(By MYRACYN ANICH, Freeman Correspondent) For the first time in over 50 years there are no films being shown in Mukwonago and the advertising boards are bare on the theater front.
One more of the nostalgic Institutions of a small town has gone. The Vista theater closed its doors on the showing of movies for the last time.
Owned and operated by one family since 1913, the decline in attendance and the illness of the widow of the last owner forced the demise of the long established business.
John Nowatake came to America in 1885 from Posen, Germany with his wife Albertina and six children. With a broad musical education, he had been a member of a military band.
After arriving in Mukwonago he purchased the large and well known Dillenbeck Hotel on Rochester St.
With the advent of silent pictures, a portion of the hotel, used for a bellroom, was converted into a small theater in 1913, and the musically adept sons of the owner were pressed into service as the orchestra to accompany the films.
The famly orchestra was known throughout the county for their ability and played at the many dances, festivals and masquerades held in the early days.
The orchestra consisted of Father John, who was proficient at many instruments, the violin, bass viol and bass horn. Son Paul Nowatske played the violin, Max the bass viol, Alfred the violin, Fred the saxophone and flute. The other members of the musical family were Emma, Elsie and Walter.
In recalling some of the early times, Fred Nowatske remembers he had the honor of selling the first ticket to a silent movie in the hotel theater, at 5 cents.
The films were not always accompanied by the full orchestra and usually Mrs. Mattie Hillier or Barry Clefton played the plano accompaniment. One of the songs best remembered as being used was “The End of a Perfect Day.”
In the early 1900s John Nowatake had a specially made orchestrion player piano installed, which in addition to the regular rolls played facsimile music of several instruments. The family orchestra played along with the mechanical music, producing the effect of a large and varied orchestra.
The hotel passed to son Paul Nowatske, and in 1927, half of the 130 foot long building was demolished to make room for the present theater building.
When the building was torn down and the basement for the new building being excavated, so much fill was needed that anything at hand was used. Some small part of the fill consisted of bowls and pitchers that had stood on the wash stands of the old hotel. These were thrown from the second story windows down into the hole below.
Since the beginning of the theater in 1927, films were obtained from the same source continuously to 1965, Film Service, inc. of Milwaukee, operated by Ray Trampe.
Besides showing films, until the death of the theater this month, the third generation of the family-operated enterprise, Walter Nowatski has used the building for weekly auctions for the past 15 years.
Sad and silent on Saturday nights, the theater building can still re-echo the whole long era of moviedom from 1913 to 1965.
The theater is being closed because of poor attendance and other family financial interests. The theater, which seats 400, will still be used for auctions. (October 1, 1965)
Milwaukee’s newest amusement center, the Venetian theater, located at Thirty-seventh and Center streels, is now open to the service of the public. It is one of the most modern and beautiful motion picture houses in the city. Built at a cost of over $500,000 it gives to the Northwest side an amusement house which is a credit to this populous and growing neighborhood.
The Venetian theater is admirably named. Its architecture is of the Italian Renaissance period and its interior decorations bespeak the unsurpassing beauty of a summer night in ancient and romantic Venice.
Milwaukee’s newest theater is a tribute to the Universal Pictures, Inc., which owns it and the Milwaukee firms advertised on these pages, which had a part in its actual creation. It is a product of the combined efforts of expert craftsmen in stone, concrete, steel, lighting, ventilation and every other phase of the building art which is necessary to make up a complete, modern motion picture theater, which will give its patrons every comfort in a healthful and beautiful atmosphere.
The building is fireproof throughout. It is of the very newest de luxe type, with main floor and balcony seating 1600 persons. It has a 20 foot stage, permitting vaudeville performances and feature presentations in addition to the regular motion picture program.
The opalesque blue of a Venetian sky at dusk is represented on the arched ceiling and a special “cloud machine,” one of the few in the North-west, creates a soft cloud effect, while behind this screen of vapory light twinkling stars are created by still another device.
Along the walls are hung heavy wine-colored and blue drapes, that add an atmosphere of courtly splendor, and the walls are done in heavy panels, etched in gold. The auditorium itself is lighted by huge flood lamps, concealed in coves to give indirect reflecton and thus create a true night effect. Fresh air is drawn into the building by means of a special ventilating system, which also washes the air and changes it constantly.
Another feature of the theater is the inter- communicating telephone system which enables manager, projection machine operator, orchestra leader and ushers to keep in constant communication with one another.
In the basement will be two large rest rooms designed for the utmost comfort of patrons. The exterior of the building is done in buff terra cotta, making it one of the most beautiful buildings on the Northwest Side.
Over the sidewalk is suspended a huge canopy designed to offer adequate protection during inclement weather, and surrounding this is an electric sign which can be seen for blocks east and west along Center street.
One of the most attractive small theatres to be built recently is the 600-seat Towne, Fox Lake, Ill.
The building is owned by Robert J. Bartelt, a real estate broker in this popular resort city whose winter population of 7,000 jumps to 20,000, or more, during the summer vacation season. It is leased by Robert Nelson Corporation, Libertyville, II. Architects were Sebes, Inc., Minne- apolis, and Kroehler Manufacturing Company supplied the all-mohair covered “Push-Back” chairs.
To the Hanna L. Teichert studios goes the credit for the Towne’s charming and unsual decor. A large black-light mural of the Chain-of-Lakes region sets off the lobby, which is of natural Indiana limestone, blood-striated plywood, and plaster decorated in forest green and watermelon.
Another striking touch is the installation of large flower boxes filled with tropical plants in the four corners of the auditorium. The leaves of these plants are painted with black-light paint, and are illuminated by special lights.
Every known convenience for patrons' comfort and enjoyment is provided at the Towne. There are free parking facilities, modern air conditioning, hearing aids, and the best in projection and sound equipment. The cry room in the rear of the auditorium permits a clear view of the screen, is fitted with individually-controlled speakers and ventilators, and is complete with a handy bottle warmer.
In the spotless restrooms, the walls are done in a new hometown product, “Glamour Tile”. This is the first theatre installation of the product, and the results are pleasing. The foyer Boot is also of antique-ish “Glamour Tile”.
For better vision in the rear of the house, the last 15 rows of “Push-Back” seats are staggered in accordance with a novel seating plan worked out by the Kroehler Company. The projection booth is but five feet above the floor of the lobby, an arrangement which has proved highly satisfactory.
The Towne has been expressly designed to meet the theatre needs of a small community, and in providing a friendly, inviting atmosphere with all the comfort, convenience, and technical excellence that modern equipment can supply, it has fulfilled these requirements
well.
(Kenosha News, 12/ 21/1927) New Roosevelt Theater Opens Door Christmas - Splendid New West Side Play- house Completed and Open- ing is Announced.
Another beautiful new Kenosha theater, the first to be erected on the far west side of the city, will be opened to the public on Christmas day when Dahl’s Roosevelt Theater, located on Roosevelt Road at 29th Avenue, will give its initial performance beginning at noon. The theater opening will mark the completion and occupancy of the modern new Dahl block.
This block, costing approximately $450.000 to construct, was erected by the Dahl Construction Company, and the theater has been leased to the United Theaters Company, operators of the Butterfly, Vogue and Lincoln theaters in Kenosha.
Work on this splendid new building was begun last spring by the Dahl Company. The construction is of brick and concrete, with a beautiful face brick front. It accommodates, beside the theater, six stores, bowling alleys, barber shop, three business offices, dentist’s office and seven apartments entirely furnished. Four of the stores and the apartments on the second floor of the building have been finished for some time and are all occupied.
Equipment Magnificent
The magnificent Dahl’s Roosevelt theater will open equipped with furnishings and appointments that equal. if not surpass, the finest theaters in the city of Kenosha. The organ installed in the theater of Marr-Colton make is the largest and most costly in the city of Kenosha. The seats, capable of seating 1,000 persons, are of high grade and are so arranged and made as to insure the maximum of comfort and a splendid view of the stage from any part of the theater.
The equipment in the operators booth has been pronounced by those familiar with such equipment as even finer and more complete than that installed in the Kenosha high school building, which is conceded to have the best equipment in the city.
The stage, while not the largest in the city, is amply large and has equipment such as is rarely seen in theaters of its size, or even larger. The interior decorative scheme is an old Spanish egect, is most pleasing to the eye and is in harmony with everything else that goes to make up the theater. The electric wiring and fixtures are of the very latest and also harmonize with other features of the theater. The theater is acoustically arranged to provide for every contingency.
Other Features of Building
Beneath the theater there will be a billiard parlor and bowling alleys which are built in foundations of steel and which are adjustable and of the latest type permitting wear and sagging to be easily taken care of. They are being installed by W. F. Bleck & Company of Chicago, The ceiling in the bowling alley, as well as all walls, have been so arranged that no noises whatever from the operating of the alleys will be observed in the theater proper. This has been guaranteed. The barber shop will likewise be beneath the theater and the same entrance will be used as that for the billiard parlor and bowling alleys. Two of the stories in the Dahl block are on either side lobby of the theater
Designed by Einer Dahl
The design of the entire building is a credit to Einar Dahl who superintended its design and construction. and by hard, faithful and untiring work brought to a realization the hope of the people of the west side. While the building and theater were designed by Einar Dahl the theater plans were revised by Architect Charles Augustine.
