Since ,“Motion Picture Herald”, of March 1937 carried a damage report for this house it must still have been operating after 1934, Which means my earlier posting needs updating.
Was amazed to find a report about our Broadway Th.as it was a low lying house during Ohio’s 1937 Flood. Cost estimate due to high waters was $3,000.00 Any info about this movie theater is very scarce.
Flooding reports from a March 6 th. 1937issue of,“ Motion Picture Herald”, tally a water damage loss to the Victor of $3,000.00.Many theatres in low lying Ohio areas were thusly effected.This means new seating and machines must be replaced.
According to Motion Picture Herald of march 6th,1937 Americus suffered $3,500.00 damage caused by the Ohio 37 Flood. They had recently spent $12,000.00 to refurbish this venue compounding their expenses. Neighboring Liberty Th. endured the same fate with water up to it marquee top.
The Regal Th. was two blocks away from the Metropolitan Th. (not Majestic Th.) which later was re-named The State Th. and finally Allision’s West-End Th. Today the original Metropolitan Th. is the home of the Lighthouse Church.
The Elliot Hall of Music used to have an annual Christmas Show that was pre-recorded for PBS an it was as massive at the show at RCMH. My only complaint with the shows were instead of letting the home audience see the eleborate scene changes during the show the video technical directors were so busy zooming and moving the camera shots that it made one dizzy. I wish I could have been there to see the beautifully coordinated scenic crews doing their art at its best.The sets were splendidly eleborate and magical, as often as the moving shots would pause for 30 seconds.
The Gayety Th, site changed its facade very little over its lifetime. Hales Tours was the first venue to move in and their attempt replicated the facade of their Theater at the Chicago Worlds Fair near the turn of the century.Perhaps the name board with a marquee added was its only addition.
There has been a recent newspaper article saying that the Shakespeare Th. would like to move to larger quarters due to their good attendance. Now I supposed there will be a fund raising event mode to hopefully accomplish that feat. However, they will stay put for the present time.
Confusing as it maybe there were sereral same named theaters in Cincinnati,like Orpheum,Gaiety-Gayety,Star, Sun, and National. Not always in the same years, but some were, adding to a real maze while one is researching.
In later times the theater was also converted to a Pizza Restaurant without much change to its exterior and lots of its interior survived hidden behind plywood walls.
Joe if you go to the Star Th. site on Cincinnati Th’s you can see the former Hippodrome,Gayety,&Star theaters plot. Originally it also served in 1905 as the venue for a Hales Tour 10 cent show, included the train interior ,silent sound effects,conductor ticket taker,rear projected “Trip To California” and exterior sign board reading next train leaving in ten minutes.I believe this structure was a vancant store prior to its entertainment lifetime.
Hello Joe, Yes the Cincinnati local had 3 Gayety theaters at different times. The Strand Th. on Walnut st. of 1914 began as The Gayety Theater of 1913. The Gayety Th. you posted was on East 5th. St.&Walnut,that Gayety had started as The Hippodrome Th. by Marcus Loew in 1906 (a penny arcade and vaudeville house). Finally that same Gayety ended life in 1934, but by then was called The Star Th. The other Gaiety Th. was on Vine St.in 1909 with a varied history starting as a church in the 1840’s,begat itself as a vaudeville house of the Sullivan&Considine chain titled Empress Th. (because all their chain theatres carried that name) ,followed by Marcus Loew of 1914 running it for several years ,later still it became a burlesque theater named Gaiety Th. in the early 1940’s ,in the 1970’s it was torndown to expand our Main Library. I hope this is as complex as it was to trace.
Just wondering if the theater was once called The Tripoli?
This store site started as ,“The Trip To California”, entertainment building in 1906.A travelogue situated inside a scenic railroad car.
How about the answer to where the huge rotunda rug went?
Woodward Th. has been bought to re-emerg as a concert venue,but will retain the theater’s namesake .
Victor has been sold recently and is scheduled to become a three music recording studios.
Word has arrived that St. Bernard will be getting a new library on the now empty site which formerly held the Andalus Theatre.
The top of this cinemas facade has been tagged with a gang name!
