Comments from dallasmovietheaters

Showing 4,001 - 4,025 of 4,519 comments

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Showplace Theatre on Dec 4, 2015 at 3:28 pm

Architected by Henry L. Spann of Buffalo and opened in 1923. It actually replaced Buffalo’s Try-It Theatre at the same location owned by J.D. Parmelee.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Fox Theater on Dec 4, 2015 at 3:16 pm

Closed October 1961. Demolished February 1962 as part of the “City of Tomorrow” urban renewal plan in Dallas and replaced by the First National Bank building.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Plaza Theatre on Nov 29, 2015 at 2:14 pm

Harry S. Bair architected the Plaza Theatre

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Linwood Theatre on Nov 23, 2015 at 3:28 pm

Carl Boller architected the Linwood Theatre built in 1910 for Jos. B. Fischer, C. Lloyd Hinshaw, and Elroy R. Parker. The lineage of the theatre actually dates back to the latter two owners' Linwood Garden open air theater two blocks away. Deciding to go year-round, the trio hired Stevens Construction who was the general contractor with brickwork by J.J. Hoffman, steelwork by Kansas City Construction Steel Co. and concrete by Gilsonite Construction at a cost of $25,000.

In 1922, the inexpensive neighborhood house was completely gutted leaving just the walls and a new $75,000 upgrade. It included a Wurlitzer Hope-Jones Unit Orchestra organ and all new seating layout. Capitol Enterprises Circuit built the new theater with 1,400 seats hiring W.O. Lenhart as its first manager.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Weber's Theatre on Nov 23, 2015 at 2:26 pm

aka Joe Weber’s Theatre

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Detroit Theatre on Nov 20, 2015 at 8:40 am

The Detroit was architected by Nicola Petti. The French windows, Rafaello decorations on the wall panels, and Bourdeaux curtains were among the few flourishes of the fairly subdued auditorium design. It was built for $275,000 and constructed for the Homestead Theatre Co. Circuit adding to their Cleveland area neighborhood theatres by owners Julius Schwartz and Dr. I. Body. Everything was mechanically controlled at open in 1924 to lower the cost of operations. That business model worked for more than 85 years until closure.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Dixie Theater on Nov 18, 2015 at 2:21 pm

Opened October 1, 1923 managed by A.R. Nininger.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Aris Theater on Nov 18, 2015 at 2:00 pm

The Aris opened in 1921 with a $6,000 Gottfried orchestral organ played by Nolene McClure but it was destroyed along with virtually all of the interior on December 27, 1922 when a fire in the Aris furnace destroyed everything in the theatre and saw the collapse of the east wall. Rowland & Clark picked up the shelled out theatre in 1925 investing $100,000 in refurbishing the theatre and making it their fifth Erie property along with the Perry, State, Colonial, and Strand. Popular priced at the outset, the circuit upgraded to a Tellers-Kent two manual organ built in Erie. The theatre re-launched Sept. 7, 1925. Warner Bros. circuit took on the theatre which lasted into the television age. But TV took its toll and the theatre was closed and then demo’d.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Queen Theater on Nov 17, 2015 at 9:08 pm

Credit manager Charles Sassen for the front.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Capitol Theater on Nov 17, 2015 at 5:24 pm

Cutouts from the 24 sheet are above the marquee to give three-dimensional effect.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Marquette Theatre on Nov 17, 2015 at 4:45 pm

The 1923 exterior architectural sketch of Henry L. Newhouse and F.M. Bernham, architects of the 1,200-seat -at opening in 1924 – Marquette Theatre – can be found in photos. Fitpatrick & McElroy owned the theatre but leased it to competitor Balaban & Katz for the first ten years. Ten stores including the Oriental Café on the second floor of the theatre adjoined the building.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Wang Theatre on Nov 13, 2015 at 2:45 pm

The Famous Players'-Lasky $4.5 million “wonder theatre” — the Metropolitan Theatre — opened October 17, 1925 with a live performance of the 1812 Overture and live stage presentation of “The Melting Pot” symbolizing the colonization of New England and Paramount’s feature, “The King of Main Street.” The manager Ralph E. Crabill saw a full house for the first performances.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Palace Theatre on Nov 13, 2015 at 2:17 am

The Palace’s grand opening was October 25, 1913 with “A Sister to Carmen.”

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Trianon Theatre on Nov 12, 2015 at 3:04 pm

In the store-show era of movie exhibition, Josiah Pearce & Sons' Pearce’s Theatre Circuit was a leader in New Orleans and Monroe, LA as well. With the two store-show theatres on St. Charles Street (the Bijou Dream Theatre at 117 St. Charles and Dreamland at 316 St. Charles) and two more on Canal St with the Grand Theatre (1033 Canal) and the Electric Theatre (926 Canal), Pearce seem well-situated until larger competitive theaters came along. Pearce answered with its first true modern movie palace with the Trianon encompassing 814-816 Canal Street. A year later, Pearce added the Tudor Theatre at 610 Canal which opened in June of 1913. Pearce would shutter his show-stores leaving the Pearce New Orleans portfolio as the Trianon and the Tudor Theatre at 610 Canal which opened in June of 1913.

