The grand opening of the Keith-Albee/Palace Theater was a big deal for Youngstowners that would only be matched with the grand opening of the Warner Theater. While there was an afternoon performance that day, the big event took place at the evening performance when a sell out crowd dressed in their finest, filled the theater,.
But lets just leave it at that and read the Vindicator report of the event:
Here is some information about the organ that was in the Warner Theater.
It was a Wulitzer style 240. Three manual/24 rank.
13 ranks of pipes; seven tuned percussion and 24 orchestra traps.
It is still bouncing around somewhere, but as I understand it was upgraded so that it isn’t in its original state.
During the first two years of it’s life 1928-29 the State had a movie and vaudeville program, but in 1930 no furthe live vaudeville was presented. The plan was one feature film followed by five vaudeville acts.
According to Jack Hynes who was the manager of the Paramount theater and also worked at the Park, in January, 1948 during the run of the stage productions of Oklahoma, the main grid of the stage developed a serious crack that threatened to bring the whole grid crashing down onto the stage. It was temporarily repaired so that Oklahoma could it’s complete it’s run, and because of the cost of constructing a new grid, no more live stage shows were booked, and the theater was put up for sale.
The last movies that were shown at the Park were “Time Out Of Mind” starring Phyllis Calvert; Robert Hutton and Ella Raines twin billed with “Black Narcissus” starring Deborah Kerr. The theater was then closed while the owners negotiated with the people who wanted to buy the theater and reopen it as a burlesque house.
The Grand Theatre which was across the street from the Park was the local burlesque house and it was the owners of this theater that bought the Park and moved burlesque over there because of the larger seating capacity of the Park, and on November 16, 1948 the following ad appeared in the Youngstown Vindicator: Special announcement! We are happy to announce the opening of the Park Theatre as our new home for burlesque. Due to the large seating capacity, we will be able to give our patrons of Youngstown and neighboring cities throughout the district … Bigger and better shows with no advance in prices! You will be assured of comfortable desirable seats at all performances.”
First you double posted your message as stupid as it is. No I’m not jealous in the least. Most of the photos and messages about Youngstown theaters came from me, and don’t you forget it.
This building was a dangerous eyesore that was one of the most photographed buildings in downtown Youngstown, and every time the national news media came to town to cover a story, they used it as a backdrop.
Our city is making a major comeback that people didn’t think would ever happen, and this theater was an eyesore. It needed to go five years ago.
Finally, after years of doing nothing, work on demolishing the Paramount will begin July 8th and be completed sometime in September. Once this is done shutterbugs will no longer have this eyesore to photograph and put up on the internet, and while another parking lot is not my personal idea of what to do with the land, it will be better than what’s there right now.
The sad part about it is that it brings to a final conclusion an end to the pie in the sky schemes of the “arts dreamers” who have in the past come forward with all sorts of unfinanced ideas.
It’s great that the folks in New Castle are preserving this piece of history, and it’s a real crime that the folks in Youngstown have done nothing to really honor these Youngstown men. Shame on Youngstown.
To be perfectly honest, we’ll be glad when it’s gone. Youngstown is making a major economic comeback thanks to the oil and gas industry, and with all the positive growth in the downtown area this eyesore has detracted from all the good things there far too long.
Organ question: One of our public auditoriums/concert hall has an E. M. Skinner opus 582 pipe organ. Can anyone tell me how this organ rates among theater organs?
An investment group is hoping to bring back the bright lights that once came from the Uptown Theater on Market Street — and the crowds those lights brought to the Uptown District.
The Uptown Theater has sat vacant for nearly two decades with plywood covering all windows and doors. Leaves and debris have blown up against the entryway, and the adjacent building is missing windows from where vandals have thrown rocks.
Shasta Shabazz, owner of Real Estate Investment Connection, is in the process of purchasing both buildings for the formation of a movie-theater/restaurant combination. She said the new name of the theater will be “Showtown Theater” with an attached restaurant called “Rudez.”
“We are really just trying to revamp up Youngstown,” she said. “We are trying to bring history back. We are going to upgrade some of the stuff inside the place, but we are trying to bring it back to the way it was.”
