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/
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.
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
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
The Mars Theatre is listed in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook, but no seating capacity is given. This generally means that the theatre has recently opened and details have not been passed on to the editors.
Thanks ziggy. Mystery solved! The Ohio Theatre, Columbus, OH is listed in the 1941 F.D.Y. as being a United Artists Theatre Circuit theatre, operated as the Loew’s Ohio Theatre.
Well it’s not the Los Angeles United Artists Theatre for sure. In the 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook it states that Loew’s Inc. operates several theatres in association with United Artists Theater Circuit, which theaters are designated in the list of United Artists hodings.
There is no Loew’s United Artist Theatre in that list of of U.A. holdings. So we have a mystery theatre!
I would say it is in the New York area, as the photograpgh comes from the Billy Rose Theatre Collection which deals mainly with New York theatres.
Thanks for the correction Ian.
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/
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/
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
Plenty of photographs and images of the Apollo Theatre (text in German) here:
View link
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.
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.
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.
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.
Listed in the early 1940’s and 1950’s as the 600 seat Beacon Theatre.
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).
A view of the listed facade of the MK2 Gambetta, as photographed in September 2006:
http://flickr.com/photos/gamatron/324666408/
A 2006 exterior photograph of the Cinema Paris:
http://flickr.com/photos/anacoreta/162479595/
Yes…This is a great exterior photograph of the magnificent Forum Theatre (ex State), Melbourne
The Mars Theatre is listed in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook, but no seating capacity is given. This generally means that the theatre has recently opened and details have not been passed on to the editors.
Thanks ziggy. Mystery solved! The Ohio Theatre, Columbus, OH is listed in the 1941 F.D.Y. as being a United Artists Theatre Circuit theatre, operated as the Loew’s Ohio Theatre.
Well it’s not the Los Angeles United Artists Theatre for sure. In the 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook it states that Loew’s Inc. operates several theatres in association with United Artists Theater Circuit, which theaters are designated in the list of United Artists hodings.
There is no Loew’s United Artist Theatre in that list of of U.A. holdings. So we have a mystery theatre!
I would say it is in the New York area, as the photograpgh comes from the Billy Rose Theatre Collection which deals mainly with New York theatres.
The architectural firm of Horsfall and Sons were the designers of the Palace Theatre in 1909.