Despite being in need of a re-furbishment, the old Astoria Theatre can still attract top name artists onto it’s stage. A few weeks ago (November 2005) saw Madonna performing to a packed house of ‘boyz’ at G.A.Y. on a Saturday night.
Sorry Ron; This theatre is already listed on Cinema Treasures http://cinematreasures.org/theatre/14779/ Can you post some of the information you give above on that page please.
Opened as Lothrop’s Opera House on 17th August 1891 with “The Spectre Bridegroom” and “Queena”. It was used for Drama, Vaudeville and Movies over the years and artists who appeared on it’s stage include Al Jolson and Charlie Murray.
Joe; Thanks for that information. I agree, the photo of the Canadian Building is definately the same building which housed the Main Theatre. I have e-mailed the Parkinson Archives to correct their mistake.
The facade of the former Taits Auditorium building still survives. After closing as the Mayfair Theatre,the interior was either demolished or gutted and is used today as a retail unit and offices.
cjc; No it’s not Listed and there is practically nothing remaining of the interior decoration apart from a few fragments of ceiling detail in what would have been the rear balcony area. Everything else was stripped out when it became a Top Rank Bowl.
Will; Just by coincidence here in the UK the Cinema Theatre Association held their annual ‘members slide bash’ last weekend and one of the presenters did a slide presntation & talk on Andrea Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy with the theme ‘The Worlds First Atmospheric Theatre?’
Listed in the 1926 edition of Film Daily Yearbook as the Gem Theatre with a seating capacity of 550 (600 seats from 1930 until at least 1941). In the 1943 edition of F.D.Y. it is listed with a seating capacity of 560 and in the 1950 edition it has 542 seats.
The 1957 edition of F.D.Y. lists the Gem Theatre, but gives no seating capacity, so it may have just closed?
Listed in the American Motion Picture Directory;1914-1915 edition. The address given in that publication is 1894 3rd Avenue, New York, NY.
Various editions of Film Daily Yearbook list this as the Progress Theatre and give several seating capacities;1926=600 seats, 1930=535 seats, 1941=530 seats, 1943=530 seats (Closed).
The next edition of F.D.Y. that I have is the 1950 edition where it has disappeared from the listings. Did it re-open for a while after it’s 1943 closure and was re-named New Progress Theatre?
Even in 1950 the population of Boaz, AL was only 1,927. I would guess that this theatre must have ‘moved’ (not physically lifted up and moved) but ‘moved’ into another already existing building, until 1939/1940 when it finally settled.
Certainly listed in the American Motion Picture Directory;1914-1915 edition, it is stll listed as open in the 1926 edition of Film Daily Yearbook with a seating capacity of 600.
The Film Daily Yearbooks;1941 and 1943 editions list the Rialto Theatre with a seating capacity of 200. This must have been the first theatre located at 105 South Main Street. Obviously they were not up-dated to cover the move (or expansion) to 109 South Main Street. By the time the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. was published, it is listed with a seating capacity of 500.
An exterior photograph of the former Page Hall/Roxy Cinema as vied in 2000 can be seen here:
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An exterior photograph of the Odeon, taken in October 1949:
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In the Summer of 1971, a few weeks before closing:
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An exterior view of the Odeon, taken in October 1949:
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Undated, but possibly around 1952:
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A closer view of the entrance and tower feature in Summer 1971:
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An exterior photograph of the Odeon, taken in December 1970:
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The same view in 2005 as the Sol/Viva nightclub:
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An exterior photograph of the Odeon, taken in the Summer of 1971:
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An opening view of the Odeon in 1936:
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An evening photograph with the Classic Cinema signage and bingo which dates it around 1969 after Coral had taken over:
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Some recent excellent 2004 photographs (exterior and interior) of the Royal Cinema, with thanks to Jonathan Goodbun:
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Despite being in need of a re-furbishment, the old Astoria Theatre can still attract top name artists onto it’s stage. A few weeks ago (November 2005) saw Madonna performing to a packed house of ‘boyz’ at G.A.Y. on a Saturday night.
