Midwest Theatre

Cimaron on March 28, 2011 at 3:32 pm

Took a look at the YWCA photo’s and I agree, could have same designer as Midwest. Lot’s of similar open air touch as in the
theatre…Interesting Cosmic Ray! Thanks

Cimaron on March 28, 2011 at 8:22 pm

Bet the Y’s auditorium was nice. I recall the lobby, reception area just inside the main entrance as be very cold and formal. I would escort a girl I dated that stayed at the Y while in College. She coincidently, was cashier at the Midwest …(way, way back). The
Y had very strict rules and curfews for the girls…Lot O good times and memories of the Midwest and Y….Thanks again!

missmelbatoast on April 2, 2011 at 10:37 pm

Midwest Theatre 1930’s picture
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missmelbatoast on April 30, 2011 at 5:32 pm

This unusual view of the Midwest Theatre comes courtesy of the Hales Collection,
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Gridleak on February 5, 2012 at 9:27 am

I worked at the Midwest in ‘67-'68. It was a grand old theater, classic in every way. From the huge lobby, to the mezanine overlooking the lobby, to the seven story auditorium, this theater was designed to be spacious and comfortable.

The booth was the finest I ever worked in… just lacked a dumb-waiter for toting heavy film cases up seven stories of stairs, lol. As a sixteen year old kid I put on some muscle toting those film cases that year, heh haha.

The theater itself originally opened as a stage play house. Behind the screen was another old screen built on a massive stage fronted by an orchestra pit. Behind the stage and down a set of stairs were dressing and costume rooms.

In the booth one wall was covered in lighting controls. One could adjust the lights of the auditorium to suit any mood, or spot-light any location. Though at the time I worked there the spots were long gone and we used only one set of the controls to of course light and dim the auditorium.

The screen had massive curtains across it. At times the motor that opened and closed the curtains would kick a breaker, located front and center of the screen on the floor behind the curtains. I would have to run down seven stories, through the auditorium, part the curtains and reset the breaker… then dash back up stairs and open the curtains. It was as a result of this action that I discovered the old screen, stage, orchestra pit and dressing rooms.

One additional feature that I marveled at was the star display in the ceiling of the auditorium. There were some 750 holes drilled randomly in the ceiling. An electrical system distributed power to each of the holes where a simple metal funnel, like one would add oil to your car with, acted as a lamp shade for each light bulb. Each socket had a simple bimetallic flasher, about the size of a nickle, in it and the light bulb screwed into the socket. The assembly then sat over one of the holes and from the auditorium, looking up, they appeared to be stars twinkling in the “darkened sky”.

Looking at the light controls in the booth I had noticed one was labeled “STARS” so I flipped it and as one would I looked out of the booth and low and behold there were maybe fifty stars blinking. Crawling up in the attic (okay, I admit, I am somewhat akin to a cat when it comes to curiosity) I discovered there were hundreds of fixtures, most of which the bulb was burned out. I volunteered to provide the labor, volunteering my pal and best friend who also worked there, and the Bartons agreed to buy the bulbs and new flashers (as some of the lights that were burning were not flashing), and we replaced all of the bulbs and flashers. It took us about a month to replace them all but it was well woth the trouble. I tell you it was a magnificent display to behold.