State Theatre

Joe Vogel on June 9, 2012 at 1:11 pm

The August 12, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World had the following item about the Opera House:

“The Corning (N. Y.) opera house recently closed its doors. Just when the house will again be opened is much in doubt. In this connection a late report from Corning says the five-year lease under which the house has been operated expired July 1. Although the house has been kept open since on the old lease. It is understood that the arrangement has not been satisfactory to either party.”

Then the September 30 issue of the same publication has this item about the Opera House:

“Corning, N. Y.—L. E. Harris, proprietor of the Family theater, Albion, and Jack Lee, of that city, have leased the Corning Opera House. The theater has been redecorated throughout and has new opera chairs. The house seats 1,000 and will have an orchestra each evening. Mr. Harris will look after the mechanical end of the theater and Mr. Lee will take care of the executive duties. Road shows, vaudeville and moving pictures will be featured.”

Will: The Princess was one of two houses in Corning that were mentioned in the August 19, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World (the other was the Bijou.) As the Princess was mentioned between the two articles about the Opera House that were less than two months apart it seems unlikely that they were the same theater.

Roger Katz on December 23, 2012 at 7:10 am

Will: According to the website of the Palace Theatre their building was originally opened as the Little Princess Theatre in the late 1800’s.

Joe Vogel on December 24, 2012 at 12:42 pm

An item in the February 3, 1923, issue of the Corning Evening Leader said that the former Corning Opera House would reopen as the State Theatre on Monday night, February 5.