Eckel Theatre

Address:
214 E Fayette St
Syracuse, NY 13202

The Eckel Theater was a Cinerama theater. Some background and photos can be found here. According to that website, when the Eckel became a Cinerama theater its seating was reduced from 1452 to 918.

G. David Schine, scion of the Schine family and seen on the far right side of the bottom picture, is often linked with Roy Cohn during the McCarthy hearings in the early 1950s. There were rumors of an improper relationship between the two men, which apparently were groundless as the photo also shows Mrs. G. David Schine.

Film Daily Yearbooks list the seating capacity in the 1941 & 1943 editions as 1,452 (operated by RKO Theaters). In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. it is listed with 1,407 seats and operated by Schine Circuit, Inc.

The Eckel seems to have had many closings and re-openings. I saw one in 1927, and another in 1936, according to this article from the Syracuse Herald:

Eckel Theater To Open Doors Friday Night

The R-K-O Schine Theaters in Syracuse Friday start a triple celebration to usher in the 1936-37 greater show season. The celebration will embrace the reopening of the Eckel Theater, the first anniversary of the combined R-K-0 Schine theater operation, and the showing, at Keith's, of the cinematic version of Hervey Allen's modern classic, "Anthony Adverse," considered one of the outstanding pictures of the year.

The Eckel Theater will be formally opened at '6 o'clock Friday as Governor Lehman presses a button in the executive mansion in Albany to part the curtains over the screen and as
Mayor Marvin, in Syracuse, puts the sound equipment in operation in this theater, which has been completely remodeled, redecorated and refurbished at a cost of over $70,000.

Described as the most luxurious theater in this part of the State, the Eckel decorative scheme is modernistic with a collegiate touch, which is given by orange and blue colors predominating — those of Syracuse University. The sound reproducing equipment is said to rank with the finest in any theater In America. Supplied and installed by the Radio Corporation of America, it has been adapted to the requirements of the Eckel so as to provide uniform reception in every part of the house.

In Syracuse for the reopening of the Eckel are Fred Myers, booking manager R-K-O Theaters; Nate Blumberg, general manager of R-K-O Theaters; J. M. Schine, president of the Schine Theaters and L. W. Schine, general manager of the Schine Theaters. In speaking of the reopening of the Eckel, J. M. Schine stresses the fact that the Eckel is a theater dedicated to the people of Syracuse and Central New York and to the students of Syracuse University.

The opening will include a radio broadcast from the front of the theater between 6:15 and 6:30, the use of floodlights, short speeches, and music by a full orchestra. Sharing tbe Syracuse Rialto's spotlight with the Eckel in this gala celebration are the other R-K-O-Schine houses here, the Paramount, the Strand and Keith's. Each has been made ready to provide outstanding entertainment for their patrons during the new show season.

More than $l5,000 has been spent in Keith's theater alone to assure greater enjoyment and conveniences for moviegoers. Improvements include a new life-size screen, new, improved sound equipment, new tapestries and drapes, completely remodeled and redecorated lounging rooms and new carpeting throughout the theater.

Found. An OLD TATTERED PROMOTIONAL POSTCARD of the Eckel Theatre from 1919. Printed text on message side:
ANNIVERSARY WEEK---THANKSGIVING---1913-1919.
Mary Pickford in "The Hoodlum"
ENTIRE WEEK BEGINNING SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23rd.
Miss Pickford Appearing in an Altogether Unusual Role,
Unique in the Annals of Films.

FOREMOST IN PICTURES-- ECKEL THEATRE-- ALWAYS A GOOD SHOW

Six years ago, Thanksgiving Day, 1913---to be exact---the Eckel opened its doors as Syracuse's Foremost Pictureplay House. It offered then, as it does now, the best there was in Pictures; pictures that were different. This policy has been more than maintained---it has been made perfect. Remember the last Mary Pickford picture "Daddy Long Legs?" Well, Mary is here to help celebrate Anniversary Week, beginning Sunday, November 23rd, in her very latest picture "The Hoodlum." We expect you too.
Very truly yours,
ECKEL THEATRE.

I remember going to a few "foreign films" at the Eckel. I also saw a couple Cinerama films there.
My family knew the guy who was the projectionist there for years--cannot recall his name.
The Eckel was one of the hidden gems of the downtown Syracuse cinema scene.

George Raaflaub was chief projectionist at the Eckel for many years. When I first started as a projectionist I hung around the booth with George and he'd let me run those magnificent Norelcos.

Here is a 1949 ad from the Post-Standard:
http://tinyurl.com/397tn7

Thanks for jogging my memory--it was indeed George Raaflaub. I met him and his wife in Redfield NY where I went fishing with my parents who knew him. The Raaflaub's had a camp near there and we met at the Ben Lewis house (Falvey's) for food and drinks. Those were good times.

Does anyone know the exact location of the Eckel? It seems to have been on the same block as the Biograph -- was that a separate theater, or was the Biograph its final name?

The Biograph was the Eckel's final name. I believe a fire did it in.

Thanks, Joe. Unfortunately, I never got to go inside; I arrived in Syracuse just as it was being torn down.

There's a picture of the demolition here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carljohnson/7559441/