The Butte Standard reported a fire at the prison theater on December 5, 1975. Here is a side-bar article about the theater:
DEER LODGE â€" Montana State Prism’s brick theater building was historically one of the most precious artifacts within the compound on Main Street. Literally “shelled out” by fire early Thursday, the theater on the south side of the prison yard was completed in 1919 by convict craftsmen, using materials donated by Butte mining magnate William A. Clark.
Highly ornate on the inside, the balconied theater was designed for an audience of 1,000 and later remodeled to seat between 400 and 500. The first presentation in 1919, according to Deputy Warden Jim Blodgett, was a Broadway-type show for the public and prisoners were not admitted. Soon thereafter, Warden Frank Conley used his Butte theater connections to obtain the first weekly movie sessions for inmates in the Northwest. Conley, strong on a proper work schedule for the prisoners, was said to have used the movie privilege to insure good conduct.
Until the Wednesday night fire, the theater was to have been a highlight among the old prison buildings planned for a future museum.
Only one NJ paper on newspaperarchive, the Hopewell Herald, has articles up to 1954. All the other Jersey papers are from around the beginning of the 20th century.
Here is part of a 3/7/60 article from the Greenville Delta Democrat-Times:
A 10-year old girl was reported injured in a fire scare at the Paramount Theater Sunday afternoon that sent a big crowd scampering to the exits. The child came to the manager of the theater with her father who said she had come home crying from the theater and said something had fallen on her. Apparently she was not seriously injured, police said.
The fire scare occurred shortly before 4 p.m. during the showing of a cartoon. The feature picture, “A Dog of Flanders”, had just finished its first showing. The crowd, hundreds of them children, suddenly heard a swishing noise they thought was fire. Men, women and children raced toward the closest exit on the side and the main entrance of the theater and the floors were opened.
Manager A.E. Nestler of the theater and a police officer readied the stage of the theater. From there he pleaded with them. “There’s nothing wrong”, he said to the hurriedly departing group. They heeded his pleas and moved slowly back to their seats.
The fire scare started when someone knocked a fire extinguisher off a stand on the second floor balcony of the theater. It spewed and the crowd left the theater hurriedly. After order was restored by the manager and his staff of ushers and police, manager Nestler and ushers began receiving reports of articles that had been lefl behind. One father said his daughter left her coat and purse in the theater and “took off”.
This is from the Butte Standard on 7/2/50. Address for the theater is given as 25 Park Street.
Construction of a $100,000 building on the site of the American theater which was destroyed by fire Feb. 1, 1950, has been announced by the Nichols Estate trust, owner of the property, which is located at 25 West Park Street.
Adolph Turk, agent for the estate, said that two one-story store buildings, ultra-modern in every respect, will be constructed on the premises. One of the store sites, the west side, 27 by 130 feet, with full basement, has been leased to the Pay Less Drug company. The other store building to be constructed is open for lease, Turk said. The Cahill-Mooney company has been awarded the construction contract and has already started operations clearing away debris from the site and removing the remaining front wall of the old theater building.
I’m trying to figure out a July 1941 story in the Syracuse Herald Journal about a fire that wrecked the Mayfair Theater on Oswego Street. Does anyone know if there is an Oswego Street in Syracuse, or might the story be referring to a theater in the city of Oswego? Is Oswego near Syracuse? Thanks.
Former Colonial usher Russ Klein remembers on retrocom.com:
I was born in 1923 a few years before most of you and my memories go back quite a ways. I attended Siefert School as a kid and Ice Skated at the rink they made when flooding the play ground. The warming shed produced a lot of memories for me. Went to West Division High School. Was an Usher at the Colonial Theatre on Vliet St. when I lived on 21st Vliet. One of my fondest memories was when I entered the Amateur Contest at Riverside Theatre and met Eddie Howard who heard me sing and gave me his business card and told me to look him up when I graduated from High School. By the way, I won first prize that night in the Amateur Hour. Of course, World War 2 came along and I entered the army and became a Paratrooper and went Overseas and after the war spent some real nice times in France and Germany. I ended up being a First Sgt. so I pretty much could do just about anything I wanted to do after the war. Well, moved from Milwaukee to live in Eagle Springs, WI on a lake there and from there moved to California. Came back to Milwaukee in 1956 and lived in Brown Deer before Milwaukee annexed it. Finally moved from Milwaukee in 1970 to FL. Moved several times after that and lived in CO, OR, SC and now retired in AR where I went to College while taking flight training before volunteering for the Paratroops. Well, not much of a story about Milwaukee but I bet I wouldn’t know the city if I returned. I haven’t been back to Milwaukee since 1970, however, my heart still skips a beat when I get mail from my buddies who still live there and with whom I grew up with.
