Broadvue Theatre

More pic’s coming to the flickr link, stay tuned…
Unforchantly in the Broadvue’s case the operators of the porn theater stole & sold pices of, and generaly disrespected the place.
For example:
They painted porn red over the white marble in the ladies room, when we stripped the paint the marble was stained pink. This was a grand lady waiting for a rescue that never truely happened. Now 25 years later, the renovation of neighborhood theaters is thr new “thing” in Cleveland, go figure.

I do too; however, it has to be remembered, as it was pointed out to us who part of a historic theater tour in Detroit some years back, that whether it was porn or chop-socky films or explotaion fare, that these types of films kept a number of classic theaters operating, with the HVAC and other systems running and in some degree of repair in most cases so that, when the time came and resources became available, they could be restored to a nobler use.

The photos are great and the link works fine.

1969 photo of the Broadvue theatre.
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1981 photo of the Broadvue Theatre. Showing triple X films in this photo.
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Another 1981 photo of the Broadvue Theatre.
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I was a volenteer back during the 80’s when OBCDC was trying to renovate and have many pictures of the interior. I will be glad to upload a few when the option is turned back on. Otherwise I believe the style was Greco-Roman, but the exterior was definatly Art-Deco.
It’s seating capacity when it opened was 2100, and she first opened her doors on January 15, 1927 as a movie / vaudeville house.

I remember it had a coffered ceiling with a dome in the center. All the seats were on the main floor, there was no balcony. There was a bus stop for the 51 bus in front. After it switched to porn, the women waiting for the bus would stand under the marquee only if it was raining, otherwise they stood in front of the barber college next door.

I found an address for the Broadvue of 4172 Pearl.

I waited for the bus at this theatre for 4 years straight every morning on my way to school. I remember it had bright red shag (indoor!) carpeting installed under the marquee outside!When it was taken over by the Community Development group from Old Brooklyn, I recalled going there to see a showing of Pink Floyd’s The Wall.It was kind of nice to be inside the place, after having to stand outside of it every morning looking at the shady characters going in to see porn flicks at 7:00 am.