Comments from Ken Roe

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Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Apollo Theater on May 9, 2007 at 10:02 am

Yes, the marquee has an LED display.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about American Theatre on May 8, 2007 at 3:24 pm

The American Theatre is listed in the 1941 & 1943 editions of Film Daily Yearbook with a seating capacity of 300. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. the seating capacity is given as 390 and the address is as listed above.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Tivoli Theater on May 8, 2007 at 2:15 pm

I believe this current Tivoli Theatre replaced an earlier 350 seat Tivoli Theatre (at a different address) 20 Menominee Street, Stephenson, MI. That Tivoli Theatre is listed in Film Daily Yearbooks from at least 1941 until the 1950 edition.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Vale Cinema on May 8, 2007 at 1:15 pm

It looks like a former shop unit and maybe part of the foyer area is being used by the DebRA charity shop.

The Directory of Cinemas 1980 lists the Vale Centre, as a 3-screen operation. Screen 1;98 seats, Screen 2;96 seats and Screen 3;500 seats (opening in 1980). I wonder if the 500 seat screen (possibly in the former stalls area actually opened?

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Olympia Theatre on May 8, 2007 at 9:03 am

Thanks for the correction Ian.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Tally's Electric Theatre on May 8, 2007 at 8:43 am

This theatre opened as ‘Tally’s Phonograph and Vitascope Parlour’, 311 S. Spring Street in 1896. The room at the rear allowed the audience to ‘Hear New York Stage Song Hits’ and ‘See Living Pictures’ projected on a screen. Adverts proclaimed it as America’s first ‘All Picture Theatre’.

It was such a success that in 1900 it moved to larger quarters at 338 S. Spring Street. One of these locations (311 or 388, I don’t know which?) was the Ramona Hotel and Tally’s Phonograph and Bioscope Parlour was located on the ground floor, to the left hand side of the hotel entrance.

In April 1902 Thomas L. Tally built his Electric Theatre (the first purpose-built for movies theatre in America) which was located at 262 S. Main Street. Tally renamed this the Lyric Theatre in 1904 and by 1910 it was known as Glockner’s Automatic Theatre. I have added it under that name here….
/theaters/19875/

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Moulin Rouge Theatre on May 7, 2007 at 5:20 pm

Here are some vintage postcard views of the Moulin Rouge over the years:
The original building in 1889:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/489041668/
Eleven years later in 1900:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/489069379/
As a music hall in 1925:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/489070119/
As a cinema & cabaret theatre in the early 1930’s:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/489070753/
A closer view of the cinema & cabaret theatre in the mid-1930’s:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/489043854/
A photograph I took in April 2007:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/489073097/

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Tally's Electric Theatre on May 7, 2007 at 3:37 pm

There were two Liberty Theatre’s, one located at 266 S. Main Street which operated from the early part of the 20th Century until pre-1930 (which is the photograph incorrectly placed on the the ‘other’ Liberty Theatre-its final name (aka Novelty Theatre & Chinese Theatre), 136 S. Main Street which operated from at least the 1930’s until the 1950’s.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Liberty Theatre on May 7, 2007 at 3:22 pm

I have a listing for a Liberty Theatre, 266 S. Main Street which operated from early in the 20th Century until pre 1930. There is another Liberty Theatre, 136 S. Main Street operating from the 1930’s which was aka the Novelty theatre and the Chinese Theatre

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Odeon Theatre on May 7, 2007 at 12:01 pm

The Odeon Theatre is listed in the 1941 & 1943 editions of Film Daily Yearbook. It has gone from listings by the 1950 edition of F.D.Y.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Espace Itau de Cinema on May 7, 2007 at 10:06 am

Correction to the above…The Cine Unibanco Arteplex is a re-habitiation of the former Cine Scala/Coral and not a new multplex built on the site.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Espace Itau de Cinema on May 7, 2007 at 9:57 am

Built on the site of the the two screen Cine Scala/Coral, which closed around 2005, finally screening gay adult movies.

