The current Wurlitzer 3Manual/18Rank Opus 1524 theatre pipe organ is enlarged to this size from the original 3Manual/10Rank Style 235 SP installation.
Since North Tonawanda was the home of the Rudolph Wurlitzer organ factory, Wurlitzer used the Riviera’s organ, with its highly decorated console, as a demonstration model to show off all their special features.
When first opened in 1920, Sheas North Park Theatre was equipped with a Wurlitzer 2Manual/6Rank theatre pipe organ Opus 365. However it was repossed on 27th March 1926 and removed to the Lyric Theatre, Louisville, KY. It is now in Albany. NY.
In 1915 (two years after opening) a Beman Symphonie organ was installed to accompany the silent movies. Its current status is unknown, but I’m sure it is not located in the theatre today.
The headers for this theatre need updating as follows;
Architectural Style : Adam
Chain: Loew's
Architect: Thomas W. Lamb
In 1900 the Orpheum replaced the Music Hall when the auditorium was totally turned around, now with a new stage and proscenium at the north end. For 15 years the Orpheum was a leading vaudeville theatre.
In 1915 Marcus Loew acquired the site. The theatre was gutted – only the north and south exterior walls are original from its days as the Music Hall. It opened on 20th January 1916 with 7 ‘family’ vaudeville acts. A Frazee 3 Manual/25 Rank Opus. 30. theatre pipe organ was installed (which had a reputation of having a notoriously slow action). The auditorium was in an early Adam style design by the architect Thomas Lamb, the proscenium being back-lit which was unusual for a Lamb theatre.
The Orpheum played movies for many years, sorry, I don’t know when these stopped, but in the 1970’s it was the home for Sarah Caldwell’s Opera Co. of Boston before they found a new home at Keith’s Memorial Theater.
Its opening seating capacity was 2,927, today as a concert hall it seats 2,763.
Looking at street maps of San Clemente, travelling South on El Camino Real, the first theatre you would have seen would be the Casino on the corner of cross street W. Avenida Pico.
Travelling further south one block on the corner of the next street off to the right Boca de La Playa is the Miramar/San Clemente Theatre.
No sorry, as I stated above, there is only the San Clemente Theater listed in the 3 year’s FDY that I have. Maybe another contributer on here has FDY for 1937 thru 1940?
I have it listed in Film Daily Yearbooks, 1941 and 1952 as the San Clemente Theater. FDY for 1941 gives a seating capacity of 800 and in 1952 it is listed with 650 seats. The address given is Highway 101. It is the only theatre listed in the town of San Clemente.
I went by there last June (2004) and as I was taking photographs a guy came out from the car dealership across the road and asked ‘why are you taking photo’s that dump for? The sooner its torn down the better’. I just told him that it is an important part of the local history of the community and something should be done to get it open again in some form or another. He just walked away swearing, as if I was some kinda ‘nut’.
I checked out the actual street address and I can confirm lostmemory’s posting that it is located at 1598 El Camino Real, on the corner of Boca de La Playa.
I wonder if it opened as the El Hidelgo Theater, became known as the San Clemente Theater and finally closed as the Miramar Theater?
The building looked closed up and un-used, to my eyes.
RHSottSpencer;
I stand corrected by your superior local knowledge.
Just for the record I have several Kinematograph Yearbooks. Listing for Pontardulais (Glam) is given; Tivoli (no further details in the Yearbooks for 1937 and 1944). The 1947 Yearbook gives the Tivoli, prices 9d to 2/3d.
In the Kine. Yearbooks for 1963 and 1966 the cinema listed for Pontardulais is; Memorial and Welfare Hall, (Western Electric Sound) Phone 372. Two changes weekly. 500 seats. Prices 1s. to 3s. Cinemascope. One show daily. Booked at hall. Proscenium width 30ft. Screen 28ft by 14ft. Station: Pontardulais
Is the Memorial and Welfare Hall the former Tivoli?
Thats a great postcard view. I wonder if the low building just beyond the Warner Theatre building is the former first 1913 built Iris Theatre? It’s an empty plot of land there nowadays so perhaps we will never know.
That would be kewl. S. CA’s climate is one reason I will be there. I will be in LA from 12th Jan until 30th Jan and San Francisco from 31st Jan until 7th Feb.
e-mail me (link on my profile) if interested in meeting up anyone?
Thanks br91975;
I know for sure it was closed on one of my visits in the mid 1990’s and was open again on my next visit in 1998. Maybe it closed in 1994 and had re-opened by March 1996.
It is still currently operating, and I hope to go see a movie there when I visit LA in a couple of weeks time (depending whats on offer, that is!).
Thanks for your kind remarks. It’s difficult doing research from so far away (as I am in the UK), but I try my best when I am over in the USA to locate as much info as I can on theatres. I think I have exhausted my knowledge on the Ricardo Montalban for the moment though.
I remember Lux soap over here in the UK in the 1950’s, in fact I think it could still be on sale in a few outlets. Of course we had the BBC which doesn’t allow sponsership of its programmes, well it didn’t back in the ‘old days’.
