Mall Theatres
303 Euclid Avenue,
Cleveland,
OH
44144
303 Euclid Avenue,
Cleveland,
OH
44144
No one has favorited this theater yet
Opened in 1914 for films, with organs in each auditorium. Entrances on both Euclid Avenue and Superior Avenue E, with one auditorum directly above the other. Due to hill you would enter directly from Superior Avenue E into Lower Mall (600 seats, no balcony) and from Euclid Avenue into the Upper Mall (900 seats, one balcony). Possibly first duplex movie theatre.
The Mall Theatres were closed on August 31, 1960, and the building was demolished in late-1960.
Contributed by
Fred Beall
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
An interesting sidelight: It’s not widely known around Cleveland, but the Mall was formerly a Loew’s theatre. This was very early on in its existence. A photograph does exist showing the Loew’s Mall sign atop the Euclid Avenue marquee. I’m trying to obtain a copy of this photo right now.
Another quasi-interesting note: During the early to late 1930s, the Mall was managed by Bert H. Todd, who would become an assistant manager to Billy Rose, the famous showman who managed the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Todd returned to Cleveland after the fair, and was manager and part-owner of several area theatres, including the Oriental and Bandbox.
The Mall was built in 1914 by real estate developer Joseph Laronge. In 1916 Laronge built the Stillman Theatre near 12th St. Later that year he formed a partnership with 2 guys named Strong and Desberg and a third guy, Marcus Loew. The partnership was called Loew’s Ohio Theatres. This may be when the Mall and Stillman became Loew’s houses. The partnership went on to develop the Loew’s State, Ohio, Park and Granada theatres.
Ad for a picture at the Lower Mall,
View link
Odd, I never heard of this theater till now. I guess I was too small when it closed to remember. It must’ve been the first theater on Euclid Avenue.
This building was not demolished after its closure, it was put to other use. I believe that the Euclid Avenue side was an S&H green stamp redemption center. That building had a large blank wall with a decorative sign that was probably 3 stories, which would be the sort of thing that would have replaced a theater. On the Superior side were several savings and loans, one of which probably absorbed the theater space on that side.
Was it called Loews Mall at one time?
Grand opening ad, “The Only Duplex Theatre Of Its Kind In The World"
from March 17th, 1917 is at
View link
There were at least two early theaters called the Mall in Cleveland. As the ad to which Mike Rivest linked in the previous comment shows, the duplex Mall Theatre on Euclid Avenue opened in 1917. The earlier Mall Theatre was a smaller house located on Superior Avenue.
Here are a few relevant lines from an article on Cleveland movie houses published in The Moving Picture World, issue of July 5, 1916:[quote]“Louis H. Becht, now owner of the Mall theater, Superior avenue, opened Dreamland, on Euclid avenue, which is the oldest downtown picture theater still in existence, in 1908. He was there two years when he opened the Mall where he now is.
“Now Becht is spending $100,000 on a new Mall, to be a duplex theater, each auditorium to seat 650 persons and have both entrances from Euclid avenue, which run parallel. This house will be ready for opening about Nov. 1. The present Mall, one of the most popular downtown houses, seats 300 persons.”[/quote]As Mike’s ad is dated March 17, 1917, the completion of the house was obviously delayed. The 1917 opening also means that the Duplex Theatre in Detroit, opened in 1915, so far remains the earliest twin theater known to have operated in the United States, despite the claim made in the Mall’s opening ad.