SchineHistorian: Yes, I really should have asked you, our wonderful Schine expert. A local town near me has a building that says Swetland Opera House at the top, but it is, of all things, an apartment building now so I do appreciate a town keeping their opera house! One time I did speak with a resident of this building and they told me that some of the apartments show signs of the building’s past as an opera house. I’m not sure what they meant and would like to see the interior of the building. If I get inside, I’ll let you know.
Lost Memory: Now that’s a thought, but I have friends in that area who will check out Phil for me while I watch the TV coverage each year anyway. LOL I have gone to the town and seen where Phil appears each year. Many of these small PA towns that had theatres don’t have them anymore and it is such a shame…Dubois, Brookville, Punxy, Titusville and the list goes on!
Lost Memory: And don’t you just love it when after the word owner is says PRIVATE! That is when I really get curious as to the owner’s intentions and if those intentions have any theatre focus.
Lost Memory: I wonder what happened to the Wurlitzer organ that is listed as being in or having been in this theatre? This PA town is near my husband’s hometown of Brookville. Maybe sometime I’ll get to “Punxy” and look around the 230 North Findley Street address.
Lost Memory: Your Oct. 14, 2005 post that shows a b/w photo of the Geneva Theatre now proves to me that it is one in the same with the renamed Smith Opera House. The angle in the above postcard photo didn’t explain it to me until I looked at your previous post which shows the front exterior straight on. I do wonder why the folks of Geneva changed the exterior and also change the name? I would have left well enough alone!
Warren: These interior Ute photos are simply very unique and I sure hope the Old West paintings and decor still exist as that is what made it so unique. But I had to remind myself that the function of this restaurant according to CT is that it’s a restaurant now so it’s anyone’s guess if those Old West paintings are covered up and could be exposed again in the restaurant. Perhaps a CT member who lives near this theatre could tell us….would be nice to know.
I would think that the arts council would advertise this theatre in some trade magazines to get the word out about this theatre. I was in the Winter Garden several summers ago when a realtor was showing the property to I guess interested people, but unfortunately the tour didn’t end in a sale. I totally agree with your comments in regards to the last fire when cost saving decisions were made that resulted in removing the ornamentation which then converted a once grand theater into a very basic and plain movie house. Such a shame. I don’t know if Jamestown has an historical society other than the Fenton Museum, but an organization such as that should have stepped up to the plate and made sure changes were not made to the Winter Garden because in today’s world it will be astronomical to replace the ornamentation and making the repairs needed. The folks who had the theater and didn’t do the theater any favors was DIPSON! After they discontinued operating the Winter Garden they built the new theater complex in Lakewood and never looked back! Someone asked about the marquee….I’m sure that is long gone. It wasn’t part of the original design of the theater’s exterior. My favorite marquee design is squared off or curved rather than the “V” shaped ones which was like the Winter Garden marquee.
jamestownguy/Ishmael528: Thank you both for your recent informative posts. It seems there are more than a few folks in Jamestown who know alot about this theater and most of these folks would like to see the Winter Garden brought back to its original glory as would I. Is it realistically possible? CT member, “Gib” seems to think so which is encouraging.
Gustavelifting: I visited Gettysburg last November for the Remembrance Weekend and will never see Gettysburg in the same way ever again. You must get the soundtrack of the movie Gettysburg as the music is awesome!
When I viewed the photo I read the “rather petite, but lovely” comment. This theatre is not petite as I have been there and was given a complete tour by Rob.
“Some of her Hollywood friends and co-stars included Rudy Vallee, Errol Flynn, Marilyn Monroe, Al Jolson, Mervyn LeRoy, Lana Turner, Mickey Rooney, Mary Pickford, Humphrey Bogart, Paul Muni, Jimmy Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, Ann Sheridan, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Claudette Colbert, Billie Burke, Rock Hudson, Boris Karloff, Jack Warner. and many more. She appeared in such classic films as Little Big Shot, A Dream Comes True, The Great OMalley, The Littlest Diplomat, Comet Over Broadway, The Little Princess, etc.” Please comment on some of these stars and how it was to work with them. I see that Clark Gable is listed! I know a man who worked with Rock Hudson and knew him personally. Also, which Warner brother is on the cover of your book, My Fifteen Minutes? Through my travels and interest in the Warner Brothers I have met Cass Warner. She was in New Castle PA for the Silent Film Festival at the time I spoke with her and had a picture taken. What a delightful lady.
