Historic Movie Palaces

[davew]

I do volunteer work at the Loews Jersey in Jersey City NJ and i have to say its exciting and rewarding to be involved first hand with such a grand movie palace.Just to walk around and think about the stars,bands and events that have appeared there.......ooh boy.

Take a peak at the website and the pictures,my favorite picture is the one of the old candy wrappers,photos etc that have been found in the heating ducts over the last few years!My fave story is the one where in the late 30s Frank Sinatra sat with a date in the balcony to hear Bing Crosby sing.....Frank turned to her and said "Id like to do that!"
This weekend is the last movie weekend for this season...the highlight will be a Friday screening of STRANGERS ON A TRAIN with Farley Granger in attendance.
http://www.loewsjersey.org/

 

[Miss 1929]

The Oakland Paramount!

Is lovingly restored to its 1931 spendor. It is HUGE, and Deco Heaven.
Here's the lobby, facing one way:

And facing the other way:

 

[Twitch]

Here's a site that may interest some of you. I grew up in St. Louis where the majority of movie theaters were of ornate architecture and built as "theaters" not shoebox rooms to project films.

I went to this one all the time.
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/934/

 

[cookie]

Cremorne Sydney Hayden Orpheum

http://www.orpheum.com.au/tour-main.htm

http://www.orpheum.com.au/history.htm

 

[KObalto]

Here in Baltimore,

we're lucky to have the Senator theater, still independently owned and showing first run films.

We also have the Hippodrome, recently renovated, it no longer shows films, but has "road" productions of Broadway shows.

 

[cowboy76]

Theaters in the Allentown, PA area and so on

Well, there are four great theaters all within a small drive from my home in PA.

The Roxy Theater in Northapton, PA. (The theatre was first opened on Feb. 1st, 1921 as the LYRIC Theatre) Restored to the early 1930s condition! AMAZING PLACE!!!!
www.roxytheaternorthampton.com

Roxy Theater circa 1933

Roxy Theater now....

Interior shots.....

The Emmaus Theater, Emmaus, PA. (Originally the Palace theater in the early 1900s)
http://www.emmaustheatre.com/

The Grand Theater, East Greenville, PA Restored to its 1924 glory (simple but nice!)
http://www.thegrandtheater.org/

The Boyd Theater, Bethlehem, PA (Boyd opened on September 1, 1921 as the Kurtz Theatre)
http://www.theboyd.com/

Local news story on the Boyd theater...
http://www.theboyd.com/index.html

Boyd interior shot...

Last but not least the Colonial Theater, Phonexville, PA.
http://www.thecolonialtheatre.com/
Shows lots of old movies at reasonable prices!! HIGHLY recommended if you're in the area during the holidays!!

Of course there's always the Ambler Theater, but they're an artsy foreign film theater now,....no old movies, just lots of yuppies going to enjoy the theater!! Whatever!!

 

[Sarge]

Here is one from my home town of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

"The largest of Fort Wayne's movie palaces, the Emboyd Theatre, opened in 1928 and was renamed the Embassy in 1952. After twenty more years of struggling, the theater could no longer operate on movies alone and closed.

In 1972, the Embassy Theatre Foundation purchased the theater to save it from demolition and conversion into a parking lot. The theater was finally renovated in the early 90's for stage shows and returned to its original shine. It reopened in 1996 as a performing arts center and venue for Broadway shows."

Opening day May 14, 1928.

The Embassy today.

Inside the theater.

 

[Ron]

My hometown of Corinth, MS has an old theatre called The Coliseum. It is used for theatrical productions now rather than films, but was built as a movie house.

Fully restored...love the look.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

here in my little corner of Oregon we have a place right on main street called The Granada that plays current movies, only about 4 at a time that rotate every 3-4 weeks, and on only 2 screens if i remember...it has the classic two-sided marquee and little concession stand....the best thing about this little town is the drive-in theatre...i came from a city that had 6 drive-in screens, but this town has one huge screen and 2 movies that play for only about 2 weeks then rotate and because of the weather maybe only open 3-4 months out of the year...its nice...

 

[Ms. McGraw]

I've always loved The Palace in good ol' downtown Canton Ohio! Several years ago, my much beloved Papa was even in an ad for it. I can remember doing my ballet recitals there when I was little and feeling like a STAR because it’s was so old and fancy!
http://www.cantonpalacetheatre.org/

 

[kbadr]

We've got The Paramount here in Austin. I don't see shows there much, but I'm looking forward to seeing the new version of Blade Runner there in a few weeks.

 

[Feebeeps]

I do volunteer work in the art department for the Egyptian Theatre here in Utah. Its a great movie house

 

[Gingerella72]

It's not a "palace," but my town used to have an awesome movie house called the Fort Theater.

I remember seeing movies there as a child, but in the 80's it became derelict and nasty. Someone bought the place and tried to restore it to it's former art deco glory but ran out of money. It stopped operation as a theater, but someone else bought it and tried to turn it into a nightclub in the mid-90's. That folded; it was then bought and turned into..........a dental office!

