The Lincoln Theater is listed as being in Arlington in the main listings of the 1941 Film Daily Yearbook (1,244 seats) operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management (The circuit listings in the same edition have it as being in Kearney).
Same in the 1943 edition but it is listed under Arlington and Kearney in the main listings (although no seating capacity given under the Kearney listing).
By the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. it is listed as being in Kearney and has a seating capacity of 1,267, still operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management.
The website has been up-dated and also has a short promotional video presentation. The fully restored and renovated Dome Cinema is due to re-open Summer 2006.
Great shot Robert. You can also see the lower part of the Big Top Theatre vertical blade sign ‘Adults Only’-One Flight Up' with an arrow pointing down towards the entrance at the side of the main Circus Cinema entrance.
A copy of Topman gay guide magazine I have dated August 1982 has an advert for the Big Top Theatre, 1604 Broadway/49th St. (open 24 hours). The Premier presentation of Christopher Rage’s “Sleaze” – It ain’t no Love Story! starring Casey O'Donovan is the main movie playing.
The local Minneapolis architectural firm Kees @ Colburn were responsible for the design of the Pantages Theatre when it first opened in 1916. The style was described as French Renaissance and it had a seating capacity of 1,600.
In 1922 architect B. Marcus Priteca re-designed the theatre and added a large glass dome to the centre of the ceiling in the auditorium. This interior was ‘modernised’ in 1946 when the theatre became the RKO Pan.
The 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook has the Princess Theatre, Commerce Street (525 seats) and the Thompson Theatre, no address or seating capacity which usually means it’s a new theatre and full details haven’t been forwarded on to F.D.Y. editors.
There is a Scenic Theatre, 106 Main Street, Keene, NH listed in Film Daily Yearbooks 1941 and 1943 (800 seats) and in the 1950 edition seating is given as 657.
The Lafayette Theater is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915. In its early years it was a segregated house that had a seperate seating area for blacks. Listed in Film Daily Yearbook’s 1930-1933 and 1940-1949 as a Negro theatre catering for African American audiences, the seating capacity given varies from 1,245 (presumably for motion pictures, minus the black seating area?) to 2,000 seats as a stage theatre with all seats counted when it was de-segregated.
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson played here in 1915. Fats Waller was a regular player on the organ. Other artists who appeared on stage here include Duke Ellington band in 1922, Bessie Smith and Cab Calloway.
The production of “Macbeth” was a black version, directed by Orson Welles for the Federal Theater Program of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), as was a black production of “The Hot Mikado”.
I have the Bankhead Theatre listed as having 350 seats in the Film Daily Yearbook editions 1941 and 1943. It has disappeared from the listing in the 1950 edition of F.D.Y.
Wakefield Poole’s “Bijou” (1972) starring Bill Harrison was the $22,000 big budget follow-up film to the hugely successful “Boys in the Sand”. Both had their World Premier’s at the 55th Street Playhouse. “Bijou” became another gay classic and was named the ‘best film of 1972’ by the hetro Screw magazine.
When first opened as Bard’s Hollywood Theatre (architect Lewis A. Smith) it had a small style D, Wurlitzer theatre organ 2Manual/6Rank, Opus #701 that was shipped from the Wurlitzer factory in North Tonawanda on 15th September 1923. The organ was later broken up for parts.
There were proposals in the 1970’s to put an organ back into the Vista, but these seem to have come to nothing.
The Alvarado theatre originally opened in 1911 and had a Clasical facade that had doric columns supporting a pediment. It was re-modelled by S. Charles Lee in 1936 and given an Art Moderne styling.
It was re-named the Park Theatre in the 1960’s and began screening porn movies. In June 1968 it began screening gay programmes (the first theatre in LA to do so)and billed it as ‘A Most Unusual Film Festival’ when underground films such as Jonas & Adolfas Mekas “The Brig”, Jack Smith’s “Flaming Creatures”, Warhol’s “My Hustler” and a Kenneth Anger Trilogy were played. Support programmes included the gay soft core titles “Love is Blue”, “Nudist Beach Boy Surfers”, “Boys out to Ball” and “An Interlude in the Desert” also Warhol’s “B-J” (call theatre for title!).
The Park Theatre reverted back to general realease films in the 1970’s when it was twinned but it closed in 1986 and was gutted. It is now in use as a ‘swap meet’ market, similar to its neighbor the Westlake Theatre.
“Boys in the Sand” (1971) starring Casey Donovan (aka Cal Culver) was produced for $8,000 and went on to gross $400,000 when it played at the 55th St. Playhouse, New York’s biggest gay porn cinema. Producer Wakefield Poole placed ads in, and got the film reviewed by, both the New York Times and Variety.
Listed as closed in the 1941 F.D.Y. but its open again in the 1943 edition. A seating capacity of 550 is given in both these editions.
The Lincoln Theater is listed as being in Arlington in the main listings of the 1941 Film Daily Yearbook (1,244 seats) operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management (The circuit listings in the same edition have it as being in Kearney).
Same in the 1943 edition but it is listed under Arlington and Kearney in the main listings (although no seating capacity given under the Kearney listing).
By the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. it is listed as being in Kearney and has a seating capacity of 1,267, still operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management.
