I was unable to find this house with Cinema Treasures' internal search using just the name Loring. I think it’s because the words Loring and Theatre are run together in the page title. If you run them together in the search box, search finds the page, but it would be better to separate the words.
According to this page at Historic Detroit, the Miles Theatre was opened on May 15, 1910, ran its last show on Nov. 28, 1927, and was demolished around May, 1928, to make way for the Griswold Building, which is still standing.
The Miles Theatre was designed by the Minneapolis architectural firm Kees & Colburn (Franklin Kees and Serenus Colburn.)
The building occupied by the Grand Theatre in our vintage photo was still standing when Google’s camera car last passed by, but might be no longer. In the current street view it was occupied by a shop called Wild Eyes Pets and Exotics, 430 Chestnut Street, which has since moved to a new location.
The facade of old theater building was looking pretty rough when the street view was made, and it’s possible that it has since been demolished. It is also possible that the roughness was due to restoration work, as the roof looked pretty sound in the satellite view. We’ll probably have to wait until someone visits the location, or Google’s camera car returns and updates the view, before we know the fate of the Grand Theatre building.
Several of the buildings in this block look about the same in modern Google street view as they did in the vintage photo we have. The building the Bijou was in is now occupied by a quick print shop called Copy Magic, located at 428 Chestnut Street.
The January 28, 1950, issue of Boxoffice had a brief article saying that an antitrust suit had been filed against major film producers and distributors by “…Rose and Lewis Deutsch, owners of the Granada Theatre in Virginia, Minnesota, a 630-seat house built in 1936.”
The Deutsch’s had difficulty obtaining films on opening the theater in 1936 until they signed an agreement with the dominant regional exhibitor, Minnesota Amusement Company, which allowed them to get first run or second run product, but only if their partners got the biggest share of the revenues (this was a very common situation for independent theater operators to be in during that time.)
When the agreement ended in 1946, the Deutsch’s were again unable to get first run product. Their lawsuit claimed that, due to collusion between producers, distributors, and the Minnesota Amusement Company, the Deutsches had suffered $75,000 in business losses.
The Lewisburg Cinema 8 was designed by the Louisville architectural firm Keyes Architects & Associates. There are four photos of the project on this page of the firm’s web site.
The Pierce Point Cinema 10 was designed by Louisville architectural firm Keyes Architects & Associates. There are two small photos on this page of the firm’s web site.
A photo of the Keystone Cinemas at Bardstown appear on this page of the web site of Lee Brick & Block, the company that made the concrete masonry used in the building. There are also a couple of closeup photos.
The Shelbyville 8 was designed for Great Escape Theaters by the Louisville architectural firm Keyes Architects & Associates. There are a few photos on the firm’s web site.
The single-screen, 6,800 square foot Paradise Theatre in Mora, Minnesota, is among the projects listed in the theater section of the portfolio of the St.Paul architectural firm Vanney Associates. No other details are given about the project. Robert F. Vanney is the lead architect of the firm.
Originally a two-screen house, at some point the Cambridge Cinema got a three screen addition. The addition was designed by the St.Paul architectural firm Vanney Associates, headed by Robert F. Vanney.
A ten-screen multiplex at Owatonna is among the projects listed in the theater projects section of the portfolio of the St.Paul architectural firm Vanney Associates. No details are given about the project. Robert F. Vanney is the lead architect of the firm.
The Weast Theatre was the smallest of four houses listed at Peoria in the 1908-1909 Cahn Guide. The Weast was a ground floor house with 900 seats. It had a rather small stage, only 41 feet between the side walls and 26 feet from the footlights (which were 8 feet in front of the curtain) to the back wall.
A 1922 obituary of Peter A. Weast at Find a Grave says that the Weast Theatre presented “high class vaudeville” from about 1888-1908. The page has scans of a couple of vintage ads for the house, one of which includes a sketch of the facade. Although the ad gives the address of the house as 314 Fulton it is apparently the same house, as the biography says that it was “…located where the Lyceum Theatre on Fulton is.”
If this report from the September 1, 1909, issue of Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal is correct, then the Weast Theatre ceased to be a theater for a while:
“The Thatcher-Bererstorn Co. has opened a garage in the old Weast Theatre on Fulton street, Peoria, Ill. The company handle the White steamers, Cadillac gasoline cars and Wood electrics.”
The re-conversion of the building back into a theater took place the following year, as noted in this item from the November 15, 1910, issue of The Nickelodeon:
“Peoria is to have still another new theater. The old Weast theater on Fulton street has been leased by a syndicate of Peorians headed by Sandy McGill, and will be devoted to motion pictures and vaudeville. Associated with McGill are Wiley Bracket, Chas. Nathan and Felix Greenburg, proprietor of other theaters. Greenberg is to be manager.”
The December 3, 1910, issue of The Moving Picture World said that the old Weast Theatre in Peoria had been remodeled and converted into a moving picture theatre, though it didn’t mention the new name of the house.
Sam Rothenstein, operator of the Rialto Theatre in Evans City, was preparing to soon open the new Evans Theatre as its replacement, according to the February 26, 1949, issue of Boxoffice. The new house was being outfitted by Atlas Theatre Supply.
