Just wondering when did the program light on the back of the orchestra seating last function? I pressed the mother of pearl button on the seat back mid nineteen fifties and nothing happened.
This is another cinema constructed by F&Y out of Columbus, Ohio . Checkout another of Weithe’s theatres in Cincinnati called the Valley on Reading Road.
Today this former cinema is a restaurant nightclub with dance floor and a band called Jaspers Feb.1,08.The seats have been removed ,but the stage still remains intact.
Someone asked way back in 2005 on this site if any of the United Artists interior remained,well I think that Peter Miller managed to roll up the interior murals from the house and place them in safe storage. Let me add my sad condolences for the demise of the United Artist Th. which was in spledid shape on my last viewing in 1986. R.I.P. United Artist, what a loss!
I don’t know about a periscope, the crying rooms I’m familiar with were built like a broadcasting booth with a large glass window so seated patrons could see the film and loudspeakers within this seperate room carried audio of the movie. Hense only the other mothers with babies could listen to the flicker while the children screamed!
The 20th Century had a crying room in the balcony area for the use of Moms with little tots who wanted to see a flick without annoying the patrons with their small offspring.
The Covedale Theater, now a Performing Arts venue has recently restored their distintive roof level beacon light which was removed in Sept. 2007 for needed rebuilding. So nice to see a landmark once again intact.
Thank you REndres for answering the mysteries of the side soundproof booths at RCMH I’ve pondered about for years. It’s my favorite magic theater in the World. Many years ago I was fortunate enough to be given a one person tour of Music Hall by then Rockette Carol Harbich who showed me around during her break time. We wound up in the office of Scenic Designer John Keck who let me scan the bound books of past stageshows in his office while viewing the marvelous model of the Hall with mechnical minature elevators. For a final treat I ask Carol if she would kiss me on my cheek in the middle of the turntable while 6,000 people watched the feature film. As you know you can see the audience faces brightly lit by the screens illumination through the perforated holes from behind the screen, but of course the patrons couldn’t see us. Carol complyed and that was my one shining moment in Camelot!!!! Then I treated her to lunch at Toot Shors (twas a resonable tab as well) and I’ve since learned that Toot’s landlady was Queen Elizabeth . Apparently the Royal Family owns the structure in NYC. Thanks again, Until soon,Hank
Here’s an architectural mystery at Music Hall,over on the righthand side of the RCMH auditorium,at orchestra level,there is a sound proof booth with a glass window ,it’s under one of the choral stairways. The view from this booth faces the audience so was this for a director,agent,or management person to watch the patrons reactions to performers or films?? The booth is now a continuing corridor that connects to backstage and maybe always did. Was this constructed originally for radio broadcasts, seems unlikely since there were studios for this purpose in the building? The booth does not have a view of the stage, hence it has always left me to wonder what it be for???
The U .F .A Studio in Germany would have been equal to Hollywood’s M.G.M.,. It did in fact have connections to Louis Mayer the President of M.G.M. for distribution rights to their product as well as displaying films made in Germany for as long as the market remained friendly. Remember the early days of filmdom were silent, so films made anywhere could play to peoples in many languages. Changing title cards into another language was a common occurance, thus when we entered WW1 and WW2 a huge revenue loss was felt amongst our U.S. studios in those countries we were warring against.
To Justin thanks for that info and to Vito as well, plus all the other bloggers. Vito ,I must ask if it is possible that you are THE VITO from the 1940’s who took all the grand shots of R.H.M.H. for LIFE MAGAZINE?????
The NBC Special on Music Hall what a treat to see so much of the theater used,wonderful use of the main curtain, which is almost always missing from shows broadcast from there! All 36 Rocketts,all three elevators with more elevators perched upon them,the old plastic ice rink with skaters,and although I couldn’t see the camels in the Nativity scene I’m told they are still used in the show. Also four shows were taped to assemble the hour long program that we saw. One of the reasons for multiple tapings was to achieve as many different camera placements as possible. Loved the digital backgrounds to help the double decked bus take us around New York. I’m guessing the Bus was self battery propelled. One must guess that a live orchestra is not present for the show .
I wonder if the Empress Theater was originally owned by the Sullivan and Considine nation burleskque chain, as all of their theaters were named Empress across the country.