The theater does have a long history in the Uptown District.
The Uptown Theater Company was incorporated in 1926 for $500, with the actual theater built that same year at a cost of $125,000. The theater switched hands several times between 1926 and 1965 when it underwent extensive remodeling.
The theater changed hands several more times before closing to movie- goers in the late 1980s.
Easy Street Productions did make the theater home in the early 1990s, but eventually left the theater for its current home at the DeYor Performing Arts Center. There was a final attempt to breathe new life into the theater with a gospel music show, but the theater has since sat unused.
Shabazz said she and her husband, Ondrea Shabazz, have acquired the theater and the attached building next door that will ultimately become a restaurant. She plans to have the theater and restaurant up and running within the next year.
Councilwoman Janet Tarpley, D-6th Ward, said she is hoping to see the theater open and flourish. She said revitalizing the Uptown District is a goal, and there has been much interest in business in that area.
“The Uptown area is a goal of mine to revitalize and bring business back. I believe the only way to do it is with people who believe in the community. We need private and government funds to make these things happen,” she said. “I am hoping this is just the beginning.”
Shabazz plans to turn the theater into a movie theater and live performance combination. The theater, she said, will be made to accommodate tables so patrons can have dinner while enjoying a show.
The dinner served inside the theater will be provided by the planned restaurant in the attached building. She said those who do not want to eat inside the theater would be able to enjoy a meal in the restaurant, which will have a light-hearted theme where employees interact with patrons.
Shabazz said she got the idea from similar businesses in the Atlanta area where she and her husband had lived for the past year. She said they wanted to start a similar business in Georgia, but decided to come back home to Youngstown and do it here.
“We wanted to bring some life back to that area, bring some entertainment back to the city, and that is what we are trying to do. We are confident that we can do this,” she said.
An investment group has acquired the Uptown Theater and plans to reopen it as a dinner theater showing both movies and stage shows.
“The Uptown area is a goal of mine to revitalize and bring business back. I believe the only way to do it is with people who believe in the community. We need private and government funds to make these things happen,” she said. “I am hoping this is just the beginning.”
Shabazz plans to turn the theater into a movie theater and live performance combination. The theater, she said, will be made to accommodate tables so patrons can have dinner while enjoying a show.
The dinner served inside the theater will be provided by the planned restaurant in the attached building. She said those who do not want to eat inside the theater would be able to enjoy a meal in the restaurant, which will have a light-hearted theme where employees interact with patrons
I recall Richard’s attempts, but unfortunately the city was no help to him when he applied for grants. Also saddly he couldn’t find enough volunteers to help him even clean up the theater.
I would like to document his efforts but need more exact dates since I haven’t the time to wade through hundreds of newspapers for 1984. I did run a quick Google but it was no help, and before I impose on our public library I hope someone can furnish me with dates. Our newspaper doesn’t index its articles so it isn’t any help.
The way I do it is when there is something I want to save at GoogleNews, I get it as large as I can, then click on print screen, then open up Paint click on Edit and then paste. The whole screen shows, and I save the file to a folder with an unique file name. I then go to my photo editor to crop out what I need, enlarge it and save the final product. It really doesn’t take very long to do … a couple of minutes at best.
I tried to blow the ads up to a larger size but unfortunately they became unreadable. The process I use is to get what I want as large as possable on the screen and then print screen, copying it to Paint to save, and then edit it with a photo editor, Google News doesn’t permit saving so I have to use this roundabout method. The ads appeared in the March 22, and 24 edition of the Youngstown Vindicator on the theater page.
Park Theater remodeled in 1937 when the main entrance on South Champion was modernized. While the makeover was being completed, the East Federal entrance was used. The contractors for the job was Heller-Murray Company. Once the work was completed, the East Federal entrance was closed and no longer used.
There are many photos of the Paramount as it stands today, but precious few of the theater in its prime, so I found a photo of the main floor in the theaters prime. Hopefully someone else can uncover more photos like this one.
Barry Manalow played here recently using members of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra as backup and commented that the sold out audience was fantastic and that he’d come back any time.
We’ve become so accustom to having top shelf performers come here that we’ve been spoiled silly.
