A recent auditorium view in its current use as a church, showing the recent restoration nearing completion (seats are now installed in the stalls area): View link
The Grand Theatre is still listed in the Film Daily Yearbook;1950 edition with a seating capacity given as 500. Maybe it closed and re-opened for a while?
An October 2005 photograph of the exterior of the former Futurist Cinema, now in use as a ‘Gentleman’s’ Club with lap-dancing as the entertainment: View link
A close-up view of the former Pavilion (Odeon) Shepherds Bush as seen in October 2005. On the immediate left of the shot is part of the facade of the former Pykes Cinematograph Theatre (latterly known as Odeon 2 Shepherds Bush): View link
Original lettering dating from 1910 is still to be seen on the side-wall of the former Pykes Cinematograph Theatre in this October 2005 photograph: View link
The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA is always quoted as America’s largest theatre. Opened on 23rd January 1926 its original seating capacity was for 6,717, current seating capacity 6,308, it was designed in a Moorish style by architects John C. Austin and A.M. Edelman with the interior designed by noted theatre archichect G. Albert Lansburgh. It is still equipped with its Moeller 4Manual/67Ranks theatre organ and is Designated an Historic-Cultural Monument.
I know that some believe that it is/was never a theatre and merely an ‘auditorium’ for special events. But it has served as a full time movie theatre for a short period from 25th August 1928 with a silent double-bill;Marion Davies in “The Fair Co-Ed” and Edmund Lowe in “Dressed to Kill”. It also has a place in movie history as a location for sequences of the original 1933 version of “King Kong” and the 1954 version of “A Star is Born” among many others. It was also the ‘home’ for the Academy Award’s Oscar’s ceremony for many years. It is also used for concerts, dance shows, just like the current use of Radio City Music Hall today.
It has been submitted several times by different people for inclusion on Cinema Treasures, but has always been rejected as ‘not being suitable’ for inclusion on the site.
What do other poster’s on this site think about including the Shrine Auditorium as a Cinema Treasure?
The Film Daily Yearbook;1950 edition has a Liberty Theatre, Main Street, Liberty, NY. with a seating capacity of 1,060. Could this be the Liberty Twin before twinning?
I have now discovered that the original Carlton Theatre opened in early January 1911. It had a seating capacity of 450. The airdome opened in 1913. Both closed on 10th May 1925 to be demolished and the new Carlton Theatre was built on the site, opening on 8th February 1926. It looks like the facade was retained, possibly because it contained a couple of retail units that would continue to provide revenue in rent.
Of course this may date the 1914 photograph (that lostmemory posted earlier today) to late 1910, just prior to opening?
lostmemory; Harrison G. Wiseman is one architect, that we can establish as fact. I note that the two films listed as playing on the 1926 photograph are dated 1925 on the Internet Movie Database, so if they were released early in 1926, they could be opening programmes or soon after the 8th Feb 1926 opening.
The marquee in the ‘earlier’ photograph is certainly different. I believe that the marquee was added too underneath to allow for the attractions letters in 1926. The poster cases on each side of the entrance are empty. Could this be a pre-opening 1914 photo taken a few weeks prior to opening? Regarding the missing stairs to the roof garden theatre and no sign of the auditorium block beyond the facade on the photo, I believe the original 1914 Carlton theatre was a much smaller building, lower in height than the later auditorium that was built on the site.
lostmemory;I agree with you, looking at the two photographs side by side the two facades are the same. This either means the 1914 photo is wrongly dated (which is what I would go for) or the earlier building’s facade was retained when the theatre was re-built in 1926.
A quote from the Theatre Historical Society magazine Marquee Vol 1 No.3:‘Theatres of Brooklyn’s Park Slope’ by Cezar Del Valle
‘Pioneer film director D.W. Griffith made a guest appearance at the opening night of the Carlton on February 8, 1926. The theatre had been built on the site of an earlier movie house and airdome at 292 Flatbush Avenue. Patrons of the new Carlton entered a foyer 100 by 37 feet, with rose and black carpet, a statue in the centre and French mirrors along the walls of travertine marble. A fireplace help keep out the winter chill. The 1,383-seat oval auditorium boasted a 16-foot-high chandelier surrounded by 16 others, each 5.5 feet high. On warm summer nights audiences could enjoy a film in the Italianate roof garden with a capacity of 1,124.’
The 1914 photograph is of a different building to the 1926 one. Obviously an earlier theatre that was replaced in 1926. lostmemory;Thanks for finding the photo of the 1914 building.
Jack;There was another cinema on Chelsea Avenue but it was some distance away East along the Avenue. It’s not listed here on C.T. at the moment, here are the details that I have:
Hollywood Theatre, 2469 Chelsea Avenue, Memphis, TN. 38108 in the district of Hollywood. Seating capacity varies from 400 (in 1941 and 1943) to 725 seats in 1950.
I agree, we need someone with local knowledge to sort out the Avon Theatre……
A recent auditorium view in its current use as a church, showing the recent restoration nearing completion (seats are now installed in the stalls area):
View link
The beautiful Baroque style auditorium of the Edwardian era Gate Picturehouse:
View link
A view across the stalls of the New Victoria Theatre at opening in 1930:
View link
Another view from the rear circle of England’s only Grade I Listed cinema building:
View link
The Grand Theatre is still listed in the Film Daily Yearbook;1950 edition with a seating capacity given as 500. Maybe it closed and re-opened for a while?
The original seating capacity for the Sutter Theatre was 916, as given in Film Daily Yearbook;1952 edition (It’s not in the 1950 edition).
