Thanks Mr, Vogel, that a good starting point. Unfortunately the early theaters didn’t run ads on a regular basis here in the early years so its a hit or miss job of trying to identify them. I know that I’ve found some 30 downtown theaters that came and went almost equally divided on East and West Federal Street between 1901 and about 1915 but only a very small number got a writeup in the paper that could furnish any data.
Also unfortunately, Googlenews only has the Vindicator and not the Youngstown Telegram which was also a daily paper here until it was sold to the Vindicator in the 1930’s.
Prior to the opening of the State Theater there was another at that address by the name Orpheum that I’ve been able to trace back to about 1915, and a picture postcard in my collection shows it, but the image is at such an angle that the theater can’t be compared with the State.
Does anyone have any info on the Orpheum hopefully with a picture.
In a search of The Vindicator, the last stage production at the Park was the road company production of “Oklamoma” before it dropped movies and plays and became a burlesque house in 1948.
The Heller Brothers Company was the general contractor for the Strand Theater. This company built a number of Youngstown theaters including the Warner.
The architects were Knox and Elliot, the same firm that designed the Hippodrome. This firm was also the architects for the new Tod House Hotel of which the Strand was a part.
When the State opened it presented Vaudville as well as movies, but the Vaudville didn’t last long and was dropped.
The question I have is the fact that before the State was built the Orpheum Theatre was located on the site. Did the builders demolish the Orpheum or was it incorporated into the State Theatre?
The Strand Theatre had its grand opening on October 25, 1916 with the films “The Patriot†starring William S Hart and “Maid Mad†starring Louise Fazenda and Charles Murray.
The Strand had a mezzanine and box seats which were more expensive than the orchestra seats. Orchestra – .10 cents; Mezzanine – .15 cents and Box Seats – .25 cents.
In the mid 1950’s the Strand started its live stage shows presenting Country and Western bands before going burlesque and adult movies.
It’s sad in a way that this thetre is lost to the city, but the same can be said of other local theaters. As well as being a theater buff I’m also into old time radio (1930 to 1950) and the same thing can be said for that, but be that as it is, we as a city were very short sighted and as a result, save for Powers Auditorium and Stambaugh Auditorium which I recently learned does have the capacity to show films which it rarely ever does all we have left are fond memories and those old newspaper ads that remind us that Youngstown had a rich theater history that brought here many of the truely greats in legitamate theater history … great symphony orchestras … and all the major first run films.
1901 thru 1940 were Youngstown’s golden years when it came to our legitamate theater experience. How many cities the size of Youngstown could boast of having so many of the truely greats make personal appearences here?
For a city the size of Youngstown, it’s amazing how many theaters it had both legitamate, vaudeville, burlesque, and movie. Fred Childress, the former theater editor/critic for the Vindicator ran the following column on some of the old houses including the first theater in the city, and the Princess Theatre known at various times as the Family Theater; Princess Theater; Grand Theater and finally the Esquire Theater.
Sadly, it’s difficult to locate the history of most of the old theaters, and all we have to go on are newspaper ads on the theater pages of the Youngstown Vindicator and the Youngstown Telegram.
The Dome actually was the third building west of Hazel and West Federal, but it also had an entrance on North Hazel according to the illistration published in the Vindicator.
As to more pictures than those I posted on my Webshots site, I couldn’t locate more.
Thanks much Joe. I did find a large ad telling about the opemimg of the building that the Bijou was in, but no details about the theater itself other than a few ads in the theater page. There were two Bijou theaters over the course of the years, The first Bijou was on Central Square and the other on the far end of East Federal Street.
I also read somewhere that the Warners at one point owned or had intrest in a Bijou Theater here but it wasn’t clear which Bijou was meant.
I guess from what you discovered that mosst of them were nicolodians.
There were a number of strictly vaudeville houses along Federal Street during that era that came and went not being able to compete with the Park, Princess, the Hippodrome and Grand Opera House which were both Movie and Vaudeville as well as bringing in plays and concerts.
The Rex was owned by the same folks that owned the Dome Theatre, and also had an interest in Idora Park, and when the Dome was remodeled, they exibited the films that normally would run at the Dome at the Rex which was just down the street.
By the way, the Dome was the first theater in Youngstown to introduce “talkies” in Youngstown.
Joe, In a scrapbook that I put together of theater ads for Youngstown I have representative ads for some 30 theaters just in the downtown area going back to the early 1900’s, but can’t find much information about them in the local paper.
Some were both movies and Vaudville, while others were just movies.
Examples:
Lyric Theater – West Federal St.
Bijou – There were two by this name, one on the Square and the other on East Federal St.
Alvin
Rex
Erdelic Theatre
Royal Theater – East Federal
Palace (Not the one that has its own listing on CT. this one was east of the Square and was closed by the city because it didn’t meet code in the early 1900’s.)