The Dah! Block was financed through H. L. Bullamore & Son, one of the oldest firms of its kind in the city of Kenosha and particularly through the efforts of H. L. Bullamore was it possible to complete the building.
It is claimed the Dahl block is the largest commercial building and has more floor space than any such building in the entire city of Kenosha.
BURGLARS AS ACTORS; ‘AUDIENCE’ IS VICTIM - Logan Square Theater Safe Is Robbed of $500 While Watchman Looks On, Believing “Show” a Rehearsal.
Five burglars staged a hold-up and safe robbery in the Logan Square theater, 2542 Milwaukee avenue, owned by John R. Thompson, early Sunday morning. The audience consisted of one man, Jackson Le Maire, night watchman. The audience was entertained - also robbed.
While making his rounds, Le Maire let himself in at the front door of the theater. He found the stage bright in the glare of the footlights. He noticed five men moving about on the stage. Three of them wore masks. “These actors are going to pull some Western stuff, I guess,” said the night watchman. The “rehearsal” progressed rapidly. The “actors” went through their parts as if they were letter perfect. Le Maire caught the drift of the “lines” from time to time. “I thought the safe was in the wings,” said one “actor,” who looked like Edwin Booth. “It’ll take me about two minutes to blow her wide open,” said another “artist” up stage, in a melodramatic whisper. ‘The soup’s all right tonight, kid, belleve me,“ said a third, whom Le Maire took to be the low comedian of the sketch. "There’s an old property safe in the right wing” mumbled Le Maire. “I don’t suppose they know where it is and I’ll go back and show them. Their little drama won’t be complete without it.” He strolled down the central aisle and mounted to the stage. “You’ve got a great sketch, boys,” he said genially. “I guess you need a safe for local color. I’ll show you where it is.” His kindly criticism was rudely interrupted. One of the “actors” - undoubtedly the heavy villain - caught him a clip under the chin which knocked him down. Before he recovered, the entire troupe of “Thespians” and tied him, hand and foot, with rope. Incidentally. they rifled his pockets of seventy-five cents.Then they found the safe - not the property one, but the real one - and blew it open with a charge of nitroglycerin. They secured $500 and escaped. Two hours later Le Maire wriggled from his bonds and reported the robbery to the Shakespeare Avenue police. “I don’t mind my loss of seventy-five cents.” said Le Maire. “The performance was worth it. Those fellows are artists. They ought to land on the big time. I only hope I’m the lucky man to 'book’ them.” (April 27, 1914)
I attended a THS tour of the COLONY in mid-1983 (which also included the PEOPLES and MARSHALL SQUARE). The plaster walls had just been sprayed Bakers White.
After exactly two years in Kenosha, Leonard M. Salvo, well known piano teacher of the city and popular organist at the Gateway theater, together with Mrs. Salvo, is returning to Chicago on Monday to make his future home.
All arrangements for the change have been completed. This week Mr. Salvo turned over his plano pupils to Miss Margaret Schmitt, popular music teacher, since both he and Miss Schmitt teach the Leschetisky system of piano study. Sunday will be his last uday at the theater.
In Chicago. Mr. Salvo will start work in about two weeks for the Essaness Theater Corporation, playing at the Chateau theater at Grand and Broadway on the north side. The theater is now being remodeled, re-decorated and sound installed and will be ready for re-opening in about two weeks,
Mr. Salvo was brought to Kenosha two years ago this month by the late Charles Mensing, at that time manager of the Gateway theater here, and he has been organist at the Gateway ever since, organising piano classes of his own.
Prior to coming here, he was organist at the Capitol theater in Chicago, and has a wide circle of friends both in Chicago ard Kenosha to wish him good luck in his new venture.
Jake J. Disch, formerly engaged in the theater business in Kenosha but for more than a quarter of a century in charge of theaters in Cudahy and Milwaukee, received recognition for his long years of service in the industry recently when he was presented with a twenty-five year service plaque at a meeting of prominent film and theater leaders of Wisconsin at the Schroeder hotel in Milwaukee.
Similar plaques were presented to several others, including Thomas Saxe, of Milwaukee, and widely known in Kenosha.
Jake J. Disch was engaged in the show business in Kenosha, prior to 1910, at which time he went to Cudahy. There he has continued directing what is now the Cudahy theater and has been markedly successful in development of that theater. (Kenosha News, 9/24/1938)
ZION, III. Even the “man of steel” couldn’t stop the spread of carbon monoxide Wednesday night at the Dunes Theater, 34th Street and Sheridan Road.
A showing of “Superman” was interrupted at 8 p.m. Wednesday when customers at the theater were overcome by carbon monoxide gas that filled the theater because the fresh air intakes on the building had been blocked.
Zion Police reported 23 movie-goers had complained of headaches and upset stomachs. A rescue squad was called to the scene. Customers were taken to American International Hospital in Zion and Victory Memorial in Waukegan. All were treated an released.
A police department spokesman said no Kenosha people were in the theater at the time of the incident.
The call to the fire department for a rescue squad was made by an employee at the theater. It is the second time in less than six months that movie-goers at the Dunes have been overcome by carbon monoxide.
On Nov. 14, 1978, 45 people were taken to local hospitals for exposure to the gas.
William Swager, Zion building and health inspector, said the theater will not be allowed to reopen until changes are made in the air intake system that will not allow it to be blocked off.
Swager said he has not issued any citations against the owner of the building.
The air intake vents are right next to the water-cooled air conditioning system, Swager said. In the winter, as the cold air passed over the pipes, the water usually froze.
He said the carbon monoxide filtered up through the building from the boiler.
A Madison consultant who specializes in breathing new life into faded downtown movie palaces thinks the Kenosha Theatre, 5913 Sixth Ave., is a good candidate for restoration. But before the curtain goes up, he said, local organizations may have to raise more than $1 million.
“This is a big one. And it’s gorgeous inside. But it needs a lot of work,” said Daniel Pierotti, whose firm, Daniel L. Pierotti & Co., is is currently renovating or developing performing arts centers in Minnesota, Milwaukee, and Peoria, III.
“The Kenosha Theatre has been sitting empty for years without heat,” he said. “It’s going to need a whole new roof,electrical system, and mechanicals.”
Pierotti has been retained by the Citizens Group for the Kenosha Theatre, an organization of downtown business owners and other interested people, to conduct feasibility studies on the renovation. He spoke Thursday night at a fundraiser for the group at the Holiday Inn.
In an interview before the meeting. Pierotti said he envisions the Kenosha Theatre as a regional performing arts center serving Kenosha, Walworth and Racine counties as well as Lake and McHenry counties in Illinois. Following the pattern set by renovated theaters in other cities, he foresees the Kenosha Theatre booking a variety of touring shows - “from Chinese acrobats to Itzhak Perlman,” he said as well as local concerts, meetings and movie festivals.
Since the theater was constructed in the 1920s for both live performances and movies, he said, it would cost less to renovate than some of the other projects he has overseen.
If the Citizens Group can raise Pierotti’s $60,000 fee, he will conduct feasibility studies on the costs of renovation and marketing surveys to determine the demand for theatrical productions in this area.
“Your only competition will be in Woodstock, III. and Alpine Valley, and Alpine Valley is open only in the summer,” he said.
But before renovation can start, the Citizens Group must raise an enormous amount of money, perhaps in the millions. Pierotti’s firm will lead the fundraising effort, seeking corporate and private donations. But before they start, the Baas family, which bought the theatre building in 1983, must transfer ownership over to a nonprofit corporation.
The Baas family will retain the apartments and storefronts facing Sixth Avenue, he said, which are actually in a separate building from the massive theatre behind.
Pierotti said he would hire Architect Dan Coffey, who led the renovation of the Chicago Theatre last year, to renovate the Kenosha Theatre. In addition to replacing the roof, he said, workers would have to rebuild much of the ornate plasterwork inside the theatre.
“It’s very ornate, very elaborate, kind of an Italianate/Moorish design,” he said. But moisture and cold have taken their toll on the horsehair-based plaster, he said, so workers would have to recreate it with modern, fiberglass-based plaster instead. Still, Pierotti is optimistic about the renovation.
“My feeling is, with Kenosha’s kind of upbeat atmosphere, there will be a market for this kind of theater,” he said. “As you know, the yuppies are creeping into town.”
A speeding northbound CTA bus approaching the Halsted/ 35th Street intersection crossed into the southbound lanes, jumped the curb and rammed a doorway at the Ramova, breaking a piece of its ornamental arch. Co-owner Tyler Nevius said the Ramova will conduct business as normal as he ensures there’s no structural damage. The landmarks commission just approved a landmark designation for the Ramova, pending the expected city council approval in July. “It’s crazy,” Nevius said. “We’re given landmark status, and had a city bus run into us right after.” Last week, the Ramova was part of the city’s Blues Fest.
The facade of the newly-reopened Ramova Grill was damaged in a massive June 10 crash where broken concrete and glass was strewn for two blocks. A northbound #8 CTA bus hit several vehicles along south Halsted Street near 35th Street. Six cars were smashed; five people were hospitalized; several street signs were flattened.
The Marshall Square Theatre was still screening motion pictures in 1984. The manager, a Mr. Miranda, hosted a Theatre Historical Society tour that year.