I’ve been to movies that got rave reviews at the local first run houses here that were total flops attendence wise and to others where the SRO sign was set up by the box office that got poor reviews so go figure.
I do recall doors leading to Rodney-Ann’s. If I’m not mistaken it was on the right hand side of the lobby, but I could be wrong and hopefully someone might know for sure.
When Mother and I would attend a movie at the Palace we would go there after the show for something to eat.
The Kimball organ installed in the State Theatre in Youngstown.
The grand opening of the Keith-Albee/Palace Theater was a big deal for Youngstowners that would only be matched with the grand opening of the Warner Theater. While there was an afternoon performance that day, the big event took place at the evening performance when a sell out crowd dressed in their finest, filled the theater,.
But lets just leave it at that and read the Vindicator report of the event:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D1FfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g1cNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2216%2C1058482
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D1FfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g1cNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6779%2C1107600
Here is some information about the organ that was in the Warner Theater.
It was a Wulitzer style 240. Three manual/24 rank. 13 ranks of pipes; seven tuned percussion and 24 orchestra traps. It is still bouncing around somewhere, but as I understand it was upgraded so that it isn’t in its original state.
During the first two years of it’s life 1928-29 the State had a movie and vaudeville program, but in 1930 no furthe live vaudeville was presented. The plan was one feature film followed by five vaudeville acts.
According to Jack Hynes who was the manager of the Paramount theater and also worked at the Park, in January, 1948 during the run of the stage productions of Oklahoma, the main grid of the stage developed a serious crack that threatened to bring the whole grid crashing down onto the stage. It was temporarily repaired so that Oklahoma could it’s complete it’s run, and because of the cost of constructing a new grid, no more live stage shows were booked, and the theater was put up for sale.
The last movies that were shown at the Park were “Time Out Of Mind” starring Phyllis Calvert; Robert Hutton and Ella Raines twin billed with “Black Narcissus” starring Deborah Kerr. The theater was then closed while the owners negotiated with the people who wanted to buy the theater and reopen it as a burlesque house.
The Grand Theatre which was across the street from the Park was the local burlesque house and it was the owners of this theater that bought the Park and moved burlesque over there because of the larger seating capacity of the Park, and on November 16, 1948 the following ad appeared in the Youngstown Vindicator: Special announcement! We are happy to announce the opening of the Park Theatre as our new home for burlesque. Due to the large seating capacity, we will be able to give our patrons of Youngstown and neighboring cities throughout the district … Bigger and better shows with no advance in prices! You will be assured of comfortable desirable seats at all performances.”
First you double posted your message as stupid as it is. No I’m not jealous in the least. Most of the photos and messages about Youngstown theaters came from me, and don’t you forget it.
This building was a dangerous eyesore that was one of the most photographed buildings in downtown Youngstown, and every time the national news media came to town to cover a story, they used it as a backdrop.
Our city is making a major comeback that people didn’t think would ever happen, and this theater was an eyesore. It needed to go five years ago.
Demolition begins. See photo.
Finally, after years of doing nothing, work on demolishing the Paramount will begin July 8th and be completed sometime in September. Once this is done shutterbugs will no longer have this eyesore to photograph and put up on the internet, and while another parking lot is not my personal idea of what to do with the land, it will be better than what’s there right now.
The sad part about it is that it brings to a final conclusion an end to the pie in the sky schemes of the “arts dreamers” who have in the past come forward with all sorts of unfinanced ideas.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2013/jun/29/final-prep-begins-for-razing-theater/
Since all of the work will be done at night thus avoiding conflict with normal downtown business, the work should go relatively quickly.
It’s great that the folks in New Castle are preserving this piece of history, and it’s a real crime that the folks in Youngstown have done nothing to really honor these Youngstown men. Shame on Youngstown.
To be perfectly honest, we’ll be glad when it’s gone. Youngstown is making a major economic comeback thanks to the oil and gas industry, and with all the positive growth in the downtown area this eyesore has detracted from all the good things there far too long.
Organ question: One of our public auditoriums/concert hall has an E. M. Skinner opus 582 pipe organ. Can anyone tell me how this organ rates among theater organs?