At one point in the early 1900’s there were no fewer than 12 downtown theaters.
Can you or anyone else find more information about these theaters?
Here are some Uptown related articles. Unfortunately Google doesn’t have the issue telling of the opening of the Uptown in its original opening Nov. 26, 1926.
Back in the day the Foster use to bring in film versions of Grand Opera, and my Mother made a point of going there whenever they were shown, but saddly those days are long gone and if the truth were told, a person takes their life in their hands if they go there today.
Here are some postcard views of the Hippodrome from the West Federal Street side which was the main entrance. The sign with the elephant was the original sign.
During the days it was open, it riveled the Park Theater in popularity by bringing in big name shows such as Earl Caroll’s Vanities (sp), but once the Palace opened, folks gravatated to the Palace, and the Hip had to settle for lesser names and movies.
After it finally closed for good, it was completely gutted and turned into a Grayhound Bus station. The arcade portion remained quite busy right up until the building was finally demolished and a parking deck was built for the G. M. McKelvey Department Store.
I worked at the Mahoning while in high school in the 1950’s and by then it was a mere shadow of it’s former self due in no small part to the newer Schenley Theater and the West Side Drive-In, but in its early years when it was the only West Side theater it was thr hub of entertainment and civic activity.
It had a very small balcony that was seldem used because of it’s proximity to the very small projection booth that was so small that the operator had to keep the film cans outside the booth, and the door open.
As to the Lobby, it to was small.
There were two isles in tha auditorium and a small stage.
Unfortunately I couldn’t find any articles about its opening, but did find these two articles from the 20’s.
Thanks Mr, Vogel, that a good starting point. Unfortunately the early theaters didn’t run ads on a regular basis here in the early years so its a hit or miss job of trying to identify them. I know that I’ve found some 30 downtown theaters that came and went almost equally divided on East and West Federal Street between 1901 and about 1915 but only a very small number got a writeup in the paper that could furnish any data.
Also unfortunately, Googlenews only has the Vindicator and not the Youngstown Telegram which was also a daily paper here until it was sold to the Vindicator in the 1930’s.
Prior to the opening of the State Theater there was another at that address by the name Orpheum that I’ve been able to trace back to about 1915, and a picture postcard in my collection shows it, but the image is at such an angle that the theater can’t be compared with the State.
Does anyone have any info on the Orpheum hopefully with a picture.
Does anyone happen to have any good interior photos of the State in its prime?
In a search of The Vindicator, the last stage production at the Park was the road company production of “Oklamoma” before it dropped movies and plays and became a burlesque house in 1948.
View link
The Heller Brothers Company was the general contractor for the Strand Theater. This company built a number of Youngstown theaters including the Warner.
The architects were Knox and Elliot, the same firm that designed the Hippodrome. This firm was also the architects for the new Tod House Hotel of which the Strand was a part.
When the State opened it presented Vaudville as well as movies, but the Vaudville didn’t last long and was dropped.
The question I have is the fact that before the State was built the Orpheum Theatre was located on the site. Did the builders demolish the Orpheum or was it incorporated into the State Theatre?
The Strand Theatre had its grand opening on October 25, 1916 with the films “The Patriot†starring William S Hart and “Maid Mad†starring Louise Fazenda and Charles Murray.
The Strand had a mezzanine and box seats which were more expensive than the orchestra seats. Orchestra – .10 cents; Mezzanine – .15 cents and Box Seats – .25 cents.
In the mid 1950’s the Strand started its live stage shows presenting Country and Western bands before going burlesque and adult movies.
It’s sad in a way that this thetre is lost to the city, but the same can be said of other local theaters. As well as being a theater buff I’m also into old time radio (1930 to 1950) and the same thing can be said for that, but be that as it is, we as a city were very short sighted and as a result, save for Powers Auditorium and Stambaugh Auditorium which I recently learned does have the capacity to show films which it rarely ever does all we have left are fond memories and those old newspaper ads that remind us that Youngstown had a rich theater history that brought here many of the truely greats in legitamate theater history … great symphony orchestras … and all the major first run films.
1901 thru 1940 were Youngstown’s golden years when it came to our legitamate theater experience. How many cities the size of Youngstown could boast of having so many of the truely greats make personal appearences here?
Here is a rather description of the Park Theater at its opening.
2/3/1901
Park Theater Opening
View link
2/5/1901
Description and data.
View link
For a city the size of Youngstown, it’s amazing how many theaters it had both legitamate, vaudeville, burlesque, and movie. Fred Childress, the former theater editor/critic for the Vindicator ran the following column on some of the old houses including the first theater in the city, and the Princess Theatre known at various times as the Family Theater; Princess Theater; Grand Theater and finally the Esquire Theater.
12/8/1946
Theater History In Youngstown
View link
Sadly, it’s difficult to locate the history of most of the old theaters, and all we have to go on are newspaper ads on the theater pages of the Youngstown Vindicator and the Youngstown Telegram.
