DocSouth says that the Gem Theatre was in operation by 1926, when it had 200 seats.
BoxRec says that a bout between boxers Lew Carpenter and Tommy Swinson was held at the Gem Theatre in Siler City on February 19, 1927.
It’s possible that the Gem Theatre was in operation as early as 1914. A transcription of the 1914 edition of The North Carolina Year Book and Business Directoryhere lists a Gem Theatre, but somewhat ambiguously. It follows the listings for Siler City, but the section it is in is headed Chatham-Cherokee. Chatham is the name of the county of which Siler City is the seat, and Cherokee is the adjacent county. Another business listed in the same section has Siler City in its name, so the Gem was probably in Siler City as well. An actual scan of the book might clear up the mystery. But even if the 1914 Gem was in Siler City, it might not have been in the same building that housed the theater in 1926.
Probably opened in 1946, or soon after, the Barstow Theatre was located on the south side of W. Main Street (Route 66) where it curves in the block west of 1st Avenue. The house had been twinned by July, 1982, when this photo at American Classic Images was taken.
By January, 1988, the house was showing double features on both screens, as seen in this night shot from ACI. This ACI photo, dated June, 1988, shows the marquee vacant, so the house must have been closed during the first half of that year.
The site of the Barstow Theatre is now part of the very large parking lot of the New Life Foursquare Church. The church is at 134 W. Main Street, so the theater must have been right around 140-150 W. Main.
There is a big parking lot behind the building at 41 Market Street. I suspect that the Rialto’s auditorium once occupied that space. The existing building is too small to have contained a large theatre.
The entry for architect Warren G. Sargent in the 1956 edition of the AIA’s American Architects Directory has two listings for theater projects for Roth theaters in Silver Spring in 1954. Most likely Sargent designed the Silver Spring East and the remodeling job for the Silver Spring West Theatre as a package deal.
Camilla, by Warren Royal and Diane Dixon, says that the Camilla Theatre and the Dunn Drive-In were both owned by Bob and Kitty Dunn. the book has two 1949 photos showing the Camilla Theatre which, at that time, sported a simple art modern front. This could easily have been a remodeling job on a much older theater, but I’ve been unable to find any references to a theater in Camilla earlier than 1940.
The registration form for the inclusion of the Downtown Clarksburg Historic District on the NRHP says that after the Robinson Grand Theatre was gutted by fire on May 31, 1939, the repairs cost over $600,000.
The second of two photos (click the thumbnail and then the “slide show” link at the bottom of the enlarged photo for a high resolution version) on this web page shows that the brick of the auditorium’s side wall differs considerably from the brick on the rest of the building, as the auditorium that opened in 1940 was entirely new.
The entry for architect Tracy R. Stephens in the 1956 edition of the AIA’s American Architects Directory lists the Robinson Grand Theatre as one of his projects, dated 1939.
The Rita Theatre was definitely designed by Vincent G. Raney. The entry for architect Tristan Parego Smith in the 1956 edition of the AIA’s American Architects Directory lists the Rita Theatre as one of several projects on which Smith served as a participating associate while he was working in Raney’s office.
The correct spelling of the name of the architect of the Massac Theatre is Oliver W. Stiegemeyer, which is the way it is spelled in the 1956 and 1962 editions of the AIA’s American Architects Directory.
An ad in the January 2, 1943, issue of The Billboard lists the Colonial Theatre in Utica as part of the I. Hirst circuit, a chain of 15 burlesque houses. I’ve found a reference to the house operating as the Colonial Theatre as early as 1927, but as the
Shubert Theatre it was showing movies at least as early as 1916. I also found an undated reference to the Shubert Theatre being operated for a time by the Wilmer & Vincent vaudeville circuit. Both the Shubert brothers and Wilmer & Vincent began their careers as theater operators in Utica.
Ed’s right. The Tribune Theatre was in the white building partly seen about a block to the left of the City Hall Theatre in the photo at the top of this page.
