Gooper;
I would love to share pictures with you, or any one else who cares to contact me. My e-mail adddress is on my profile, mail me and I will send you some pic’s. I have 11 of them so hope you have enough space to accomodate them!
That’s a very interesting document lostmemory, thanks for posting it. There is a remarkably big jump in the market value in this past year. Is this due to a renaissance of the area?
Built in 1912 would make this a legit or vaudeville theatre to start with, it certainly looks like one. The Mike Rivest ‘Ultimate Movie Theatres and Drive-in’s List’ has it listed as operating from 1930-1940 which coincides with it not being listed in the Film Daily Yearbooks from 1941. What use befell it after 1940 until the current church took control I wonder?
On my recent visit to Los Angeles I went to the screening of the 1924 silent version of “The Thief of Bagdad” starring Douglas Fairbanks and Anna May Wong. The film (running time 150 minutes) was acompanied by Bob Salisbury brilliantly playing the score on the Wurlitzer 3Manual/14 Rank theatre pipe organ.
An audience of around 500 attended a memorable evening in this wonderfully restored vaudeville/movie palace.
No interior viewed unfortunately. I would imagine that the original 1925 (restrained) Chinese styled auditorium which it opened with as Bard’s 8th St Theatre is long gone(Probably in 1932 when it was re-named Olympic Theatre to commemorate Los Angeles hosting the Olympic Games in that year).
On a recent visit to L.A. I noticed that the facade and marquee of the Olympic had been repaired and looked much better than it has in recent years. I believe this is part of a scheme of the Los Angeles Conservancy to tidy up the Broadway theatre district and many of the old unused theatres have had their marquees and neon signs repaired and are lit up occasionally.
I believe the church own the building. I would imagine that Dr. Gene Scott’s wife will take over the Ministry for a while at least.
The church have maintained the building very well and it does look as good today as when first opened as a movie palace. I remember wandering into the lobby back in the late 1970’s when it was screening Spanish language movies. There were coin-slot machines lining the walls, the place looked really dirty and run down.
I took the LA Conservancy ‘Broadway Theatres Tour’ on several occasions, but was only lucky enough on one occasion to get inside the U.A. Dr. Gene Scott seemed to blow ‘hot & cold’ with the Conservancy about allowing groups to tour the building.
When I was organising a tour of Los Angeles theatres for the Cinema Theatre Association in 2002, I was told that it would be ‘touch and go’ whether we would be allowed into the U.A. In the end, and with a little persuasion (and possibly because we were British and had come all that distance ‘just to see that magnificent building’) LOL, we got approved to be allowed in. Our guide was most friendly and charming and led us (in a group of 55 people) all around the building on a 2 hour tour.
Taking photographs was allowed, we saw a demonstation of the ‘light show’ which apparently heralds the start of a service at the church, in which multi-coloured beams of light are played onto the mirrors and prisms set into the ceiling dome. Our guide told us about the painted curtain which now hangs as a back drop on the stage. This was rescued by Dr Gene Scott from the Carthay Circle Theatre just prior to its demolition. We were shown the priceless collection of ancient Bibles which were housed in a room in the basement that was originally Mary Pickford’s private screening room.
It would be great if the United Artist’s could be opened up for other events so the general public could see inside this wonderful theatre building again (the Reverend Ike’s ‘church’ in the former Loew’s 175th St, Manhatten, NYC does from time to time).
Francisco;
Thank you for your up-date on the current status of these two theatres. It is good to hear that they are being put back into use again rather than being demolished.
Ron;
You guessed correcly. It is the latter. They should really call it an indoctrination (brainwashing) centre rather than a reading room!
Once their Hollywood headquarters are re-furbished in the former Christie Hotel on Hollywood Blvd, they will vacate the Holly Theatre and I am told it could be converted into a restaurant and possibly a Hollywood Visitor Information Centre.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 has the Rex, 450 seats (closed) which is obviously the South C Street location and puts an approximate date on the ‘move’ of the theatre to 1940/41.
The same edition of F.D.Y.B. lists the New Rex with 675 seats.
Headers above need amending:
Address: Thornton Road and Euston Road
Function: Retail
Seats: 1,560
The Odeon Theatre opened on 2nd September 1937. Assisting Harry Weedon on the design of this theatre was architect W. Calder Robson.
It was one of many unprofitable Odeon Theatres that were sold off by the Rank Organisation to the Classic Cinema chain in 1967 and it was re-named Classic from 16th December 1967. It closed on 28th February 1976 and was converted into the One Stop DIY store which it still currently operates as.
This is indeed very sad news. It is one of the oldest, most historic movie theatres in Manhatten. I have taken the opportunity to photograph it on several of my visits to NYC as it is a very photogenic building.
