brach Kannard: “In the 60s, the theater was then turned into a teen center. We had dances there and it was kind of comical because the floor was still slanted in the theater part from when the theater chairs were in there.”
Additional history credit History Colorado.
“November 20, 2019
On this day in 1879, the Tabor Opera House in Leadville opened. 🎭
After only 100 days of construction, the new opera house opened in Leadville thanks to Horace Tabor. At the time of opening it was said to be the grandest theater between Saint Louis and San Francisco.
The theater was elegant and included two retail stores, multiple floors, and an enclosed skywalk to the Clarendon Hotel (we all know how cold Leadville can be as the highest town in Colorado!).
The interior featured frescoes, custom carpets, and hand-painted stage curtains. The opera house even had the first gas lights in Leadville and they helped illuminate the fancy theater.
Today, the original Italianate exterior of the building is largely intact, making the building a contributing member of the Leadville Historic District as well as becoming one of the nation’s very first National Historic Landmarks in 1961. The Opera House has also been a State Historical Fund grant recipient, and we’re thrilled to support their ongoing efforts. The building is currently being used for theater productions, while simultaneously undergoing various rehabilitation."
Additional history credit William Thomas and the Delta County Historical Museum.
“Egyptian Theater Stage Curtain (image added), Delta, Colorado 1928-1950
The Egyptian Theater was opened in Delta in 1928. The original stage curtains were said to be beautiful with vibrant colors and a number of ancient Egyptian-style figures, each one unique.
The curtains were fabricated in the theater at cost of $3,000 (1928) dollars, which would be the equivalent of over $42,000 today.
After hanging in the theater for many years, the curtains disappeared into history. We assume they were discarded after more than two decades of use. The last photograph the Delta County Museum has is from 1950 and it is in black and white. If anyone has a color photograph of the curtains, or knows definitively what became of them, please let us know, and we will pass that information on to the Delta Museum.
After its initial heyday, the Egyptian Theater fell into decline, but was renovated in the 1990s to reflect its former glory."
Built in 1909, opened in 1919, per “Theaters” book by Andrew Craig Morrison.
“Motion Picture Herald,” June 29, 1935.
Additional history credit Mason Vincent.
Princess Theater – Rushville, IL
Fire and Reconstruction: Prior to 1916, there was a wooden structure at 116 E. Washington called the Princess Theater, which offered films, along with live entertainment acts and the Princess Theater Orchestra. That building was destroyed by fire in early 1916. Construction on the pres- ent theater building began sometime in 1916, with all indications pointing to Saturday, May 12, 1917 as the opening day. The film shown at the grand opening was William Farnum in “Fires of Conscience” in six parts. The newspaper advertisement said, “Come to the Princess and be enter- tained. All our features are the high- est class films.” Matinee prices were 10 cents for children and 15 cents for adults; evening prices were 10 and 20 cents. The Rushville Times article that announced the opening said, “The Princess Theater is one of the most complete amusement houses in central Illinois. Transient visitors to Rushville will be impressed with this magnificent theater and carry away the impression of the city’s progres- siveness as represented in its amuse- ment place. The show room is 80 feet long. The new Princess will seat 475 people and its arrangement is well nigh perfect, no expense being spared in the installation of modern equipment.” An orchestra pit was installed in front of the small stage. The films were silent, so a musician had to sit at the piano, watch the screen, and cue the needed musical sounds. The building had six handsome ceiling fixtures. Along the side pilasters were sconces, the bottom of which contained blue lights, with electric fans attached on top. A hot water system was added. The ticket counter was at the right of the small lobby, which was adorned with posters announcing coming attractions. There were no restrooms or concession counter and although there was a popcorn stand on the corner of the square, the management forbade bringing in refreshments.
