Loew's Rochester Theater
130 S. Clinton Avenue,
Rochester,
NY
14604
130 S. Clinton Avenue,
Rochester,
NY
14604
5 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 45 comments found
I recall seeing “Rock Around the Clock” in 1956 at the Lowe’s. The movie caused a small riot in the theater when Bill Haley and his group playing the movie’s theme song by the same name. Rochester police were called to bring the audience into control.
Christmas decorations depicted: boxoffice
To the best of my recollection (from my college years at the UofR 1959-63), the Loew’s Rochester was on the same side of S. Clinton Ave. as the later Xerox tower which replaced it, and the U-U Church, IOW, the east side (if I have my directions right).
Click here for an exterior view of the Loew’s Rochester Theatre in 1931 and here for an exterior view in 1932.
In the 1930 photo you can see the Unitarian Universalist church in the background. That church is on the same side of Clinton Ave. as Xerox. I’m wondering if it actually was Xerox that is now on the theatre site.
I remember walking into the Theatre when I was 12 to see Quo Vadis & my mouth dropped open at the beauty it projected to me opn the inside. Big,beautiful, and a wonderful place to see a Movie but the way downtown Rochester is now it wouldn’t be open for a year!!!!
As Ossie Wieggel’s photos prove, Loew’s Rochester was NOT a center-aisle design. I stand corrected! See http://tinyurl.com/6kcruqj
I must have been thinking of another theater!
tlsloews, copy of what?
The “local firm” that bought the Loew’s Rochester site, and erected their world headquarters thereon, was Xerox! The Xerox Tower now stands where I saw “Ivanhoe” back in the early ‘60s when I was in college. The theater was very ornate, as I dimly recall, with a red and gold scheme; it was a center-aisle design, less popular than the more traditional center-section, side-aisle plan. As for its being “the ugliest” and “most unfortunate looking,” don’t you wish we had it back??? I know I do!! (Somehow, Xerox just ain’t got the ol’ magic for me….)
A classic marquee.
Both marquee shots are great.Those were the days.
Great 1930 photo and slideshow posted by ziggy.
I should credit Brad Smith, who posted this photo on his photostream, along with a lot of other wonderful theatre photographs.
View link
A link to a photo of the Loew’s Rochester marquee in 1930.
Chuck-
I have photographs of the Pittsford theatres somewhere. I’ll try to find them and upload them. No promises; it’s been awhile!
I think ‘Return of the Jedi’ and ‘Mr. Mom’ were playing when the pics were taken.
I remember Hoyt’s Cine well. Nice theatres. I believe they tied for 1st place with Loews Ridge Road as ther best theatres in Rochester in the Democrat and Chronicle…way back when.
Nice interior photos, I do not know why anyone would call it ugly,looks much better than any new multi-plex I have seen anywhere.
Chuck
The triplex.I haven’t been able to find it and am a little surprised. I ran the Hoyts (former SBC) on Ridge Road and added that some time ago.
Granted, they were not palaces, but we seem to be listing all genres here.
Nick, which Pittsford are you referring to, the Pittsford Triplex at 3400 Monroe that is closed or the Pittsford Cinema 9 at 3349 Monroe Ave. in the Pittsford Plaza which is still open?
Any reason why Pittsford isn’t listed? And, for those that blame Regal, Loews (AMC) built multiplexes in the area that contributed to the demise of their other locations (I believe they had two or three when I worked in Rochester in the late 70’s).
Great picture from Warren Harris.Those were the days…
I like how the theater had pre-printed displays of the stars' first names, like George (Peppard) and Carroll (Baker). It shows how popular they were back then.
Thanks for posting that photo, Warren! It’s nice to finally have a decent picture of the outside.
Here’s a link to a 1964 photo with “The Carpetbaggers” on the marquee: View link
A Marr & Colton theater organ size 5/24 was installed in the Rochester Theater in 1927.
Loew’s leased this theatre until 1945, when it actually bought it from “local interests” for $1,595,000, according to a report in The New York Times of 10/17/45. The purchase was made by Clinton-Court Corporation, a subsidiary of Loew’s, Inc.. The theatre was built in 1927 at an estimated cost of $3 million, the article claimed.
The Marr & Colton organ from Loew’s was purchased in the 1950’s by Robert Griswold, who moved it to Schenectady and installed it in a huge structure attached to his father’s funeral home. I was told that Bob Griswold died when he was still a young man, before he finished the restoration of the organ. Does anyone know what ever became of this instrument?