INDUSTRY PROFILE - Chicago Showman Nathan Joseph Observes 46th Year in Industry
CHICAGO - In this day and age, when the progress of time brings about vast and decided changes, Nathan Joseph’s long stand at the States Theatre presents an interesting picture. Approaching his 77th birthday, Jos eph goes about his business just as he has all his working life. He spends between seven and nine hours daily seven days a week at his own southside theatre, the States, which is open 12 hours a day.
While the States is by no means a first run house and is located in a neighborhood which has long ago seen its best days, this veteran showman knows the magic touch needed to keep the theatre a sound property. Those associated with Joseph are quick to express their admiration for him. His stamina and business ability are a continuous source of amazement. His staff, incidentally, forms quite an important segment in continuous service alone. Walter McCoy, the day man, has been with the States for 42 consecutive years. One of the two projectionists, George McCree, has been with Joseph at the States for 32 years. One of three cashiers has established a record of 21 years, and David Avery, Joseph’s assistant, has been with the States for 16 years. Joseph has been associated with theatres as an owner or on a partnership basis since 1910. In the early days of motion pictures he became an exhibitor as a partner with his father-in-law, the late Frank Salkin. Their first theatre, the Paragon, was a far cry from present day houses: it was a small one-aisle theatre, located at 51st street and Prairie Avenue in a neighborhood which at that time possessed considerable affluence and glamor. In 1912, Joseph built and opened the Lincoln Theatre at 31st and State streets. He has also been associated with the Vendome, Franklin, Speedway, Owl and Panorama. The States and Owl are the only theatres in this group still in existence.
While the Allied organization does the buying for the States, and Irwin S. Joseph, a son, is the booker, all booking is done under Nathan’s supervision and with the bulk of the films set at his recommendation.
“Due to the drastic changes in population in the area,” said Joseph, “my patrons aren’t exactly the type to concern themselves with proper social amenities and life’s niceties. Hence, operating the States has a problem or two.” He added, however, that despite the odds, he has a minimum of trouble in coping with the disadvantages and he likes his little niche. Nathan actually only recalls one disturbance in 30 years. “I quelled the molester,” he stated, “and can’t say that I’ve encountered any other real trouble.” Besides the States Theatre, Joseph has two other hobbies - his two grandchildren, Frank and Judith Joseph. He and his wife Martha are celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. Expressing gratefulness for his good health, Joseph declared that he feels he is only in the middle of his career and that currently he has no thoughts about retiring.
THEATER INVESTS $3,000 IN SEATS - Extensive Modernization Nears Completion - With the Installation of new modernistic cushion seats, valued at more than $3,000, the Himmler Theater is bringing to a conclusion a program of extensive modernisation which began over a year ago. The new seats, designed by a famous designer, have velour-backs in red and black with leather cushioned seats. They are trimmed in chromium. The standards at each end of the aisle are in red and chromium with a miniature of Venetian blinds on each one.
Also installed are new wall-lights of streamline design with silver trim. The new lights reflect rainbow colors. Other recent improvements are a brilliant marquee, enlarged screen and new projector. About one year ago, Western Electric Wide-Range Sound, believed to be the most advanced type of sound equipment, was installed. According to a statement by the management yesterday, the new program of Improvement is designed to make the Himmler Theater one of the most modern with regard to sight, sound and comfort. The feature attraction for today and tomorrow will be a return engagement of “Wee Willie Winkie,” starring Shirley Temple, Victor McLaglen, and C. Aubrey Smith. (Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, April 25, 1938)
Wisconsin Historical Society Acquires Al. Ringling Theatre
Historic Baraboo theatre will become an extension of the Society’s Circus World operations and continue to serve as a home for the local and regional arts
Madison, WI-The Wisconsin Historical Society will acquire the Al. Ringling Theatre in Baraboo, Wis., after working with the Al. Ringling Theatre Friends, Inc., to secure $3.07 million from community donors to ensure the long-term future of the beloved regional theatre. The 700-seat theatre was built in 1915 by Al Ringling, co-founder with his brothers of the world-renowned Ringling Brothers Circus, and designed in the opulent style of grand French opera houses. Ringling built the theatre for the Baraboo community in a show of appreciation for the town that the Ringling Brothers called home and the original site of the Ringling Bros. Circus winter quarters. Through the years, the theatre has hosted national touring companies, vaudeville, motion pictures and more, bringing performing arts and culture to Baraboo and the greater South-Central Wisconsin region.
“The Al. Ringling Theatre is one of the first examples of opulent design applied to the moving picture theatre in this country and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 1976,” said Christian Overland, the Ruth & Hartley Barker Director and CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society. “It is an architectural masterpiece that puts Wisconsin within the broader context of the history of the United States. Acquiring the Al. to operate with the rest of the Society’s historic sites is a natural tie to our mission of connecting people to history by sharing stories and serving communities throughout our great state. We are grateful for the incredible support from the people of Baraboo-a place that is rich with history and a community where the Society has strong roots already with Circus World.”
Discussions for a change in ownership began in July 2022. The Society completed a feasibility study in February 2023 and outlined a potential model in which the theatre would become an extension of Circus World operations, which is one of 12 historic sites in the Society’s portfolio. The plan required $3.07 million in private support for facility improvements, transition costs and an operating endowment. That fundraising goal was met earlier this month and the endowment funds will be held by the Community Foundation of South Central Wisconsin.
“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the Baraboo community members who stepped up to ensure the legacy of Al Ringling’s gift to this town can live for generations to come,” said Charlene Flygt, president of Al. Ringling Theatre Friends, Inc.
The Society’s Board of Curator’s voted to approve the theater acquisition on March 15, 2024. Programming is expected to ramp up slowly to ensure a sustainable transition and a technical director will be hired to oversee onsite operations.
Here is the new Mont Clare moving picture theater, now under construction at the southeast corner of Grand and Neva avenues. William P. Whitney is architect. Besides a 1,100 seat movie auditorium there will be seven stores and twenty-nine apartments. Now for a few words of comfort for those Chicagoans who think that a water tank on a roof is a work of art, especially when said tank is of the common variety, un-adorned by any outer covering. A careful look at the above will reveal that the Mont Clare is to have its water tank located so that it can be easily seen by all members of the Water Tank Lovers' League of America. Walter Simpson drew this picture.
The Palace Theater of Gary, Indiana by Sometimes Interesting - Another icon of Gary is the majestic Palace Theater, opened in 1925. One of the finer examples of Atmospheric theater design, it was the crown jewel of a northwest Indiana theater conglomerate. The theater would be the longest-running in Gary, and served residents for nearly 50 years before succumbing to crime and financial difficulties. It has been abandoned for nearly 40 years, and today the Palace is one of five remaining Atmospheric theaters in Indiana. But without financial support, how much longer will it cast a shadow on Broadway? In the early days of Gary the theater business was booming. Entrepreneurs V.U. Young and C.J. Wolf formed Young and Wolf Enterprises and would grow their business to encompass more than 30 theaters throughout the Midwest. In Gary, they would run some of the most famous theaters in town. Young would be the driving force behind the Majestic Theater on 5th and Connecticut opened in 1909, the Orpheum Theater on 8th and Washington, the Star Theater on Broadway, south of 9th Avenue, and the Cosy Theater at 9th and Jefferson – each of which were opened in 1910. Young and Wolf then opened the Art Theater at 620 Broadway, which introduced the first pipe organ to Gary. In 1915, the duo opened the Gary Theater on Broadway just north of 5th; it was acclaimed as Indiana’s most beautiful playhouse. All of the Young and Wolf theaters were successful, but none as grand or distinguished as the Palace Theater, built ten years later. The Palace was the creation of distinguished movie theater architect John Eberson. An authority of classic Atmospheric-style movie theaters, Eberson designed over 500 theaters during his career. Young hired Maximillian Dubois’ construction company “Max and Sons” to build the theater, and in 1924 groundbreaking began. Construction would finish a year later, and when the Palace Theater opened in 1925 it was hailed as a civic jewel. The classic structure at 765 Broadway featured live stage shows and vaudeville acts. Acts at the Palace could entertain up to 3,000 guests, seated on multiple levels. The Palace was luxurious, ornate, and brought a class to Gary not previously seen at the time. For decades the Palace Theater was a top destination for entertainers coming to Gary. Over the years the theater would transition with the times; vaudeville shows fell out of favor and movies would become rapidly popular. The Palace then specialized in first-run films for the Northwest Indiana area after they played their engagements in Chicago. When movies at the Palace were 50 cents, it was a hit with the youth. Gary theaters would experience a boom in the 1930s and 40s, but decline after. In 1944 citizens could choose between eleven theaters in Gary; by 1964 there were eight, and the number would decrease nearly every year thereafter. The fortunes of the Palace Theater were no different. When domestic steel experienced an economic decline, violence in downtown Gary would escalate as unemployment increased. The Palace Theater was centrally located to the depressed region and bore the brunt of those who turned to desperation. Repeated attacks and muggings would be reported in and around the theater. Throughout the 1960s crime steadily increased; eventually the area became so dangerous citizens refused to set foot on Broadway at night. On April 14th, 1968, festivities at the Palace Theater would come to a halt when Roosevelt High School 10th grader Aldrid Black was killed after a movie. Four hundred spectators watched as the 15 year-old youth was stabbed to death in the crowded lobby after a showing of “Bonnie and Clyde.” The death of the teenager was the final straw for the citizens of Gary; if it wasn’t before, the Palace Theater was now radioactive. Despite regular police presence, violent incidents continued to occur at the premesis. For the next four years