RKO Jefferson Theatre

This October 2011 link has several photos.

http://evgrieve.com/2011/10/before-it-was-mystery-lot.html

An article in The New York Times of January 19, 1913, describes the Jefferson Theatre and Hamilton Theatre (http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1353), which opened on the 23rd and 25th, respectively. Of the Jefferson, it reports: “A life-sized bust of Thomas Jefferson adorns the main entrance.…A large mural painting over the sounding board shows Thomas Jefferson addressing an assemblage of people of his time.”

“Two New Theatres,” col. 6, The New York Times, January 19, 1913. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E0DE1D6123BE633A2575AC1A9679C946296D6CF

I just uploaded a photo I shot of the Jefferson shortly before it was demolished. I may have a better shot and will look for it to post. I would love to see a photo of the marquis in full bloom if somebody has one.

I love how the apartments are in “North West East Village.” And that would be in the southern half of Manhattan…

George Burns mentions this theater many times — on his TV show, in his books, in his act. Apparently there was a real tough crowd in this house.

But the ads mention that the they had vaudeville acts at a certain time and date, don’t they? This would just confirm how old I must have been when seeing them. The details would be helpful but I have the general vaudeville productions in my memory. I can see in my mind the pianist who served as the band director conducting the performers on stage and the musicians in the pit. It was a small band of some five to six pieces but they were excellent, enormously dynamic.

The NYT ad would be only an inspiring memento as I work on possible vaudeville productions on the Oregon Coast. I could make a poster collage of varied vaudeville ads.

Anyway, that’s kind of my imaginative game that I would really enjoy. I do produce many shows out here but vaudeville has been in the back of my mind for decades, all because of the wonderful experiences I had at the Jefferson Theater and occasionally at the Academy of Music a block further west on 14th St.

Thanks for any mementos I might receive. Thanks to anyone who can provide newspaper clippings or posters of Jefferson Theater vaudeville.

Wow! I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if I was there. How do you get this information and is there anyway you could send me a digital photo these ads?

It’s a significant part of my early life and it’s leading me to try and produce some vaudeville shows as I remember them.

Thanks for any help you can offer in this.

Do you have an actual date for the ad?

Thanks.

Thanks AlAlvarez. Do you have a link for that?

I live in Oregon now but I spent a lot of my youth in that theater, even seeing numerous vaudeville shows which I enormously enjoyed, sitting right by the orchestra pit. I’d be fascinated to know what was the year the last vaudeville show was performed as I might have been right there. I know it was just on weekends.

Tinseltoes, you mentioned they were still doing vaudeville into the 1950’s. Maybe someone can come up with an actual last year.

Thanks.

Hey Guys! Interesting stuff here. I used to live at 212 East 14th Street, on the top floor, which you can see in many pictures. I moved there right out of college (I guess 1997-2003). I loved NYC, loved my apartment, the neighborhood, all of it.I miss it greatly and still consider myself a “city person”.I actually saw the theatre get taken down by hand, brick by brick. Spring of 1999 I’d say. At the time I didn’t know (or I guess even care) about the history. And it was a total eye sore and figured it housed rats, etc so I didnt mind seeing it go. Now, I have several old pictures of the theater, along with other East Village pics in my house (in SC). I have two questions and am hoping someone that perhaps visited this theater might be able to answer:

1) why was it named “Jefferson” 2) were there any pictures of anyone perhaps named “jefferson” inside the theater, a bust, etc?

Thanks and Happy, Healthy New Year to all of you!

there is a building next to 54 West 14th Street Manhattan that looks very much like a former theater. I cannot find any info. it is on sixth avenue. i cannot link to the picture.