Parthenon Theatre
5144 S. Hohman Avenue,
Hammond,
IN
46320
5144 S. Hohman Avenue,
Hammond,
IN
46320
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Before Brotman & Sherman and Warner Brothers, the Parthenon Theatre was operated by the Hammond Theatrical Company, and before that by the S.J. Gregory Theatrical Company.
The Parthenon was designed by Rapp & Rapp, not R. Levine & Co.
The February 10, 1920, Hammond Times reported that “Hammond’s newest and most modern theater [was under construction in the block on the west side of Hohman Avenue.] The architects for the new building are Rapp & Rapp of Chicago.” Not yet called Parthenon, it was referred to as the Gregory Theater – the showplace was being erected for the S.J. Gregory Theatrical Company. Rufus Danner, Hammond, served as general contractor. Reuben Levine, who later formed R. Levine & Company, was general superintendent supervising construction for the architects from the time ground was broken.
A July 10, 1925, advertisement for the S.J. Gregory Theatrical Company stated “that the Parthenon was planned and built by the famous Chicago firm of Rapp & Rapp, who also designed the Chicago Theatre.” Marquee noted on page 31 of the first-quarter 1991 issue that Rapp & Rapp designed the Parthenon theater. A photo of the Parthenon’s lobby carries a watermark with the names “C.W. & Geo. L. Rapp.” The accompanying caption points out that early Rapp & Rapp lobbies had “almost identical designs.”
More to come…
May 20, 1974 photo credit Hammond Historical Society Flashback.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2272819932824432&set=pb.100066727507601.-2207520000
Address should be changed to 5144 S. Hohman Avenue.
picture:
Found on Newspapers.com
This opened on March 14th, 1921. Grand opening ad below:
Found on Newspapers.com
also the photo section.
Rapp & Rapp did the remodel. Maybe not George & Cornelius by that point in time.
Architect was E.P. Rupert for R. Levine & Co.
Several photos added via the Planet Hammond Facebook page.
You can still visit The Parthenon Theater in Hammond, Indiana by visiting: www.hhs59.com/parthenon.htm
Click on the movie poster of Cary Grant and you will go inside to watch a movie clip. Pretty clever, eh?
Visit the Hammond Theater District (tab) and see other movies from other Hammond Theaters.
If you have any stories, pictures, etc. to add to this array of Hammond movie houses, please share them with us.
Thank you.
Rich
Several vintage photos of the Parthenon Theatre can be seen on this web page. The text on the page is mostly quoted from Cinema Treasures, so there’s no new information available.
It’s not even a parking lot. It’s a useless grassy area right next to the downtown Hammond overpass.
Here is an April 1960 ad from the Hammond Times:
http://tinyurl.com/52sbq9
oops I meant to say I have pictures of the Parthenon
I have few pictures of the Paramount on my Flickr page:http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimschuster/
Didn’t the Parthenon Theater have an electric clock to the right of the screen and curtains? It had a sort-of sickly green glow to it, making it hard to ascertain the time. Or was the clock at the Paramount down the street? As a child I was fascinated by that clock. Wonder whatever happened to it? Probably either part of the earth now or sold at an antique store… – Bob Marovich
I worked in Hammond back in the 1970’s. I remember when Aerosmith played at this theater. Hammond was a busting town at that time.
Here is a 1940 ad from the Hammond Times:
http://tinyurl.com/yc5x4a
Yes, I own the Console from that instrument.