it would struggle to draw crowds. By 1970 the once-glorious Palace Theater had become an afterthought in Gary. It no longer featured premier traveling acts or vaudeville shows. It was no longer the place young men took their dates, or parents caught a matinee show. Now, the only time citizens would read about the theater is when a crime was reported in the paper. Perhaps wishfully, residents recited rumors for years the theater would shut down. By 1971 the Palace had been reduced to a haven for crime and drug-dealers. The theater itself had not been maintained and no longer enjoyed its original splendor. When a young woman was attacked in the ladies room of the lobby in January of 1972, the town of Gary had enough; the Palace Theater was immediately shut down. In November of 1975, the Palace re-opened as the Star Palace Theater. Local businessman Carl Williams led a group of investors in an attempt to resurrect the landmark. The Star Palace showed movies and hosted community theater. Williams leased storefront space on the first floor to tenants, and soon the entire building was alive once again. The celebrated rebirth was short-lived, however, when the first-floor store owners complained Williams neglected to turn on the building’s heat. The tenants chipped in $150 a week to pay for oil for the furnace, but the plan quickly fell apart when water service to the building was shut off for past-due bills. The tenants left and the theater closed once more. In the summer of 1976 the theater was reorganized and reopened as the Star Academy of Performing Arts and Sciences. A government grant helped the theater produce a series of children’s plays and musicals. In the evenings, adults in the community were invited to participate. Residents raved about the group’s performance of the musical Mame. But despite enjoying a renaissance of the arts, the cash-strapped theater would run out of money and close again later that year. The theater would be abandoned once again for the next ten years. In January of 1987 Mayor Richard Hatcher announced plans to renovate the old Palace Theater on the corner of 8th and Broadway. The Ghandi-King Corporation, a group of prominent doctors led by Dr. William Washington II, announced plans to breathe life into the building which had been abandoned for 15 years. Along with Washington, Dr. Keshavd Aggarwal and Dr. Shreyes Desai purchased the property at a tax sale in August of 1986 for $30,000. The three planned to invest between $500,000 and $1 million to renovate the old theater and storefronts. In addition, the doctors would open a restaurant on the 8th Avenue side of the building to supplement income from the theater operations. The optimistic Ghandi-King Corp. shunned the national trend of viewers toward multi-screen theaters in shopping malls, video rentals, and cable television. Instead, they banked on the theater’s history adding value to the movie-going experience. The doctors also believed they were at an advantage since there were no other movie theaters in town. Despite the claims, progress would not come as fast as hoped. By June of 1988 the four Broadway storefronts of the Palace Theater were still vacant. Office and apartments above the storefronts also sat empty. Part of the problem was the condition of the units; the doctors had neglected to repair or remodel the structure. As an incentive, Ghandi-King decided to offer one-year leases to tenants for free. In exchange, the tenants would have to make repairs and pay utilities. The free rent plan to attract tenants was a success, and by the summer of 1989 the first floor of the Palace Theater building was once again lively. The store spaces were leased and now the neon signs of a new 148-seat restaurant named Colors glowed throughout the day. The full-menu restaurant was open for breakfast and lunch and was open seven days a week. The novelty of a sit-down restaurant on Broadway quickly wore off as crime continued to permeate the downtown area in the late 1980s. After several months the restaurant was forced to close its doors, despite the luxuries of operating rent-free. The doctors never finished the restoration of the theater, and when the businesses left they abandoned the project. In the years since, the Palace Theater’s east and south walls began to sag. The once-proud marquee which proclaimed “Open for Business” was now missing letters and seemed to lethargically whimper “Ope or bus.” A leaky roof and vandals have combined to strip away much of the decorative plasterwork inside. Scavengers have stripped the copper dome from the tower that faces Broadway, and the terra cotta fixtures have been robbed leaving gaping holes. In February of 2001, Mayor Scott King announced an agreement with Donald Trump to bring the Miss U.S.A. pageant to Gary. Suddenly, the entire town needed to undergo a makeover before television crews would arrive. Neighborhood Service Company of Chicago was hired to paint murals on boarded up buildings along Broadway. NSC was tasked with dressing up the facade of Palace Theater, and in the spring of 2001 they installed fake windows and painted human silhouettes. Trump’s organizers also had them install a new marquee which read “Jackson Five Tonite.” While this made for great photos, it is misleading; the Jacksons are from Gary but they never performed at the Palace Theater. In advance of the pageant, the city barricaded all doors and windows to keep the public out of the building. The front entrance was continually padlocked as well, but every time the lock was broken off and trespassers would find their way inside. With insufficient resources the city was unable to keep scavengers out. Over the years, scavengers and vandals have had their way with the building. By September of 2002 the balcony’s rear fire escape door had been forced open and the rear exit door of the auditorium had been completely broken off. Vandalism and water damage have claimed most of the original ornate plasterwork. On the stage of the old theater still looms the exotic, painted backdrop depicting Morocco, left over from the Palace Theater’s last production. In August of 2004, city officials announced the Palace Theater had made the short-list for demolition. Odds were in the theater’s favor, however, as there were over 40 properties on the list and the city didn’t have the money for any of them. In March of 2005 preservation groups protested the city’s inspections for demolition. Engineering advocates for preservation of the structure revealed the cost to stabilize the ailing building was $50,000, about how much the city was going to spend to tear it down. Eventually, city officials agreed to stop demolition plans and instead pay to keep the structure standing – but only if the preservationists could locate a developer willing to buy the theater and restore the site. The enthusiastic group agreed and began to line up investors. The city would receive two bids to renovate the Palace Theater: one from Gary-based Bauer Laterzo Studio and another from Chicago-based Thornton-Tomasetti. However by June of 2006 the developers had not followed through and plans had stalled once again. City officials announced that while they had no plans to demolish the structure, they were no longer going to pay to stabilize it. The building would be abandoned again. When Gary native Michael Jackson died in 2009 plastic signs reading “Jackson Five Forever” were placed on both sides of the Palace Theater’s marquee, but they were quickly lost to the elements or thieves. Today the marquee sits blank, only the shadow of “Jackson Five Tonite” still visible.
Milwaukee Film is taking over operations of the Downer Theatre, with plans to reopen the historic East Side movie house in April. Landmark Theaters, which had run the 109-year-old theater since 1990, announced on Sept. 19 that it was closing the venue. Around that same time the head of Milwaukee Film, which runs the annual Milwaukee Film Festival, expressed interest in being involved in the theater’s future in some way. In a press release today, Milwaukee Film confirmed its interest in the venue, announcing that it will be reopening the two-screen theatre, starting with the 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival on April 12 with regular cinema operations are slated to resume on April 26. Milwaukee Film officials called the move a “strategic expansion” and a testament to the nonprofit’s “commitment to enriching the community’s cultural landscape and preserving the legacy of one of the city’s oldest and most beloved cinemas,” adding
“The Downer Theatre, with its storied past and charm, has been a cornerstone of Milwaukee’s cinematic and cultural scene since its opening in 1915. Milwaukee Film and its board are thrilled to bring life back to the theatre and cinema back to the neighborhood. Our mission has always been to make cinematic experiences possible for as many people as possible, and expanding our footprint in this way is a key next step in doing that,” said Susan Mikulay, chair of Milwaukee Film’s board of directors. Anne Reed, Milwaukee Film’s Interim CEO, called the move “a story of what dedicated supporters can do. Stepping forward to support Milwaukee Film, our community is saving another historic cinema, and all the moments of story and connection that can happen there again,” Reed added. Milwaukee Film is also the owner and operator of the Oriental Theatre, also located on Milwaukee’s East Side.
The 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival presented by Associated Bank runs April 11-25 and will include screenings at the Downer Theatre, the Oriental Theatre, the Avalon Theatre and the Times Cinema with a diverse lineup of local, national, and international films. The Downer Theatre will reopen to the public on April 26, offering a year-round program of first-run independent, foreign, and documentary films, curated by Milwaukee Film’s programming team. “Our being able to reopen the Downer this spring is a significant occasion for our organization as well as for the neighborhood,” said Cara Ogburn, artistic director at Milwaukee Film. “When the Downer closed last year it meant that many films could not show on screens in our city. Adding these two screens to our footprint will allow us to better serve our community with high quality films year-round."
(By MYRACYN ANICH, Freeman Correspondent) For the first time in over 50 years there are no films being shown in Mukwonago and the advertising boards are bare on the theater front.
One more of the nostalgic Institutions of a small town has gone. The Vista theater closed its doors on the showing of movies for the last time.
Owned and operated by one family since 1913, the decline in attendance and the illness of the widow of the last owner forced the demise of the long established business.
John Nowatake came to America in 1885 from Posen, Germany with his wife Albertina and six children. With a broad musical education, he had been a member of a military band.
After arriving in Mukwonago he purchased the large and well known Dillenbeck Hotel on Rochester St.
With the advent of silent pictures, a portion of the hotel, used for a bellroom, was converted into a small theater in 1913, and the musically adept sons of the owner were pressed into service as the orchestra to accompany the films.
The famly orchestra was known throughout the county for their ability and played at the many dances, festivals and masquerades held in the early days.
The orchestra consisted of Father John, who was proficient at many instruments, the violin, bass viol and bass horn. Son Paul Nowatske played the violin, Max the bass viol, Alfred the violin, Fred the saxophone and flute. The other members of the musical family were Emma, Elsie and Walter.