Blue auditorium seating from The Cox Th. on 7th St. were sited or seated here after the Cox was demolished. Blue was Mrs. Cox’s favorite color.
Apparently the land on which this theater sits was transfered to Alice Roosevelt Longworth in 1937
All 8 of our RKO first run houses downtown escaped the water damage from Ohio’s 1937 flood as they were all above the waters peak by 69 feet.
Since ,“Motion Picture Herald”, of March 1937 carried a damage report for this house it must still have been operating after 1934, Which means my earlier posting needs updating.
Was amazed to find a report about our Broadway Th.as it was a low lying house during Ohio’s 1937 Flood. Cost estimate due to high waters was $3,000.00 Any info about this movie theater is very scarce.
Flooding reports from a March 6 th. 1937issue of,“ Motion Picture Herald”, tally a water damage loss to the Victor of $3,000.00.Many theatres in low lying Ohio areas were thusly effected.This means new seating and machines must be replaced.
According to Motion Picture Herald of march 6th,1937 Americus suffered $3,500.00 damage caused by the Ohio 37 Flood. They had recently spent $12,000.00 to refurbish this venue compounding their expenses. Neighboring Liberty Th. endured the same fate with water up to it marquee top.
The Regal Th. was two blocks away from the Metropolitan Th. (not Majestic Th.) which later was re-named The State Th. and finally Allision’s West-End Th. Today the original Metropolitan Th. is the home of the Lighthouse Church.
As some folks know The Elliot Hall of Music is part of Purdue University so the level of talent was superb.
The Elliot Hall of Music used to have an annual Christmas Show that was pre-recorded for PBS an it was as massive at the show at RCMH. My only complaint with the shows were instead of letting the home audience see the eleborate scene changes during the show the video technical directors were so busy zooming and moving the camera shots that it made one dizzy. I wish I could have been there to see the beautifully coordinated scenic crews doing their art at its best.The sets were splendidly eleborate and magical, as often as the moving shots would pause for 30 seconds.
The Gayety Th, site changed its facade very little over its lifetime. Hales Tours was the first venue to move in and their attempt replicated the facade of their Theater at the Chicago Worlds Fair near the turn of the century.Perhaps the name board with a marquee added was its only addition.
There has been a recent newspaper article saying that the Shakespeare Th. would like to move to larger quarters due to their good attendance. Now I supposed there will be a fund raising event mode to hopefully accomplish that feat. However, they will stay put for the present time.
Confusing as it maybe there were sereral same named theaters in Cincinnati,like Orpheum,Gaiety-Gayety,Star, Sun, and National. Not always in the same years, but some were, adding to a real maze while one is researching.
In later times the theater was also converted to a Pizza Restaurant without much change to its exterior and lots of its interior survived hidden behind plywood walls.
Joe if you go to the Star Th. site on Cincinnati Th’s you can see the former Hippodrome,Gayety,&Star theaters plot. Originally it also served in 1905 as the venue for a Hales Tour 10 cent show, included the train interior ,silent sound effects,conductor ticket taker,rear projected “Trip To California” and exterior sign board reading next train leaving in ten minutes.I believe this structure was a vancant store prior to its entertainment lifetime.
Hello Joe, Yes the Cincinnati local had 3 Gayety theaters at different times. The Strand Th. on Walnut st. of 1914 began as The Gayety Theater of 1913. The Gayety Th. you posted was on East 5th. St.&Walnut,that Gayety had started as The Hippodrome Th. by Marcus Loew in 1906 (a penny arcade and vaudeville house). Finally that same Gayety ended life in 1934, but by then was called The Star Th. The other Gaiety Th. was on Vine St.in 1909 with a varied history starting as a church in the 1840’s,begat itself as a vaudeville house of the Sullivan&Considine chain titled Empress Th. (because all their chain theatres carried that name) ,followed by Marcus Loew of 1914 running it for several years ,later still it became a burlesque theater named Gaiety Th. in the early 1940’s ,in the 1970’s it was torndown to expand our Main Library. I hope this is as complex as it was to trace.
Built in 1914 according to the city directory and had an opening seating of 350.
Hello Joe ,thanks again for your knowledgeable info.The Cincinnati Rapp’s were responsible for at least 6 local theaters from their drawing boards.