I haven’t seen this theater since it was sold. I think the signage is the same as the Imaginasian, though. I will take a look next Monday when I am downtown.
This photo has been posted before, but it’s worth pointing out that 505 Ninth Street NW is now the adress of a large office building. Status of the Leader should be closed/demolished, as none of the buildings in the photo are currently in existence. http://tinyurl.com/cspnd5
This is a July 2008 article. I’ve been out there twice in the past few months, and as far as I can tell they are far from done. http://tinyurl.com/cd8mul
Here is part of an article dated ¾/64 from the Benton Harbor News-Palladium:
COLOMA â€" With the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, scenes of the United States passed across the screen of the new Loma Theater and motion pictures returned to Coloma last night after a four-and-one-half ear absence. A special showing of Elia Kazan’s “America, America” was the feature film shown to a special audience invited to the grand premiere opening of the theater, restablished in the city by Jack Lalo, new owner-manager.
Mr. and Mrs. Lalo welcomed dignitaries and citizens of the area to the theater. The Coloma High School band provided music for the event. In a short program before the showing of the film, Coloma Mayor Glenn Randall presented a proclamation to the Lalo family to commemorate the opening of the newly-remodeled theater.
Lalo purchased the theater building from from Tom DeRosa last year. DeRosa had used the building to house a furniture store after the theater was sold four and half years ago by Ethel Kilmark, who had operated the movie house since 1935. The Loma was started in 1913 by Dr. W.A. Baker. Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Alguire operated the theater until 1935.
Lalo had the inside of the thealer remodeled, installing new seats, projection equipment, carpets, wall coverings, screen and other details. Until the purchase of the theater, Lalo, a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, was an employee in the research laboratory of Whirlpool Corp.
The Benton Harbor News-Palladium reported on the closing of the theater on October 29, 1972. Here is an exceprt from the 10/24/72 article as well as a photo from that day’s issue: http://tinyurl.com/9zf2p5
The “last picture show†will play Sunday, October 29, at the Liberty Theater in Benton Harbor. That isn’t the title of the film, but the curtain will drop for the last time on the Liberty under the operation of Butterfield Theaters.
Harry Himes, Liberty manager, said Butterfield’s lease terminates Nov. 1 with the owner of the building, Highland Building orporation, 1701 West 87th street, Chicago. Himes said Butterfield decided not to renew the building lease because of declining attendance caused by opening of new theaters in area shopping centers.
Butterfield will leave the Liberty as an operating theater â€" fully equipped and ready to go. Edward David, president of Highland Building Corporation, said he is hopeful of finding a new tenant to continue operation as a theater. Himes, Liberty manager since 1950, said he will remain with Butterfield as supervisor of a group of theaters in western Michigan. Butterfield operates 50 theaters in the state. Himes will continue residency here for the present.
The Liberty has been a Benton Harbor landmark at 212 East Main Street since it opened in 1922 â€" the days of vaudeville and silent films. “Talkies” arrived in 1929 when “Submarine” drew a record single day crowd of 7,000 as the first “sound” film at the Liberty. The Liberty has been remodeled several times to keep abreast of cinematic technology and provide comfort for the audience to make it one of the top showplaces in western Michigan.
Nostalgia buffs will remember it as a theater where stage shows and movies appeared on the same billing, where Blossom queens were crowned, where “Gone With The Wind” was first shown in this area.
Rumor is that the Urban Theater closed after allegations of money laundering.
The Butte Standard reported a fire at the prison theater on December 5, 1975. Here is a side-bar article about the theater:
DEER LODGE â€" Montana State Prism’s brick theater building was historically one of the most precious artifacts within the compound on Main Street. Literally “shelled out” by fire early Thursday, the theater on the south side of the prison yard was completed in 1919 by convict craftsmen, using materials donated by Butte mining magnate William A. Clark.