In recalling some of the early times, Fred Nowatske remembers he had the honor of selling the first ticket to a silent movie in the hotel theater, at 5 cents.
The films were not always accompanied by the full orchestra and usually Mrs. Mattie Hillier or Barry Clefton played the plano accompaniment. One of the songs best remembered as being used was “The End of a Perfect Day.”
In the early 1900s John Nowatake had a specially made orchestrion player piano installed, which in addition to the regular rolls played facsimile music of several instruments. The family orchestra played along with the mechanical music, producing the effect of a large and varied orchestra.
The hotel passed to son Paul Nowatske, and in 1927, half of the 130 foot long building was demolished to make room for the present theater building.
When the building was torn down and the basement for the new building being excavated, so much fill was needed that anything at hand was used. Some small part of the fill consisted of bowls and pitchers that had stood on the wash stands of the old hotel. These were thrown from the second story windows down into the hole below.
Since the beginning of the theater in 1927, films were obtained from the same source continuously to 1965, Film Service, inc. of Milwaukee, operated by Ray Trampe.
Besides showing films, until the death of the theater this month, the third generation of the family-operated enterprise, Walter Nowatski has used the building for weekly auctions for the past 15 years.
Sad and silent on Saturday nights, the theater building can still re-echo the whole long era of moviedom from 1913 to 1965.
The theater is being closed because of poor attendance and other family financial interests. The theater, which seats 400, will still be used for auctions. (October 1, 1965)
Milwaukee’s newest amusement center, the Venetian theater, located at Thirty-seventh and Center streels, is now open to the service of the public. It is one of the most modern and beautiful motion picture houses in the city. Built at a cost of over $500,000 it gives to the Northwest side an amusement house which is a credit to this populous and growing neighborhood. The Venetian theater is admirably named. Its architecture is of the Italian Renaissance period and its interior decorations bespeak the unsurpassing beauty of a summer night in ancient and romantic Venice.
Milwaukee’s newest theater is a tribute to the Universal Pictures, Inc., which owns it and the Milwaukee firms advertised on these pages, which had a part in its actual creation. It is a product of the combined efforts of expert craftsmen in stone, concrete, steel, lighting, ventilation and every other phase of the building art which is necessary to make up a complete, modern motion picture theater, which will give its patrons every comfort in a healthful and beautiful atmosphere.
The building is fireproof throughout. It is of the very newest de luxe type, with main floor and balcony seating 1600 persons. It has a 20 foot stage, permitting vaudeville performances and feature presentations in addition to the regular motion picture program.
The opalesque blue of a Venetian sky at dusk is represented on the arched ceiling and a special “cloud machine,” one of the few in the North-west, creates a soft cloud effect, while behind this screen of vapory light twinkling stars are created by still another device.
Along the walls are hung heavy wine-colored and blue drapes, that add an atmosphere of courtly splendor, and the walls are done in heavy panels, etched in gold. The auditorium itself is lighted by huge flood lamps, concealed in coves to give indirect reflecton and thus create a true night effect. Fresh air is drawn into the building by means of a special ventilating system, which also washes the air and changes it constantly.
Another feature of the theater is the inter- communicating telephone system which enables manager, projection machine operator, orchestra leader and ushers to keep in constant communication with one another.
In the basement will be two large rest rooms designed for the utmost comfort of patrons. The exterior of the building is done in buff terra cotta, making it one of the most beautiful buildings on the Northwest Side.
Over the sidewalk is suspended a huge canopy designed to offer adequate protection during inclement weather, and surrounding this is an electric sign which can be seen for blocks east and west along Center street.
One of the most attractive small theatres to be built recently is the 600-seat Towne, Fox Lake, Ill. The building is owned by Robert J. Bartelt, a real estate broker in this popular resort city whose winter population of 7,000 jumps to 20,000, or more, during the summer vacation season. It is leased by Robert Nelson Corporation, Libertyville, II. Architects were Sebes, Inc., Minne- apolis, and Kroehler Manufacturing Company supplied the all-mohair covered “Push-Back” chairs.
To the Hanna L. Teichert studios goes the credit for the Towne’s charming and unsual decor. A large black-light mural of the Chain-of-Lakes region sets off the lobby, which is of natural Indiana limestone, blood-striated plywood, and plaster decorated in forest green and watermelon.
Another striking touch is the installation of large flower boxes filled with tropical plants in the four corners of the auditorium. The leaves of these plants are painted with black-light paint, and are illuminated by special lights.
Every known convenience for patrons' comfort and enjoyment is provided at the Towne. There are free parking facilities, modern air conditioning, hearing aids, and the best in projection and sound equipment. The cry room in the rear of the auditorium permits a clear view of the screen, is fitted with individually-controlled speakers and ventilators, and is complete with a handy bottle warmer.
In the spotless restrooms, the walls are done in a new hometown product, “Glamour Tile”. This is the first theatre installation of the product, and the results are pleasing. The foyer Boot is also of antique-ish “Glamour Tile”.
For better vision in the rear of the house, the last 15 rows of “Push-Back” seats are staggered in accordance with a novel seating plan worked out by the Kroehler Company. The projection booth is but five feet above the floor of the lobby, an arrangement which has proved highly satisfactory.
The Towne has been expressly designed to meet the theatre needs of a small community, and in providing a friendly, inviting atmosphere with all the comfort, convenience, and technical excellence that modern equipment can supply, it has fulfilled these requirements well.
(Kenosha News, 12/ 21/1927) New Roosevelt Theater Opens Door Christmas - Splendid New West Side Play- house Completed and Open- ing is Announced.
Another beautiful new Kenosha theater, the first to be erected on the far west side of the city, will be opened to the public on Christmas day when Dahl’s Roosevelt Theater, located on Roosevelt Road at 29th Avenue, will give its initial performance beginning at noon. The theater opening will mark the completion and occupancy of the modern new Dahl block.
This block, costing approximately $450.000 to construct, was erected by the Dahl Construction Company, and the theater has been leased to the United Theaters Company, operators of the Butterfly, Vogue and Lincoln theaters in Kenosha.
Work on this splendid new building was begun last spring by the Dahl Company. The construction is of brick and concrete, with a beautiful face brick front. It accommodates, beside the theater, six stores, bowling alleys, barber shop, three business offices, dentist’s office and seven apartments entirely furnished. Four of the stores and the apartments on the second floor of the building have been finished for some time and are all occupied.
Equipment Magnificent
The magnificent Dahl’s Roosevelt theater will open equipped with furnishings and appointments that equal. if not surpass, the finest theaters in the city of Kenosha. The organ installed in the theater of Marr-Colton make is the largest and most costly in the city of Kenosha. The seats, capable of seating 1,000 persons, are of high grade and are so arranged and made as to insure the maximum of comfort and a splendid view of the stage from any part of the theater.
The equipment in the operators booth has been pronounced by those familiar with such equipment as even finer and more complete than that installed in the Kenosha high school building, which is conceded to have the best equipment in the city.
The stage, while not the largest in the city, is amply large and has equipment such as is rarely seen in theaters of its size, or even larger. The interior decorative scheme is an old Spanish egect, is most pleasing to the eye and is in harmony with everything else that goes to make up the theater. The electric wiring and fixtures are of the very latest and also harmonize with other features of the theater. The theater is acoustically arranged to provide for every contingency.
Other Features of Building
Beneath the theater there will be a billiard parlor and bowling alleys which are built in foundations of steel and which are adjustable and of the latest type permitting wear and sagging to be easily taken care of. They are being installed by W. F. Bleck & Company of Chicago, The ceiling in the bowling alley, as well as all walls, have been so arranged that no noises whatever from the operating of the alleys will be observed in the theater proper. This has been guaranteed. The barber shop will likewise be beneath the theater and the same entrance will be used as that for the billiard parlor and bowling alleys. Two of the stories in the Dahl block are on either side lobby of the theater
Designed by Einer Dahl
The design of the entire building is a credit to Einar Dahl who superintended its design and construction. and by hard, faithful and untiring work brought to a realization the hope of the people of the west side. While the building and theater were designed by Einar Dahl the theater plans were revised by Architect Charles Augustine.
The Dah! Block was financed through H. L. Bullamore & Son, one of the oldest firms of its kind in the city of Kenosha and particularly through the efforts of H. L. Bullamore was it possible to complete the building.
It is claimed the Dahl block is the largest commercial building and has more floor space than any such building in the entire city of Kenosha.
BURGLARS AS ACTORS; ‘AUDIENCE’ IS VICTIM - Logan Square Theater Safe Is Robbed of $500 While Watchman Looks On, Believing “Show” a Rehearsal.
Five burglars staged a hold-up and safe robbery in the Logan Square theater, 2542 Milwaukee avenue, owned by John R. Thompson, early Sunday morning. The audience consisted of one man, Jackson Le Maire, night watchman. The audience was entertained - also robbed.
