Princess Theatre

Joe Vogel on January 20, 2017 at 12:47 am

Here is an excerpt from an article by Christine U'Ren for the San Francisco Silent Film Festival blog:

“‘Miss Fan Bourke, who will be remembered by Mutual fans as a particularly attractive member of the Thanhouser stock company, has changed her vocation,’ wrote Mutual’s magazine Reel Life [Jan. 8, 1916]. ‘She is now running a "votes for women” motion picture theater, the Princess, in New Rochelle, N. Y.…’ Bourke managed the theater as a neighborhood concern with a focus on films suitable for families. With pianist ‘Miss Julia Miller, also a former Thanhouser actress,’ Bourke hosted special events and gave personal appearances—local patrons enjoyed comparing the onscreen Miss Bourke with the real-life version.

“‘The interest of suffragists was won by the theatre at election time. Miss Bourke had the lobby of her theatre hung in suffrage colors and banners.

“‘…in two months’ time she has worked the Princess up from a house about to be closed to one in which the 500 seats are filled every evening.‘”

The Thanhouser studio was located in New Rochelle. Ms. U'Ren’s article can be found at this link, though the excerpt quoted here is the only part pertaining to the Princess.