Highly ornate on the inside, the balconied theater was designed for an audience of 1,000 and later remodeled to seat between 400 and 500. The first presentation in 1919, according to Deputy Warden Jim Blodgett, was a Broadway-type show for the public and prisoners were not admitted. Soon thereafter, Warden Frank Conley used his Butte theater connections to obtain the first weekly movie sessions for inmates in the Northwest. Conley, strong on a proper work schedule for the prisoners, was said to have used the movie privilege to insure good conduct.
Until the Wednesday night fire, the theater was to have been a highlight among the old prison buildings planned for a future museum.
Here is a newspaper photo from the article about the demolition in June 1974. The poor quality is from the original.
http://tinyurl.com/dhkhwn
Only one NJ paper on newspaperarchive, the Hopewell Herald, has articles up to 1954. All the other Jersey papers are from around the beginning of the 20th century.
There is an Oswego Street in Syracuse, according to Google maps. I’m going to add the Mayfair as a Syracuse theater. Thanks for the info.
Here is part of a 3/7/60 article from the Greenville Delta Democrat-Times:
A 10-year old girl was reported injured in a fire scare at the Paramount Theater Sunday afternoon that sent a big crowd scampering to the exits. The child came to the manager of the theater with her father who said she had come home crying from the theater and said something had fallen on her. Apparently she was not seriously injured, police said.
The fire scare occurred shortly before 4 p.m. during the showing of a cartoon. The feature picture, “A Dog of Flanders”, had just finished its first showing. The crowd, hundreds of them children, suddenly heard a swishing noise they thought was fire. Men, women and children raced toward the closest exit on the side and the main entrance of the theater and the floors were opened.
Manager A.E. Nestler of the theater and a police officer readied the stage of the theater. From there he pleaded with them. “There’s nothing wrong”, he said to the hurriedly departing group. They heeded his pleas and moved slowly back to their seats.
The fire scare started when someone knocked a fire extinguisher off a stand on the second floor balcony of the theater. It spewed and the crowd left the theater hurriedly. After order was restored by the manager and his staff of ushers and police, manager Nestler and ushers began receiving reports of articles that had been lefl behind. One father said his daughter left her coat and purse in the theater and “took off”.
This is from the Butte Standard on 7/2/50. Address for the theater is given as 25 Park Street.
Construction of a $100,000 building on the site of the American theater which was destroyed by fire Feb. 1, 1950, has been announced by the Nichols Estate trust, owner of the property, which is located at 25 West Park Street.
Adolph Turk, agent for the estate, said that two one-story store buildings, ultra-modern in every respect, will be constructed on the premises. One of the store sites, the west side, 27 by 130 feet, with full basement, has been leased to the Pay Less Drug company. The other store building to be constructed is open for lease, Turk said. The Cahill-Mooney company has been awarded the construction contract and has already started operations clearing away debris from the site and removing the remaining front wall of the old theater building.
I’m trying to figure out a July 1941 story in the Syracuse Herald Journal about a fire that wrecked the Mayfair Theater on Oswego Street. Does anyone know if there is an Oswego Street in Syracuse, or might the story be referring to a theater in the city of Oswego? Is Oswego near Syracuse? Thanks.
I’m wondering if this was an aka for the Lamp Theater on Main Street, given the obvious semantic connection.
Former Colonial usher Russ Klein remembers on retrocom.com:
I was born in 1923 a few years before most of you and my memories go back quite a ways. I attended Siefert School as a kid and Ice Skated at the rink they made when flooding the play ground. The warming shed produced a lot of memories for me. Went to West Division High School. Was an Usher at the Colonial Theatre on Vliet St. when I lived on 21st Vliet. One of my fondest memories was when I entered the Amateur Contest at Riverside Theatre and met Eddie Howard who heard me sing and gave me his business card and told me to look him up when I graduated from High School. By the way, I won first prize that night in the Amateur Hour. Of course, World War 2 came along and I entered the army and became a Paratrooper and went Overseas and after the war spent some real nice times in France and Germany. I ended up being a First Sgt. so I pretty much could do just about anything I wanted to do after the war. Well, moved from Milwaukee to live in Eagle Springs, WI on a lake there and from there moved to California. Came back to Milwaukee in 1956 and lived in Brown Deer before Milwaukee annexed it. Finally moved from Milwaukee in 1970 to FL. Moved several times after that and lived in CO, OR, SC and now retired in AR where I went to College while taking flight training before volunteering for the Paratroops. Well, not much of a story about Milwaukee but I bet I wouldn’t know the city if I returned. I haven’t been back to Milwaukee since 1970, however, my heart still skips a beat when I get mail from my buddies who still live there and with whom I grew up with.
