Louisville Palace Theatre
625 S. 4th Street,
Louisville,
KY
40202
625 S. 4th Street,
Louisville,
KY
40202
18 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 74 comments
Johnny D. You can contact me at I’d be glad to answer any questions I can.
Johnny D…I was associated with the Palace for about 5 or 6 years and may be able to answer your questions. Drop me a line at I also worked for a few years at the Old Seelbach Bar and can attest to the fact that Capone did indeed use the hotel and underground passages. There is a false wall in the Oakroom at the hotel which could be used to make a quick getaway (on the southwest corner of the private dining room if memory serves).
I am trying to contact Charles Zoeller.I noticed you use to be a manager at the Palace. I am a current manager at the Palace.I have a few questions about this grand theatre that only a previous manager could answer.Looking forward to your reply.Thanks for your time.
Interesting Capone story and connection to this theatre via tunnels.
This place brings back very fond memories. Having grown up in the Louisville area, as a teen I had the pleasure of seeing Heart play live on the Palace stage. This was during the 1980 to 1985 period when the venue was open but undergoing slow restorations. The ceiling in the auditorium was faded and chipped in some places, but the warmth and glow of the place overwhelmed any feeling of age.
What truly amazed me about this theater was the sound quality. The accoustics were so good that early in the opening set, Anne and Nancy Wilson of Heart actually had their sound crew turn off most of the speakers and amps for the show. Even with these shut down, it literally felt like the music was coming from all sides of me equally, clearly and with a richness that nearly 20 years later still resonates in my memories.
The show was only one of a few visits there; however, let me add to the view of it. To the left side of the main lobby, there is (or was depending on renonvations) an employee access that led to the backstage areas. It also accessed a narrow stairwell that led to storage rooms and dressing areas one and two floors below street level. Given Louisville’s history, they likely also offered access to the steam and delivery tunnels under the street of the City. It was said that during Prohibition, Al Capone would stay at the Seelbach Hotel (now Seelbach Hilton) and use the tunnels to avoid notice and take in a show or two while in Lousiville checking on his ‘business.’
This place has one of the best sky effects I have seen in a restored movie house. Usually it seems the sky is cut at some point to allow for modern lighting. At least from the pictures I have seen, the ceiling in this place has not been altered.
I love the Palace so much, but this breaks my heart: classic movies are still shown during summers, but in 2005 they started projecting them from consumer grade standard def DVDs rather than film. One exception: during the Hitchcock series in 2005, they had to show Lifeboat from VHS tape because the DVD hadn’t been released yet! Surely a low point for this beautiful cinema…
This is a grand old atmospheric and one that I’d love to see, in person someday! Perhaps a good time would be during the Kentucky Derby.
Here is a colorful post card rendition of the Loews/United Artist theater on 4th Avenue in Louisville. Mickey Rooney in “Boys Town” appears to be the evening movie feature.
The Rialto is accross the street featuring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire in “Carefree"
www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/319625969
I was assistant manager of the Louisville United Artist Theatre (now the Louisville Palace) from 1958 to 1967. The theatre’s 13 rank Wurlitzer Organ was not removed from the theatre until 1978. A local coal operator had purchased the theatre “to restore it†sold the organ to a pizza parlor in Atlanta. The organ was removed in the middle of the night to avoid criticism. He also auctioned the original furnishings and accessories of the theatre’s lobby and mezzanine. I was fortunate enough to purchase a bench and chair which I still own.
The theatre was originally named the Lowe’s and United Artists’ State Theatre when it opened on September 1, 1928. I have an original of the full-page newspaper ad for the opening that lists the contractors and suppliers for the theatre.
I was also assistant manager of Louisville Rialto Theatre during its last year, 1968.
Lost Memory: Great shot of the marquee, but too bad that it’s only lighted when there is a performance at the theatre. Someday I want to see this theatre and catch the Kentucky Derby while in “Lou-ville”. When I read “One of the greatest of John Eberson’s theatres and considered to be "the finest Theatre in the South” I knew that this theatre is a must see for any John Eberson theatre follwer/fan. Also recall that the great- grandson of John Eberson is a CT member which is great news for us Ebersonians!
This Loew’s Theatre opened on September 1st, 1928.
Those not lucky enough to visit Louisville can get some sense of the experience of being in one of Eberson’s most beautiful theatres by seeing the DVD “Alison Krauss & Union Station Live (2003)” which was filmed in High Definition at the Louisville Palace. See the Amazon website description of the video at:
View link
This place to my heart as I spent my teens growing up in Louisville and I had the pleasure of restoring its cousin, the Akron Civic Theatre by Eberson in Akron, Ohio as a member of Wilson Butler Lodge Architects.
Anthony Vogel, designer/graphic artist/journalist, Arlington, MS
Lost Memory: Great night photo as the facade is so beautifully ornate above the marquee!
When I was a kid, friends and I would go to the movies all the time at the United Artist and The Penthouse (throughout the 70’s). I remember playing hookie and going to see “Dog Day Afternoon” at the United Artist side. It was such a cool theatre, like entering another world; not like the bland multiplexes we have today.
Scott: Thanks for the correction and I look forward to seeing this theatre, in person, someday soon!
Patsy –
No, this theatre is not twinned. It was for a time back in the 60’s and 70’s, but it was subsequently restored to a single auditorium. Looking at it now, you’d never know that it was once twinned. It is really impressive.
The Wurlitzer was a Style 240 – it had a Horn Diapason. There was also a sound effect labeled at the console as “AEROPLANE.” This was a single diaphone valve assembly with a simple conical resonator. It was located in the Solo chamber – house left.
The console was covered in Gesso and painted gold at the time of removal. At one time, it was white with a 1.5" red border around the lid and the sides had gipsum board ‘pilasters’ on the upper sides. There were shields and other painted designs on the sides and corbels. These were to tie in the PALACE motif.
01 Brass Trumpet (Solo)
02 Harmonic Tuba (Solo)
03 Diaphonic Diapason (Main)
04 Horn Diapason (Main)
05 Tibia Clausa (Solo)
06 Clarinet (Main)
07 Orchestral Oboe (Solo)
08 Solo String (Solo)
09 Viol d'Orchestra (Main)
10 Viol Celeste (Main)
11 Salicional (Main)
12 Quintadena (Solo)
13 Concert Flute (Main)
14 Vox Humana (Main)
This atmospheric theatre is an Eberson and it’s been TWINNED? What a way to spoil and mess up an atmospheric theatre!
Somewhat similar to the Los Angeles Theater out here on the West Coast.
ken: What a very unique marquee and a must-see!
Photo:
http://flickr.com/photos/brookys69/60560125/
It looks like that link doesn’t hold up, for some reason. If you want to to see the pictures, you would have to go to
http://memory.loc.gov/ and enter Loew’s Louisville as a search term. Sorry about that.
There are 51 photos of the theater at this site:
View link
An interior shot is here
View link