Ritz Theater
1601 S. 2nd Street,
Louisville,
KY
40208
1601 S. 2nd Street,
Louisville,
KY
40208
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This item from the December 18, 1915 issue of Moving Picture World had to have been about the New Aristo Theatre (Gaulbert Avenue was formerly called A Street.) There is an interesting bit of information about Architects Joseph & Joseph at the end: “New House at Second and A Streets.
“Joseph & Joseph, Louisville architects, have applied to the building department for a permit for the erection of the new moving picture theater at Second and A streets, and it is now certain that the new theater will shortly be in operation. The permit will probably be issued this week and calls for a theater to seat 750 people, to be built at a cost of approximately $15,000 for the building proper, without estimating the cost of heating, lighting or ventilation installations, which will bring the total cost of the house up to about $25,000. An interesting feature of the plans for this theater are that it is the thirty-eighth theater which the architects have built during the past few years, showing that the concern is obtaining a monopoly on this business in Louisville.”
Launched April 24, 1916 with “The Gentleman from Indiana.”
Ads started to appear for this theatre from October 24th, 1937. 1st ad in photo section.
Chuck: Historic Aerials has a 1959 view of both addresses. There was still a building at the southeast corner of Gaulbert and 4th then (which might have been 1603 S. 4th, but was more likely 1601 S.) but it looks too small to have been a theater. The building next door on 4th Street is still there, but it’s a late Victorian house and could never have held a theater.
In 1959 the southeast corner of Gaulbert and 2nd (Gaulbert still went through to Brook Street then) had a building that was the right size and shape for a theater, though it doesn’t appear to have had a marquee at that time. It had to have been at 1601 S. 2nd, though, and I think that must be the correct address.
The July 15, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World published an article about the Aristo Theatre. It gives a detailed description of the house and is accompanied by two small photos of the building. It says that the Aristo opened in the latter part of April, 1916.
Scan at Google Books.