Russ Klein
I haven’t seen this theater since it was sold. I think the signage is the same as the Imaginasian, though. I will take a look next Monday when I am downtown.
Here is a January 1954 ad from the Holland Evening Sentinel:
http://tinyurl.com/cj87cw
Here is a 9/7/19 ad from the Washington Post:
http://tinyurl.com/dxutld
This photo has been posted before, but it’s worth pointing out that 505 Ninth Street NW is now the adress of a large office building. Status of the Leader should be closed/demolished, as none of the buildings in the photo are currently in existence.
http://tinyurl.com/cspnd5
This is a July 2008 article. I’ve been out there twice in the past few months, and as far as I can tell they are far from done.
http://tinyurl.com/cd8mul
Here is a December 2007 article and photos regarding the renovation:
http://tinyurl.com/d89ylm
Here is a March 2009 item from an Omaha TV station:
http://tinyurl.com/deppsy
Here is part of an article dated ¾/64 from the Benton Harbor News-Palladium:
COLOMA â€" With the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, scenes of the United States passed across the screen of the new Loma Theater and motion pictures returned to Coloma last night after a four-and-one-half ear absence. A special showing of Elia Kazan’s “America, America” was the feature film shown to a special audience invited to the grand premiere opening of the theater, restablished in the city by Jack Lalo, new owner-manager.
Mr. and Mrs. Lalo welcomed dignitaries and citizens of the area to the theater. The Coloma High School band provided music for the event. In a short program before the showing of the film, Coloma Mayor Glenn Randall presented a proclamation to the Lalo family to commemorate the opening of the newly-remodeled theater.
Lalo purchased the theater building from from Tom DeRosa last year. DeRosa had used the building to house a furniture store after the theater was sold four and half years ago by Ethel Kilmark, who had operated the movie house since 1935. The Loma was started in 1913 by Dr. W.A. Baker. Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Alguire operated the theater until 1935.
Lalo had the inside of the thealer remodeled, installing new seats, projection equipment, carpets, wall coverings, screen and other details. Until the purchase of the theater, Lalo, a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, was an employee in the research laboratory of Whirlpool Corp.
So there is no Grand Theater in Holland?
I didn’t see any ads for this theater in the local papers, going back to the thirties.
Here is a 2/6/54 ad from the Holland Evening Sentinel:
http://tinyurl.com/co5thj
Local in Utah? There were Lyceum and Cozy theaters in DT LA in the 1930s, as I recall.
The Benton Harbor News-Palladium reported on the closing of the theater on October 29, 1972. Here is an exceprt from the 10/24/72 article as well as a photo from that day’s issue:
http://tinyurl.com/9zf2p5
The “last picture show†will play Sunday, October 29, at the Liberty Theater in Benton Harbor. That isn’t the title of the film, but the curtain will drop for the last time on the Liberty under the operation of Butterfield Theaters.
Harry Himes, Liberty manager, said Butterfield’s lease terminates Nov. 1 with the owner of the building, Highland Building orporation, 1701 West 87th street, Chicago. Himes said Butterfield decided not to renew the building lease because of declining attendance caused by opening of new theaters in area shopping centers.
Butterfield will leave the Liberty as an operating theater â€" fully equipped and ready to go. Edward David, president of Highland Building Corporation, said he is hopeful of finding a new tenant to continue operation as a theater. Himes, Liberty manager since 1950, said he will remain with Butterfield as supervisor of a group of theaters in western Michigan. Butterfield operates 50 theaters in the state. Himes will continue residency here for the present.
The Liberty has been a Benton Harbor landmark at 212 East Main Street since it opened in 1922 â€" the days of vaudeville and silent films. “Talkies” arrived in 1929 when “Submarine” drew a record single day crowd of 7,000 as the first “sound” film at the Liberty. The Liberty has been remodeled several times to keep abreast of cinematic technology and provide comfort for the audience to make it one of the top showplaces in western Michigan.
Nostalgia buffs will remember it as a theater where stage shows and movies appeared on the same billing, where Blossom queens were crowned, where “Gone With The Wind” was first shown in this area.
Fire at the Henn last week:
http://tinyurl.com/cev629
Here is a March 2009 article from the Baltimore Sun:
http://tinyurl.com/c82jna