What was Erroll Flynn like and did you ever meet and work with Clark Gable? When you mentioned Lana Turner I always think of the movie, Imitation of Life with Sandra Dee and when I think of Bogart I think of the movie, Casablanca….“Here’s lookin' at you kid”.
Sybil: Thank you again for your wonderful posts as I don’t think that we have many former stars visit CT and to think you have chosen to post on the Grand Theater/Westfield NY site due to my comments about the movie, The Great O'Malley. I grew up in that area of western NYS and have to pick that theater as “my” theater as it holds so many wonderful memories for me. God Bless and I do plan to order your autobiography.
Below is a Amazon.com review of Sybil’s book….My Fifteen Minutes.
How often now are you going to get to read the real skinny about the Golden Age of Hollywood from one who starred opposite AL JOLSON and has plenty to say about him! Sadly most of his real life co-stars have passed away long ago but the children who knew him still remember him. Little Sybil Jason was a British charmer who made sixteen movies for Warner Brothers and Fox way back when (in the 1930s) and her memoirs are outstanding!
You owe it to yourself to read her account of making her very first American movie LITTLE BIG SHOT (1935) with Glenda Farrell and Ward Bond! As she tells the story, Michael Curtiz set one of the scenes at a real life Hollywood orphanage and, in the interests of realism, recruited real orphans to mingle with the child actors. Thus did you know that little Marilyn Monroe can be glimpsed in LITTLE BIG SHOT a dozen years before her first “officially recognized role”? It’s just one of hundreds of startling facts you’ll find in this book.
Little Sybil had her favorites, and she’s not afraid to name names if someone hurt her back then. She has some beuatiful tributes to Jack Warner, Roddy McDowall, Peggy Ann Garner, Judy Garland, etc. She was there when, after starving herself all day, Judy was denied food at a Hollywood party by a MGM flunky who was assigned to take food out of her hands if she should try to eat something! No wonder Judy G. was troubled. Barbara Stanwyck comes off as self-absorbed, Errol Flynn as charming, even to children.
William Dieterle was the type of director a child feared, and Bogart thought of a way to punish him for his many cruelties! In this book Sybil Jason reveals that during a scene together Bogart unbuttoned his flies and hauled out his “equipment” while the cameras were rolling just to prevent William Dieterle from filming him when he was not ready. Poor Sybil, I think, saw an eyeful that day and she wasn’t even 10 years old.
That film footage would be interesting viewing today.
Shirley Temple’s mother ruined poor Sybil’s career, merely by telling Fox bosses that it was either Sybil or Shirley. After Sybil ran away with the notices for THE LITTLE PRINCESS and THE BLUE BIRD, Ma Temple made sure that Sybil never worked again!
Sybil was also very good playing Kay Francis' artistically inclined daughter in the superb James-Wong-Howe-lensed COMET OVER BROADWAY. She makes you laugh and makes you cry, often within a single frame.
Sybil: It’s rare when someone gets an opportunity to chat with a child movie star and can tell us through the pages of a book (or here) what it was like to work with and personally know such Hollywood names as Humphrey Bogart, Judy Garland, Lana Turner and Shirley Temple (everyone’s favorite child star)so I thank you for posting on CT and saying hello. Visit often!
Sybil: I just went on a discount book site, www.abebooks.com and found your book, My Fifteen Minutes. I will now look for Five Minutes More. Thanks for telling the CT members about these books as I’m sure many members would love to read them.
I just read about the cast of The Great O'Malley and plot. I see that you played Barbara “Babs” Phillips and Humphrey Bogart played John Phillips. “Officer O'Malley arrests John Phillips for a traffic violation and costs him a chance at a good job. Phillips has a wife and crippled child, so he commits robbery and O'Malley sends him to prison. After this O'Malley becomes closer to Phillips'family.”
wbkid2: It’s always exciting to find a post on this link and I thank you for yours, Sybil Jason! The marquee that I was referring to in my Dec. 11, ‘04 post was from the former Grand Theatre and not the one I remember from my childhood days.
SchineHistorian: Yes, I really should have asked you, our wonderful Schine expert. A local town near me has a building that says Swetland Opera House at the top, but it is, of all things, an apartment building now so I do appreciate a town keeping their opera house! One time I did speak with a resident of this building and they told me that some of the apartments show signs of the building’s past as an opera house. I’m not sure what they meant and would like to see the interior of the building. If I get inside, I’ll let you know.