Another contemporary source confirming the location of the Unique Theatre is a supplement to the trade journal Engineering News dated May 2, 1907, which has the following in an item about new construction in San Francisco:
“A steel frame, 7-story building of brick and terra-cotta construction is to be erected on the north line of Market St., between Mason and Taylor Sts., for Louis Metzger and Louis Shoenberg, to cost $125,000. The building will consist of basement and first and second stories for business purposes. The upper five stories will contain 75 rooms, which will be let as a hotel. The lot extends through to Turk St. and is the site of the old Unique Theatre.”
If the 7-story building was built, it is apparently no longer standing, or perhaps has lost most of its upper floors. The pre-fire site of the Unique would have been a few doors east of the post-fire Warfield Theatre. I believe the address of the first lot on Market east of Taylor that runs through to Turk Street is 944 Market, so the modern address of the Unique’s site would most likely be that number or a number just a bit lower.
Note that the magazine article I quoted in the previous comment places the Unique Theatre on Market Street between Mason and Taylor. The October 13, 1922, issue of a magazine called Holly Leaves has an article about Sid Grauman, and says that the Unique was on Market Street near Sixth Street, which does intersect Market across from Taylor Street. I believe San Francisco renumbered the blocks along Market Street sometime after the 1906 fire, and the historic address 757 probably was where the magazines say the theater was, between Taylor and Mason.
The July 15, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World had an article about the pioneer movie exhibitors of San Francisco, including D. J. Grauman. Grauman is quoted as saying that he had opened the Unique Theatre “…about 18 years ago….” with vaudeville and moving pictures. Here is the section about Grauman and the Unique Theatre:
“D. J. Grauman Early in the Game.
“A REVIEW of the early days in the moving picture industry in San Francisco would be incomplete without a reference to D. J. Grauman, who has continued his connection with the business until the present time. Shortly after the first moving picture show was opened here Mr. Grauman arrived from Alaska, where he had been working off a touch of the gold fever, and for a time was with ‘Pop’ Furst, who had a small theater in the very heart of the city. Shortly after he became settled here he took over a store on Market street, between Mason and Taylor, and here was opened what Mr. Grauman believes to be the first ten-cent vaudeville house in America, the Unique theater, moving pictures being one of its leading attractions.
“‘When I first began showing moving pictures,’ said Mr. Grauman, ‘a hundred foot subject was regarded as being a long feature. Most of these came from France and England, and some of them were splendid pictures, as would be shown if run through a modern machine. Everything had to be bought outright and as there were but few made it was necessary to run them for a long time. People saw the same subjects over and over again, but there was never any complaints on that score. My stock of pictures was quite extensive and frequently I had from $3,000 to $5,000 tied up in these, an item of expense that the present day exhibitor knows nothing of.
“‘One of the funniest subjects ever shown at the Unique theater was a French picture known as A Trip to the Moon. This created quite a sensation at the time and I showed it a great many times. In time Edison started making pictures, but the first ones were poor in quality and it was some time before they reached the standard set by the foreign makers.
“‘When the Unique theater was opened, about eighteen years ago, five acts of vaudeville and about 100 feet of pictures were given for ten cents, and the vaudeville acts were not the lengthy kind seen today. Short shows, short intermissions and no delays between the acts were the order of the day and there were always crowds waiting to get into the house. This little theater is quite a contrast to the Empress theater of today where eight acts of vaudeville and five reels of moving pictures are given for the same price of admission, ten cents.’
“Following the fire of 1906, Mr. Grauman re-opened for business in the Fillmore street district and when the downtown district was rehabilitated, opened the Imperial theater on Market street, which is regarded as being one of the finest moving picture houses in the city at the present time. He is now associated with his son, Sid Grauman, in the management of the Empress theater.”
Other sections of the article also indicate that Grauman opened the Unique Theatre about 1898. Early film dealer Peter Bacigalupi is quoted as saying that he brought back a number of films from Paris in 1900 and sold most of them to Grauman for exhibition at the Unique.
The entire article, which includes a small, early photo of the Unique Theatre, can be seen online at at this link courtesy of Google Books.
According to this page at the web site of Forte Architects, designers of the Gateway Cinema 14, the multiplex occupies space formerly used for a department store. Additional photos can be seen by clicking on the “VIP LOUNGE AND CINEMA” link on the right side of the page. Mouse over thumbnails to see large versions.