The Early Years: A Hinners pipe organ, built in nearby Pekin, was installed in March of 1924. The Princess’s organ had five sets of pipes and a harp. The organ chamber was located to the right of the projection booth, while the console was located in the orchestra pit so the organist could watch the screen and cue the sound effects. Bigger pictures sent a score along with the reels of film, but for lesser films, he had to make up his own cues. Mrs. Steinmill- er from Peoria’s Madison Theater played for the first two weeks. After that, Beulah “Sis” Hopkins played for several months. Later, Rushville’s Mildred Sloan was the full-time organist. Former Rushvillian Robert “Bob” Moore was the organist on special occasions; he went on to be organist for Balaban & Katz theaters in the Chicago area. During the early years, the Princess showed films Monday through Saturday, but not Sunday, when one was supposed to attend church rather than going to movies. In the late 1920s, there was a movement afoot to permit showing pictures on Sunday. Although local churches opposed showing movies on Sunday, the practice was approved when put to a vote. Shows started at 7 p.m., with a second showing at 9 p.m., if there was enough of an audience. There were also matinees on Saturday, and on Sunday after the blue laws had been put to rest. The year 1929 brought talking pictures to the Princess. Several changes were made to the Princess during the 1930s. The ceiling fixtures were removed and recessed lighting installed. The lobby gained recessed cove lighting. The ticket booth was moved to the center of the lobby and the area where it had been was converted into a ladies’ restroom with a crying room. A men’s restroom was added on the opposite wall. Air conditioning was installed, and the Princess became the coolest place in town on a summer evening. The stage was extended and outfitted with a new curtain, floodlights and stage lights. A new screen was installed, the sound system was upgraded, and the old wooden seats were replaced with more com- fortable ones. The Carl Pearson family owned the theater. During one of the remodelings, the Princess was renamed the Lloyd, after Carl’s son, and a new neon-lighted marquee was installed. During the 1940s, Carl died and Lloyd returned to operate the Rushville theater. About this time, a concession stand was added in a corner of the lobby. The original flat floor was removed during the 1950s and replaced with a sloped floor that afforded better viewing. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, television changed the movie industry, and the Lloyd Theater began showing films only on weekends. After Lloyd’s health began to fail during the 1970s, the theater was closed and put up for sale.
Changes in Ownership: Ray and Margie Roloff purchased the theater, renamed it the Schuy-Ville, and changed the marquee. They continued showing movies on the weekends, and constantly upgraded the facility during the nine years they operated it. David Grate operated the theater for a few years, but it eventually closed and was again put up for sale. Realizing that a movie theater was a definite asset for the community, a group of local citizens formed The Princess Theater Corporation and sold stock with the purpose of purchasing and re-opening the theater. The name “Princess Theater” was restored and work began on the many repairs needed. A new screen, surround-sound system and stage curtain were purchased, the building was re-wired, new lights and air-conditioning were installed, a sagging beam was repaired and the marquee was upgraded with new neon tubes. On September 8, 1995, the Princess re-opened with Marie Wallace as manager. The first movie offered was “Apollo 13”.
The Princess Theater Foundation: In 2013, The Princess Theater Corporation became The Princess Theater Foundation, a not-for-profit 501©(3) organization. The movies shown at the Princess are generally family or children oriented, however in late 2017 the board voted to begin showing select quality or historically accurate “R” rated movies in an effort to generate much needed revenue. The Princess relies on free will donations, concessions, and gate admissions to fund its operating expenses. The Princess received another much needed renovation in 2013. Since movies are no longer sent on film reels, but are digital files ingested from hard drives, there was a need for new digital equipment, including a projector system, screen and sound system. At that time, the roof was replaced, new seats and carpeting were installed, the lobby was painted and the restrooms were upgraded. The Princess now seats 245 with additional spaces for handicapped accessibility. An anonymous benefactor graciously provided funds for these projects so Rushville and the surrounding communities will be able to enjoy entertainment at the Princess Theater for years to come!"
Additional history credit Lisa Ruble. “Zoe Theatre in Pittsfield was named after Clark’s granddaughter Zoe Armentrout (1929-1992). Zoe was the daughter of Russell, Clark’s son, who was also involved with the theatres.” 1960 image added.