The February 26, 1949, issue of Boxoffice noted that the Baden Theatre was operated by Martin Rothenstein. Rothenstein’s father, Sam, was preparing to open the Evens Theatre at Evans City.
The February 26, 1949, issue of Boxoffice reported that F. R. Spangler, operator of the Capitol Theatre at Utica, had recently opened the new Delux Theatre. Spangler intended to continue operating the Capitol as well.
A few years ago Ron Newman asked who this theater was named for. According to this web pageit was named for Linda Alessio, daughter of the owner/builder of the house, Ernest Alessio.
Additional information about the Linda Theatre appears in the February 29, 1949, issue of Boxoffice.
The Starland Theatre at Michigan City was mentioned in the January 23, 1915, issue of Motography. This photo of Franklin Street, dated ca.1915, from the Michigan City Public Library’s Facebook page, shows the Starland on the right, but the caption gives the address as 428 Franklin. I’m sure it’s correct.
dlswansonjr’s previous comment says that the site of the Liberty became a parking lot for Citizens Bank (though he gives the bank’s address as 505 Franklin, while a history of the bank gives it as 502) which must be the parking lot that still exists on the northeast corner of Franklin and 5th.
Street view is set a bit too far south and facing the wrong side of the street. The Opera House was adjacent to the alley on the site now occupied by the two-story concrete building with the continuous band of dark windows on the second floor.
We have an address discrepancy. Our page for the Garden Theatre gives its address as 512 Franklin, not 515. I believe that 512 the correct address for both theaters. As Randon noted in an earlier comment, the Tivoli was replaced by the new Citizens Bank building, south of the bank’s original building at the corner of 5th Street, and a web page with a brief history of the bank gives its historic address as 502 Franklin.
The new building (which does indeed bear a resemblance to an elongated McDonald’s hamburger box) is no longer a retail bank, but appears to be used for offices. I’ve set the street view to the proper location, adjacent to the alley at the south end of the modern building.
The operators of the Palace Theatre placed this classified ad in the “Equipment Wanted” listings of the January 17, 1914, issue of The Moving Picture World:
“WANTED—To rent, with privilege of buying if satisfactory, one small electric orchestrian. PALACE THEATER, Sparta, Ga.”
Thanks for uploading this photo, Catalinarose. I only just found it, as when this site was redesigned a few years ago all the email subscriptions were lost and I forgot to resubscribe to the Garvey. I actually never saw the building while demolition was going on, and it’s a sad sight. I do have a photo I took of the front around 1960, but it is mounted to a large piece of poster board and won’t fit in a scanner. I hope to find the negative some day and scan that, but haven’t gotten around to it.
I was unable to find this house with Cinema Treasures' internal search using just the name Loring. I think it’s because the words Loring and Theatre are run together in the page title. If you run them together in the search box, search finds the page, but it would be better to separate the words.
According to this page at Historic Detroit, the Miles Theatre was opened on May 15, 1910, ran its last show on Nov. 28, 1927, and was demolished around May, 1928, to make way for the Griswold Building, which is still standing.
The Miles Theatre was designed by the Minneapolis architectural firm Kees & Colburn (Franklin Kees and Serenus Colburn.)
The building occupied by the Grand Theatre in our vintage photo was still standing when Google’s camera car last passed by, but might be no longer. In the current street view it was occupied by a shop called Wild Eyes Pets and Exotics, 430 Chestnut Street, which has since moved to a new location.
The facade of old theater building was looking pretty rough when the street view was made, and it’s possible that it has since been demolished. It is also possible that the roughness was due to restoration work, as the roof looked pretty sound in the satellite view. We’ll probably have to wait until someone visits the location, or Google’s camera car returns and updates the view, before we know the fate of the Grand Theatre building.
Several of the buildings in this block look about the same in modern Google street view as they did in the vintage photo we have. The building the Bijou was in is now occupied by a quick print shop called Copy Magic, located at 428 Chestnut Street.
The January 28, 1950, issue of Boxoffice had a brief article saying that an antitrust suit had been filed against major film producers and distributors by “…Rose and Lewis Deutsch, owners of the Granada Theatre in Virginia, Minnesota, a 630-seat house built in 1936.”
The Deutsch’s had difficulty obtaining films on opening the theater in 1936 until they signed an agreement with the dominant regional exhibitor, Minnesota Amusement Company, which allowed them to get first run or second run product, but only if their partners got the biggest share of the revenues (this was a very common situation for independent theater operators to be in during that time.)
When the agreement ended in 1946, the Deutsch’s were again unable to get first run product. Their lawsuit claimed that, due to collusion between producers, distributors, and the Minnesota Amusement Company, the Deutsches had suffered $75,000 in business losses.
The Lewisburg Cinema 8 was designed by the Louisville architectural firm Keyes Architects & Associates. There are four photos of the project on this page of the firm’s web site.
The Pierce Point Cinema 10 was designed by Louisville architectural firm Keyes Architects & Associates. There are two small photos on this page of the firm’s web site.
