John Day opened the new 220-seat Orpheum Theatre in December 1910. In late 1915 John J. Meehan acquired the Orpheum Theatre from Day in a transaction handled by Warren Jackson. (Later articles in the local newspapers mention a 1914 takeover, but 1915 articles refer to John Day as owner. Meehan’s name first appeared in December 1915.) The Orpheum was enlarged in 1920 to seat 400. A new balcony, stage and projection booth were added. Modern RCA sound equipment came later. In October 1931 Allen Bradley and George Hoppes of Anderson, Ind., leased the Orpheum from Meehan. Redecorated and with the front rebuilt, it opened as the Uptown Theater on November 1, 1931, with “Rich People” starring Constance Bennett. On February 13, 1935, Leonard Sowar leased the Uptown from Meehan. It reopened February 16, 1935, with sub-run programming.
On April 25, 1937, the Strand, Uptown, Rivoli, Wysor Grand, and Hoosier (old Star) became part of a city cooperative. The pooling agreement was signed by Sowar (for the Strand and Uptown); the Muncie Theater Realty Corporation; Theatrical Managers, Inc.; and George Challis (Wysor Grand lessee). For the five theaters Theatrical Managers, Inc., already operating the Wysor Grand, Rivoli and Hoosier theaters, agreed to handle from its Indianapolis office film buying, communication with motion picture exchanges, vaudeville and road show booking, and accounting. Sowar was named city manager replacing Ray Howard, who relocated to Bloomington, Ind., to handle southern Indiana operations for Theatrical Managers. In February 1940 Y&W Management Corporation entered the scene. Sowar ran the Muncie cluster until his death on January 2, 1945.
There are no advertisements after May 1951 except for the special showing of “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima” which was last shown on November 30, 1952.
Arthur Bennett and George Davis opened the Cuno Kibele-designed Strand Theater on May 29, 1916, with Clara Kimball Young in “The Feast of Life.” On April 1, 1923, Bennett sold the Strand to Leonard Sowar, who operated it until December 21, 1925, at which time it was leased to the Chicago-based Fitzpatrick-McElroy circuit. In April 1929 Publix Theaters Corporation, the exhibition arm of Paramount-Famous-Lasky, acquired control of Fitzpatrick-McElroy creating Publix-Fitzpatrick-McElroy. Publix closed the Strand on June 2, 1930, coincident with its takeover of the nearby Wysor Grand Theatre. In January 1933 Publix-Fitzpatrick-McElroy was placed into receivership followed by bankruptcy. Sower repossessed the idle Strand in February 1933 after the lease was cancelled. He reopened it on March 24, 1933.
On April 25, 1937, the Strand, Uptown, Rivoli, Wysor Grand, and Hoosier (old Star) became part of a city cooperative. The pooling agreement was signed by Leonard Sowar (for the Strand and Uptown); the Muncie Theater Realty Corporation; Theatrical Managers, Inc.; and George Challis (Wysor Grand lessee). For the five theaters Theatrical Managers, Inc., already operating the Wysor Grand, Rivoli and Hoosier theaters, agreed to handle from its Indianapolis office film buying, communication with motion picture exchanges, vaudeville and road show booking, and accounting. Sowar was named city manager replacing Ray Howard, who relocated to Bloomington, Ind., to handle southern Indiana operations for Theatrical Managers. In February 1940 Y&W Management Corporation entered the scene. Sowar ran the Muncie cluster until his death on January 2, 1945.
According to an October 22, 1909, item in the Evening Press Messrs. Williston, Durham and Morrow opened the Lyric Theatre on October 21, 1909. Address confirmed as 204 South Walnut Street. It was a five-cent theater featuring moving pictures and good music.
It’s likely that Muncie architect Cuno Kibele drew the plans for the Strand Theater. There is a February 3, 1916, plate-and-girder drawing in the Ball State University archives. Kibele also designed plans for the extensive 1917 remodel of the Wysor Grand Theater.
In 1907 Leroy Tudor converted the old post office at 415 South Walnut Street into the Majestic Theatre after the post office moved to the Federal Building in April 1907. The theater opened “to immense crowds” on June 10, 1907, four days late because “chairs and other highly essential furnishings would not arrive” on time. In October 1907 Tudor, Charles Allerdt and J. Walter Baird formed the Majestic Theater Company. That same month new manager William Ormsby took control of the house and performances. The Majestic briefly closed in November 1907 to make needed repairs and enlarge the stage. On January 1, 1911, Tudor disposed of his interest to Dr. Clem Simmonds.