The Dome actually was the third building west of Hazel and West Federal, but it also had an entrance on North Hazel according to the illistration published in the Vindicator.
As to more pictures than those I posted on my Webshots site, I couldn’t locate more.
I didn’t mean to double post the Dome here since it has its own page.
Here is some information that I did find but unfortunately not enough to give them their own listing:
Bijou Theater
November 11, 1908
View link
November 12, 1908
View link
Dome
Dome Theater
View link
View link
Grand Opera House
View link
View link
View link
Thanks much Joe. I did find a large ad telling about the opemimg of the building that the Bijou was in, but no details about the theater itself other than a few ads in the theater page. There were two Bijou theaters over the course of the years, The first Bijou was on Central Square and the other on the far end of East Federal Street.
I also read somewhere that the Warners at one point owned or had intrest in a Bijou Theater here but it wasn’t clear which Bijou was meant.
I guess from what you discovered that mosst of them were nicolodians.
There were a number of strictly vaudeville houses along Federal Street during that era that came and went not being able to compete with the Park, Princess, the Hippodrome and Grand Opera House which were both Movie and Vaudeville as well as bringing in plays and concerts.
The Rex was owned by the same folks that owned the Dome Theatre, and also had an interest in Idora Park, and when the Dome was remodeled, they exibited the films that normally would run at the Dome at the Rex which was just down the street.
By the way, the Dome was the first theater in Youngstown to introduce “talkies” in Youngstown.
Joe, In a scrapbook that I put together of theater ads for Youngstown I have representative ads for some 30 theaters just in the downtown area going back to the early 1900’s, but can’t find much information about them in the local paper.
Some were both movies and Vaudville, while others were just movies.
Examples:
Lyric Theater – West Federal St.
Bijou – There were two by this name, one on the Square and the other on East Federal St.
Alvin
Rex
Erdelic Theatre
Royal Theater – East Federal
Palace (Not the one that has its own listing on CT. this one was east of the Square and was closed by the city because it didn’t meet code in the early 1900’s.)
At one point in the early 1900’s there were no fewer than 12 downtown theaters.
Can you or anyone else find more information about these theaters?
Here are a number of Vindicator articles about the Dome.
2/17/1912
View link
4/21/1912
View link
And at this link are pictures
Webshots pictures
View link
Here are some Uptown related articles. Unfortunately Google doesn’t have the issue telling of the opening of the Uptown in its original opening Nov. 26, 1926.
Stephen G. Foster
View link
Nov. 5 1987
View link
July 18, 1965
View link
July 2, 1927
View link
Nov. 10, 1983
View link
Back in the day the Foster use to bring in film versions of Grand Opera, and my Mother made a point of going there whenever they were shown, but saddly those days are long gone and if the truth were told, a person takes their life in their hands if they go there today.
Here are some postcard views of the Hippodrome from the West Federal Street side which was the main entrance. The sign with the elephant was the original sign.
View link
Sorry that I don’t have any clear photographs of the views but will try to get some from the library.
It certainly could have been a real disaster.
During the days it was open, it riveled the Park Theater in popularity by bringing in big name shows such as Earl Caroll’s Vanities (sp), but once the Palace opened, folks gravatated to the Palace, and the Hip had to settle for lesser names and movies.
After it finally closed for good, it was completely gutted and turned into a Grayhound Bus station. The arcade portion remained quite busy right up until the building was finally demolished and a parking deck was built for the G. M. McKelvey Department Store.
Joe: I have a hard copy of the article that ran on 10/29/1914 which is missing in the Google News copy.
“SIX MEN ARE BURIED IN RUINS OF ARCADE WHEN NEW POURED FLOORD CRUMBLE; TOLL OF LIFE IS BELIEVED TO BE THREE”
There was an alley that seperated the theater from the McElroy portion and this was where it happened.
The Vindicator did report it in their October 29, 1914 issue.
Great find Joe and I thank you.
Announcing the opening of the Liberty
Article (Sadly the pictures are of poor quality. Had to link to this article to get the article on the Liberty article.)
View link
Feb. 10. 1918 Opening ad
View link
I worked at the Mahoning while in high school in the 1950’s and by then it was a mere shadow of it’s former self due in no small part to the newer Schenley Theater and the West Side Drive-In, but in its early years when it was the only West Side theater it was thr hub of entertainment and civic activity.
It had a very small balcony that was seldem used because of it’s proximity to the very small projection booth that was so small that the operator had to keep the film cans outside the booth, and the door open.
As to the Lobby, it to was small.
There were two isles in tha auditorium and a small stage.
Unfortunately I couldn’t find any articles about its opening, but did find these two articles from the 20’s.
Sept. 28, 1925
View link
Sept. 29, 1925
View link