They kept the original marquee, movie ticket windows that face the street, wooden doors with brass handles. I'd love to see what they kept on the inside.

http://www.nebraskahistory.org/images/histpres/nebrasku/BF05-176.jpg

 

[nobodyspecial]

The Heights Theater in the Twin Cities is my favorite. The organ concerts before shows are wonderful.

http://www.heightstheater.com/

 

[Feebeeps]

It is so strange to see a dental office in a golden theatre. Is it decorated on the inside or just typical dental walls, ceiling, etc.?

There is an old Chinese restaurant near my theatre which was built as a nickelodeon and in the last two months the restaurant closed, so I went on a tour of the interior and found amazing western murals and original film box elements.

If I had any money, I would purchase that building and turn it into a classic cinema.

 

[Dagwood]

It took almost 80 years, but they are now finishing the Pantages in Hollywood. From LA Daily News:

Pantages Theatre expansion envisions 10 more stories for Hollywood landmark
By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 12/06/2007 08:44:21 PM PST

Everything old is new again.

Plans ditched during the Great Depression to expand the Pantages Theatre will be dusted off to add 10 stories of office space to the historic site, city officials announced Thursday.

Estimated to cost between $75 million and $100 million, the project will use designs originally approved in 1928 to add 200,00 square feet above the theater at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard.

"In Los Angeles, we have always been known as a place that welcomes grand visions," Council President Eric Garcetti said. "This is a nod to the past and a bold step to our future."

The project, by the Nederlander Theaters and the Clarett Group, is one of a number of upscale projects planned for Hollywood as part of its continuing revitalization. The Clarett Group is also building a mixed-use project, called Blvd6200. It will add more than 1,000 housing units and share parking spaces with the Pantages Theatre project.

"This is bringing a new light to Hollywood," Garcetti said. "This is good for Hollywood and good for Los Angeles."

The idea for the project began several years ago when Robert Nudelman of the Hollywood Preservation Society, who had an office at the Pantages, discovered the original drawings by architect B. Marcus Priteca.

He turned them over to the Nederlander organization, which began to develop plans to revive the project at the urging of Garcetti and other city officials.

The project will require an environmental impact study, is expected to take two years to go through the permitting process and construction is expected to take another two years. Frank Stephan, senior managing director of the Clarett Group, said the theater will remain open during construction.

LeRon Gubler, executive director of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said the project is another step needed as part of the recovery in Hollywood.

"We still have areas between Highland and Vine that need work, but something like this will help bring in the other developments we want to see," Gubler said.

One problem that persists in the area, however, is parking, Gubler said.

"We could bring in a lot more businesses if we had more parking," Gubler said. "It remains the biggest obstacle we have."

Gubler said a study is under way to explore ways it can be dealt with.

The project also is apparently winning support from local neighborhood councils.

Maripat Donovan of the adjacent Hollywood Studio District Neighborhood Council, said the project will help bring further improvements to the area.

"When I moved here in 1999, I was afraid to walk down the streets at night," Donovan said. "Now, it's much safer and all this type of development helps us."

Also, Donovan said the plans for more parking by the two projects will help all those who live and work in the area.

"There are people who say if we don't provide the parking, people won't drive here," Donovan said. "I think L.A. is still a town where people like their cars. We need places for them to park."

 

[postercollect]

The Roxy Theatre (Originally The Lyric Theatre)

Here's a link with some good reading.
Curtis

http://www.roxytheaternorthampton.com/roxyhistory.htm

 

[mike]

About 6 months ago I saw a posting for a wonderful looking classic movie palace in Long Beach, CA. They were screening a double feature of Dracula & Frankenstein, but now for the life of me, I can't remember the name of the theatre or the accompanying website :eusa_doh:

One of my most memorable original movie palace experiences was in Cleveland, Ohio. they have an incredible theatre there, including a whole full staff of original-styled movie theatre ushers! (retirees having a grand ol'time!) I saw Casablanca preceded by a bugs bunny cartoon. HEAVEN

 

[Bama Mike]

The first picture is of the Saenger Theater in downtown Mobile, Alabama. It was built in 1927 and was recently renovated. It is mainly used for concerts now. The second two pictures are of The Alabama in downtown Birmingham, AL. It was built by Paramount Studios in 1927 to showcase their films in the state of Alabama. It was also recently renovated. I've never seen a film in there but I did attend a Willie Nelson concert there a few years ago It's really beautiful. I believe the premiere of the Reese Witherspoon film "Sweet Home Alabama" was held there.

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[Luddite]

FOR THE UK LOUNGERS

There are also some historic movie palaces left in England, although most have long been converted into bingo halls or soulless multiplexes. One that's very worth visiting is the Electric Cinema, the oldest working cinema in the UK, situated in Birmingham, west Midlands.

The website is a bit rubbish.... http://www.theelectric.co.uk/

but the cinema is fantastic, very atmospheric. I can recomment the sofas from which you can text your orders to the bar during the film!

I used to go to this cinema on Saturday mornings as a child, so it makes me feel a bit old to see it as a working museum piece now!