Just around the corner a couple of blocks away on E 14th St is the still empty site of the former RKO Jefferson Theatre /theaters/1357/ another historic theatre destroyed for no reason at all only just a couple of years ago or so. Why can’t they build a student dormitory there!
In 1909, Clara Ludski converted an auctioneers shop into the Kingsland Palace Cinema and it was so successful that in 1915 properties on both sides were purchased and the whole lot demolished.
In their place a new cinema was errected, known as the Kingsland Empire, it was designed by Percy Adams and Gearge Coles in a classical Edwardian style. Seating was provided for 902 persons in orchestra stalls and circle levels. By 1933 it was being operated by London & Southern Cinemas Ltd.
In 1936 it was purchased by Capitol and Provincial News Theatres Ltd as part of the Classic Repertory Cinemas chain. A decision was made to modernise the cinema and architect Frederick A. Bromige was employed. He designed an art deco ‘drawing room super cinema’ that seated 576 persons in stalls and circle levels within the shell of the old Kingland Empire and it re-opened in 1937 with a new name Dalston’s Classic (Dalston being the name of this inner London district).
It remained under the Classic banner through various disguises such as Classic Cartoon Cinema (late 1950’s), Classic Continental (1960), Classic (1960-1970 screening Hollywood classic movies) and finally Tatler Cinema Club (1970-1976 screening uncensored sex films).
In 1976 and independent co-operative management took over the cinema and re-named it Rio Cinema, screening a mix of art house, general release and community films.
In 1996 the Rio closed for 18 months for a complete restoration which brought it back to its 1937 art deco splendour. This was part-funded by money donated by the National Lottery.
Originally opened as the Electric Pavilion on 11th March 1911. It was built for Isreal Davis and designed by architects E.C.Homer & Lucas. Seating was provided for 800 seats. It later dropped the ‘Elecric’ from its name, becoming the Pavilion.
The Pavilion closed for a short while in 1954 when architect George Coles carried out some minor alterations (the 1920’s organ was removed at this time) and the name was changed to Pullman Cinema when it re-opened on 31st August 1954.
On 17th May 1964 it was taken over by Classic Repertory Cinemas Ltd and re-named Classic, screening ‘classic’ movies from Hollywood’s golden age. That lasted until 5th June 1976 when it closed.
It remained empty for a couple of years and demolition was threatened. However it re-opened on 3rd March 1978 as an art house cinema which was named the Little Bit Ritzy, later becoming the Ritzy Cinema. Seating capacity had been reduced to 491.
Oasis Cinemas bought the Ritzy in 1994 and in conjunction with Brixton Challenge closed down the cinema for a year while they undertook a complete restoration of the building. An additional four extra screens, a bar and cafe were built on adjacent land to the south of the orginal cinema (On this site used to sit the Brixton Theatre and Opera House a 1,504 seat theatre designed by Frank Matcham and built in 1896, detroyed by bombs in 1940).
The Ritzy Cinema is now operated by City Screen Ltd since 2003.
I see on the ‘offical’ photo taken during construction (posted by J.F. Lundy July 18. 2004) the the architects credited are Weeks & Day – Reid Brothers.
Thanks for mentioning that Scott, I have just looked in my Film Daily Yearbooks 1941 and 1943 and the Booker T Theatre is listed in the Negro Theatres section, as well as the general listings for Baltimore. Which implies it was still open and operating? There is no mention of it in the 1950 edition
Yet the book “Exit” by Phillip Headly states its doors closed for good around 1938 and Chuck in his opening description states 1936 and later goes on to say the last licence of occupancy he could find in the library was dated February 1936.
I wonder, has the F.D.Y.B. just not been updated correctly since the 1930’s for this theatre?
The Film Daily Yearbooks 1941 and 1943 give the Barth Theater a seating capacity of 700.
By the 1950 edition of F.D.Y.B, seating is given as 752, it was known as the Rogers Theater by then and the street address given is 207 Monroe St, Carbondale, IL.
The Roxy Theater is listed in the 1941 Film Daily Yearbook with a seating capacity of 500 seats. It was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc through the subsiduary group of E.J. Sparks.
therobins;
The theatreorgans.com database shows the following information for the organ:
Manufacturer: Hillgreen-Lane
Opus: 478
Size: 2/20
Liberty Theater, installed 1917
Cost: $5,275
Condition: Unknown
The address of the State Theater is 213 W. Federal Street. The seating capacity given in the Film Daily Yearbook’s , 1941 and 1943 is 1,500. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y.B. it is listed as having 2,000 seats.
Thanks for clarifying the opening date lostmemory. I took the 1930 date from the Mike Rivest Ultimate Movie Theatre and Drive-in Guide.
The Gem Theatre opened in 1930. The Film Daily Yearbook’s 1941 & 1943 list the seating capacity as 600. The 1950 edition lists 589 seats.
