Joe – its difficult to believe that the image in Moving Picture World and the photo you post are the same theater project, even with the addition of a balcony level. Have you done any more research on this? Also I note that you credit George Grieble with the Alhambra. Yet the City Landmarks people only list the Gordon Square theater. Do you have a source that connects Grieble with the Alhambra? One more question – interested in how Knox and Elliot got the commission to design the Hipp – one of the largest theaters around. They were not theater specialists and I would love to know more about this project.
J. Love
To Roger Stewart: Thanks for your confirmation on murals for the Stillman and Park, and possibly the Keith’s 105th. I am not familiar with the names of the Uptown, the Granada the Knickerbocker or the Carter. would those have been major first run theaters? I’ll just hope that more information will turn up about these theaters and their decorative schemes. There are a few interiors photos of the Hipp that I’ve run into in the course of this research but I can’t quote the source right now. As I go through my material I will post anything that might be of interest. Surprisingly, Roger, none of the typical Cleveland resources for photos (Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland State, Western Reserve Historical Society) have much on the theaters. In response to the present state of the Hanna Theater, it is standing but not restored. The main floor of the theater is used on occasion for cabaret type productions (“Nunsense”, etc.), but I don’t know what Playhouse Square Foundation’s plans are for the theater long term. Thanks for your response.
To all fans of Cleveland theaters, I am preparing a manuscript for publication on Cleveland and the City Beautiful movement. Theaters are a part of this movement, and while I can find good information about the major Playhouse Square theaters (Allen, Ohio, Palace, State) information is less reliable about such theathers as the Hippodrome, Stillman, Lyric, Alhambra Hanna, and Park. There is at least one reference in the literature to the latter group as having either murals, sculpture, or both, to enhance the theater interiors. There may be others to add to this group as well. If anyone knows of such decorations and can name artists, architects and sculptors for these theaters I would be most grateful for the help.
Joe – its difficult to believe that the image in Moving Picture World and the photo you post are the same theater project, even with the addition of a balcony level. Have you done any more research on this? Also I note that you credit George Grieble with the Alhambra. Yet the City Landmarks people only list the Gordon Square theater. Do you have a source that connects Grieble with the Alhambra? One more question – interested in how Knox and Elliot got the commission to design the Hipp – one of the largest theaters around. They were not theater specialists and I would love to know more about this project. J. Love
To Roger Stewart: Thanks for your confirmation on murals for the Stillman and Park, and possibly the Keith’s 105th. I am not familiar with the names of the Uptown, the Granada the Knickerbocker or the Carter. would those have been major first run theaters? I’ll just hope that more information will turn up about these theaters and their decorative schemes. There are a few interiors photos of the Hipp that I’ve run into in the course of this research but I can’t quote the source right now. As I go through my material I will post anything that might be of interest. Surprisingly, Roger, none of the typical Cleveland resources for photos (Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland State, Western Reserve Historical Society) have much on the theaters. In response to the present state of the Hanna Theater, it is standing but not restored. The main floor of the theater is used on occasion for cabaret type productions (“Nunsense”, etc.), but I don’t know what Playhouse Square Foundation’s plans are for the theater long term. Thanks for your response.
To all fans of Cleveland theaters, I am preparing a manuscript for publication on Cleveland and the City Beautiful movement. Theaters are a part of this movement, and while I can find good information about the major Playhouse Square theaters (Allen, Ohio, Palace, State) information is less reliable about such theathers as the Hippodrome, Stillman, Lyric, Alhambra Hanna, and Park. There is at least one reference in the literature to the latter group as having either murals, sculpture, or both, to enhance the theater interiors. There may be others to add to this group as well. If anyone knows of such decorations and can name artists, architects and sculptors for these theaters I would be most grateful for the help.