Lost Memory: Now that’s a thought, but I have friends in that area who will check out Phil for me while I watch the TV coverage each year anyway. LOL I have gone to the town and seen where Phil appears each year. Many of these small PA towns that had theatres don’t have them anymore and it is such a shame…Dubois, Brookville, Punxy, Titusville and the list goes on!
Lost Memory: And don’t you just love it when after the word owner is says PRIVATE! That is when I really get curious as to the owner’s intentions and if those intentions have any theatre focus.
Lost Memory: I wonder what happened to the Wurlitzer organ that is listed as being in or having been in this theatre? This PA town is near my husband’s hometown of Brookville. Maybe sometime I’ll get to “Punxy” and look around the 230 North Findley Street address.
Would love to see some exterior/interior photos of this former theater.
Lost Memory: Your Oct. 14, 2005 post that shows a b/w photo of the Geneva Theatre now proves to me that it is one in the same with the renamed Smith Opera House. The angle in the above postcard photo didn’t explain it to me until I looked at your previous post which shows the front exterior straight on. I do wonder why the folks of Geneva changed the exterior and also change the name? I would have left well enough alone!
I hope to visit this theatre this winter during a trip to the Ocala area and then to the Tampa area to see the atmospheric Tampa Theatre!
Warren: These interior Ute photos are simply very unique and I sure hope the Old West paintings and decor still exist as that is what made it so unique. But I had to remind myself that the function of this restaurant according to CT is that it’s a restaurant now so it’s anyone’s guess if those Old West paintings are covered up and could be exposed again in the restaurant. Perhaps a CT member who lives near this theatre could tell us….would be nice to know.
Homeboy: It would be interesting to get the answers to the questions you have posed.
I would think that the arts council would advertise this theatre in some trade magazines to get the word out about this theatre. I was in the Winter Garden several summers ago when a realtor was showing the property to I guess interested people, but unfortunately the tour didn’t end in a sale. I totally agree with your comments in regards to the last fire when cost saving decisions were made that resulted in removing the ornamentation which then converted a once grand theater into a very basic and plain movie house. Such a shame. I don’t know if Jamestown has an historical society other than the Fenton Museum, but an organization such as that should have stepped up to the plate and made sure changes were not made to the Winter Garden because in today’s world it will be astronomical to replace the ornamentation and making the repairs needed. The folks who had the theater and didn’t do the theater any favors was DIPSON! After they discontinued operating the Winter Garden they built the new theater complex in Lakewood and never looked back! Someone asked about the marquee….I’m sure that is long gone. It wasn’t part of the original design of the theater’s exterior. My favorite marquee design is squared off or curved rather than the “V” shaped ones which was like the Winter Garden marquee.
Great photos, but so sad that the fabulous marquee, the art deco front doors and the ticket kios are all gone!
I didn’t get to Akron OH this summer to see their atmospheric, but do plan to see this atmospheric in March.
I didn’t get to Akron this summer to see this atmospheric, but hopefully next June when the Broadway musical, Jersey Boys comes to the Cleveland area.
jamestownguy/Ishmael528: Thank you both for your recent informative posts. It seems there are more than a few folks in Jamestown who know alot about this theater and most of these folks would like to see the Winter Garden brought back to its original glory as would I. Is it realistically possible? CT member, “Gib” seems to think so which is encouraging.
Paul: Sorry to read that you “have no idea what happened to the clock”. If you ever hear, let me know. Thanks!
Gustavelifting: I visited Gettysburg last November for the Remembrance Weekend and will never see Gettysburg in the same way ever again. You must get the soundtrack of the movie Gettysburg as the music is awesome!
When I viewed the photo I read the “rather petite, but lovely” comment. This theatre is not petite as I have been there and was given a complete tour by Rob.
“Some of her Hollywood friends and co-stars included Rudy Vallee, Errol Flynn, Marilyn Monroe, Al Jolson, Mervyn LeRoy, Lana Turner, Mickey Rooney, Mary Pickford, Humphrey Bogart, Paul Muni, Jimmy Cagney, Edward G. Robinson, Ann Sheridan, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Claudette Colbert, Billie Burke, Rock Hudson, Boris Karloff, Jack Warner. and many more. She appeared in such classic films as Little Big Shot, A Dream Comes True, The Great OMalley, The Littlest Diplomat, Comet Over Broadway, The Little Princess, etc.” Please comment on some of these stars and how it was to work with them. I see that Clark Gable is listed! I know a man who worked with Rock Hudson and knew him personally. Also, which Warner brother is on the cover of your book, My Fifteen Minutes? Through my travels and interest in the Warner Brothers I have met Cass Warner. She was in New Castle PA for the Silent Film Festival at the time I spoke with her and had a picture taken. What a delightful lady.
