Esquire Theatre
3016 E. Broad Street,
Columbus,
OH
43209
3016 E. Broad Street,
Columbus,
OH
43209
3 people
favorited this theater
Located in the Eastmoor neighborhood of Columbus, this building was designed by F & Y Building Service for the Samson Operating Company in 1946. The facade features vaguely Art Deco style terra-cotta, random ashlar masonry and a handsome triagle marquee in an unusual asymetrical design.
The interior was richly articulated with cove lights, serpantine walls, polychrome painting, and moderne furniture. The seats were arranged in three sections (no center aisle) in a somewhat low, but none-the-less elegant one-story auditorium.
Contributed by
William Dunklin
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Recent comments (view all 35 comments)
Do you happen to know when it closed?
Likely closed during the last half of 1987.
All I know is that when my wife and I went back to Columbus in 1988 the Esquire was torn down. Her family lived on Broadmoor so we were in the area quite a bit.
Another thought. I worked as janitor, usher, ticket taker, concession clerk, marquee sign, etc and assistant manager, 1956-1959, at the Esquire and later manager of the Drexel for a year. It was unbelievable what the girls would write in lipstick and that stuff was near impossible to remove from mirrors and stall doors/walls. The items of bras, panties, made one wonder if the film was viewed at all-yep indoors.
kenreiff6, would you remember if the Esquire played Disney’s Sleeping Beauty in its first run — 1958?
(I mean 1959)
In Columbus, SLEEPING BEAUTY opened exclusively at the downtown Hunt’s Cinestage on March 19, 1959, playing with the short subject, GRAND CANYON, and replacing SOUTH PACIFIC. Final date was May 20, 1959, replaced by 80 Days “at popular prices”.
Right. I’ve been trying to nail down where on the east side we kids were taken to see it. We were living in Whitehall, and I' m pretty certain it was nearby. I remember GRAND CANYON was still with it.
I taught at Whitehall in 1960!!!!
I was in Beechwood Elementary in 4th and 5th grades.