Ambassador Theatre
3065 Madison Road,
Cincinnati,
OH
45209
3065 Madison Road,
Cincinnati,
OH
45209
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Mike Rogers and Moviemad - I’m trying to find people who attended a December 20, 1974 world premiere of a movie called Let’s Go for Broke at the Ambassador Theater. It starred a new actress named Christa Helm, who would be murdered just a few years later. Do either of you recall this screening? Please send me an email at if you do. I’m writing a book about Christa and any info will be much appreciated.
Grand opening of the Ambassador was February 6, 1947. Opening ad in photos. Closed at the end September of 1982 and purchased by the city.
Mike, I bet we could spend hours talking about the good old days.
hanksykes said earlier that the Park Hall Theatre was built in 1913 by builders Moorman & John. The January 4, 1913, issue of The Moving Picture World ran an item saying that builders Moorman and John, of Oakley, Ohio, had commissioned architect Edward Sloctemyer to design a theater for them, which was to be built on Madison Road near Gilmore Avenue. No theater name was given, but it must have been the Park Hall/Ambassador.
Mike, it was rumored that the Chicago union (which was very strong) was responsible for the break in. Levins had a a story that the drive in they ran there near Chicago contract was up for renewal and they walked in, told to sign the contract on the table without discussion or negotiations.
Ashamed of my Union for doing this,I assume it was Iatse since not a lot is given about the Strike.I don’t see that happening where I live in Georgia.
I worked the AMBASSADOR THEATRE during the strike of 1974 when Levin Services operated the theatre along with the 20TH CENTURY, ESQUIRE and HYDE PARK. They also ran two drive ins. The JOLLY ROGER was later added to the strike. There was no balcony. It was vandalized during the strike as seats were slashed, screen slashed, speaker wires slashed (this theatre was a magnetic stereo sound), the 4 projectors were destroyed by taking a crow bar to the intermittents, the carbon arc generator had its wires cut. The print of THE STING was ruined by pouring film cement on the side of each reel. Reel 7 was saved by still being in the bottom magazine. It took us 2 weeks to reopen.
Levin’s did close the theatre as well as the other ones. AMBASSADOR became an ACE hardware for some time.
Does anyone know if the Ambassador featured some “double” seats?
(They’ve been described as small loveseats.)
August 9 1974 THE STING opens,at the Ambassador. It was under the banner NEIGHBORHOOD THEATRES. They ran 11 screens in Cincinnati. IT was 2.50 a seat to see the STING.
This is from Boxoffice in October 1945:
CINCINNATI-Sale of the Oakley Theater building on Madison Road and plans for extensive modernization of the building were announced last Saturday. The building contains three stores, a theater and a lodge hall.
Following the sale, the owners leased the property to the Amnassador Theatre Co. for a 20-year period. It is planned to spend more than $75,000 modernizing the building, which fronts 70 feet on Madison Road and extends back 289 feet to Markbreit Avenue.
The entire front will be given a new facade and the theater lobby will be enlarged to include what is now a store space. the auditorium will be enlarged to accommodate approximately 850 patrons. Parking facilities will also be provided.
Here is a 1981 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/cswwtx
Was there a balcony at the Ambassador? It was a block away from the 20th Century and by the early 70s it was my impression the “classier” films played there, the 20th Century got more of the “young crowd” films.
What a great stretch on Madison Road in Oakley: The 20th Century, the Ambassador, and the Oakley Drive-In!
Hello, My Grandmother B. Jones managed the Ambassador in the late 1960’s. They used to do valet parking. Later, my Dad and Uncle went to work there too. It was still open in 1973 and “Live and Let Die” was shown there. My baby brother threw his baby blankie off the balcony onto some unsuspecting, souls head. Does anybody have more picture to share? Thank you!
Hello again, Just found an article in our local newspaper which says that the Park Hall Theater which was the original name for the Ambassador was built in 1913 by local builders Moorman & John at a cost of 53,000 dollars.
Joe Allen
My email is on the fritz and can not click on your link at the top of the page. I grew up less that a half mile from the Ambassador theater and have seen many movies there. What do you need to know about it?
Lost Memory thank you for posting the photo of the Ambassador. As a child this theater was one of my favorites and I was not very happy when it was torn down. To answer your question it is the Ambassador that once stood in Oakley square in Cincinnati. If you have any other photos I would love to see them.
The Park Hall Theater was still listed as late as 1936 in Cincinnati’s City Directory.
hello lost memory the picture you posted of the Ambassador Theater is in fact the Ambassador Th. at 3065 Madison Road in Cincinnati,Ohio. As far as I know there was never another Ambassador Th. in Cincinnati,Ohio. The Facade of the Ambassador is all that remains minus the deco marquee.
The Ambassador Theater located at 3065 Madison road Cincinnati,Ohio was built in 1946 and seated 700. The site was first occupied by the Park Hall Theater in 1914 according to the cincinnati city directory. The Park Hall seated 650 and was a legit house which hosted a road company of the production “Quo Vadis” with turntables for racing horses and chariots . In 1986 The Ambassador th. was gutted to become a never built shopping mall by the Ferguson Moving Company. posted by hank sykes sept. 2006