While making his rounds, Le Maire let himself in at the front door of the theater. He found the stage bright in the glare of the footlights. He noticed five men moving about on the stage. Three of them wore masks. “These actors are going to pull some Western stuff, I guess,” said the night watchman. The “rehearsal” progressed rapidly. The “actors” went through their parts as if they were letter perfect. Le Maire caught the drift of the “lines” from time to time. “I thought the safe was in the wings,” said one “actor,” who looked like Edwin Booth. “It’ll take me about two minutes to blow her wide open,” said another “artist” up stage, in a melodramatic whisper. ‘The soup’s all right tonight, kid, belleve me,“ said a third, whom Le Maire took to be the low comedian of the sketch. "There’s an old property safe in the right wing” mumbled Le Maire. “I don’t suppose they know where it is and I’ll go back and show them. Their little drama won’t be complete without it.” He strolled down the central aisle and mounted to the stage. “You’ve got a great sketch, boys,” he said genially. “I guess you need a safe for local color. I’ll show you where it is.” His kindly criticism was rudely interrupted. One of the “actors” - undoubtedly the heavy villain - caught him a clip under the chin which knocked him down. Before he recovered, the entire troupe of “Thespians” and tied him, hand and foot, with rope. Incidentally. they rifled his pockets of seventy-five cents.Then they found the safe - not the property one, but the real one - and blew it open with a charge of nitroglycerin. They secured $500 and escaped. Two hours later Le Maire wriggled from his bonds and reported the robbery to the Shakespeare Avenue police. “I don’t mind my loss of seventy-five cents.” said Le Maire. “The performance was worth it. Those fellows are artists. They ought to land on the big time. I only hope I’m the lucky man to 'book’ them.” (April 27, 1914)
I attended a THS tour of the COLONY in mid-1983 (which also included the PEOPLES and MARSHALL SQUARE). The plaster walls had just been sprayed Bakers White.
Local Musician to Leave City (9-20-1930)
After exactly two years in Kenosha, Leonard M. Salvo, well known piano teacher of the city and popular organist at the Gateway theater, together with Mrs. Salvo, is returning to Chicago on Monday to make his future home.
All arrangements for the change have been completed. This week Mr. Salvo turned over his plano pupils to Miss Margaret Schmitt, popular music teacher, since both he and Miss Schmitt teach the Leschetisky system of piano study. Sunday will be his last uday at the theater.
In Chicago. Mr. Salvo will start work in about two weeks for the Essaness Theater Corporation, playing at the Chateau theater at Grand and Broadway on the north side. The theater is now being remodeled, re-decorated and sound installed and will be ready for re-opening in about two weeks,
Mr. Salvo was brought to Kenosha two years ago this month by the late Charles Mensing, at that time manager of the Gateway theater here, and he has been organist at the Gateway ever since, organising piano classes of his own.
Prior to coming here, he was organist at the Capitol theater in Chicago, and has a wide circle of friends both in Chicago ard Kenosha to wish him good luck in his new venture.
Movies Honor Jake J. Disch wer
Present Former Kenoshan with Plaque in Milwaukee
Jake J. Disch, formerly engaged in the theater business in Kenosha but for more than a quarter of a century in charge of theaters in Cudahy and Milwaukee, received recognition for his long years of service in the industry recently when he was presented with a twenty-five year service plaque at a meeting of prominent film and theater leaders of Wisconsin at the Schroeder hotel in Milwaukee.
Similar plaques were presented to several others, including Thomas Saxe, of Milwaukee, and widely known in Kenosha.
Jake J. Disch was engaged in the show business in Kenosha, prior to 1910, at which time he went to Cudahy. There he has continued directing what is now the Cudahy theater and has been markedly successful in development of that theater. (Kenosha News, 9/24/1938)
The feature picture “San Francisco Docks” was released in 1940.
Gas sickens moviegoers
By JOHN ANDREAS Staff Writer
ZION, III. Even the “man of steel” couldn’t stop the spread of carbon monoxide Wednesday night at the Dunes Theater, 34th Street and Sheridan Road.
A showing of “Superman” was interrupted at 8 p.m. Wednesday when customers at the theater were overcome by carbon monoxide gas that filled the theater because the fresh air intakes on the building had been blocked.
Zion Police reported 23 movie-goers had complained of headaches and upset stomachs. A rescue squad was called to the scene. Customers were taken to American International Hospital in Zion and Victory Memorial in Waukegan. All were treated an released.
A police department spokesman said no Kenosha people were in the theater at the time of the incident.
The call to the fire department for a rescue squad was made by an employee at the theater. It is the second time in less than six months that movie-goers at the Dunes have been overcome by carbon monoxide.
On Nov. 14, 1978, 45 people were taken to local hospitals for exposure to the gas.
William Swager, Zion building and health inspector, said the theater will not be allowed to reopen until changes are made in the air intake system that will not allow it to be blocked off.
Swager said he has not issued any citations against the owner of the building.
The air intake vents are right next to the water-cooled air conditioning system, Swager said. In the winter, as the cold air passed over the pipes, the water usually froze.
He said the carbon monoxide filtered up through the building from the boiler.
The Orpheum Theatre is being offered for sale. Call 262-220-7033 during business hours.
(9/6/1987) New future for theater?
By DANIEL FISHER Staff Writer
A Madison consultant who specializes in breathing new life into faded downtown movie palaces thinks the Kenosha Theatre, 5913 Sixth Ave., is a good candidate for restoration. But before the curtain goes up, he said, local organizations may have to raise more than $1 million.
“This is a big one. And it’s gorgeous inside. But it needs a lot of work,” said Daniel Pierotti, whose firm, Daniel L. Pierotti & Co., is is currently renovating or developing performing arts centers in Minnesota, Milwaukee, and Peoria, III.
“The Kenosha Theatre has been sitting empty for years without heat,” he said. “It’s going to need a whole new roof,electrical system, and mechanicals.”
Pierotti has been retained by the Citizens Group for the Kenosha Theatre, an organization of downtown business owners and other interested people, to conduct feasibility studies on the renovation. He spoke Thursday night at a fundraiser for the group at the Holiday Inn.
In an interview before the meeting. Pierotti said he envisions the Kenosha Theatre as a regional performing arts center serving Kenosha, Walworth and Racine counties as well as Lake and McHenry counties in Illinois. Following the pattern set by renovated theaters in other cities, he foresees the Kenosha Theatre booking a variety of touring shows - “from Chinese acrobats to Itzhak Perlman,” he said as well as local concerts, meetings and movie festivals.
Since the theater was constructed in the 1920s for both live performances and movies, he said, it would cost less to renovate than some of the other projects he has overseen.
If the Citizens Group can raise Pierotti’s $60,000 fee, he will conduct feasibility studies on the costs of renovation and marketing surveys to determine the demand for theatrical productions in this area.
“Your only competition will be in Woodstock, III. and Alpine Valley, and Alpine Valley is open only in the summer,” he said.
But before renovation can start, the Citizens Group must raise an enormous amount of money, perhaps in the millions. Pierotti’s firm will lead the fundraising effort, seeking corporate and private donations. But before they start, the Baas family, which bought the theatre building in 1983, must transfer ownership over to a nonprofit corporation.
The Baas family will retain the apartments and storefronts facing Sixth Avenue, he said, which are actually in a separate building from the massive theatre behind.
Pierotti said he would hire Architect Dan Coffey, who led the renovation of the Chicago Theatre last year, to renovate the Kenosha Theatre. In addition to replacing the roof, he said, workers would have to rebuild much of the ornate plasterwork inside the theatre.
“It’s very ornate, very elaborate, kind of an Italianate/Moorish design,” he said. But moisture and cold have taken their toll on the horsehair-based plaster, he said, so workers would have to recreate it with modern, fiberglass-based plaster instead. Still, Pierotti is optimistic about the renovation.
“My feeling is, with Kenosha’s kind of upbeat atmosphere, there will be a market for this kind of theater,” he said. “As you know, the yuppies are creeping into town.”
A speeding northbound CTA bus approaching the Halsted/ 35th Street intersection crossed into the southbound lanes, jumped the curb and rammed a doorway at the Ramova, breaking a piece of its ornamental arch. Co-owner Tyler Nevius said the Ramova will conduct business as normal as he ensures there’s no structural damage. The landmarks commission just approved a landmark designation for the Ramova, pending the expected city council approval in July. “It’s crazy,” Nevius said. “We’re given landmark status, and had a city bus run into us right after.” Last week, the Ramova was part of the city’s Blues Fest.
The facade of the newly-reopened Ramova Grill was damaged in a massive June 10 crash where broken concrete and glass was strewn for two blocks. A northbound #8 CTA bus hit several vehicles along south Halsted Street near 35th Street. Six cars were smashed; five people were hospitalized; several street signs were flattened.
The Marshall Square Theatre was still screening motion pictures in 1984. The manager, a Mr. Miranda, hosted a Theatre Historical Society tour that year.
