Gayety Theatre
322 N. Summit Street,
Toledo,
OH
43604
322 N. Summit Street,
Toledo,
OH
43604
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The Priscilla Theatre was operating prior to 1941 (when it was listed in the Film Daily Yearbook as (Closed, same in 1943) By 1950, it had reopened as the Guild Theatre.
Later renamed Gayety Burlesk Theatre, presenting live burlesque shows, in 1960 it was advertising “Hollywood Burlesk”. It later became what was termed an adult movie theatre. Hardly running what future adult theatres would show.
Still operating in 1976, when it was attracting a gay male audience.
Contributed by
MikeRogers, Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
There are some pictures of the Gayety here: View link. Other web pages indicate that in the years immediately after its life as a cinema, the Gayety functioned as more classic burlesque house (Gypsy Rose Lee performed there, for example) before becoming what is commonly thought of today as an adult theater. Looking at the last picture, there was obviously a fire in the building before it was demolished.
The Priscilla Theater Company of Toledo filed articles of incorporation on November 4, 1916, according to the statistical reports of Ohio’s Secretary of State published in 1917. Capital stock was $5,000. Another report from the same office gave the names of the corporation’s members as I.F. Anderson, Frank R. Fisher, B. Bryant Wood, Langdon W. Kumler, and W.B. Grammer.
The Priscilla Theatre was on a list of movie theaters in Toledo that was published in 1919. The operators were J.F. Kumler and W.H. McClellan. J.F. Kumler was John Kumler, who built the Pantheon Theatre in 1919 and was involved in its operation until the late 1930s, according to his 1953 obituary.
If anyone has any stories about going to/ working at this threatre in its adult days, I would love to hear them. I am chronicling the histories of adult theatres in the US. Please contact me at Thanks!