On November 1, 1925, the Andrews Producing Company, owned by brothers C. Ray, Forrest and George Andrews, sold the Columbia, Star and Lyric theaters to Chicago-based Fitzpatrick-McElroy. The Star was remodeled and reopened on November 26, 1925, Thanksgiving Day. The Columbia operated weekends only, and even though the lease didn’t expire until December 31, 1926, Fitzpatrick-McElroy closed the Columbia on March 20, 1926.
Associated Theaters of Ohio signed an 18-month lease and reopened the Columbia on January 7, 1927. It’s likely that the Columbia closed again in December 1927 as there are no ads for the theater in 1928. Thomas C. Lacey, operating the Vaudelle theater located “just across the street,” inked a short-term lease with Silverman Brothers, Cleveland, and launched the New Columbia on March 1, 1928. It closed for good at the end of June. F&W Grand Company took over the space in July, remodeled it and opened a 5-10-25 cent store on October 31, 1928.
Further re Joe Vogel’s 4/21/2013 post about the First United Life Insurance building: A 10/20/1994 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form confirms Joe’s theory. An excerpt from Section 7 Page 3 notes that “The former Gary Theatre building is located at 475 Broadway. First United Life remodeled this building in c.1965 with the present modern facade.”
Exhibitors Herald reported in November 1920 that the Grand had been outfitted with a new DeLuxe organ and redecorated in shades of mauve and green. The upgrades cost $2500.
An August 1948 item in Boxoffice reported that remodeling and reconditioning of the Tivoli had been completed. Over 1200 new seats, new RCA sound heads and additional air conditioning units were installed.
The Palace Building site is slated for redevelopment. The three-story L-shaped retail/apartment block facing both Broadway and East 8th Avenue will be retained. The auditorium is to be demolished. This link contains more information:
https://www.gary.gov/palacetheater
The Griffith Theatre debuted January 1, 1947. “Centennial Summer” and “Joe Palooka Champ” were on the opening program. Irving Karlow might have been the architect as his name appears in the launch advertisement on December 31, 1946.
Interesting info from Joe Vogel. The old Masonic Temple was at 83 State Street, about 125 State Street if it existed today. The Colonial Theatre was in the old Masonic Temple. By 1915 the building was a hotel and the space used by the theater, renumbered 85 State Street, was a store.
In 1929, space which had been occupied by the DeLuxe theater, Simpson’s barber shop, a meeting hall and numerous offices was cleared out to make way for the Schulte-United Junior Department Store, which closed in May 1932. In September 1932 Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company leased the space formerly occupied by Schulte-United. According to the Times, the area leased was once occupied by “the old DeLuxe theater and several other business rooms which were thrown into one large room in the [Schulte-United] remodeling process.”
Alex Manta opened the Liberty Theatre in 1910. One of the first movie houses in East Chicago, it was located in a building owned by Lazar W. Saric, prominent East Chicago real estate developer. After the Liberty Theatre closed, the space was occupied by a grocery store, then by the Indiana Harbor post office. On March 22, 1924, the Central Theatre debuted in the same spot. It was short-lived - by November 26, 1924, “For Rent” signs were displayed in the windows. In January 1925 the building was being remodeled to accommodate a department store.
Manta went on to manage other theaters in East Chicago and Whiting, IN. He opened the Indiana Theatre in Indiana Harbor, was district manager for Warner Brothers theaters, then helped run Indiana-Illinois Theaters, Inc., and the Manta & Rose theater circuit.
The 1000-seat Garden Theatre stood at 3614 Main Street in the Indiana Harbor side of East Chicago, IN. It was built at a cost of $100,000 for James Piwaronas, a local grocer, by Indiana Harbor contractor James Johnston from plans drawn by Hammond, IN, architect George McClure (“Mac”) Turner. Construction started in May 1923 with a year-end target opening. The theater finally debuted July 24, 1924, seven months later than hoped. Piwaronas operated the theater until his death in 1979.
The Garden Theatre featured a $15,000 pipe organ, scientific ventilating and heating, lobby lights that were “a miniature replica of the fixtures used in the Chicago theater [and] decoration and ornamental work…copied from the various Balaban & Katz palaces of Chicago.” Decorator Supply Company of Chicago supplied ornamental work. Goldstein Decorators of Detroit installed the decorations.
Outside, a 25-foot sign illuminated the front as brightly as day. It had 30-inch-high letters. The building contained the theater, two stores and six offices.
The Garden Theatre re-launched December 6, 1929, with Vitaphone and Movietone talking pictures. The first offering was “Broadway Melody” with Bessie Love. From the mid-1950’s the showplace advertised as the New Garden Theatre. By 1981 it was the Cine Garden, presenting Spanish-language films.
