Standard Theatre
811 Prospect Avenue,
Cleveland,
OH
44114
811 Prospect Avenue,
Cleveland,
OH
44114
4 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Community Circuit Theaters
Architects: Myron B. Vorce
Previous Names: Lido Theatre, Lido Art Cinema
Nearby Theaters
This downtown Cleveland theatre, which was sort of out of the way on Prospect Avenue, was opened June 12, 1914 as the Standard Theatre. In later years it was mainly a venue for adult pornographic films, although it had shown mainstream films early in its life. The Standard Theatre closed in 1989. The theatre had shown black-oriented action films briefly in the early-1980’s. It was demolished in 1995.
Contributed by
Toby Radloff
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
The Standard shared Prospect Ave with the Hippodrome’s secondary box office. The two theaters were on the same side of the street a block apart. When I walked by the theater in the mid to late fifties it had already closed. Some time in 1958 or 59 it reopened as a German Language theatre. I moved from Cleveland in so don’t know how long that lasted.
I was one of the last people to walk into the Standard theatre back in the early part of the 1990’s on a Friday afternoon. I was with a closed friend who is in the general contracting business and he had to walk through the building to give an estimate to the present land owner. I remember a photographer being inside the building at the time shooting a large format 4x5 camera of the stage area where the screen was previously located. I asked him why he was taking pictures and he said that they had commissioned him to take the pictures for historic documentation and records. I recall the amazing architecture and well worn red seating. There was an old Altec-Lansing voice of the theatre speaker sitting a few feet back from where the screen was located. If the Photographer had not been there with his quartz flood lighting, I would not have seen such detail. The theatre seemed very small but I realized that it opened in the time of silent movies. Even more amazing and upsetting, they started demolition the very next day on Saturday. If I had known that they were going to demolish the theatre, I probably would have stayed much longer. My friend was in a rush that day and I did not get the opportunity to view the projection room. I had visions of seeing old Western Electric 91A equipment with etched based 300A tube treasures! So much for dreams! To this day, the new building that replaced the old theatre has never been occupied.
Lido Theater should be listed as an aka.
LOL. By the 80’s unless you looked closely you wouldnt know a theater was there.
Posting to re-link notification :(
It must have been the Standard, as yet unnamed, that was the subject of an item in The Motion Picture World of January 3, 1914. It said: “The largest motion picture house in downtown Cleveland is planned by Joseph Grossman… who has arranged to lease a building to be erected for him… at the rear of the O'Brien Building, 813 Prospect Avenue. Architect M.B. Vorce is preparing plans for a structure that will accommodate between 700 and 800 persons.”
Here is a bit more information about the Standard Theatre, from the July 15, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World:
My first exposure to porn in 1965. Slipped by the box office spiv, walked down a LONG lobby, and checked out a soft-core flick staring Preston Sturges Jr.(his father must have been repulsed). Pretty exciting stuff for a Cleveland teenager.
MY REPLY: IDES REMEMBER…. LAY UP AT THE STANDARD ON A ALL SATURN AND URANUS D'ASS OF THE YOUTH (DAY). WATCHING 70’S KARATE FLICKS IN NO DEE VISION SET WAITING FOR A REAL NASTY RATED RA GROOVY MOVIE WHILE EYE GETTING IT ON IN TRIPLE X (IN MY HEAD THO'STILL BUMPING AND GRINDING).IT WAS RATS AND ROACHES EVERYWHERE, STICKY FLOORS (I DON’T KNOW IF IT WAS NUTT WITH BLOOD ;‘)GET IT?? OR WHAT)DOPE DEALING BUMS PACKED IN,PAST OUT IT WAS HEAD BOBBING HOES IN THERE GOING HARD, SKULL LEANING (MIGHT HAVE BEEN MALE OR FEMALE WHO THE FUCK KNOWS IT STAYED DIRTY 30 DARK IN THAT SNITCH). PISSIE BATHROOMS WAS THE REGIMENT WITH CAKED TOILETS THAT WOULDN’T FLUSH FOR YEARS.A NIGGA HAD TO STAY ON GUARD (SHANK READY FAITHFULLY AT THE URINAL)THEN IT WAS BACK UPSTAIRS (CRICKETY,CREEP,CRICKETY,CREEP)NO WASHED HANDS, TIME FOR THE STALE POPCORN STAND SHEED SAID “I NEED SOME BUTTER” (SKEET,SKEET)LIL SHEEM SAID “MMMMM YUCK” STAND LADY STARING AT ME WITH A TIRED NAPPY FRO WIG ON KINKED UP HARA-ID. SHEED SAID “HER BREATH SMELLED LIKE PORK RINDS” LET’S GET BACK TO THE SEAT BEFORE THE THIRD FLICK. SO WE DID….THE STANDARD: DIRTY BITCH!_!
Grand opening day was June 12, 1914 with the film, “Home Sweet Home.” Architect was Myron B. Vorce. Wurlitzer orchestra organ at the open. Manager Joseph Grossman hosted 50 veterans of the Spanish American War of which was one.
It was still going with first-run films in 1989 – which I believe was its last year. The first-run features were often the low budget action films, comedies, and horror films that usually got a week there before heading to home video (e.g. Lyle Alzado in “Destroyer” or Rod Steiger/Yvonne DeCarlo in “American Gothic). It always looked out of business throughout the late 80s finally closing to an indifferent marketplace and was demolished in 1995. We always figured the operator simply wanted to reach the 75th Anniversary and stop as audiences pretty much gave up going.