Here are the specks:
·Henry Stambaugh Auditorium, Youngstown, OH ·1926 Skinner Organ Co. Opus 582 · ·Great: ·16' Diapason ·16' Bourdon (Pedal ext.) ·8' First Diapason ·8' Second Diapason ·8' Claribel Flute ·8' Erzahler ·4' Octave ·4' Flute ·2 2/3' Twelfth ·2' Fifteenth ·IV Mixture (12-15-19-22) ·16' Ophicleide (enclosed in Ch.) ·8' Tuba (enclosed in Ch.) ·4' Clarion (enclosed in Ch.) ·Chimes · ·Swell: ·16' Bourdon ·8' Diapason ·8' Gedeckt ·8' Salicional ·8' Voix Celeste ·8' Flauto Dolce ·8' Flauto Dolce (tc) ·4' Octave ·4' Flute Triangulaire ·V Mixture (15-19-22-26-29) ·16' Posaune ·8' Cornopean ·8' Corno d'Amore ·8' Vox Humana ·4' Clarion ·Tremulant · ·Choir: ·16' Gamba ·8' Diapason ·8' Concert Flute ·8' Gamba ·8' Kleine Erzahler II ·4' Flute ·2 2/3' Nazard ·2' Piccolo ·1 3/5' Tierce ·8' Clarinet ·8' Orchestral Oboe ·Tremulant ·Harp ·Celesta · ·Solo: ·8' Gross Gedeckt ·8' Gross Gamba ·8' Gamba Celeste ·4' Orchestral Flute ·8' Tuba Mirabilis ·8' French Horn ·8' Corno di Bassetto ·Tremulant ·Chimes (Gt.) · ·Pedal: ·32' Resultant (Diapason/Bourdon) ·16' Diapason ·16' Bourdon ·16' Violone ·16' Gamba (Ch.) ·16' Echo Bourdon (Sw.) ·10 2/3' Quint (Bourdon) ·8' Octave ·8' Gedeckt ·8' Cello ·8' Still Gedeckt (Sw.) ·4' Flute ·3 1/5' Tierce (Bourdon) ·2 2/7' Septieme (Bourdon) ·32' Bombarde ·16' Trombone ·16' Ophicleide (Gt.) ·16' Posaune (Sw.) ·8' Tromba ·4' Clarion ·Chimes (Gt.)
THE FULL ARTICLE
An investment group is hoping to bring back the bright lights that once came from the Uptown Theater on Market Street — and the crowds those lights brought to the Uptown District. The Uptown Theater has sat vacant for nearly two decades with plywood covering all windows and doors. Leaves and debris have blown up against the entryway, and the adjacent building is missing windows from where vandals have thrown rocks. Shasta Shabazz, owner of Real Estate Investment Connection, is in the process of purchasing both buildings for the formation of a movie-theater/restaurant combination. She said the new name of the theater will be “Showtown Theater” with an attached restaurant called “Rudez.” “We are really just trying to revamp up Youngstown,” she said. “We are trying to bring history back. We are going to upgrade some of the stuff inside the place, but we are trying to bring it back to the way it was.” The theater does have a long history in the Uptown District. The Uptown Theater Company was incorporated in 1926 for $500, with the actual theater built that same year at a cost of $125,000. The theater switched hands several times between 1926 and 1965 when it underwent extensive remodeling. The theater changed hands several more times before closing to movie- goers in the late 1980s. Easy Street Productions did make the theater home in the early 1990s, but eventually left the theater for its current home at the DeYor Performing Arts Center. There was a final attempt to breathe new life into the theater with a gospel music show, but the theater has since sat unused. Shabazz said she and her husband, Ondrea Shabazz, have acquired the theater and the attached building next door that will ultimately become a restaurant. She plans to have the theater and restaurant up and running within the next year. Councilwoman Janet Tarpley, D-6th Ward, said she is hoping to see the theater open and flourish. She said revitalizing the Uptown District is a goal, and there has been much interest in business in that area. “The Uptown area is a goal of mine to revitalize and bring business back. I believe the only way to do it is with people who believe in the community. We need private and government funds to make these things happen,” she said. “I am hoping this is just the beginning.” Shabazz plans to turn the theater into a movie theater and live performance combination. The theater, she said, will be made to accommodate tables so patrons can have dinner while enjoying a show. The dinner served inside the theater will be provided by the planned restaurant in the attached building. She said those who do not want to eat inside the theater would be able to enjoy a meal in the restaurant, which will have a light-hearted theme where employees interact with patrons. Shabazz said she got the idea from similar businesses in the Atlanta area where she and her husband had lived for the past year. She said they wanted to start a similar business in Georgia, but decided to come back home to Youngstown and do it here. “We wanted to bring some life back to that area, bring some entertainment back to the city, and that is what we are trying to do. We are confident that we can do this,” she said.
