Gifts Theater
533 Vine Street,
Cincinnati,
OH
45202
533 Vine Street,
Cincinnati,
OH
45202
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The Gifts Theater was built by McMahon & Jackson, owners, opening November 23, 1917, and closed October 1945. It was erected upon the footprint of the Gifts firehouse which had been built with donations from the city’s citizens, hence the name of the firehouse. I suppose that when the Gifts movie theater was built the populace where familiar with the location so that explained the name carryover.
It was a silent movie house until sound came in then it switched to that format. In 1945 the Gifts Theater was demolished to make space for the final RKO Grand Theater located at 527 Vine Street. There were two entrances for the Gifts Theater, one on Vine Street, and one on Sixth Street.
Contributed by
hanksykes
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Here'sabit of a correction on the Gifts Theater it was built by Jackson&McMahon but in 1917 not 1921.Also the architect is Tietig&Lee.
Well, I remember the Grand very well! You guys seem to know your stuff. I learn a lot reading these blogs. Hope you keep it going.
Mr Frank E. Lanius of Covington,Kentucky taught Marcus Loew what a nickelodeon was in the early 1900’s, Loew went on to own 400 theaters across the country. Mr. McMahon worked as a projectionist in Covington as well. Later Isaac McMahon went into Real Estate.
The new Gifts Theater had an invitational unveiling on the night of November 23rd, 1917, and opened to the public the next day, with “Polly of the Circus” as the feature attraction.