Gooper;
I would love to share pictures with you, or any one else who cares to contact me. My e-mail adddress is on my profile, mail me and I will send you some pic’s. I have 11 of them so hope you have enough space to accomodate them!
That’s a very interesting document lostmemory, thanks for posting it. There is a remarkably big jump in the market value in this past year. Is this due to a renaissance of the area?
Built in 1912 would make this a legit or vaudeville theatre to start with, it certainly looks like one. The Mike Rivest ‘Ultimate Movie Theatres and Drive-in’s List’ has it listed as operating from 1930-1940 which coincides with it not being listed in the Film Daily Yearbooks from 1941. What use befell it after 1940 until the current church took control I wonder?
On my recent visit to Los Angeles I went to the screening of the 1924 silent version of “The Thief of Bagdad” starring Douglas Fairbanks and Anna May Wong. The film (running time 150 minutes) was acompanied by Bob Salisbury brilliantly playing the score on the Wurlitzer 3Manual/14 Rank theatre pipe organ.
An audience of around 500 attended a memorable evening in this wonderfully restored vaudeville/movie palace.
No interior viewed unfortunately. I would imagine that the original 1925 (restrained) Chinese styled auditorium which it opened with as Bard’s 8th St Theatre is long gone(Probably in 1932 when it was re-named Olympic Theatre to commemorate Los Angeles hosting the Olympic Games in that year).
On a recent visit to L.A. I noticed that the facade and marquee of the Olympic had been repaired and looked much better than it has in recent years. I believe this is part of a scheme of the Los Angeles Conservancy to tidy up the Broadway theatre district and many of the old unused theatres have had their marquees and neon signs repaired and are lit up occasionally.
I believe the church own the building. I would imagine that Dr. Gene Scott’s wife will take over the Ministry for a while at least.
The church have maintained the building very well and it does look as good today as when first opened as a movie palace. I remember wandering into the lobby back in the late 1970’s when it was screening Spanish language movies. There were coin-slot machines lining the walls, the place looked really dirty and run down.
I took the LA Conservancy ‘Broadway Theatres Tour’ on several occasions, but was only lucky enough on one occasion to get inside the U.A. Dr. Gene Scott seemed to blow ‘hot & cold’ with the Conservancy about allowing groups to tour the building.
When I was organising a tour of Los Angeles theatres for the Cinema Theatre Association in 2002, I was told that it would be ‘touch and go’ whether we would be allowed into the U.A. In the end, and with a little persuasion (and possibly because we were British and had come all that distance ‘just to see that magnificent building’) LOL, we got approved to be allowed in. Our guide was most friendly and charming and led us (in a group of 55 people) all around the building on a 2 hour tour.
Taking photographs was allowed, we saw a demonstation of the ‘light show’ which apparently heralds the start of a service at the church, in which multi-coloured beams of light are played onto the mirrors and prisms set into the ceiling dome. Our guide told us about the painted curtain which now hangs as a back drop on the stage. This was rescued by Dr Gene Scott from the Carthay Circle Theatre just prior to its demolition. We were shown the priceless collection of ancient Bibles which were housed in a room in the basement that was originally Mary Pickford’s private screening room.
It would be great if the United Artist’s could be opened up for other events so the general public could see inside this wonderful theatre building again (the Reverend Ike’s ‘church’ in the former Loew’s 175th St, Manhatten, NYC does from time to time).
Francisco;
Thank you for your up-date on the current status of these two theatres. It is good to hear that they are being put back into use again rather than being demolished.
Ron;
You guessed correcly. It is the latter. They should really call it an indoctrination (brainwashing) centre rather than a reading room!
Once their Hollywood headquarters are re-furbished in the former Christie Hotel on Hollywood Blvd, they will vacate the Holly Theatre and I am told it could be converted into a restaurant and possibly a Hollywood Visitor Information Centre.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 has the Rex, 450 seats (closed) which is obviously the South C Street location and puts an approximate date on the ‘move’ of the theatre to 1940/41.
The same edition of F.D.Y.B. lists the New Rex with 675 seats.
Headers above need amending:
Address: Thornton Road and Euston Road
Function: Retail
Seats: 1,560
The Odeon Theatre opened on 2nd September 1937. Assisting Harry Weedon on the design of this theatre was architect W. Calder Robson.
It was one of many unprofitable Odeon Theatres that were sold off by the Rank Organisation to the Classic Cinema chain in 1967 and it was re-named Classic from 16th December 1967. It closed on 28th February 1976 and was converted into the One Stop DIY store which it still currently operates as.
This is indeed very sad news. It is one of the oldest, most historic movie theatres in Manhatten. I have taken the opportunity to photograph it on several of my visits to NYC as it is a very photogenic building.
Just around the corner a couple of blocks away on E 14th St is the still empty site of the former RKO Jefferson Theatre /theaters/1357/ another historic theatre destroyed for no reason at all only just a couple of years ago or so. Why can’t they build a student dormitory there!
