Comments from Ken Roe

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Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Kuhio 1 & 2 Theatre on May 26, 2007 at 6:36 am

The Kuhio Theatre opened on 21st June 1945. It was designed by San Francisco architect Vincent G. Raney for the Consolidated Amusement Co.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Toyo Theatre on May 26, 2007 at 6:02 am

The Toyo Theatre was opened by the Consolidated Amusement Co. on 16th June 1938. It was aparently briefly re-named the AALA Theatre in 1949-1950.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Varsity Twin Cinema on May 26, 2007 at 5:57 am

The Varsity Theatre was opened by the Consolidated Amusement Co. as a single screen theatre on 8th September 1939. It was surrounded by a tropical garden.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Zamboanga Theatre on May 26, 2007 at 5:42 am

Originally the Palama Theatre was located at 569 N. King Street. It opened in 1919 and closed in 1929. It was an open-air theatre operated by Charles Yee Foy.

Consolidated Amusement Co. built a new theatre nearby at 701 N. King Street in 1929. It opened as the New Palama Theatre on 19th April 1930. It was designed in a Chinese style by architect Louis Davis at a cost of $140,000 and seating was provided for 1,500.

It was re-named Zamboanga Theatre in 1970.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Loew's Paradise Theatre on May 26, 2007 at 3:27 am

The original concept of the developers was to lease the building to Paramount-Publix circuit and it was to open as the Venetian Theatre. However Paramount had over-expanded their construction programme and had second thoughts about moving into neighborhoods. Loew’s Inc. didn’t have an outlet in the Fordham area and picked up the option. Ground was broken for construction to begin in April 1928 and the name ‘Venetian’ was retained during construction. It was in the summer of 1929 that Loew’s announced the name change to ‘Paradise’.

Loew’s Paradise Theatre opened on 7th September 1929 with the MGM movie “Mysterious Fu Manchu” starring Warner Oland. The famous British organist Harold Ramsay opened the Robert Morton ‘Wonder’ organ.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Rio Theatre on May 25, 2007 at 4:44 am

In the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook the Overland Theatre is listed with a seating capacity of 600.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Ricky Theater on May 25, 2007 at 2:45 am

The Rickey Theater barely lasted for five years as it closed in 1952.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Ridgewood Theatre on May 24, 2007 at 10:34 am

1926 F.D.Y.: Willoughby Theatre, 260-262 Knickerbocker Avenue, Brooklyn 600 seats. In that same edition of F.D.Y. also listed there is a Park Palace Theatre, 71 Park Avenue, Brooklyn 430 seats.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Ridgewood Theatre on May 24, 2007 at 10:01 am

The Throop Theatre is listed in the 1914-1915 edition of American Motion Picture directory as being located at 963 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn.

The Park Palace Theatre is listed in that same edition of A.M.P.D. as being located at 268 Knickerbocker Avenue

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Barbican Cinema 1 on May 24, 2007 at 4:36 am

A photograph of the renovated foyer of Cinema 1:
View link
A photograph of the renovated auditorium of Cinema 1:
View link

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about State Theater on May 24, 2007 at 3:18 am

Both the State(Fair) Theatre and the Paramount Theatre in Amarillo are listed as being operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary Hoblitzelle & O'Donnell in the 1940’s (perhaps even earlier). The same operators also ran the Rialto and Capitol Theatre’s in Amarillo.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Liberty Theatre on May 24, 2007 at 3:12 am

The Liberty Theatre is still listed as operating in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on May 24, 2007 at 2:38 am

This is the entry for the Lincoln Theatre in the book ‘Historic Movie Theatre in Illinois, 1883-1960 by Konrad Schiecke….

‘The Gem Theatre was opened in 1910 and was demolished by a fire in 1929. At the time it was one of the largest theatres in southern Illinois Little Egypt area. In 1934 another fire gutted the building, but it re-opened reconstructed in 1936 in a new blue & white Art deco style, which included a marquee and vertical sign, which was attached to the top of the building.

In the late 1940’s it was re-named Lincoln Theatre. It closed in 1978. In 1995 the city purchased the theatre after years of neglect, and it is in the process of restoring it to re-open as a venue for live stage performances'

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Verdi Theater on May 24, 2007 at 2:16 am

This opened as the Variety Theatre in 1907. It was re-named Verdi Theatre in 1913. It closed in 1951.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about ICA Cinema on May 23, 2007 at 12:11 pm

That’s the address of the offices of the ICA just around the corner from the cinema entrance.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about ICA Cinema on May 23, 2007 at 3:27 am

A photograph of the ICA Cinema I took in October 2004:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/510654710/

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about ICA Cinema on May 23, 2007 at 3:05 am

A photograph of the main auditorium and details of the cinema here:
http://www.ica.org.uk/?lid=12263

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Cinderella Theatre on May 23, 2007 at 2:07 am

The 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook lists the Cinderella Theatre with a seating capacity of 1,000.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Odeon BFI London IMAX Cinema on May 22, 2007 at 12:40 pm

A photograph of the B.F.I. IMAX Cinema that I took in August 2002:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/509751593/

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about RKO Keith's Theatre on May 21, 2007 at 2:29 pm

Here is a link to some wonderful photographs of the RKO Keith’s Theatre – courtesy of Phillip A. Edwards (click on photos to enlarge):
http://www.jrjunction.com/keiths.htm

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Gaumont Clapham on May 21, 2007 at 12:46 pm

I can’t find any reference to Charlie Chaplin ever having a financial involvement in the Majestic Theatre. Of course he was involved in the United Artist’s Company (film-makers-distributors and exhibitors) together with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks etc.

However, here is what I found out about an incident at the Majestic Theatre, Clapham……The manager of the Majestic Theatre in the 1920’s was a gentleman named Castleton Knight. He arranged a stunt to create publicity for the cinema in either 1921 or 1922. The plan was to kidnap Charlie Chaplin whilst he was on a visit to the U.K. He dressed as a chauffeur and drove to Croydon Airport (London’s main airport in those days) pretending to be Chaplin’s driver. He picked up Charlie and drove him to the Majestic Theatre where, obviously Chaplin fell in with the spirit of the stunt, as he gave the only speech he made to a cinema audience in the U.K.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about ABC Streatham on May 20, 2007 at 1:29 pm

Most of the auditorium had been demolished when I took these photographs in September 2004:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/506412659/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/506384272/
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/506414683/

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Gaumont Streatham on May 20, 2007 at 11:17 am

A photograph I took of the former Gaumont Streatham in September 2004:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/506207703/

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Apollo 6 Cinemas on May 20, 2007 at 9:47 am

A photograph of the Apollo 6 Cinemas taken in April 2005 whilst awating demolition:
http://flickr.com/photos/4737carlin/161299451/
Photographed as the Apollo 6 Cinemas during its last years of operation:
http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/334018030/