Nineteenth Street Theatre

Too bad there are no photos of the original interior posted here. Unfortunately, today the proscenium arch, with its elaborate comedy/tragedy masks top center, and the gold-leaf decor, has been covered by the thrust stage and curtains, added by the Civic Little Theater owners for their stage productions. Likewise the organ pit has been covered by the thrust stage, and the console moved over to the right side (stage left) of the house down front. This theater has no fly loft and no orchestra pit; it was designed strictly as a neighborhood picture house, albeit an elaborate one, but never intended for stage productions, so there are no stage facilities at all. The best interior feature visible today is the stunning ceiling: a gigantic glass cartouche, lit from behind, ringed by plaster film reels. The theater has a false balcony, i.e., there is a balustrade fronting a blank wall behind a shallow set-back where a real balcony would be, and this wall is penetrated by the projector and operator openings. I knew a former projectionist, now deceased, at the Nineteenth Street, and he informed me that the projection booth is accessed only by walking across the roof! At this point, the exterior of the theater, with its terra cotta elephant heads and associated exotic motifs, is the major point of visual interest. That, and the aforementioned ceiling. If the interior were fully restored to its original glory, it would be a sight to behold, but this is unlikely given the present use as a production house/movie venue.

Shouldn’t the name of this theater be Nineteenth Street Theatre?

Here are some recent photos of the Nineteenth Street Theater. Click each photo to expand it.

The 19th Street is a ‘20s, not a '50s, suburban theatre. It still features its original Moller organ and shows art and revival films while also housing the Civic Theatre.

A view of the Nineteenth Street’s exterior can be seen here. Check out the stylized terra-cotta elephant heads on the top of the facade!