Fairview Theatre

Here is part of an 8/1/85 article from the Elyria Chronicle Telegram:

FAIRVIEW PARK â€" A couple of days ago, residents and merchants near the Fairview Theater were scratching their heads in amazement at the signs proclaiming the 38-year-old theater had been closed. The ink was hardly dry on the signs on the theater doors at 21655 Lorain Rd. when businessman Morrie Zryl replaced them with signs that told of the next attraction-“Will Reopen Soon.” “We’ll be opening sometime in August – the 23rd at the latest,” Zryl said. “We’re going to turn it back into a first-run theater.”

Zryl, who owns the Colony Theater on Shaker Square, said he knew more than a month ago about plans by National Theatre Corp. to close the double-screen theater because of sagging profits. He said he considered the purchase of the theater as a chance to offer the same kind of good movies on the west side that he now offers on the east side at the Colony. In recent months, Fairview had been showing sub-run movies, which are usually films four to eight weeks old. “We will offer mostly firstruns, but we won’t turn down showing quality sub-runs, Zryl said. "Fairview Park fits in nicely to my plans.”

Russ Winter, vice-president of National Theatre Corp. in Lyndhurst. said his decision to close the theater was in line with a growing trend in metropolitan areas away from single screen and double-screen “neighborhood” theaters. He said multiple screen movie houses were much more profitable. “There’s something neat about a single service theater, but they’re not making business,” Wintner said. “The industry has changed. Per capita, we do a better business in multiple theaters.” Zryl, who has operated the single-screen Colony Theatre for the past four years, vehemently disagreed that people do not want to go neighborhood-type theaters anymore.

I question the first-auditorium photo-submitted by ken mc in March 2007 above, because the Fairview did not have a balcony. The other photo is correct . It did have the circular couch shown in that photo.

I too have to question the auditorium photo above. The Fairview had no balcony and I don’t remember the side walls being angled. It’s been 50 years since I was inside this theatre so my memory may have faded, but definately no balcony.

Here are links to the pictures of the Fairview in Boxoffice of January 31, 1948, that I cited in my previous comment:

The cover of the Modern Theatre section, featuring a picture of the marquee and entrance.

The first page of Elsie Loeb’s article, with two photos; a close-up of the entrance showing the marquee soffit, and a shot of the lobby and concession stand.

Additional photos showing the auditorium and other interior areas of the house are on the next page but one (click the “next page” links at top or bottom) and additional text is on the page after that.

List of Owners:
1964-1969 Associated Theatres
1975-1985 National Drive-In Theatres
1985 Armstrong Circuit