INDUSTRY PROFILE - Chicago Showman Nathan Joseph Observes 46th Year in Industry
CHICAGO - In this day and age, when the progress of time brings about vast and decided changes, Nathan Joseph’s long stand at the States Theatre presents an interesting picture. Approaching his 77th birthday, Jos eph goes about his business just as he has all his working life. He spends between seven and nine hours daily seven days a week at his own southside theatre, the States, which is open 12 hours a day. While the States is by no means a first run house and is located in a neighborhood which has long ago seen its best days, this veteran showman knows the magic touch needed to keep the theatre a sound property. Those associated with Joseph are quick to express their admiration for him. His stamina and business ability are a continuous source of amazement. His staff, incidentally, forms quite an important segment in continuous service alone. Walter McCoy, the day man, has been with the States for 42 consecutive years. One of the two projectionists, George McCree, has been with Joseph at the States for 32 years. One of three cashiers has established a record of 21 years, and David Avery, Joseph’s assistant, has been with the States for 16 years. Joseph has been associated with theatres as an owner or on a partnership basis since 1910. In the early days of motion pictures he became an exhibitor as a partner with his father-in-law, the late Frank Salkin. Their first theatre, the Paragon, was a far cry from present day houses: it was a small one-aisle theatre, located at 51st street and Prairie Avenue in a neighborhood which at that time possessed considerable affluence and glamor. In 1912, Joseph built and opened the Lincoln Theatre at 31st and State streets. He has also been associated with the Vendome, Franklin, Speedway, Owl and Panorama. The States and Owl are the only theatres in this group still in existence. While the Allied organization does the buying for the States, and Irwin S. Joseph, a son, is the booker, all booking is done under Nathan’s supervision and with the bulk of the films set at his recommendation. “Due to the drastic changes in population in the area,” said Joseph, “my patrons aren’t exactly the type to concern themselves with proper social amenities and life’s niceties. Hence, operating the States has a problem or two.” He added, however, that despite the odds, he has a minimum of trouble in coping with the disadvantages and he likes his little niche. Nathan actually only recalls one disturbance in 30 years. “I quelled the molester,” he stated, “and can’t say that I’ve encountered any other real trouble.” Besides the States Theatre, Joseph has two other hobbies - his two grandchildren, Frank and Judith Joseph. He and his wife Martha are celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. Expressing gratefulness for his good health, Joseph declared that he feels he is only in the middle of his career and that currently he has no thoughts about retiring.
THEATER INVESTS $3,000 IN SEATS - Extensive Modernization Nears Completion - With the Installation of new modernistic cushion seats, valued at more than $3,000, the Himmler Theater is bringing to a conclusion a program of extensive modernisation which began over a year ago. The new seats, designed by a famous designer, have velour-backs in red and black with leather cushioned seats. They are trimmed in chromium. The standards at each end of the aisle are in red and chromium with a miniature of Venetian blinds on each one.
Also installed are new wall-lights of streamline design with silver trim. The new lights reflect rainbow colors. Other recent improvements are a brilliant marquee, enlarged screen and new projector. About one year ago, Western Electric Wide-Range Sound, believed to be the most advanced type of sound equipment, was installed. According to a statement by the management yesterday, the new program of Improvement is designed to make the Himmler Theater one of the most modern with regard to sight, sound and comfort. The feature attraction for today and tomorrow will be a return engagement of “Wee Willie Winkie,” starring Shirley Temple, Victor McLaglen, and C. Aubrey Smith. (Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, April 25, 1938)
There’s a glimpse of the Los Angeles theater at the beginning of “Duel” (1971).
Wisconsin Historical Society Acquires Al. Ringling Theatre
Historic Baraboo theatre will become an extension of the Society’s Circus World operations and continue to serve as a home for the local and regional arts
Madison, WI-The Wisconsin Historical Society will acquire the Al. Ringling Theatre in Baraboo, Wis., after working with the Al. Ringling Theatre Friends, Inc., to secure $3.07 million from community donors to ensure the long-term future of the beloved regional theatre. The 700-seat theatre was built in 1915 by Al Ringling, co-founder with his brothers of the world-renowned Ringling Brothers Circus, and designed in the opulent style of grand French opera houses. Ringling built the theatre for the Baraboo community in a show of appreciation for the town that the Ringling Brothers called home and the original site of the Ringling Bros. Circus winter quarters. Through the years, the theatre has hosted national touring companies, vaudeville, motion pictures and more, bringing performing arts and culture to Baraboo and the greater South-Central Wisconsin region.
“The Al. Ringling Theatre is one of the first examples of opulent design applied to the moving picture theatre in this country and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 1976,” said Christian Overland, the Ruth & Hartley Barker Director and CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society. “It is an architectural masterpiece that puts Wisconsin within the broader context of the history of the United States. Acquiring the Al. to operate with the rest of the Society’s historic sites is a natural tie to our mission of connecting people to history by sharing stories and serving communities throughout our great state. We are grateful for the incredible support from the people of Baraboo-a place that is rich with history and a community where the Society has strong roots already with Circus World.”
Discussions for a change in ownership began in July 2022. The Society completed a feasibility study in February 2023 and outlined a potential model in which the theatre would become an extension of Circus World operations, which is one of 12 historic sites in the Society’s portfolio. The plan required $3.07 million in private support for facility improvements, transition costs and an operating endowment. That fundraising goal was met earlier this month and the endowment funds will be held by the Community Foundation of South Central Wisconsin.
“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the Baraboo community members who stepped up to ensure the legacy of Al Ringling’s gift to this town can live for generations to come,” said Charlene Flygt, president of Al. Ringling Theatre Friends, Inc.
The Society’s Board of Curator’s voted to approve the theater acquisition on March 15, 2024. Programming is expected to ramp up slowly to ensure a sustainable transition and a technical director will be hired to oversee onsite operations.
Here is the new Mont Clare moving picture theater, now under construction at the southeast corner of Grand and Neva avenues. William P. Whitney is architect. Besides a 1,100 seat movie auditorium there will be seven stores and twenty-nine apartments. Now for a few words of comfort for those Chicagoans who think that a water tank on a roof is a work of art, especially when said tank is of the common variety, un-adorned by any outer covering. A careful look at the above will reveal that the Mont Clare is to have its water tank located so that it can be easily seen by all members of the Water Tank Lovers' League of America. Walter Simpson drew this picture.
I remember the Atlantic Restaurant in the Montclare Theatre Building. Its entrance was just east of the marquee.
The Palace Theater of Gary, Indiana by Sometimes Interesting - Another icon of Gary is the majestic Palace Theater, opened in 1925. One of the finer examples of Atmospheric theater design, it was the crown jewel of a northwest Indiana theater conglomerate. The theater would be the longest-running in Gary, and served residents for nearly 50 years before succumbing to crime and financial difficulties. It has been abandoned for nearly 40 years, and today the Palace is one of five remaining Atmospheric theaters in Indiana. But without financial support, how much longer will it cast a shadow on Broadway? In the early days of Gary the theater business was booming. Entrepreneurs V.U. Young and C.J. Wolf formed Young and Wolf Enterprises and would grow their business to encompass more than 30 theaters throughout the Midwest. In Gary, they would run some of the most famous theaters in town. Young would be the driving force behind the Majestic Theater on 5th and Connecticut opened in 1909, the Orpheum Theater on 8th and Washington, the Star Theater on Broadway, south of 9th Avenue, and the Cosy Theater at 9th and Jefferson – each of which were opened in 1910. Young and Wolf then opened the Art Theater at 620 Broadway, which introduced the first pipe organ to Gary. In 1915, the duo opened the Gary Theater on Broadway just north of 5th; it was acclaimed as Indiana’s most beautiful playhouse. All of the Young and Wolf theaters were successful, but none as grand or distinguished as the Palace Theater, built ten years later. The Palace was the creation of distinguished movie theater architect John Eberson. An authority of classic Atmospheric-style movie theaters, Eberson designed over 500 theaters during his career. Young hired Maximillian Dubois’ construction company “Max and Sons” to build the theater, and in 1924 groundbreaking began. Construction would finish a year later, and when the Palace Theater opened in 1925 it was hailed as a civic jewel. The classic structure at 765 Broadway featured live stage shows and vaudeville acts. Acts at the Palace could entertain up to 3,000 guests, seated on multiple levels. The Palace was luxurious, ornate, and brought a class to Gary not previously seen at the time. For decades the Palace Theater was a top destination for entertainers coming to Gary. Over the years the theater would transition with the times; vaudeville shows fell out of favor and movies would become rapidly popular. The Palace then specialized in first-run films for the Northwest Indiana area after they played their engagements in Chicago. When movies at the Palace were 50 cents, it was a hit with the youth. Gary theaters would experience a boom in the 1930s and 40s, but decline after. In 1944 citizens could choose between eleven theaters in Gary; by 1964 there were eight, and the number would decrease nearly every year thereafter. The fortunes of the Palace Theater were no different. When domestic steel experienced an economic decline, violence in downtown Gary would escalate as unemployment increased. The Palace Theater was centrally located to the depressed region and bore the brunt of those who turned to desperation. Repeated attacks and muggings would be reported in and around the theater. Throughout the 1960s crime steadily increased; eventually the area became so dangerous citizens refused to set foot on Broadway at night. On April 14th, 1968, festivities at the Palace Theater would come to a halt when Roosevelt High School 10th grader Aldrid Black was killed after a movie. Four hundred spectators watched as the 15 year-old youth was stabbed to death in the crowded lobby after a showing of “Bonnie and Clyde.” The death of the teenager was the final straw for the citizens of Gary; if it wasn’t before, the Palace Theater was now radioactive. Despite regular police presence, violent incidents continued to occur at the premesis. For the next four years it would struggle to draw crowds. By 1970 the once-glorious Palace Theater had become an afterthought in Gary. It no longer featured premier traveling acts