Memories of the downtown theaters of St. Paul
ST. PAUL, MN — In a recent article in the Pioneer Press, writer Tom Webb, former movie critic Bill Diehl, and others recall the movie theaters of downtown St. Paul. The article focuses on the Paramount, Orpheum, Strand, Tower, Riviera, World, and Lyceum, Now only the World (now the Fitzgerald) and the Orpheum are still with us, the latter currently vacant and decaying. The article includes a slide show with pictures of each theater.
Today, in an era of suburban multiplexes, video rentals and movie channels, the movie theater business model is radically different.Yet, to those who loved downtown’s Technicolor era, the memories are like something from the movies.
‘Wabasha and Seventh was the busiest corner in St. Paul in those days,’ said Rod Ripley, a retiree who remembers the heyday of the ‘40s and ‘50s. ‘All the streetcars met there for transfers and would line up there after midnight to leave on the hour.’
Read the whole article at TwinCities.com.