What was Erroll Flynn like and did you ever meet and work with Clark Gable? When you mentioned Lana Turner I always think of the movie, Imitation of Life with Sandra Dee and when I think of Bogart I think of the movie, Casablanca….“Here’s lookin' at you kid”.
Sybil: Thank you again for your wonderful posts as I don’t think that we have many former stars visit CT and to think you have chosen to post on the Grand Theater/Westfield NY site due to my comments about the movie, The Great O'Malley. I grew up in that area of western NYS and have to pick that theater as “my” theater as it holds so many wonderful memories for me. God Bless and I do plan to order your autobiography.
Below is a Amazon.com review of Sybil’s book….My Fifteen Minutes.
How often now are you going to get to read the real skinny about the Golden Age of Hollywood from one who starred opposite AL JOLSON and has plenty to say about him! Sadly most of his real life co-stars have passed away long ago but the children who knew him still remember him. Little Sybil Jason was a British charmer who made sixteen movies for Warner Brothers and Fox way back when (in the 1930s) and her memoirs are outstanding!
You owe it to yourself to read her account of making her very first American movie LITTLE BIG SHOT (1935) with Glenda Farrell and Ward Bond! As she tells the story, Michael Curtiz set one of the scenes at a real life Hollywood orphanage and, in the interests of realism, recruited real orphans to mingle with the child actors. Thus did you know that little Marilyn Monroe can be glimpsed in LITTLE BIG SHOT a dozen years before her first “officially recognized role”? It’s just one of hundreds of startling facts you’ll find in this book.
Little Sybil had her favorites, and she’s not afraid to name names if someone hurt her back then. She has some beuatiful tributes to Jack Warner, Roddy McDowall, Peggy Ann Garner, Judy Garland, etc. She was there when, after starving herself all day, Judy was denied food at a Hollywood party by a MGM flunky who was assigned to take food out of her hands if she should try to eat something! No wonder Judy G. was troubled. Barbara Stanwyck comes off as self-absorbed, Errol Flynn as charming, even to children.
William Dieterle was the type of director a child feared, and Bogart thought of a way to punish him for his many cruelties! In this book Sybil Jason reveals that during a scene together Bogart unbuttoned his flies and hauled out his “equipment” while the cameras were rolling just to prevent William Dieterle from filming him when he was not ready. Poor Sybil, I think, saw an eyeful that day and she wasn’t even 10 years old.
That film footage would be interesting viewing today.
Shirley Temple’s mother ruined poor Sybil’s career, merely by telling Fox bosses that it was either Sybil or Shirley. After Sybil ran away with the notices for THE LITTLE PRINCESS and THE BLUE BIRD, Ma Temple made sure that Sybil never worked again!
Sybil was also very good playing Kay Francis' artistically inclined daughter in the superb James-Wong-Howe-lensed COMET OVER BROADWAY. She makes you laugh and makes you cry, often within a single frame.
Sybil: It’s rare when someone gets an opportunity to chat with a child movie star and can tell us through the pages of a book (or here) what it was like to work with and personally know such Hollywood names as Humphrey Bogart, Judy Garland, Lana Turner and Shirley Temple (everyone’s favorite child star)so I thank you for posting on CT and saying hello. Visit often!
Sybil: I just went on a discount book site, www.abebooks.com and found your book, My Fifteen Minutes. I will now look for Five Minutes More. Thanks for telling the CT members about these books as I’m sure many members would love to read them.
I just read about the cast of The Great O'Malley and plot. I see that you played Barbara “Babs” Phillips and Humphrey Bogart played John Phillips. “Officer O'Malley arrests John Phillips for a traffic violation and costs him a chance at a good job. Phillips has a wife and crippled child, so he commits robbery and O'Malley sends him to prison. After this O'Malley becomes closer to Phillips'family.”
wbkid2: It’s always exciting to find a post on this link and I thank you for yours, Sybil Jason! The marquee that I was referring to in my Dec. 11, ‘04 post was from the former Grand Theatre and not the one I remember from my childhood days.