The Wiltern Road facade of the Apollo Victoria Theatre with “Saturday Night Fever” on stage in October 2005:
View link
A nice exterior photograph of the recently restored Electric Cinema taken in October 2005:
View link
An October 2005 photograph of the exterior of the former Futurist Cinema, now in use as a ‘Gentleman’s’ Club with lap-dancing as the entertainment:
View link
An October 2005 photograph of the exterior of the former Cameo Victoria with the fomer foyer in use as a Bella Italia Restaurant:
View link
A close-up view of the former Pavilion (Odeon) Shepherds Bush as seen in October 2005. On the immediate left of the shot is part of the facade of the former Pykes Cinematograph Theatre (latterly known as Odeon 2 Shepherds Bush):
View link
Original lettering dating from 1910 is still to be seen on the side-wall of the former Pykes Cinematograph Theatre in this October 2005 photograph:
View link
An interior view of the stripped-out auditorium, looks in good condition considering it closed 28 years ago:
View link
The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA is always quoted as America’s largest theatre. Opened on 23rd January 1926 its original seating capacity was for 6,717, current seating capacity 6,308, it was designed in a Moorish style by architects John C. Austin and A.M. Edelman with the interior designed by noted theatre archichect G. Albert Lansburgh. It is still equipped with its Moeller 4Manual/67Ranks theatre organ and is Designated an Historic-Cultural Monument.
I know that some believe that it is/was never a theatre and merely an ‘auditorium’ for special events. But it has served as a full time movie theatre for a short period from 25th August 1928 with a silent double-bill;Marion Davies in “The Fair Co-Ed” and Edmund Lowe in “Dressed to Kill”. It also has a place in movie history as a location for sequences of the original 1933 version of “King Kong” and the 1954 version of “A Star is Born” among many others. It was also the ‘home’ for the Academy Award’s Oscar’s ceremony for many years. It is also used for concerts, dance shows, just like the current use of Radio City Music Hall today.
It has been submitted several times by different people for inclusion on Cinema Treasures, but has always been rejected as ‘not being suitable’ for inclusion on the site.
What do other poster’s on this site think about including the Shrine Auditorium as a Cinema Treasure?
The Film Daily Yearbook;1950 edition has a Liberty Theatre, Main Street, Liberty, NY. with a seating capacity of 1,060. Could this be the Liberty Twin before twinning?
I have now discovered that the original Carlton Theatre opened in early January 1911. It had a seating capacity of 450. The airdome opened in 1913. Both closed on 10th May 1925 to be demolished and the new Carlton Theatre was built on the site, opening on 8th February 1926. It looks like the facade was retained, possibly because it contained a couple of retail units that would continue to provide revenue in rent.
Of course this may date the 1914 photograph (that lostmemory posted earlier today) to late 1910, just prior to opening?
lostmemory; Harrison G. Wiseman is one architect, that we can establish as fact. I note that the two films listed as playing on the 1926 photograph are dated 1925 on the Internet Movie Database, so if they were released early in 1926, they could be opening programmes or soon after the 8th Feb 1926 opening.
The marquee in the ‘earlier’ photograph is certainly different. I believe that the marquee was added too underneath to allow for the attractions letters in 1926. The poster cases on each side of the entrance are empty. Could this be a pre-opening 1914 photo taken a few weeks prior to opening? Regarding the missing stairs to the roof garden theatre and no sign of the auditorium block beyond the facade on the photo, I believe the original 1914 Carlton theatre was a much smaller building, lower in height than the later auditorium that was built on the site.
lostmemory;I agree with you, looking at the two photographs side by side the two facades are the same. This either means the 1914 photo is wrongly dated (which is what I would go for) or the earlier building’s facade was retained when the theatre was re-built in 1926.
A quote from the Theatre Historical Society magazine Marquee Vol 1 No.3:‘Theatres of Brooklyn’s Park Slope’ by Cezar Del Valle
‘Pioneer film director D.W. Griffith made a guest appearance at the opening night of the Carlton on February 8, 1926. The theatre had been built on the site of an earlier movie house and airdome at 292 Flatbush Avenue. Patrons of the new Carlton entered a foyer 100 by 37 feet, with rose and black carpet, a statue in the centre and French mirrors along the walls of travertine marble. A fireplace help keep out the winter chill. The 1,383-seat oval auditorium boasted a 16-foot-high chandelier surrounded by 16 others, each 5.5 feet high. On warm summer nights audiences could enjoy a film in the Italianate roof garden with a capacity of 1,124.’
The 1914 photograph is of a different building to the 1926 one. Obviously an earlier theatre that was replaced in 1926. lostmemory;Thanks for finding the photo of the 1914 building.
Here is the updated link to the one posted by Bryan on Feb 7th 2005. Exterior view with ‘The Waste Land’ playing in 1997:
http://www.1timessquare.com/on42/adverts/waste.htm
The American Motion Picture Directory 1914 – 1915 lists the Carlton Theatre, 292 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Jack;There was another cinema on Chelsea Avenue but it was some distance away East along the Avenue. It’s not listed here on C.T. at the moment, here are the details that I have:
Hollywood Theatre, 2469 Chelsea Avenue, Memphis, TN. 38108 in the district of Hollywood. Seating capacity varies from 400 (in 1941 and 1943) to 725 seats in 1950.
I agree, we need someone with local knowledge to sort out the Avon Theatre……
The Ambassador Theatre is stil listed as operating in the Film Daily Yearbook;1950 edition.
A photo and some text on the Miami Theatre here:
http://www.hsje.org/cinema/cinema_miami.htm
A photograph and some text on the Metro Cinema here:
http://www.hsje.org/cinema/cinema_metro.htm