It was open in 1941 (listed in that year’s edition of F.D.Y. as the Park Lane Theatre with 1,421 seats).
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1943 edition gives a seating capacity of 500 and in the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. it is 502.
The website has been up-dated and also has a short promotional video presentation. The fully restored and renovated Dome Cinema is due to re-open Summer 2006.
Great shot Robert. You can also see the lower part of the Big Top Theatre vertical blade sign ‘Adults Only’-One Flight Up' with an arrow pointing down towards the entrance at the side of the main Circus Cinema entrance.
The Cinema House opened on 19th September 1913.
The Central Cinema closed c.1967/8 and is now in use as an auction room.
Joe-Boston,MA;
The Gaiety Theatre is listed here /theaters/2945/
A copy of Topman gay guide magazine I have dated August 1982 has an advert for the Big Top Theatre, 1604 Broadway/49th St. (open 24 hours). The Premier presentation of Christopher Rage’s “Sleaze” – It ain’t no Love Story! starring Casey O'Donovan is the main movie playing.
The Yorkville Casino is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915.
The Embassy Theatre is listed in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1950 edition as having a seating capacity of 813.
The local Minneapolis architectural firm Kees @ Colburn were responsible for the design of the Pantages Theatre when it first opened in 1916. The style was described as French Renaissance and it had a seating capacity of 1,600.
In 1922 architect B. Marcus Priteca re-designed the theatre and added a large glass dome to the centre of the ceiling in the auditorium. This interior was ‘modernised’ in 1946 when the theatre became the RKO Pan.
The Palace Theatre is listed in Film Daily Yearbooks 1941 and 1943 editions as having a seating capacity of 500.
The 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook has the Princess Theatre, Commerce Street (525 seats) and the Thompson Theatre, no address or seating capacity which usually means it’s a new theatre and full details haven’t been forwarded on to F.D.Y. editors.
There is a Scenic Theatre, 106 Main Street, Keene, NH listed in Film Daily Yearbooks 1941 and 1943 (800 seats) and in the 1950 edition seating is given as 657.
The Lafayette Theater is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915. In its early years it was a segregated house that had a seperate seating area for blacks. Listed in Film Daily Yearbook’s 1930-1933 and 1940-1949 as a Negro theatre catering for African American audiences, the seating capacity given varies from 1,245 (presumably for motion pictures, minus the black seating area?) to 2,000 seats as a stage theatre with all seats counted when it was de-segregated.
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson played here in 1915. Fats Waller was a regular player on the organ. Other artists who appeared on stage here include Duke Ellington band in 1922, Bessie Smith and Cab Calloway.
The production of “Macbeth” was a black version, directed by Orson Welles for the Federal Theater Program of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), as was a black production of “The Hot Mikado”.
I have the Bankhead Theatre listed as having 350 seats in the Film Daily Yearbook editions 1941 and 1943. It has disappeared from the listing in the 1950 edition of F.D.Y.
Wakefield Poole’s “Bijou” (1972) starring Bill Harrison was the $22,000 big budget follow-up film to the hugely successful “Boys in the Sand”. Both had their World Premier’s at the 55th Street Playhouse. “Bijou” became another gay classic and was named the ‘best film of 1972’ by the hetro Screw magazine.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1943 edition has the State Theatre listed with a seating capacity of 550. It was operated by Fox Intermountain Theatres.
The 1950 edition of F.D.Y. has the State Theatre listed with a seating capacity of 563.
RobertR; That ad brings the opening operating year of the Circus Cinema forward to at least 1972. Thanks
When first opened as Bard’s Hollywood Theatre (architect Lewis A. Smith) it had a small style D, Wurlitzer theatre organ 2Manual/6Rank, Opus #701 that was shipped from the Wurlitzer factory in North Tonawanda on 15th September 1923. The organ was later broken up for parts.
There were proposals in the 1970’s to put an organ back into the Vista, but these seem to have come to nothing.
The Alvarado theatre originally opened in 1911 and had a Clasical facade that had doric columns supporting a pediment. It was re-modelled by S. Charles Lee in 1936 and given an Art Moderne styling.
It was re-named the Park Theatre in the 1960’s and began screening porn movies. In June 1968 it began screening gay programmes (the first theatre in LA to do so)and billed it as ‘A Most Unusual Film Festival’ when underground films such as Jonas & Adolfas Mekas “The Brig”, Jack Smith’s “Flaming Creatures”, Warhol’s “My Hustler” and a Kenneth Anger Trilogy were played. Support programmes included the gay soft core titles “Love is Blue”, “Nudist Beach Boy Surfers”, “Boys out to Ball” and “An Interlude in the Desert” also Warhol’s “B-J” (call theatre for title!).
The Park Theatre reverted back to general realease films in the 1970’s when it was twinned but it closed in 1986 and was gutted. It is now in use as a ‘swap meet’ market, similar to its neighbor the Westlake Theatre.
The Alvarado Theatre was the original name for the Park Theatre located at 710 South Alvarado Street.
“Boys in the Sand” (1971) starring Casey Donovan (aka Cal Culver) was produced for $8,000 and went on to gross $400,000 when it played at the 55th St. Playhouse, New York’s biggest gay porn cinema. Producer Wakefield Poole placed ads in, and got the film reviewed by, both the New York Times and Variety.