In 1909, Clara Ludski converted an auctioneers shop into the Kingsland Palace Cinema and it was so successful that in 1915 properties on both sides were purchased and the whole lot demolished.
In their place a new cinema was errected, known as the Kingsland Empire, it was designed by Percy Adams and Gearge Coles in a classical Edwardian style. Seating was provided for 902 persons in orchestra stalls and circle levels. By 1933 it was being operated by London & Southern Cinemas Ltd.
In 1936 it was purchased by Capitol and Provincial News Theatres Ltd as part of the Classic Repertory Cinemas chain. A decision was made to modernise the cinema and architect Frederick A. Bromige was employed. He designed an art deco ‘drawing room super cinema’ that seated 576 persons in stalls and circle levels within the shell of the old Kingland Empire and it re-opened in 1937 with a new name Dalston’s Classic (Dalston being the name of this inner London district).
It remained under the Classic banner through various disguises such as Classic Cartoon Cinema (late 1950’s), Classic Continental (1960), Classic (1960-1970 screening Hollywood classic movies) and finally Tatler Cinema Club (1970-1976 screening uncensored sex films).
In 1976 and independent co-operative management took over the cinema and re-named it Rio Cinema, screening a mix of art house, general release and community films.
In 1996 the Rio closed for 18 months for a complete restoration which brought it back to its 1937 art deco splendour. This was part-funded by money donated by the National Lottery.
Originally opened as the Electric Pavilion on 11th March 1911. It was built for Isreal Davis and designed by architects E.C.Homer & Lucas. Seating was provided for 800 seats. It later dropped the ‘Elecric’ from its name, becoming the Pavilion.
The Pavilion closed for a short while in 1954 when architect George Coles carried out some minor alterations (the 1920’s organ was removed at this time) and the name was changed to Pullman Cinema when it re-opened on 31st August 1954.
On 17th May 1964 it was taken over by Classic Repertory Cinemas Ltd and re-named Classic, screening ‘classic’ movies from Hollywood’s golden age. That lasted until 5th June 1976 when it closed.
It remained empty for a couple of years and demolition was threatened. However it re-opened on 3rd March 1978 as an art house cinema which was named the Little Bit Ritzy, later becoming the Ritzy Cinema. Seating capacity had been reduced to 491.
Oasis Cinemas bought the Ritzy in 1994 and in conjunction with Brixton Challenge closed down the cinema for a year while they undertook a complete restoration of the building. An additional four extra screens, a bar and cafe were built on adjacent land to the south of the orginal cinema (On this site used to sit the Brixton Theatre and Opera House a 1,504 seat theatre designed by Frank Matcham and built in 1896, detroyed by bombs in 1940).
The Ritzy Cinema is now operated by City Screen Ltd since 2003.
I see on the ‘offical’ photo taken during construction (posted by J.F. Lundy July 18. 2004) the the architects credited are Weeks & Day – Reid Brothers.
Thanks for mentioning that Scott, I have just looked in my Film Daily Yearbooks 1941 and 1943 and the Booker T Theatre is listed in the Negro Theatres section, as well as the general listings for Baltimore. Which implies it was still open and operating? There is no mention of it in the 1950 edition
Yet the book “Exit” by Phillip Headly states its doors closed for good around 1938 and Chuck in his opening description states 1936 and later goes on to say the last licence of occupancy he could find in the library was dated February 1936.
I wonder, has the F.D.Y.B. just not been updated correctly since the 1930’s for this theatre?
The Film Daily Yearbook’s 1941 and 1943 do not list this theatre but it is listed in the 1950 F.D.Y.B. as having 350 seats.
The Film Daily Yearbooks 1941 and 1943 give the Barth Theater a seating capacity of 700.
By the 1950 edition of F.D.Y.B, seating is given as 752, it was known as the Rogers Theater by then and the street address given is 207 Monroe St, Carbondale, IL.
The Roxy Theater is listed in the 1941 Film Daily Yearbook with a seating capacity of 500 seats. It was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc through the subsiduary group of E.J. Sparks.
Thanks Bway, I will make appropriate ammendments.
therobins;
The theatreorgans.com database shows the following information for the organ:
Manufacturer: Hillgreen-Lane
Opus: 478
Size: 2/20
Liberty Theater, installed 1917
Cost: $5,275
Condition: Unknown
The address given in Film Daily Yearbook, 1950 is 242 W. Federal St. and the seating capacity is 1,506.
The address given in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1950 is East Main Street, Patchogue, NY (listed under Long Island)
The address of the State Theater is 213 W. Federal Street. The seating capacity given in the Film Daily Yearbook’s , 1941 and 1943 is 1,500. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y.B. it is listed as having 2,000 seats.