A photo of the Keystone Cinemas at Bardstown appear on this page of the web site of Lee Brick & Block, the company that made the concrete masonry used in the building. There are also a couple of closeup photos.
The Shelbyville 8 was designed for Great Escape Theaters by the Louisville architectural firm Keyes Architects & Associates. There are a few photos on the firm’s web site.
The single-screen, 6,800 square foot Paradise Theatre in Mora, Minnesota, is among the projects listed in the theater section of the portfolio of the St.Paul architectural firm Vanney Associates. No other details are given about the project. Robert F. Vanney is the lead architect of the firm.
Originally a two-screen house, at some point the Cambridge Cinema got a three screen addition. The addition was designed by the St.Paul architectural firm Vanney Associates, headed by Robert F. Vanney.
A ten-screen multiplex at Owatonna is among the projects listed in the theater projects section of the portfolio of the St.Paul architectural firm Vanney Associates. No details are given about the project. Robert F. Vanney is the lead architect of the firm.
The Weast Theatre was the smallest of four houses listed at Peoria in the 1908-1909 Cahn Guide. The Weast was a ground floor house with 900 seats. It had a rather small stage, only 41 feet between the side walls and 26 feet from the footlights (which were 8 feet in front of the curtain) to the back wall.
A 1922 obituary of Peter A. Weast at Find a Grave says that the Weast Theatre presented “high class vaudeville” from about 1888-1908. The page has scans of a couple of vintage ads for the house, one of which includes a sketch of the facade. Although the ad gives the address of the house as 314 Fulton it is apparently the same house, as the biography says that it was “…located where the Lyceum Theatre on Fulton is.”
If this report from the September 1, 1909, issue of Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal is correct, then the Weast Theatre ceased to be a theater for a while:
The re-conversion of the building back into a theater took place the following year, as noted in this item from the November 15, 1910, issue of The Nickelodeon:The December 3, 1910, issue of The Moving Picture World said that the old Weast Theatre in Peoria had been remodeled and converted into a moving picture theatre, though it didn’t mention the new name of the house.Sam Rothenstein, operator of the Rialto Theatre in Evans City, was preparing to soon open the new Evans Theatre as its replacement, according to the February 26, 1949, issue of Boxoffice. The new house was being outfitted by Atlas Theatre Supply.
The February 26, 1949, issue of Boxoffice noted that the Baden Theatre was operated by Martin Rothenstein. Rothenstein’s father, Sam, was preparing to open the Evens Theatre at Evans City.
The February 26, 1949, issue of Boxoffice reported that F. R. Spangler, operator of the Capitol Theatre at Utica, had recently opened the new Delux Theatre. Spangler intended to continue operating the Capitol as well.
A few years ago Ron Newman asked who this theater was named for. According to this web pageit was named for Linda Alessio, daughter of the owner/builder of the house, Ernest Alessio.
Additional information about the Linda Theatre appears in the February 29, 1949, issue of Boxoffice.
The Starland Theatre was listed in the 1913 Michigan City directory at 426 Franklin Street. It was one of six theaters in the city at that time.
A chronology of Michigan City events says that the Lido Theatre was demolished in 1979.
The Starland Theatre at Michigan City was mentioned in the January 23, 1915, issue of Motography. This photo of Franklin Street, dated ca.1915, from the Michigan City Public Library’s Facebook page, shows the Starland on the right, but the caption gives the address as 428 Franklin. I’m sure it’s correct.
dlswansonjr’s previous comment says that the site of the Liberty became a parking lot for Citizens Bank (though he gives the bank’s address as 505 Franklin, while a history of the bank gives it as 502) which must be the parking lot that still exists on the northeast corner of Franklin and 5th.
Street view is set a bit too far south and facing the wrong side of the street. The Opera House was adjacent to the alley on the site now occupied by the two-story concrete building with the continuous band of dark windows on the second floor.
Here is a 1909 postcard photo of the Grand Opera House in Michigan City, from the Indiana Digital Memory Collections.
We have an address discrepancy. Our page for the Garden Theatre gives its address as 512 Franklin, not 515. I believe that 512 the correct address for both theaters. As Randon noted in an earlier comment, the Tivoli was replaced by the new Citizens Bank building, south of the bank’s original building at the corner of 5th Street, and a web page with a brief history of the bank gives its historic address as 502 Franklin.
The new building (which does indeed bear a resemblance to an elongated McDonald’s hamburger box) is no longer a retail bank, but appears to be used for offices. I’ve set the street view to the proper location, adjacent to the alley at the south end of the modern building.
The operators of the Palace Theatre placed this classified ad in the “Equipment Wanted” listings of the January 17, 1914, issue of The Moving Picture World:
Thanks for uploading this photo, Catalinarose. I only just found it, as when this site was redesigned a few years ago all the email subscriptions were lost and I forgot to resubscribe to the Garvey. I actually never saw the building while demolition was going on, and it’s a sad sight. I do have a photo I took of the front around 1960, but it is mounted to a large piece of poster board and won’t fit in a scanner. I hope to find the negative some day and scan that, but haven’t gotten around to it.