The new Cine Unibanco Arteplex opened in May 2007. Screen six is THX certified, the first auditorium in Rio de Janeiro to be given this honour. The policy is to screen Brazilian movies and European movies which won’t get an airing at other multiplexes.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Esquire Theatre on May 5, 2007 at 3:28 am

Lost Memory;Thanks for the additional information.
The 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook lists the Esquire Theatre with 834 seats (the Columbia Theatre is listed as ‘Closed’ with 1,800 seats). It seems like the re-model into a movie theatre gave a reduced seating capacity. However in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook the address of the Esquire is 408 W. 3rd Street and seating is given as 300 (which I would say must be a mis-print)

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Cineworld Cinema - Leicester Square on May 4, 2007 at 6:30 am

Plans have been passed for the ‘opening up’ of the balcony above the entrance doors. This will be used as a ‘platform’ for stars to greet fans when premiers are held at the cinema (similar to the one at the Odeon, Leicester Square.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Cokato Theatre on May 4, 2007 at 3:15 am

It was still listed as the Cecile Theatre in the 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook. In the 1943 edition of F.D.Y. it is the Cokato Theatre.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Apollo Theatre on May 3, 2007 at 3:18 pm

Plenty of photographs and images of the Apollo Theatre (text in German) here:
View link

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Teatro Olimpia on May 3, 2007 at 10:51 am

Another message sent to me by Andres G. Roura;

Just got back from Santo Domingo yesterday. The Olimpia is now a TV production center. The facade looks good, well taken care of.

Another great cinema of the same era, the Elite, in the residential section of Gazcue, is also a TV production center. The city is full of multiplexes owned by Caribbean Cinemas, a Puerto Rican company who are the biggest movie chain in Puerto Rico. They also have cinemas in Trinidad and other Caribbean islands.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about ABC Upton Park on May 3, 2007 at 10:21 am

Ian;Thanks for trusting me! As I state in the opening text, ‘seating was provided for 2,117 in a stadium plan’. The 1,755 seating figure was at the end of its life.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Ritz Cinema on May 3, 2007 at 7:53 am

Further details I have found on the history of the Ritz Cinema:

The building was built in 1882 and first showed film in 1919, but was not a full time cinema. It was converted into the Ritz Cinema in 1935 with seating for 720 in stalls and circle. In 1971 Star Cinemas took over the operation and converted the stalls into a bingo hall and split the balcony into two cinemas seating 75 seats each. It is this area which has now been re-opened as the Ritz Cinema. I believe bingo still operates in the former stalls area.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Ritz Cinema on May 3, 2007 at 7:16 am

Originally built as the Town Hall & Law Court (the name Belper Public Hall is engraved in the stonework on top of the buildings facade). It opened as the Ritz Cinema (around 1939 I believe) with a seating capacity of 720 (later reduced to 555). It had rear projection with the projection box being located behind the screen.

In 1971 it was split into two screens, each seating 75 persons. The twin cinema operated until October 1991 when it was closed.

On 3rd November 2006, the Ritz Cinema re-opened as a single screen cinema following a £250,000 refurbishment. It boasts 100 luxury seats.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Guild Theatre on May 3, 2007 at 5:36 am

Listed in the early 1940’s and 1950’s as the 600 seat Beacon Theatre.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Ridgewood Theatre on May 3, 2007 at 3:53 am

The North Star Theatre is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915 at 1250 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan. The 1926 edition of Film Daily Yearbook gives the same address with a seating capacity of 1,000. It has gone from listings by 1931 (the next edition of F.D.Y. that I have) and I don’t see a theatre listed at that address in subsequent F.D.Y.’s that I have (1941, 1943, 1950, 1957).

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about MK2 Gambetta on May 2, 2007 at 3:17 pm

A view of the listed facade of the MK2 Gambetta, as photographed in September 2006:
http://flickr.com/photos/gamatron/324666408/

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Cinema Paris on May 2, 2007 at 3:00 pm

A 2006 exterior photograph of the Cinema Paris:
http://flickr.com/photos/anacoreta/162479595/

Ken Roe
Ken Roe commented about Forum 1 & 2 Theatres on May 2, 2007 at 6:21 am

Yes…This is a great exterior photograph of the magnificent Forum Theatre (ex State), Melbourne