Mimi Ohio Theatre

1511 Euclid Avenue,
Cleveland, OH 44115

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Showing 1 - 25 of 29 comments

dave-bronx™
dave-bronx™ on March 24, 2016 at 2:26 pm

Thanks to HowardBHaas for letting us know about that article. I note that Evergreen Painting Studios of New York is involved with the Ohio lobby project. Evergreen was involved with the restoration portion of the 1990 plexing of what became the Village East Cinemas, and did a lot of work on the 1996 main lobby renovation of the Loews 84th Street, both in Manhattan.

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on March 24, 2016 at 11:57 am

Article about recent restoration including lobby http://www.freshwatercleveland.com/devnews/OhioTheatre032216.aspx

dave-bronx™
dave-bronx™ on March 24, 2015 at 9:07 pm

In the past couple days on WCPN-FM 90.3 someone was interviewing a woman previously associated with The Front Row theater and presently involved in some capacity with Playhouse Square. I wasn’t really paying attention so I didn’t take note of the names. My ears perked up, however, when the woman from Playhouse Square stated that the State Theater will be closed for a while for re-painting. She then stated that the lobby of the Ohio Theater is going to be demolished and re-built as it was before fire gutted it in the 1960s, which for the most part was the way it was at the 1922 grand opening. The photo on the overview page here is the way it was in 1922. After the fire in the ‘60s Loews re-built it as a typical modern suburban mall theater lobby with red walls, red carpet and flat acoustic tile ceiling with recessed can-lights. The theater by then was on its downhill trajectory (and would finally shut down in 1969) so not a lot of dollars or brain cells were expended on post-fire repairs. Playhouse Square’s remodeling was nice, but in no way resembled the original.

Coate
Coate on March 24, 2015 at 5:22 pm

It was 50 years ago today that “The Sound of Music” premiered at the Ohio Theatre. With a reserved-seat run of 91 weeks, it’s almost certainly the long-run record holder for this venue. (Anyone know of something that ran longer?)

“The Sound of Music” also was, I believe, the second of two consecutive long-running Julie Andrews movies to play this venue between 1964-66. That 24-month period would’ve been bliss or hell depending on whether or not local moviegoers were a fan of Julie!

Also, on a related note, I would like to mention my new 50th anniversary retrospective for “The Sound of Music” can be read here. It includes a film historian Q&A and a list of the film’s roadshow engagements. I hope fans of the movie and/or theater buffs enjoy the article.

rivest266
rivest266 on January 19, 2014 at 4:38 pm

September 23rd, 1943 grand opening ad as a movie theatre has been uploaded in the photo section

rivest266
rivest266 on March 13, 2011 at 4:57 pm

This reopened as a movie theatre on September 23rd, 1943.
ad: View link

zabriskie
zabriskie on December 24, 2010 at 5:15 am

Yes, CLEOPATRA played road show at the Ohio. Others besides, SOUTH PACIFIC, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, the TEN COMMANDMENTS were BEN-HUR, WEST SIDE STORY, EXODUS, STAR!, DOCTOR DOLITTLE, MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, KING OF KINGS. I think BEN HUR had the longest run.

rlausche
rlausche on March 4, 2010 at 4:15 am

Cleopatra played the Ohio has a roadshow then moved over to the Hippodrome for its general release

Hibi
Hibi on January 12, 2010 at 8:00 pm

Did Cleopatra play the Ohio, does anyone know? I dont remember it playing there. (But I dont remember where it played if not, either).

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on December 31, 2009 at 2:31 am

Good Site and Photos.

chspringer
chspringer on July 11, 2009 at 1:29 am

The Ohio also roadshowed “The Ten Commandments”, “Around the World in 80 Days” “Oklahoma” ran here but in 35mm.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on July 10, 2009 at 3:04 am

The Ohio did not show any Cinerama films, but was in the late 1950s and 60s a 70mm roadshow house especially for films in Todd-AO. I remember seeing “South Pacific” there. Cinerama was housed first at the Palace, then at the Great Northern, and finally at the State.

Hibi
Hibi on June 26, 2009 at 8:38 pm

I’m not sure about the Ohio showing Cinerama, but the State definitely did towards the end…… (70mm version)

Cinerama
Cinerama on February 15, 2009 at 10:13 pm

Did this theatre ever promote itself as a Cinerama theatre? The book Cleveland’s Playhouse Square, has a picture of the Palace Cinerama theatre and below it says “The State and the Ohio also showed Cinerama films”.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on January 16, 2009 at 6:00 am

The post-depression re-opening of the Ohio Theatre as a movie house (paragraph 2 of the intro above) apparently took place in 1943. Here are extracts from an item in the July 17, 1943, issue of Boxoffice Magazine: “CLEVELAND— Reconstruction work at the Ohio Theatre, long closed, is going on apace. …it is understood that this 1500 seat house… will adopt a motion picture policy. Rumor has it that the house will open about Labor Day with ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls.’”

Patsy
Patsy on January 1, 2008 at 11:41 pm

dave-bronx: Thanks so much for posting this arcadia publishing site as I plan to order a book since visting all of these theatres this past summer while in Cleveland visiting Ohio friends.

dave-bronx™
dave-bronx™ on January 1, 2008 at 4:17 am

A book entitled “Cleveland’s Playhouse Square” by Patricia M. Mote chronicles in words and photographs the Loew’s State & Ohio, RKO Allen & Palace and Hanna theaters from their opening in the 1920s through 2006. It can be found in the Local Interest section of Cleveland area bookstores, and for those not in the area it can be ordered from the publisher at the following website:
View link

Patsy
Patsy on June 9, 2007 at 3:21 pm

Lost Memory: Having just returned from Playhouse Square in Cleveland I have now answered my own organ inquiry posted earlier. The only organ left is in the Palace though I didn’t see it during my recent tour. The tour included the Ohio, State, Allen and Palace. They are all located on Euclid Avenue with the Hanna Theatre nearby on 14th? In the 20’s when all of these theatres were built Euclid was known an Millionaire’s Row and the Who’s Who List lived there and frequented these beautiful theatres. And thanks goes to basically one man, Mr. Raymond Shepardton for saving these theatres for future generations!

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on September 27, 2006 at 10:01 pm

This is a 1932 photo from the Cleveland Public Library:
http://tinyurl.com/f5glm

simplexlover
simplexlover on January 26, 2006 at 6:54 pm

The address of the Ohio Theatre is 1513 Euclid Ave.

wheelgrabber
wheelgrabber on January 26, 2006 at 6:47 pm

The address listed above is wrong. It can’t be 1260 Euclid Ave. if the State Theatre is 1519 Euclid and the Palace is 1615 Euclid and all three are on the same side of the street. It therefore has to be an uneven number. Does anyone know?

Patsy
Patsy on November 28, 2005 at 9:35 pm

“Today, restored to its former elegance, the Ohio is used for smaller stage performances, concerts and live theater.” Does “former elegance” include the Moller organ Opus 2874 Size 3/17?

Patsy
Patsy on November 28, 2005 at 9:30 pm

Lost Memory: Do you know if the organ that was installed in 1921 at a cost of $6450.00 is still in the Ohio Theater? And what about the Palace in Cleveland, too?