The State Theatre at Quincy, Illinois, is listed as a 1938 project in the entry for architect Charles F. Behrensnmeyer in the 1956 edition of the AIA’s American Architects Directory.
The opening year for the Pan Pacific Theatre was probably either 1936 or 1937, as the entry for architect Welton Beckett (William Pereira’s partner) in the AIA’s 1956 American Architects Directory lists the design as a 1936 project.
An article about concrete theater construction, in Boxoffice of April 2, 1949, included an interior photo of the Michigan Theatre, though I don’t find the house mentioned in the article itself. The style was Art Deco. The photo caption attributes the design to the Dearborn architectural firm Bennett & Straight.
The only interior view of the Wynnewood Theatre I’ve been able to find is a small shot of the concession stand on this page of Boxoffice, June 7, 1952.
Photos of the concession stand and the ladies' lounge illustrate this brief article about the remodeling of the State Theatre in Boxoffice of June 7, 1952.
DocSouth says that the Gem Theatre was in operation by 1926, when it had 200 seats.
BoxRec says that a bout between boxers Lew Carpenter and Tommy Swinson was held at the Gem Theatre in Siler City on February 19, 1927.
It’s possible that the Gem Theatre was in operation as early as 1914. A transcription of the 1914 edition of The North Carolina Year Book and Business Directory here lists a Gem Theatre, but somewhat ambiguously. It follows the listings for Siler City, but the section it is in is headed Chatham-Cherokee. Chatham is the name of the county of which Siler City is the seat, and Cherokee is the adjacent county. Another business listed in the same section has Siler City in its name, so the Gem was probably in Siler City as well. An actual scan of the book might clear up the mystery. But even if the 1914 Gem was in Siler City, it might not have been in the same building that housed the theater in 1926.
Probably opened in 1946, or soon after, the Barstow Theatre was located on the south side of W. Main Street (Route 66) where it curves in the block west of 1st Avenue. The house had been twinned by July, 1982, when this photo at American Classic Images was taken.
By January, 1988, the house was showing double features on both screens, as seen in this night shot from ACI. This ACI photo, dated June, 1988, shows the marquee vacant, so the house must have been closed during the first half of that year.
The site of the Barstow Theatre is now part of the very large parking lot of the New Life Foursquare Church. The church is at 134 W. Main Street, so the theater must have been right around 140-150 W. Main.
Boxoffice has moved its archive to a new web site. Here is fresh link to the 1949 ad with photo of the lounge.
The 1951 photo of the entrance canopy that Gerald DeLuca linked to is now available at this link.
There is a big parking lot behind the building at 41 Market Street. I suspect that the Rialto’s auditorium once occupied that space. The existing building is too small to have contained a large theatre.
The entry for architect Warren G. Sargent in the 1956 edition of the AIA’s American Architects Directory has two listings for theater projects for Roth theaters in Silver Spring in 1954. Most likely Sargent designed the Silver Spring East and the remodeling job for the Silver Spring West Theatre as a package deal.
Camilla, by Warren Royal and Diane Dixon, says that the Camilla Theatre and the Dunn Drive-In were both owned by Bob and Kitty Dunn. the book has two 1949 photos showing the Camilla Theatre which, at that time, sported a simple art modern front. This could easily have been a remodeling job on a much older theater, but I’ve been unable to find any references to a theater in Camilla earlier than 1940.
The registration form for the inclusion of the Downtown Clarksburg Historic District on the NRHP says that after the Robinson Grand Theatre was gutted by fire on May 31, 1939, the repairs cost over $600,000.
The second of two photos (click the thumbnail and then the “slide show” link at the bottom of the enlarged photo for a high resolution version) on this web page shows that the brick of the auditorium’s side wall differs considerably from the brick on the rest of the building, as the auditorium that opened in 1940 was entirely new.
The entry for architect Tracy R. Stephens in the 1956 edition of the AIA’s American Architects Directory lists the Robinson Grand Theatre as one of his projects, dated 1939.