The Broadway Theatre was operating at the same address as early as February 1929, the first time it’s listed in the phone directory. The Broadway Theatre formally opened on November 1, 1929, featuring “New and Perfected Talking Pictures,” the first of which was “In Old Arizona” with Warner Baxter. Ads for the Broadway Theatre appeared in 1932-1938 and 1942-1943 featuring American and foreign (Russian, Hungarian) films with subtitles. There was also a focus on Westerns. No ads appear after October 1947.
The Vic Theatre was at 3525 Main Street in the Indiana Harbor side of East Chicago, IN. It probably opened in February 1934 - its first ad appeared on February 7, 1934, and the Vic Theatre first showed up in the February 1934 phone directory. There is no reference to a Vic or Victory Theatre before 1934. The theater was operated by the Auksel family.
The Vic Theatre likely closed in 1961 as its last mention in the newspaper was in May 1961. In its final years it played Spanish-language films.
The theater at 4824 Alexander Avenue in the Indiana Harbor side of East Chicago, IN, had several names. It was listed in the phone directory as the Twin City Theatre from March 1926 through February 1934. In September 1934 it was advertising as the Midtown Theatre. From March 1936 until November 1946 it was the Midway Theatre. In December 1946 it became the Mars Theatre. I didn’t find any ads placed after May 1951.
The Rio Theatre closed November 3, 1946, with an announcement teasing about renovation and remodeling. The venue reopened November 15, 1946, as the “Newly Remodeled and Beautiful” new Hammond Theatre. Later ads called it the Hammond Theatre. (This was the city’s second Hammond Theatre. The first was downtown. It became the DeLuxe Theatre.) In November 1949 the name changed again, this time to Pix Theatre. There are no ads for the Pix after February 1950.
Turns out this was not the new Home Theatre, but rather the New Home Theatre. It was around in 1915. Its proprietor back then was Ferdinand Ketzik. There is no mention of the New Home Theatre (or Home Theatre) before 1915.
John Day opened the new 220-seat Orpheum Theatre in December 1910. In late 1915 John J. Meehan acquired the Orpheum Theatre from Day in a transaction handled by Warren Jackson. (Later articles in the local newspapers mention a 1914 takeover, but 1915 articles refer to John Day as owner. Meehan’s name first appeared in December 1915.) The Orpheum was enlarged in 1920 to seat 400. A new balcony, stage and projection booth were added. Modern RCA sound equipment came later. In October 1931 Allen Bradley and George Hoppes of Anderson, Ind., leased the Orpheum from Meehan. Redecorated and with the front rebuilt, it opened as the Uptown Theater on November 1, 1931, with “Rich People” starring Constance Bennett. On February 13, 1935, Leonard Sowar leased the Uptown from Meehan. It reopened February 16, 1935, with sub-run programming.
On April 25, 1937, the Strand, Uptown, Rivoli, Wysor Grand, and Hoosier (old Star) became part of a city cooperative. The pooling agreement was signed by Sowar (for the Strand and Uptown); the Muncie Theater Realty Corporation; Theatrical Managers, Inc.; and George Challis (Wysor Grand lessee). For the five theaters Theatrical Managers, Inc., already operating the Wysor Grand, Rivoli and Hoosier theaters, agreed to handle from its Indianapolis office film buying, communication with motion picture exchanges, vaudeville and road show booking, and accounting. Sowar was named city manager replacing Ray Howard, who relocated to Bloomington, Ind., to handle southern Indiana operations for Theatrical Managers. In February 1940 Y&W Management Corporation entered the scene. Sowar ran the Muncie cluster until his death on January 2, 1945.
There are no advertisements after May 1951 except for the special showing of “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima” which was last shown on November 30, 1952.
Arthur Bennett and George Davis opened the Cuno Kibele-designed Strand Theater on May 29, 1916, with Clara Kimball Young in “The Feast of Life.” On April 1, 1923, Bennett sold the Strand to Leonard Sowar, who operated it until December 21, 1925, at which time it was leased to the Chicago-based Fitzpatrick-McElroy circuit. In April 1929 Publix Theaters Corporation, the exhibition arm of Paramount-Famous-Lasky, acquired control of Fitzpatrick-McElroy creating Publix-Fitzpatrick-McElroy. Publix closed the Strand on June 2, 1930, coincident with its takeover of the nearby Wysor Grand Theatre. In January 1933 Publix-Fitzpatrick-McElroy was placed into receivership followed by bankruptcy. Sower repossessed the idle Strand in February 1933 after the lease was cancelled. He reopened it on March 24, 1933.