Here are some more historical details and a couple of vintage photographs (click on to enlarge) of the Astoria, Charing Cross Road:
http://www.cinephoto.co.uk/astoria_ch_x_rd.htm
Sorry Ron; This theatre is already listed on Cinema Treasures http://cinematreasures.org/theatre/14779/ Can you post some of the information you give above on that page please.
Opened as Lothrop’s Opera House on 17th August 1891 with “The Spectre Bridegroom” and “Queena”. It was used for Drama, Vaudeville and Movies over the years and artists who appeared on it’s stage include Al Jolson and Charlie Murray.
Joe; Thanks for that information. I agree, the photo of the Canadian Building is definately the same building which housed the Main Theatre. I have e-mailed the Parkinson Archives to correct their mistake.
The seating capacity in 1950 when still a single screen was listed as 1,351.
I believe the church who occupied the building recently have moved out and the building sits empty and unused.
The facade of the former Taits Auditorium building still survives. After closing as the Mayfair Theatre,the interior was either demolished or gutted and is used today as a retail unit and offices.
cjc; No it’s not Listed and there is practically nothing remaining of the interior decoration apart from a few fragments of ceiling detail in what would have been the rear balcony area. Everything else was stripped out when it became a Top Rank Bowl.
An exterior photograph of the Palace Theatre taking in 1949 playing the Gaumont release programme:
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Three exterior views taken over the years:
1. As the Palace Cinema playing the Gaumont release in 1949:
View link
Re-named Gaumont playing the Gaumont release in 1956:
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Re-named Odeon playing the Odeon/Rank release in 1961:
View link
Will; Just by coincidence here in the UK the Cinema Theatre Association held their annual ‘members slide bash’ last weekend and one of the presenters did a slide presntation & talk on Andrea Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy with the theme ‘The Worlds First Atmospheric Theatre?’
Listed in the 1926 edition of Film Daily Yearbook as the Gem Theatre with a seating capacity of 550 (600 seats from 1930 until at least 1941). In the 1943 edition of F.D.Y. it is listed with a seating capacity of 560 and in the 1950 edition it has 542 seats.
The 1957 edition of F.D.Y. lists the Gem Theatre, but gives no seating capacity, so it may have just closed?
Listed in the American Motion Picture Directory;1914-1915 edition. The address given in that publication is 1894 3rd Avenue, New York, NY.
Various editions of Film Daily Yearbook list this as the Progress Theatre and give several seating capacities;1926=600 seats, 1930=535 seats, 1941=530 seats, 1943=530 seats (Closed).
The next edition of F.D.Y. that I have is the 1950 edition where it has disappeared from the listings. Did it re-open for a while after it’s 1943 closure and was re-named New Progress Theatre?
On the photo of the Rialto Theatre linked above, the titles on the marquee date it at around 1929. “Mother Knows Best” (1928) and “Collegians” (1926).
Even in 1950 the population of Boaz, AL was only 1,927. I would guess that this theatre must have ‘moved’ (not physically lifted up and moved) but ‘moved’ into another already existing building, until 1939/1940 when it finally settled.
Listed in the American Motion Picture Directory;1914-1915 edition.
It is still listed as open in the Film Daily Yearbook;1927 edition with 299 seats, but has disappeared from listings in the 1930 edition of F.D.Y.
Certainly listed in the American Motion Picture Directory;1914-1915 edition, it is stll listed as open in the 1926 edition of Film Daily Yearbook with a seating capacity of 600.
The Film Daily Yearbooks;1941 and 1943 editions list the Rialto Theatre with a seating capacity of 200. This must have been the first theatre located at 105 South Main Street. Obviously they were not up-dated to cover the move (or expansion) to 109 South Main Street. By the time the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. was published, it is listed with a seating capacity of 500.