The Rita Theatre was definitely designed by Vincent G. Raney. The entry for architect Tristan Parego Smith in the 1956 edition of the AIA’sAmerican Architects Directory lists the Rita Theatre as one of several projects on which Smith served as a participating associate while he was working in Raney’s office.
The correct spelling of the name of the architect of the Massac Theatre is Oliver W. Stiegemeyer, which is the way it is spelled in the 1956 and 1962 editions of the AIA’s American Architects Directory.
An ad in the January 2, 1943, issue of The Billboard lists the Colonial Theatre in Utica as part of the I. Hirst circuit, a chain of 15 burlesque houses. I’ve found a reference to the house operating as the Colonial Theatre as early as 1927, but as the Shubert Theatre it was showing movies at least as early as 1916. I also found an undated reference to the Shubert Theatre being operated for a time by the Wilmer & Vincent vaudeville circuit. Both the Shubert brothers and Wilmer & Vincent began their careers as theater operators in Utica.
MyyaAngel: There is contact information on the Glen Theater’s official web site.
Ed’s right. The Tribune Theatre was in the white building partly seen about a block to the left of the City Hall Theatre in the photo at the top of this page.
I think the 1904 article might have been about the Unique Theatre at 24 E. Santa Clara Street in San Jose, which was also operated by the Graumans.
You’re right. I missed the location in the caption.
Another contemporary source confirming the location of the Unique Theatre is a supplement to the trade journal Engineering News dated May 2, 1907, which has the following in an item about new construction in San Francisco:
If the 7-story building was built, it is apparently no longer standing, or perhaps has lost most of its upper floors. The pre-fire site of the Unique would have been a few doors east of the post-fire Warfield Theatre. I believe the address of the first lot on Market east of Taylor that runs through to Turk Street is 944 Market, so the modern address of the Unique’s site would most likely be that number or a number just a bit lower.Note that the magazine article I quoted in the previous comment places the Unique Theatre on Market Street between Mason and Taylor. The October 13, 1922, issue of a magazine called Holly Leaves has an article about Sid Grauman, and says that the Unique was on Market Street near Sixth Street, which does intersect Market across from Taylor Street. I believe San Francisco renumbered the blocks along Market Street sometime after the 1906 fire, and the historic address 757 probably was where the magazines say the theater was, between Taylor and Mason.
The July 15, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World had an article about the pioneer movie exhibitors of San Francisco, including D. J. Grauman. Grauman is quoted as saying that he had opened the Unique Theatre “…about 18 years ago….” with vaudeville and moving pictures. Here is the section about Grauman and the Unique Theatre:
Other sections of the article also indicate that Grauman opened the Unique Theatre about 1898. Early film dealer Peter Bacigalupi is quoted as saying that he brought back a number of films from Paris in 1900 and sold most of them to Grauman for exhibition at the Unique.The entire article, which includes a small, early photo of the Unique Theatre, can be seen online at at this link courtesy of Google Books.
According to this page at the web site of Forte Architects, designers of the Gateway Cinema 14, the multiplex occupies space formerly used for a department store. Additional photos can be seen by clicking on the “VIP LOUNGE AND CINEMA” link on the right side of the page. Mouse over thumbnails to see large versions.
The web site of the Holiday Star Theater has been moved to this URL.
There are five photos of the Strand Theatre at CinemaTour.
The State Theatre at Quincy, Illinois, is listed as a 1938 project in the entry for architect Charles F. Behrensnmeyer in the 1956 edition of the AIA’s American Architects Directory.
The opening year for the Pan Pacific Theatre was probably either 1936 or 1937, as the entry for architect Welton Beckett (William Pereira’s partner) in the AIA’s 1956 American Architects Directory lists the design as a 1936 project.
An article about concrete theater construction, in Boxoffice of April 2, 1949, included an interior photo of the Michigan Theatre, though I don’t find the house mentioned in the article itself. The style was Art Deco. The photo caption attributes the design to the Dearborn architectural firm Bennett & Straight.
The only interior view of the Wynnewood Theatre I’ve been able to find is a small shot of the concession stand on this page of Boxoffice, June 7, 1952.
Photos of the concession stand and the ladies' lounge illustrate this brief article about the remodeling of the State Theatre in Boxoffice of June 7, 1952.