On April 25, 1937, the Strand, Uptown, Rivoli, Wysor Grand, and Hoosier (old Star) became part of a city cooperative. The pooling agreement was signed by Leonard Sowar (for the Strand and Uptown); the Muncie Theater Realty Corporation; Theatrical Managers, Inc.; and George Challis (Wysor Grand lessee). For the five theaters Theatrical Managers, Inc., already operating the Wysor Grand, Rivoli and Hoosier theaters, agreed to handle from its Indianapolis office film buying, communication with motion picture exchanges, vaudeville and road show booking, and accounting. Sowar was named city manager replacing Ray Howard, who relocated to Bloomington, Ind., to handle southern Indiana operations for Theatrical Managers. In February 1940 Y&W Management Corporation entered the scene. Sowar ran the Muncie cluster until his death on January 2, 1945.
The theater was unnamed for several months.
Debut ad for Muncie’s second Lyric Theatre.
According to an October 22, 1909, item in the Evening Press Messrs. Williston, Durham and Morrow opened the Lyric Theatre on October 21, 1909. Address confirmed as 204 South Walnut Street. It was a five-cent theater featuring moving pictures and good music.
It’s likely that Muncie architect Cuno Kibele drew the plans for the Strand Theater. There is a February 3, 1916, plate-and-girder drawing in the Ball State University archives. Kibele also designed plans for the extensive 1917 remodel of the Wysor Grand Theater.
In 1907 Leroy Tudor converted the old post office at 415 South Walnut Street into the Majestic Theatre after the post office moved to the Federal Building in April 1907. The theater opened “to immense crowds” on June 10, 1907, four days late because “chairs and other highly essential furnishings would not arrive” on time. In October 1907 Tudor, Charles Allerdt and J. Walter Baird formed the Majestic Theater Company. That same month new manager William Ormsby took control of the house and performances. The Majestic briefly closed in November 1907 to make needed repairs and enlarge the stage. On January 1, 1911, Tudor disposed of his interest to Dr. Clem Simmonds.
On November 1, 1925, the Andrews Producing Company, owned by brothers C. Ray, Forrest and George Andrews, sold the Columbia, Star and Lyric theaters to Chicago-based Fitzpatrick-McElroy. The Star was remodeled and reopened on November 26, 1925, Thanksgiving Day. The Columbia operated weekends only, and even though the lease didn’t expire until December 31, 1926, Fitzpatrick-McElroy closed the Columbia on March 20, 1926.
Associated Theaters of Ohio signed an 18-month lease and reopened the Columbia on January 7, 1927. It’s likely that the Columbia closed again in December 1927 as there are no ads for the theater in 1928. Thomas C. Lacey, operating the Vaudelle theater located “just across the street,” inked a short-term lease with Silverman Brothers, Cleveland, and launched the New Columbia on March 1, 1928. It closed for good at the end of June. F&W Grand Company took over the space in July, remodeled it and opened a 5-10-25 cent store on October 31, 1928.
Further re Joe Vogel’s 4/21/2013 post about the First United Life Insurance building: A 10/20/1994 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form confirms Joe’s theory. An excerpt from Section 7 Page 3 notes that “The former Gary Theatre building is located at 475 Broadway. First United Life remodeled this building in c.1965 with the present modern facade.”
An October 1920 Exhibitors Herald item noted that Gary Amusement Company had taken over management of the Gary Theater.
Uploaded a 1936 photo showing the Roxy and adjacent buildings. Marquee looks blank so the theater may have been dark at the time.
Exhibitors Herald reported in November 1920 that the Grand had been outfitted with a new DeLuxe organ and redecorated in shades of mauve and green. The upgrades cost $2500.
An August 1948 item in Boxoffice reported that remodeling and reconditioning of the Tivoli had been completed. Over 1200 new seats, new RCA sound heads and additional air conditioning units were installed.
The Palace Building site is slated for redevelopment. The three-story L-shaped retail/apartment block facing both Broadway and East 8th Avenue will be retained. The auditorium is to be demolished. This link contains more information: https://www.gary.gov/palacetheater
The Griffith Theatre debuted January 1, 1947. “Centennial Summer” and “Joe Palooka Champ” were on the opening program. Irving Karlow might have been the architect as his name appears in the launch advertisement on December 31, 1946.
Interesting info from Joe Vogel. The old Masonic Temple was at 83 State Street, about 125 State Street if it existed today. The Colonial Theatre was in the old Masonic Temple. By 1915 the building was a hotel and the space used by the theater, renumbered 85 State Street, was a store.