An article from the Cincinnati Enquirer dated Oct. 24,1989 in their,“Extra Magazine”,gives the closing year of the Queen Anne Theater as 1956.The former theater was sold by Joe O'Brien to sheet metal shop owner Earl Elliottt in 1974.Apparently the Queen Anne was built in the 1890’s for vaudeville.Queen Anne had been run by Garland Jones for years as a cinema.
Hello again, Just found an article in our local newspaper which says that the Park Hall Theater which was the original name for the Ambassador was built in 1913 by local builders Moorman & John at a cost of 53,000 dollars.
A new brain cell is born….,“BOOK NIGHT”,appears to be a promotion to attract more cinema customers ,we think this is how it worked,each participating theater listed in their newspaper ad (the numbered free encyclopedia) they were giving away and on which days of the week that would happen. After several weeks of free giveaways the theaters began to charge a small fee to complete your full 26 volumes a-z which then could grace your home library. These encyclopedias were simple versions not Funk&Wagnall tomes! Seems to me that’s how my mother bought a set at our local New England IGA for 25 cents a week for 26 weeks. These promotions dated back to the originals like ,“Dish Nite”,and ,“Country Store Nite”, just a new wrinkle on the cinema block to attract patrons cash. I think there was also ,“Bank Nite”, where small amounts of cash were offered.
There was Latchis and Conistan Theater in Newport,N.H. which I attended as a child with my Family in the summertime during the 1950’s. Don’t know if Latchis ran both of these or not. Try the Keene,N.H. site on Cinema Treasures for more info. Good luck!
Hello again ken mc, That butterfly facade really was a stunner! It pre-dated what Las Vegas has created today as Times Square surely is another current example. Course all that statuary covering the theater was ordered from a cast iron manufacturers catalogue. It was standard across America as the butterfly motif was a popular one.Until soon,Hank
Thanks ken mc , for a short list of theaters owned by Frank Huss, his folks had been in the cinema business since the early days of nickel shows in 1907. Ken your list of theatre blogs is impressive. Until soon,Hank.
To bad that the original balistrate porch railing is somewhat hidden by the new boxy marquee,but I suppose some would call that progress.
Just wondering when did the program light on the back of the orchestra seating last function? I pressed the mother of pearl button on the seat back mid nineteen fifties and nothing happened.
Later in the 1940’s the Jackson was leased by Louis Wiethe as part of his ever expanding local chain of movie houses.
This is another cinema constructed by F&Y out of Columbus, Ohio . Checkout another of Weithe’s theatres in Cincinnati called the Valley on Reading Road.
Today this former cinema is a restaurant nightclub with dance floor and a band called Jaspers Feb.1,08.The seats have been removed ,but the stage still remains intact.
Someone asked way back in 2005 on this site if any of the United Artists interior remained,well I think that Peter Miller managed to roll up the interior murals from the house and place them in safe storage. Let me add my sad condolences for the demise of the United Artist Th. which was in spledid shape on my last viewing in 1986. R.I.P. United Artist, what a loss!
This crying room was generally located within the balcony area.
I don’t know about a periscope, the crying rooms I’m familiar with were built like a broadcasting booth with a large glass window so seated patrons could see the film and loudspeakers within this seperate room carried audio of the movie. Hense only the other mothers with babies could listen to the flicker while the children screamed!
The 20th Century had a crying room in the balcony area for the use of Moms with little tots who wanted to see a flick without annoying the patrons with their small offspring.
The Covedale Theater, now a Performing Arts venue has recently restored their distintive roof level beacon light which was removed in Sept. 2007 for needed rebuilding. So nice to see a landmark once again intact.
Thank you REndres for answering the mysteries of the side soundproof booths at RCMH I’ve pondered about for years. It’s my favorite magic theater in the World. Many years ago I was fortunate enough to be given a one person tour of Music Hall by then Rockette Carol Harbich who showed me around during her break time. We wound up in the office of Scenic Designer John Keck who let me scan the bound books of past stageshows in his office while viewing the marvelous model of the Hall with mechnical minature elevators. For a final treat I ask Carol if she would kiss me on my cheek in the middle of the turntable while 6,000 people watched the feature film. As you know you can see the audience faces brightly lit by the screens illumination through the perforated holes from behind the screen, but of course the patrons couldn’t see us. Carol complyed and that was my one shining moment in Camelot!!!! Then I treated her to lunch at Toot Shors (twas a resonable tab as well) and I’ve since learned that Toot’s landlady was Queen Elizabeth . Apparently the Royal Family owns the structure in NYC. Thanks again, Until soon,Hank
Here’s an architectural mystery at Music Hall,over on the righthand side of the RCMH auditorium,at orchestra level,there is a sound proof booth with a glass window ,it’s under one of the choral stairways. The view from this booth faces the audience so was this for a director,agent,or management person to watch the patrons reactions to performers or films?? The booth is now a continuing corridor that connects to backstage and maybe always did. Was this constructed originally for radio broadcasts, seems unlikely since there were studios for this purpose in the building? The booth does not have a view of the stage, hence it has always left me to wonder what it be for???
