Fairview Theatre

1982 photo of the Fairview theatre.
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Here is another Chronicle-Telegram article dated 1/20/89:

FAIRVIEW PARK â€" Less than three weeks after the Fairview Theater closed its doors, it will re-open today under new management. The 1,400-seat, twin-screened theater in the Fairview Shopping Center, was closed Jan. 2 by former owner Morrie Zryl, who acquired the theater in 1985 after it was closed by National Theater Corp.

At the time, Zryl hoped to be able to offer quality film fare, including acclaimed art and foreign movies, to discerning western Cuyahoga County, and Lorain County moviegoers “For a while, it worked, and then they just stopped coming,” said Zryl “I just don’t understand it.” Despite that, the theater reopens today under the management of Al Saluan, owner of the tri-screen Lake Theater in Euclid, according to Zryl, owner of the Colony Theater in Shaker Heights.

Saluan, who spent the week cleaning and installing new fixtures in the theater, the largest on the west side, said the need for a movie house offering family fare is still very real Assuming his operation as a second-run house is successful, Saluan hopes to eventually offer first-run fare “I wish him all the luck in the world because it’s real tough as an independent,” said Zryl “I know ”. Over-saturation, lack of available product, and fierce competition from major chains all combined to sound the death knell for Zryl.

An illustrated article about the Fairview Theatre appeared in the January 31, 1948, issue of Boxoffice. The house had opened the previous Thanksgiving Day. It was built for the Fairview Theatre Company, headed by Morris Fine, vice-president of the Associated Theatres Circuit. The first manager of the new house, Ed Wise, had been with Associated for twenty years. The Fairview was operated by the Associated circuit at least as late as 1960.

Photos of the Fairview’s auditorium (which was indeed without a balcony) were published with the article. The design by Fox & Fox was decidedly Art Moderne, not Art Deco. Also, an October 11, 1947, Boxoffice item said that the American Seating Company had installed 1,789 seats in the Fairview. That’s probably an accurate seat count.

Chris, good luck on finding the source of the auditorium photo. It is linked to a photobucket account and not the source of the photo.

Here are links to the pictures of the Fairview in Boxoffice of January 31, 1948, that I cited in my previous comment:

The cover of the Modern Theatre section, featuring a picture of the marquee and entrance.

The first page of Elsie Loeb’s article, with two photos; a close-up of the entrance showing the marquee soffit, and a shot of the lobby and concession stand.

Additional photos showing the auditorium and other interior areas of the house are on the next page but one (click the “next page” links at top or bottom) and additional text is on the page after that.