But the Pearce Circuit was under duress especially from the Saneger Circuit which would acquire both the Tudor and Trianon. Though the Trianon had good times under Saenger, the circuit got even more aggressive building movie palaces including the Saenger Theatre which rendered the Trianon fairly useless and certainly outdated. It would be dropped and the theater’s auditorium eventually demolished.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Palace Theatre on Nov 11, 2015 at 2:14 pm

The $300,000 Lock Cities Theatres Circuit house launched July 18, 1925 and was leased by Famous Players-Lasky for booking Paramount films there and Keith vaudeville acts were also there at the outset. Architected by Leon H. Lempert & Son with John Moon & Co. as contractor, the storage area had 42 sets for the live vaudeville shows. At opening, it had a $25,000 Wurlitzer Hope-Jones Organ with Bobby Demming at the keys and Joseph Pomeranz as the conductor.

1,100 of the seats were on the main floor with Wilton carpeting underneath the Haywood-Wafefield seating. 500 seats in the balcony and 125 loge seats made up the 1,725 seat theatre at its launch. A curtain at the 40'x25' proscenium had a mural painted by Lusk Studios of Rochester. George T. Cruzen was the opening manager.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Lafayette Theater on Nov 10, 2015 at 4:19 pm

The Lafayette Theatre launched on July 9, 1925 for the Western New York Theatre Enterprises Circuit by Fred M. Zimmerman. The Faber Brothers built the theater with a 52' width and height. The theatre had 700 seats on the main floor — 22 seats per row — and 400 additional seats in the balcony.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about America Cinemas Fort Worth on Nov 9, 2015 at 11:54 am

Reopened as Cine America on August 14, 2015 with digital projection on all screens. Its feature selections are first-run, mostly American films with Spanish subtitles; dubbed American films into Spanish (primarily animated and effects-centered action films); and some Mexican films that played exclusively at the theater. Like its predecessor, Cinema America also played all of the Pantelion releases from the studio created by Lionsgate and Grupo Televisa to reach American Hispanic audiences.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Ohio Theatre on Nov 8, 2015 at 8:08 pm

Yes, the State Theatre was the famous building that collapsed during the storm killing 15 injuring bunches of people. Very tragic.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about State Theatre on Nov 7, 2015 at 1:14 pm

Charles E. Daffin built and opened Daffin Theatre 1-A in 1912 in Tallahassee. In 1921, Daffin 1-B was launched with a new front and many improvements. With the movie industry expanded, it is reported that he he bought property to the corner of Monroe Street and College Avenue not far from Daffin 1- and built Daffin Theatre 2-A (It looks like the same facade to me, though he very likely may have built an entirely new auditorium that made better usage of the land not pictured behind the theater.) The Spanish architectural-styled theatre was remodeled as Daffin/State 2-B switching names to the State in 1932. That theatre burned so a new Deco styled State 3-A was constructed. That was the longest lasting of the establishments running until 1971 and being demolished in 1988.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Temple Theater on Nov 7, 2015 at 12:22 pm

This is Temple Theatre #2. Temple Theatre #1 was a 400-seat auditorium constructed in 1901 and was carved out of a space adjoining the Masonic Temple. Around 1908 it worked some film into the live stage events but he Grand Theatre in Kane did most of the film business in the silent era with the Star Theatre also coming on board. And the Temple didn’t shift to film-centric presentation until December of 1915 with the signing of a exclusive contract with Triangle Films. That proved to be a great move. The theatre’s last showing was “The Circus” with a huge crowd on February 23, 1924. A huge fire broke out the next day and — with temperatures around 10 below zero – the fire department couldn’t prevent the Temple from burning to the ground along with the Masonic Temple and three other neighboring businesses.

The new Temple Theatre was constructed on the site remaining in place into the 21st Century. The 1,000 plus seater launched June 8, 1925 opening with “Sally.” The theatre was closed for a major revamp in 1936 when the owners also purchased the building which had held the closed Chase Street Theatre converting it to the Kane Theatre. And the Temple continued to the video era as a theatre.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Kane Theatre on Nov 7, 2015 at 5:54 am

The Family Theatre on Chase Street launched in this location showing movies in the latter part of the first decade of the 1900s and is where the film of the Titanic sinking played. But the theatre didn’t pay its taxes and the theatre was converted to a garage. The space was then converted back to a theatre called the Chase Street Theatre opening March 1, 1928 with the Vitaphone “Don Juan.” A George Kilgen & Son Wonder Organ was also there at the opening. The theatre closed eight years later and was purchased by a non-profit organization which converted the theatre to the Rainbow Room playing live concerts. That folded quickly.

The operators of the Temple Theatre — the Kane Theatre Company — purchased the former Chase Street Theatre in 1936. They renamed it the Kane Theatre launching December 3, 1936. It looks as if the owners didn’t renew their 20-year lease as films cease in 1956. For a short time, sermons are heard there. Then the space becomes the Teen Club where Gene Vincent appears live. And when that left the building, there’s very little action other than an auction and another sale.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Embassy Theatre on Nov 6, 2015 at 9:25 pm

Architected by William E. Lehman.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Merrill Theatre on Nov 6, 2015 at 3:25 pm

June 6, 1925.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Ohio Theatre on Nov 5, 2015 at 8:53 pm

The Ohio Theatre #2 opened early in 1925 after a July 1924 tornado destroyed Ohio Theatre #1.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters commented about Forest Theatre on Nov 5, 2015 at 5:40 pm

In November of 2015, the Dallas Landmark Commission voted to initiate the landmark designation process and the long-vacant property was under contract with a potential buyer. So there’s hope for the Forest.