The U .F .A Studio in Germany would have been equal to Hollywood’s M.G.M.,. It did in fact have connections to Louis Mayer the President of M.G.M. for distribution rights to their product as well as displaying films made in Germany for as long as the market remained friendly. Remember the early days of filmdom were silent, so films made anywhere could play to peoples in many languages. Changing title cards into another language was a common occurance, thus when we entered WW1 and WW2 a huge revenue loss was felt amongst our U.S. studios in those countries we were warring against.
The Grand theater was three seperate structures. The Grand on this page is the RKO GRAND moviehouse from 1939 lasting until it was torndown in 1980.
To Justin thanks for that info and to Vito as well, plus all the other bloggers. Vito ,I must ask if it is possible that you are THE VITO from the 1940’s who took all the grand shots of R.H.M.H. for LIFE MAGAZINE?????
The NBC Special on Music Hall what a treat to see so much of the theater used,wonderful use of the main curtain, which is almost always missing from shows broadcast from there! All 36 Rocketts,all three elevators with more elevators perched upon them,the old plastic ice rink with skaters,and although I couldn’t see the camels in the Nativity scene I’m told they are still used in the show. Also four shows were taped to assemble the hour long program that we saw. One of the reasons for multiple tapings was to achieve as many different camera placements as possible. Loved the digital backgrounds to help the double decked bus take us around New York. I’m guessing the Bus was self battery propelled. One must guess that a live orchestra is not present for the show .
One more thing ,just learned,“The Publix Film Corporation”, was the title Paramount Studios always used for their film distribution unit.
I wonder if the Empress Theater was originally owned by the Sullivan and Considine nation burleskque chain, as all of their theaters were named Empress across the country.
An article from the Cincinnati Enquirer dated Oct. 24,1989 in their,“Extra Magazine”,gives the closing year of the Queen Anne Theater as 1956.The former theater was sold by Joe O'Brien to sheet metal shop owner Earl Elliottt in 1974.Apparently the Queen Anne was built in the 1890’s for vaudeville.Queen Anne had been run by Garland Jones for years as a cinema.
Hello again, Just found an article in our local newspaper which says that the Park Hall Theater which was the original name for the Ambassador was built in 1913 by local builders Moorman & John at a cost of 53,000 dollars.
A new brain cell is born….,“BOOK NIGHT”,appears to be a promotion to attract more cinema customers ,we think this is how it worked,each participating theater listed in their newspaper ad (the numbered free encyclopedia) they were giving away and on which days of the week that would happen. After several weeks of free giveaways the theaters began to charge a small fee to complete your full 26 volumes a-z which then could grace your home library. These encyclopedias were simple versions not Funk&Wagnall tomes! Seems to me that’s how my mother bought a set at our local New England IGA for 25 cents a week for 26 weeks. These promotions dated back to the originals like ,“Dish Nite”,and ,“Country Store Nite”, just a new wrinkle on the cinema block to attract patrons cash. I think there was also ,“Bank Nite”, where small amounts of cash were offered.
The Latchis Th.in Newport,N.H. opened in 1949 with an address on Park St.,sadly it burned down Dec.25,1965.
There was Latchis and Conistan Theater in Newport,N.H. which I attended as a child with my Family in the summertime during the 1950’s. Don’t know if Latchis ran both of these or not. Try the Keene,N.H. site on Cinema Treasures for more info. Good luck!
Hello again ken mc, That butterfly facade really was a stunner! It pre-dated what Las Vegas has created today as Times Square surely is another current example. Course all that statuary covering the theater was ordered from a cast iron manufacturers catalogue. It was standard across America as the butterfly motif was a popular one.Until soon,Hank
Thanks ken mc , for a short list of theaters owned by Frank Huss, his folks had been in the cinema business since the early days of nickel shows in 1907. Ken your list of theatre blogs is impressive. Until soon,Hank.