or vaudeville shows. It was no longer the place young men took their dates, or parents caught a matinee show. Now, the only time citizens would read about the theater is when a crime was reported in the paper. Perhaps wishfully, residents recited rumors for years the theater would shut down. By 1971 the Palace had been reduced to a haven for crime and drug-dealers. The theater itself had not been maintained and no longer enjoyed its original splendor. When a young woman was attacked in the ladies room of the lobby in January of 1972, the town of Gary had enough; the Palace Theater was immediately shut down. In November of 1975, the Palace re-opened as the Star Palace Theater. Local businessman Carl Williams led a group of investors in an attempt to resurrect the landmark. The Star Palace showed movies and hosted community theater. Williams leased storefront space on the first floor to tenants, and soon the entire building was alive once again. The celebrated rebirth was short-lived, however, when the first-floor store owners complained Williams neglected to turn on the building’s heat. The tenants chipped in $150 a week to pay for oil for the furnace, but the plan quickly fell apart when water service to the building was shut off for past-due bills. The tenants left and the theater closed once more. In the summer of 1976 the theater was reorganized and reopened as the Star Academy of Performing Arts and Sciences. A government grant helped the theater produce a series of children’s plays and musicals. In the evenings, adults in the community were invited to participate. Residents raved about the group’s performance of the musical Mame. But despite enjoying a renaissance of the arts, the cash-strapped theater would run out of money and close again later that year. The theater would be abandoned once again for the next ten years. In January of 1987 Mayor Richard Hatcher announced plans to renovate the old Palace Theater on the corner of 8th and Broadway. The Ghandi-King Corporation, a group of prominent doctors led by Dr. William Washington II, announced plans to breathe life into the building which had been abandoned for 15 years. Along with Washington, Dr. Keshavd Aggarwal and Dr. Shreyes Desai purchased the property at a tax sale in August of 1986 for $30,000. The three planned to invest between $500,000 and $1 million to renovate the old theater and storefronts. In addition, the doctors would open a restaurant on the 8th Avenue side of the building to supplement income from the theater operations. The optimistic Ghandi-King Corp. shunned the national trend of viewers toward multi-screen theaters in shopping malls, video rentals, and cable television. Instead, they banked on the theater’s history adding value to the movie-going experience. The doctors also believed they were at an advantage since there were no other movie theaters in town. Despite the claims, progress would not come as fast as hoped. By June of 1988 the four Broadway storefronts of the Palace Theater were still vacant. Office and apartments above the storefronts also sat empty. Part of the problem was the condition of the units; the doctors had neglected to repair or remodel the structure. As an incentive, Ghandi-King decided to offer one-year leases to tenants for free. In exchange, the tenants would have to make repairs and pay utilities. The free rent plan to attract tenants was a success, and by the summer of 1989 the first floor of the Palace Theater building was once again lively. The store spaces were leased and now the neon signs of a new 148-seat restaurant named Colors glowed throughout the day. The full-menu restaurant was open for breakfast and lunch and was open seven days a week. The novelty of a sit-down restaurant on Broadway quickly wore off as crime continued to permeate the downtown area in the late 1980s. After several months the restaurant was forced to close its doors, despite the luxuries of operating rent-free. The doctors never finished the restoration of the theater, and when the businesses left they abandoned the project. In the years since, the Palace Theater’s east and south walls began to sag. The once-proud marquee which proclaimed “Open for Business” was now missing letters and seemed to lethargically whimper “Ope or bus.” A leaky roof and vandals have combined to strip away much of the decorative plasterwork inside. Scavengers have stripped the copper dome from the tower that faces Broadway, and the terra cotta fixtures have been robbed leaving gaping holes. In February of 2001, Mayor Scott King announced an agreement with Donald Trump to bring the Miss U.S.A. pageant to Gary. Suddenly, the entire town needed to undergo a makeover before television crews would arrive. Neighborhood Service Company of Chicago was hired to paint murals on boarded up buildings along Broadway. NSC was tasked with dressing up the facade of Palace Theater, and in the spring of 2001 they installed fake windows and painted human silhouettes. Trump’s organizers also had them install a new marquee which read “Jackson Five Tonite.” While this made for great photos, it is misleading; the Jacksons are from Gary but they never performed at the Palace Theater. In advance of the pageant, the city barricaded all doors and windows to keep the public out of the building. The front entrance was continually padlocked as well, but every time the lock was broken off and trespassers would find their way inside. With insufficient resources the city was unable to keep scavengers out. Over the years, scavengers and vandals have had their way with the building. By September of 2002 the balcony’s rear fire escape door had been forced open and the rear exit door of the auditorium had been completely broken off. Vandalism and water damage have claimed most of the original ornate plasterwork. On the stage of the old theater still looms the exotic, painted backdrop depicting Morocco, left over from the Palace Theater’s last production. In August of 2004, city officials announced the Palace Theater had made the short-list for demolition. Odds were in the theater’s favor, however, as there were over 40 properties on the list and the city didn’t have the money for any of them. In March of 2005 preservation groups protested the city’s inspections for demolition. Engineering advocates for preservation of the structure revealed the cost to stabilize the ailing building was $50,000, about how much the city was going to spend to tear it down. Eventually, city officials agreed to stop demolition plans and instead pay to keep the structure standing – but only if the preservationists could locate a developer willing to buy the theater and restore the site. The enthusiastic group agreed and began to line up investors. The city would receive two bids to renovate the Palace Theater: one from Gary-based Bauer Laterzo Studio and another from Chicago-based Thornton-Tomasetti. However by June of 2006 the developers had not followed through and plans had stalled once again. City officials announced that while they had no plans to demolish the structure, they were no longer going to pay to stabilize it. The building would be abandoned again. When Gary native Michael Jackson died in 2009 plastic signs reading “Jackson Five Forever” were placed on both sides of the Palace Theater’s marquee, but they were quickly lost to the elements or thieves. Today the marquee sits blank, only the shadow of “Jackson Five Tonite” still visible.
Milwaukee Film is taking over operations of the Downer Theatre, with plans to reopen the historic East Side movie house in April. Landmark Theaters, which had run the 109-year-old theater since 1990, announced on Sept. 19 that it was closing the venue. Around that same time the head of Milwaukee Film, which runs the annual Milwaukee Film Festival, expressed interest in being involved in the theater’s future in some way. In a press release today, Milwaukee Film confirmed its interest in the venue, announcing that it will be reopening the two-screen theatre, starting with the 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival on April 12 with regular cinema operations are slated to resume on April 26. Milwaukee Film officials called the move a “strategic expansion” and a testament to the nonprofit’s “commitment to enriching the community’s cultural landscape and preserving the legacy of one of the city’s oldest and most beloved cinemas,” adding “The Downer Theatre, with its storied past and charm, has been a cornerstone of Milwaukee’s cinematic and cultural scene since its opening in 1915. Milwaukee Film and its board are thrilled to bring life back to the theatre and cinema back to the neighborhood. Our mission has always been to make cinematic experiences possible for as many people as possible, and expanding our footprint in this way is a key next step in doing that,” said Susan Mikulay, chair of Milwaukee Film’s board of directors. Anne Reed, Milwaukee Film’s Interim CEO, called the move “a story of what dedicated supporters can do. Stepping forward to support Milwaukee Film, our community is saving another historic cinema, and all the moments of story and connection that can happen there again,” Reed added. Milwaukee Film is also the owner and operator of the Oriental Theatre, also located on Milwaukee’s East Side. The 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival presented by Associated Bank runs April 11-25 and will include screenings at the Downer Theatre, the Oriental Theatre, the Avalon Theatre and the Times Cinema with a diverse lineup of local, national, and international films. The Downer Theatre will reopen to the public on April 26, offering a year-round program of first-run independent, foreign, and documentary films, curated by Milwaukee Film’s programming team. “Our being able to reopen the Downer this spring is a significant occasion for our organization as well as for the neighborhood,” said Cara Ogburn, artistic director at Milwaukee Film. “When the Downer closed last year it meant that many films could not show on screens in our city. Adding these two screens to our footprint will allow us to better serve our community with high quality films year-round."
The Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre in Jefferson County may not open after this upcoming season. The theater was built in 1953 and is now one of the last drive-in movie theaters in Southeast Wisconsin. After more than 70 years in the business, the theater is for sale. Lee Burgess is the theater’s owner. He has been operating the business for 25 years. He told 12 News it is time to say goodbye. “I’m at the point now, I’m in my 70s,” Burgess said. Nobody in my family wants to take over the business. I’m not going to live forever, it’s time to begin the process of turning it over.“ Burgess said his love for drive-in theaters reaches all the way back into his childhood. He said to him, they represent freedom. "It’s just a sense of freedom, where you can sit there in nice, open skies,” Burgess said. “The stars are above and this huge screen with a movie running, and you can let your kids run around and yell and scream.” Burgess explained the main issue drive-in theaters face is the small window of time they are open. He said theaters are a seasonal business in Wisconsin. The Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre is open only three or four months of the year, and they only show one movie per night. Burgess said he plans to operate the theater for one more season. He said he hopes someone is willing to revamp the theater, but might have to sell to a completely different sector. “I’ve told my broker that if someone wants to purchase this theater, I will make myself available to help them out, give them advice, repair the projectors, whatever they need to go forward at no charge,” Burgess said. Burgess asks anyone who can to go see a movie at a drive-in. “Support your local drive-ins,” Burgess said. “There’s not very many of us left.” (©2024, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WISN-TV.)
Movie film of the Paradise construction process: https://youtu.be/-yox_zko890