In 1929, space which had been occupied by the DeLuxe theater, Simpson’s barber shop, a meeting hall and numerous offices was cleared out to make way for the Schulte-United Junior Department Store, which closed in May 1932. In September 1932 Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company leased the space formerly occupied by Schulte-United. According to the Times, the area leased was once occupied by “the old DeLuxe theater and several other business rooms which were thrown into one large room in the [Schulte-United] remodeling process.”
Alex Manta opened the Liberty Theatre in 1910. One of the first movie houses in East Chicago, it was located in a building owned by Lazar W. Saric, prominent East Chicago real estate developer. After the Liberty Theatre closed, the space was occupied by a grocery store, then by the Indiana Harbor post office. On March 22, 1924, the Central Theatre debuted in the same spot. It was short-lived - by November 26, 1924, “For Rent” signs were displayed in the windows. In January 1925 the building was being remodeled to accommodate a department store.
Manta went on to manage other theaters in East Chicago and Whiting, IN. He opened the Indiana Theatre in Indiana Harbor, was district manager for Warner Brothers theaters, then helped run Indiana-Illinois Theaters, Inc., and the Manta & Rose theater circuit.
The 1000-seat Garden Theatre stood at 3614 Main Street in the Indiana Harbor side of East Chicago, IN. It was built at a cost of $100,000 for James Piwaronas, a local grocer, by Indiana Harbor contractor James Johnston from plans drawn by Hammond, IN, architect George McClure (“Mac”) Turner. Construction started in May 1923 with a year-end target opening. The theater finally debuted July 24, 1924, seven months later than hoped. Piwaronas operated the theater until his death in 1979.
The Garden Theatre featured a $15,000 pipe organ, scientific ventilating and heating, lobby lights that were “a miniature replica of the fixtures used in the Chicago theater [and] decoration and ornamental work…copied from the various Balaban & Katz palaces of Chicago.” Decorator Supply Company of Chicago supplied ornamental work. Goldstein Decorators of Detroit installed the decorations.
Outside, a 25-foot sign illuminated the front as brightly as day. It had 30-inch-high letters. The building contained the theater, two stores and six offices.
The Garden Theatre re-launched December 6, 1929, with Vitaphone and Movietone talking pictures. The first offering was “Broadway Melody” with Bessie Love. From the mid-1950’s the showplace advertised as the New Garden Theatre. By 1981 it was the Cine Garden, presenting Spanish-language films.
The Broadway Theatre was operating at the same address as early as February 1929, the first time it’s listed in the phone directory. The Broadway Theatre formally opened on November 1, 1929, featuring “New and Perfected Talking Pictures,” the first of which was “In Old Arizona” with Warner Baxter. Ads for the Broadway Theatre appeared in 1932-1938 and 1942-1943 featuring American and foreign (Russian, Hungarian) films with subtitles. There was also a focus on Westerns. No ads appear after October 1947.
The Vic Theatre was at 3525 Main Street in the Indiana Harbor side of East Chicago, IN. It probably opened in February 1934 - its first ad appeared on February 7, 1934, and the Vic Theatre first showed up in the February 1934 phone directory. There is no reference to a Vic or Victory Theatre before 1934. The theater was operated by the Auksel family.
The Vic Theatre likely closed in 1961 as its last mention in the newspaper was in May 1961. In its final years it played Spanish-language films.
The theater at 4824 Alexander Avenue in the Indiana Harbor side of East Chicago, IN, had several names. It was listed in the phone directory as the Twin City Theatre from March 1926 through February 1934. In September 1934 it was advertising as the Midtown Theatre. From March 1936 until November 1946 it was the Midway Theatre. In December 1946 it became the Mars Theatre. I didn’t find any ads placed after May 1951.
The Rio Theatre closed November 3, 1946, with an announcement teasing about renovation and remodeling. The venue reopened November 15, 1946, as the “Newly Remodeled and Beautiful” new Hammond Theatre. Later ads called it the Hammond Theatre. (This was the city’s second Hammond Theatre. The first was downtown. It became the DeLuxe Theatre.) In November 1949 the name changed again, this time to Pix Theatre. There are no ads for the Pix after February 1950.
Turns out this was not the new Home Theatre, but rather the New Home Theatre. It was around in 1915. Its proprietor back then was Ferdinand Ketzik. There is no mention of the New Home Theatre (or Home Theatre) before 1915.
The Gary, IN-based Bikos circuit added this theater in May 1926.