State Theater
621 Saint Clair Avenue,
East Liverpool,
OH
43920
621 Saint Clair Avenue,
East Liverpool,
OH
43920
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Dipson Circuit
Previous Names: McKinley Theater, Strand Theater
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Opened as the McKinley Theater on December 14, 1914 with Margaret Joslin in “Sophie Finds a Hero” and 4-vaudeville acts on the stage. Within a year the name was changed to the Strand Theater. Following a remodel, on December 24, 1928 the name was changed to the State Theater.
The State Theater closed around 1970 and was demolished around 1972.
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Went to alot of movies at the State Theatre in East Liverpool in the 50 and 60’s. I remember the balcony at that theatre. It seemed like it was always roped off and closed because of the sporatic attendance mostly all the time. I used to get my popcorn and pop, duck under the rope leading up to the balcony, and got a perfect seat in the middle front seat looking down at the picture instead up looking up. It was great!
The theatre was quite fancy for Liverpool – to my eye, the fanciest we had. It was totally intact when torn down ca. 1973 – all the scenery was still hanging in the loft, lights were there, booth was intact, piano in the pit, lighting fixtures and draperies still hanging (but filthy to the point you couldn’t even see them until the roof came off). There was once a 2/3 Smith organ installed, which was long gone. I still have a tube of gel and a wooden pin from the fly rail. We salvaged all the stage lighting equipment and a good deal of curtain fabric when the place was open to the weather. Many of the curtains (organ lofts, etc) were actual velvet – gold, and a burnt umber color – and the stage swags were the same material but beige. The backing was rotten but the draperies came through a machine washing and looked like new. The house itself was loaded with painted frescoes, ornamental lanterns, iron railings, and general hot stuff. The walls and upper areas were a deep green trimmed in dark gold but the main floor had been painted pepto- bismol pink up as far as they could reach on a ladder. The house was for sale for $20,000 intact but the time wasn’t right and it passed into history as (as the local news put it), “a second-class citizen”. Our loss!
Three exterior photos of the Strand/State appear about halfway down this web page provided by the East Liverpool Historical Society.
Should be listed as demolished, came down in 1972 or 1973
The former Strand Theatre reopened as the State Theatre on December 24, 1928 following a $100,000 remodeling job, according to an item in The Billboard of January 12, 1929. The Southwestern New York Theater Corporation had bought the house the previous summer and closed it for several months for remodeling. The company had also bought the American Theatre at East Liverpool and two houses at Steubenville.
The actual opening date is December 14, 1914 with the film “Sophia Finds A Hero” along with several live acts including the Seven Malvern Comiques in “Comedy Trick House”, Cotton & Darrow in “The Wise Guys”, Dick Crolius and his company in “The Touts Temptation”, a performance by Hufford & His Lockhard Sisters, and the musical segment “Temple Of Music”.