Star Theatre

18 Young Street,
Tonawanda, NY 14150

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rivest266
rivest266 on September 22, 2022 at 11:59 pm

Taken over by Cinemette theatres from Dipson theatres on January 26th, 1973 and closed later in the year.

hammerglenn
hammerglenn on December 15, 2013 at 6:45 pm

The last film showed here was the revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC in 1973.

hammerglenn
hammerglenn on December 15, 2013 at 6:43 pm

The theater was demolished summer 1973. I went through the rubble and got an original DIRTY HARRY poster!

Patsy
Patsy on January 26, 2012 at 6:39 am

Thanks Joe for the 1941 Boxoffice article with photos! The fact that it was designed by Michael DeAnglis and was a grand art deco theatre made it special for me though sad to know learn that it is no longer with us due to those ugly words…urban renewal.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on January 25, 2012 at 7:46 pm

The 1941 Boxoffice article with the photos of the Star Theatre can now be seen at this fresh link.

Patsy
Patsy on January 17, 2010 at 10:47 am

Joe: Sorry…see it now. And if you find any other theatres designed by DeAngelis, please advise via

Patsy
Patsy on January 17, 2010 at 10:43 am

Joe: In the Boxoffice article about the Star I can’t seem to find where the smaller Lake is featured perhaps with a photo(s)?

Patsy
Patsy on January 16, 2010 at 1:17 pm

Joe: I just viewed the Boxoffice photos and see the art deco interior and the round windows in the art deco front doors which is a repeated theme in many of DeAngelis'theatre designs. Now the list of DeAngelis designed theatres is up to 19…this one and the Lake have been added.

Patsy
Patsy on January 16, 2010 at 6:41 am

Joe: The Lake Theatre isn’t listed on CT and should perhaps be added. If additional information isn’t available, I’m sure someone will post what they may know.

Patsy
Patsy on January 16, 2010 at 6:31 am

According to the link below the Lake nor the Star are listed as theatres designed by Michael DeAngelis so perhaps they should be added to the list. I have interest in the DeAngelis name as he designed my hometown former theatre, Grand/Westfield NY.

http://cinematreasures.org/architects/310/

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on January 16, 2010 at 5:46 am

The original Star Theatre was demolished and replaced by a new building designed for Dipson Theatres by Rochester architect Michael J. DeAngelis. There is an article with a couple of photos in Boxoffice of June 21, 1941.

The article also features the smaller Lake Theatre at Canandaigua, New York, designed by DeAngelis for Schine Theatres at about the same time.

Patsy
Patsy on January 15, 2010 at 9:31 am

Your welcome…..don’t have to be an administrator only a member.

mgoshea
mgoshea on January 15, 2010 at 9:06 am

Ah, I thought you had to be an admin to do that. I submitted it. Thanks!

Patsy
Patsy on January 15, 2010 at 8:50 am

mgoshea: Just go to “add a theater” and follow instructions including as much correct information as you can.

mgoshea
mgoshea on January 15, 2010 at 8:35 am

I spoke to the pastor of the Bethesda Full Gospel Church at 12 Delaware St (on the corner of Broad St) and he confirmed that their building was once a theatre and said it was called the Flash Theatre.
No listing on this site or on CinemaTour of a Flash Theatre, but I found a google books document of an old 1917 publication of the National American Musical Convention that featured and ad for “The R.S. Brown Hotel Company: Owner FLASH THEATRE. Tonawanda’s Fashionable Moving Picture House. Latest Productions Featured Here. Ten Cents To All."
Link to just the advertisement: http://tinyurl.com/ya2jaby
Link to the whole document: http://tinyurl.com/y9kysp2

So there was definitely a Flash Theatre at 12 Deleware St that dates back to at least 1917. Can someone ad an entry on here for this theatre?

Patsy
Patsy on May 28, 2009 at 5:07 pm

“demolished in the name of urban renewal”

Not a good thing to read as we all or most of us dislike the words, urban renewal.

Patsy
Patsy on May 28, 2009 at 5:06 pm

A friend of mine used to see movies at this theatre as a young boy and also remembers the Avondale Theatre in Tonawanda which isn’t listed on CT.

Patsy
Patsy on June 17, 2007 at 7:33 pm

hammerglenn: Interesting piece of theatre memorabila so hang onto that cardboard banner and your memories of the Star.

hammerglenn
hammerglenn on June 17, 2007 at 6:54 pm

I SAW MANY FILMS THERE. IT WAS DEMOLISHED IN 1973. BEFORE THAT HAPPENED I WENT IN THE THEATER AND RETRIEVED THE HAND PAINTED CARDBOARD BANNER THAT HAD THE THEATER’S NAME EMBLAZONED ON IT. MANY TIMES HAD I PASSED UNDER IT. I STILL HAVE IT. IT MAY BE THE SOLE REMAINING THING FROM THAT THEATER.

Patsy
Patsy on December 28, 2006 at 4:47 am

Another theatre in my research connected with the name Dipson. So many former Dipsons have been demolished or closed up to enter the mall cinema scene i.e. Wintergarden Theatre/Jamestown NY.