Actually the Uptown Theater dates back to the late 1920’s.
The Uptown Theater to reopen.
An investment group has acquired the Uptown Theater and plans to reopen it as a dinner theater showing both movies and stage shows. “The Uptown area is a goal of mine to revitalize and bring business back. I believe the only way to do it is with people who believe in the community. We need private and government funds to make these things happen,” she said. “I am hoping this is just the beginning.” Shabazz plans to turn the theater into a movie theater and live performance combination. The theater, she said, will be made to accommodate tables so patrons can have dinner while enjoying a show. The dinner served inside the theater will be provided by the planned restaurant in the attached building. She said those who do not want to eat inside the theater would be able to enjoy a meal in the restaurant, which will have a light-hearted theme where employees interact with patrons
I recall Richard’s attempts, but unfortunately the city was no help to him when he applied for grants. Also saddly he couldn’t find enough volunteers to help him even clean up the theater.
I would like to document his efforts but need more exact dates since I haven’t the time to wade through hundreds of newspapers for 1984. I did run a quick Google but it was no help, and before I impose on our public library I hope someone can furnish me with dates. Our newspaper doesn’t index its articles so it isn’t any help.
The way I do it is when there is something I want to save at GoogleNews, I get it as large as I can, then click on print screen, then open up Paint click on Edit and then paste. The whole screen shows, and I save the file to a folder with an unique file name. I then go to my photo editor to crop out what I need, enlarge it and save the final product. It really doesn’t take very long to do … a couple of minutes at best.
I’ve posted another cropped ad that might be better for your purpose.
I tried to blow the ads up to a larger size but unfortunately they became unreadable. The process I use is to get what I want as large as possable on the screen and then print screen, copying it to Paint to save, and then edit it with a photo editor, Google News doesn’t permit saving so I have to use this roundabout method. The ads appeared in the March 22, and 24 edition of the Youngstown Vindicator on the theater page.
Here are two ads for the Ina Ray Hutton show. It got rave reviews here in Youngstown. SEE THEM IN THE PHOTOS SECTION.
Park Theater remodeled in 1937 when the main entrance on South Champion was modernized. While the makeover was being completed, the East Federal entrance was used. The contractors for the job was Heller-Murray Company. Once the work was completed, the East Federal entrance was closed and no longer used.
There are many photos of the Paramount as it stands today, but precious few of the theater in its prime, so I found a photo of the main floor in the theaters prime. Hopefully someone else can uncover more photos like this one.
Soon the status of the Paramount might change once the bulk of the building is demolished but let the folks tell their story in their own words:
New plans for the Paramount.
http://paramountproject.org/mission.htm
The plans include movies so once the project is completed the status can be changed to “Open” and “Single Screen”.
Barry Manalow played here recently using members of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra as backup and commented that the sold out audience was fantastic and that he’d come back any time.
We’ve become so accustom to having top shelf performers come here that we’ve been spoiled silly.
I’ve been to movies that got rave reviews at the local first run houses here that were total flops attendence wise and to others where the SRO sign was set up by the box office that got poor reviews so go figure.
I’ve added a photo of the lobby that shows the doors that I was talking about. Does that ring a bell?
I do recall doors leading to Rodney-Ann’s. If I’m not mistaken it was on the right hand side of the lobby, but I could be wrong and hopefully someone might know for sure.
When Mother and I would attend a movie at the Palace we would go there after the show for something to eat.