Newsreel Theatre
1301 Western Avenue,
Cincinnati,
OH
45203
1301 Western Avenue,
Cincinnati,
OH
45203
4 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Architects: Alfred Fellheimer, Stuart Wagner
Functions: Museum
Styles: Art Deco
Previous Names: Terminal Art Theatre, Video Theatre
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With Alfred Fellheimer and Stuart Wagner as architects, the tiny Newsreel Theatre was part of one of the last of the great American railroad stations, the Cincinnati Union Terminal, an Art Deco style masterpiece which opened in March, 1933, and remained in service for only 39 years. Around 1948 it became the Terminal Art Theatre, screening foreign movies. In the 1970’s it became the Video Theatre, screen independent movies.
Its plush, over-sized seats provided travellers with a comfortable way to spend time waiting between trains by watching an hour’s program of newsreels and short subjects. The terminal stills stands, converted into the Cincinnati Museum Center.
Contributed by
Warren G. Harris
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
A newspaper item from March 1933 lists Willis Vance as in charge of the Newsreel Th. which seats 118 . Showings should last one hour ,Willis also runs the Latonia Theater in Covington,Kentucky .
Although it does not seem to be used any longer the entrance and box office for Newsreel theater at Union Terminal(The Museum Center) is still standing in the rotunda lobby.
The two linoleum murals on either side of the curtained area in the picture which heads this site disappeared when the Museum Center opened. Never to be seen again. So sad, fortunately other linoleum wall murals still exist in the outer areas on the corridor which heads to the waiting room of the womens rest room.
Two 1947 photos added courtesy of Jim Robb. Exterior & interior.
And If You Can See The Sign Well Enough, This Theater Was Previously Known As The Terminal Theatre For Some Reason.
Terminal Theatre was formerly a Newsreel Th. during World War Two in the 1940’s. One half hour shows as you waited for your next train connection. Later with our museum center conversion it again became a screening room for events and upcoming exhibits. I believe it is currently vacant!
Beginning around 1948 the theatre was known as the Terminal Art Theatre, specializing in foreign-language films and had considerable devoted clientele.
live performances in 1940
1940_09_29_Cinti Enquirer_Page 80_History of Cincinnati Actors Guild 29 Sep 1940, Sun The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio) Newspapers.com
What an oddity! So it became a Newsreel theater before Pearl Harbor?
In the ‘70s, the space was rebranded the “Video Theatre” and dabbled in countercultural programming. The original videotape version of Ken Shapiro’s THE GROOVE TUBE sketch program played there, followed by Ernest Pintoff’s “magazine” film DYNAMITE CHICKEN with Richard Pryor, and Emile de Antonio’s documentary MILLHOUSE.