Palace Theatre
2 East Avenue,
Lockport,
NY
14094
2 East Avenue,
Lockport,
NY
14094
1 person
favorited this theater
Since I’m a firm believer in giving credit at the top of the marquee, special thanks to Ellen Schratz (board member) and Bob (house manager) for a memory jog of details and supplying supplemental information.
Built in 1925, by Charles Dickinson from plans by a local architect, the Palace Theatre was opened on July 18, 1925 with 1,750 seats. The theatre was redesigned in 1936, and several people confirm the architect behind the make-over or interior renovations was John Eberson. The theatre is not in an Atmospheric style, so this was a departure from his usual style. The Neo-Classical style brick exterior combined with its blend of different interior disciplines culminate to provide an impressive, stately theatre.
Shortly after its opening the theatre was leased to the Schine corporation who later purchased the theatre in 1936. After many sucessful years, the Palace Theatre closed its doors in 1969, and stood empty for almost three years. Bought in 1972, by a developer who originally planned to knock down the theatre building, the Palace Theatre survived and re-opened. One explanation was that high demolition costs and the ongoing trend of the departure of retail outlets and offices from downtown areas, caused the developer to re-think the proposed parking lot strategy.
The developer re-opened the Palace Theatre in 1972 under either direct or indirect management of the Dipson Theatres chain. In November 1988, I sat in this impressive theatre along with — yes, several hundred others watching the dreadful “Ernest Saves Christmas”.
The theatre did consistently well with family and Disney films into the mid-1990’s. “The Lion King” (the movie) was its best grossing film of all time. As outlying multiplexes increased and retail left downtown it became harder to draw patrons to the downtown area. In 1999, the Palace Theatre showed its last movie but was again saved from the wrecking ball by Curtain Up Productions who leased the theatre from 1999 through 2003.
In December 2003, the theatre was sold to a non profit group who now run the theatre. The whole complex including retail space, offices and the theatre was purchased for $250,000. Despite it needing a $50,000 roofing job, it proves bargains still exist.
Contributed by
Richard Grows
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Recent comments (view all 55 comments)
Another exterior view is here.
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The above website deals with a fundraising challenge undertaken by the directors of the Palace.
A 1996 view of the Palace Theater in Lockport here and a 2008 view here. Enlarged views here and here.
The year given for this photo is 1985.
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The above article deals with the plight of the Palace as they try to stay active in the movie business.
I went by the theatre today and noticed the first run film Eclipse and a play by a local theatre group both running at the same time.
It is nice to see the theatre is being used.
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The above article deals with the Palace turning 85.
The PALACE / PARAMOUNT Mystery
According to these sources (and others)
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the Lockport Palace Theatre is based in some mysterious way upon the design of the Paramount Theatre in New York City.
What is particularly mysterious about this is that the Paramount Theatre in NYC was built one year AFTER the Palace.
The Lockport theater was designed by Lempert who doesn’t seem to have had anything to do with the NY theater.
Can anyone cite the source of this notion?
Thank you.
A great place to watch a film. Plenty of leg room, an enormous screen,fresh popcorn at a reasonable price and the charm of a historic theatre.
http://www.lockportpalacetheatre.org/
If you go to the above webswite and then go to the gallery you will see some impressive photos of this theatre.