Geneva Cinema 5
325 South Exchange Street,
Geneva,
NY
14456
325 South Exchange Street,
Geneva,
NY
14456
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This theatre was built in 1915 and resides just around the corner from the Geneva Theatre, or Smith Opera House. It was orginally a stage theatre and later converted to a cinema. By 1941, it was operated by the Schine Circuit as the Regent Theatre. Current efforts to reuse this closed theatre are actively underway.
Contributed by
Daniel R. Long, RA
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
Along with the Seneca Street “Geneva” and the demolished Exchange St. “Temple”, the Regent was one of the 3 Schine Chain theaters in Geneva. This was actually Schine’s first Geneva house and they operated out of it during the renovation of the former Smith’s Opera House into the Schine Geneva Theater. That magnificent Italianate garden atmospheric still stands beautifully restored today.
Sadly, insensitive plexing cost this theater most of its architectural elements and charachter. I recall that in the balcony screen area one can see a lot of decorative plaster and some other elements behind the screen. (Yes, that’s what we theater nuts do when we get into these plexed theaters — peek behind curtains, screens and the like!) Although all are coated with several layers of paint.
Hopefully, some kind of respectful reuse can be found. It is probably too late to return it to its original design and style. But i do hope that those who spearhead this project will at least attempt to research and replace some of the original decor. Just let me know when you need some help, Cara Leigh! : )
The address that I found for this theater is 495 Exchange Street.
Here is a photo.
This is a 2008 photo.
One of my “favorite” photos of the Cinema. Couldn’t resist!
http://flickr.com/photos/24272869@N00/3144172110/
But this is the way i prefer to remember it!
http://flickr.com/photos/24272869@N00/3143355575/
Here is a 1981 photo.
This theater is now in use by a small church. The marquee is still up. The church leaders were very nice and let me come in and take lots of photos as they worked on sprucing up the interior. There really wasn’t much to photograph since the theater has been badly altered over the years. It was never as opulent as the Schine Geneva Theater on Seneca Street but had a look all of its own.