Ideal Theatre
903 W. 36th Street,
Baltimore,
MD
21211
903 W. 36th Street,
Baltimore,
MD
21211
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Additional Info
Functions: Retail
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Mar 5, 2012 — Theater not returning to the Ideal
Not much left of this 1908 theatre which last showed movies in 1963. The original facade was recently exposed revealing the name. Apparently the stage is still inside. The Ideal Theatre now houses an antiques gallery and auction house.
Contributed by
Snackie Hillman
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
This is from urbanitebaltimore.com:
The recent opening of Woodward’s Antiques Gallery and Auction Theatre is the best old news. The antique gallery and auction house has found a home in what was once the Ideal Theatre (built in 1908) on The Avenue in Hampdenâ€"the perfect location for vintage. In their 5,500-square-foot space, Woodward’s houses a varied selection of nostalgiaâ€"everything from jewelry to mid-century furniture. Hard-to-find gems like Ringling Bros. Circus banners and Chicago Opera House stage props have been sighted there. Though the marquee is long gone, the original stage of the theater remains, providing the perfect setting for the store’s monthly auctions. A pleasant contrast to the new plasma televisions and sound system within the renovated auction area (installed specifically for the auction arena) are light fixtures that are both originals or reproductions from the theater’s early years. If anything, Woodward’s twists the cliché: Out with the new, in with the old. Open Monâ€"Sat 10 a.m.â€"7 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m.â€"5 p.m. 903 West 36th Street; 410-662-1875.
The Ideal was part of Milton Schwaber Theaters in the early sixties. The chain was headquartered in the Met Theater Building, 1542 North Avenue in Baltimore. Other Schwaber theaters in Baltimore at that time were the Apex, 5 West, Pulaski Drive-In, Cinema, Met, Playhouse, Paramount and Valley.
Here is the Woodward’s site:
http://tinyurl.com/6yfj75
Here is an item from Boxoffice magazine, October 1963:
The Ideal Theater, neighborhood subsequent-run house, has closed. The manager, Clarence Danner, has connected with the Hicks-Baker theaters. The Ideal was one of the Schwaber theaters.
This is also from Boxoffice, but is dated January 1938:
Julius Goodman, operator of the Ideal Theater is off for a few days in New York City, as is the Hippodrome’s head man, Izzy Rappaport, on his weekly stage booking spree.
Circa 1968 marquee photo added credit Robert K. Headley Theater Collection.