Palace Theater

Renovations described in this 1960 trade article: Boxoffice

A page of theatre photos opened this 1947 trade article about Cleveland’s “Film Row”: boxofficemagazine

I do too, Tim; I was looking forward to filling in some gaps in my Cleveland Cinerama memories.

Note to ChasSmith: Actually, the reserved seat Cinerama run of “2001” was at Loew’s State. After Cinerama ended at the Palace, Cinerama productions (only 70mm versions) were shown at the Great Northern in North Olmsted, which was opened by Stanley-Warner as a purpose-built Cinerama house (SW has earlier considered retrofitting the Vogue in Shaker Heights for Cinerama; plans were drawn but not used). When Cinerama films were discontinued at the Great Northern, Cinerama returned downtown to Loew’s State. The 70mm re-release of “This is Cinerama” was shown at Loews Cedar-Center.

The Palace was the one equipped for Cinerama, so I guess I’ve found where I saw “2001” in its roadshow engagement two or three times in the summer of 1968. I wish I could remember more from back then about the theater itself.

A picture showing (supposedly) the first ticket being sold to “This is Cinerama” at the Palace:
View link. Only a few months later, on a cold February Saturday morning, our family went to see the film; an experience I can still recall vividly over fifty-odd years later.

Great ad!

Here is a September 1949 article about the Palace from Boxoffice magazine:
http://tinyurl.com/y9t8oke

Great before and after shots of the Loews Ohio and State and the Palace in 1956.

Renewing link.

Ad for stage and screen show at the RKO Palace in 1950:
View link
Cinerama ad in 1956:
View link

This beautiful theatre should have the great marquee recreated instead of the tacky thing that’s hanging there now. It was the one part of the restoration that was poorly done (IMHO).

From Boxoffice magazine, January 1960:

CLEVELAND-The Palace Theater will revert to a continuous, popular price policy Wednesday January 20, with the discontinuation, for the time being at least, of the roadshow policy that has been in effect since November 14, 1956, with the first area Cinerama presentation. “Goliath and the Barbarians”, an AIP picture distributed here by Imperial Pictures, has been chosen to bring the Palace back to a mass rather than a class house. The reason for the reversion was the paucity of available roadshow quality pictures, according to Sam Schultz of Selected Theaters, which will buy and book the house for owners Samuel Silk and Will Halpern of New York.