I too just bought Rosemary Lord’s book for the older photo’s, being a ‘coffee-table’ type book, its not the type you pick up and actually ‘read’ is it!
Glad we finally got the Helen Hayes play title right! As they say ‘A picture never lies’. Great photo. Thanks
When it first opened in 1931 as the Studio Theatre, it was billed on the marquee as being ‘The Worlds Most Unusual Theatre’. The new concept was that it was the first ‘automatic’ theatre in the area. It had no ushers, just a cashier, a manager and a projectionist. Patrons passed through a turnstyle after purchasing their tickets. The turnstyle operated automatic doors and candy, cigarettes and drinks were sold via coin-operated machines.
It closed as the Holly Theatre in the summer of 1986.
Great photo Christian. Again it is one I haven’t seen before.
As Joe Vogal mentions above, the Marcal Theater opened in 1925, it had a seating capacity of 964.
It was operated by Fox Theatres for many years and in 1949 architect S.Charles Lee drew up plans to renovate the theatre, although it is not certain whether this happened.
In 1983 the LA Times did a review on the movie theatres of Los Angeles and here is what they said about the World Theatre, Hollywood;
‘Well – Don’t go alone and check your seat before sitting down. This is a good theatre for seeing action and horror films. The audience keeps up a continuous barrage of commentary. These people dont just watch a film, they participate’.
You got 3 movies for $2 admission, running continuously daily from 12 noon until 4am and audiences ranged from film buffs, male hustlers to homeless street people. It closed as a movie theatre in the Summer of 1986.
The Hitching Post Theatre, Hollywood. operated from the mid 1940’s until the mid-1950’s. Film Daily Yearbooks give a seating capacity of 400.
Children were encouraged to attend the Saturday morning performances wearing their cowboy outfits, but had to check-in their cap pistols in the lobby.
There is a great photo of the kids in their outfits queuing up to enter the theatre. On the marquee the attractions are; Charles Starrett in “Outlaws of the Rockies” plus “Indian Agent” with Tim Holt. A notice on the box office window states ‘Guns must be checked inside’.
The site of the theatre, directly across from the Hollywood Pantages Theater is now the open piazza which leads to the Red-Line Metro station.
This opened as the Admiral Theater pre 1939 (anyone know when?) It was re-modelled by architect S. Charles Lee in 1939-40 for the owner Julius Stern.
Pacific Theatres were operating the Vine Theater as a 2 movies for $2 admission policy before closing it in about 1994. It re-opened in 1998 showing recent movies in double bills and has a current seating capacity of 600.
Many thanks for posting the ‘artist’s sketch pic (was this scheme ever carried out I wonder?) and also the 1934 photo of the S. Charles Lee? re-construction of the facade (I have never seen this one before). Your input is very much appreciated.
Here is a brief resume of the history of the Fox (former Iris Theatre);
It was built for theatre owner P. Tabor who had previously operated Hollywood’s first movie theatre, the Idyl Hour Theatre, built in 1911 at 6265 Hollywood Blvd.
In 1913, the Idyl Hour Theatre was re-located to 6415 Hollywood Blvd and the name changed to Iris Theatre (This location would put it just slightly East of the current Warner Theatre (Pacific 1-2-3)on what is currently an empty piece of land).
In 1918 a new Iris Theatre was constructed on the other side of Hollywood Blvd at #6508 (the current site today). It was designed in a formal Romanesque style by architect Frank Meline & Co- Designers and Builders, the entire structure was built of brick and it had a seating capacity of 814 on a single floor.
The first major change to the theatre came in 1934 when S.Charles Lee? (according to William’s post on here on Nov 11 2003) re-built the frontage (as seen in the photo you posted) and possibly did some re-modelling in the auditorium (strangely this is not mentioned in the Maggie Valentine book on S. Charles Lee ‘The Show Starts on the Sidewalk’). The only work Lee did in Hollywood in in that period according to the book is the newly built Vogue Theatre on Hollywood Blvd in 1934-35. But then there are several innacuraccies in that book, so this needs further investigation.
The Iris Theatre was re-named the Fox Theatre in the mid-1950’s when the former Music Box Theatre/Fox changed its name to Pix. This could tie-in with Artist’s sketch of 1955 which you posted. If this new treatment was carried out on the facade, then it didn’t last too long, as the current rendition we see today was possibly from the 1968 renovation.
The Fox was operated in its later years by Fox West Coast Theatres, National General Theatres and finally Mann Theatres. I have a copy of the LA Times, December 1983 when they did an article reviewing the movie theaters of Los Angeles. I quote; ‘The Fox, Hollywood – The screen is poorly matted. Its picture is cut off at top and bottom – and as for cleanliness – it’s a garbage dump’.
I have a year of closing for the Fox Theatre as 1994.
This area of London is known as Walham Green. It has been without a cinema since the former Regal/ABC on North End Rd closed in 1972. That has since been demolished.
The former Red Hall Cinema/Gaumont on Vanston Place closed in 1962 and is still there, in use as a bingo club.
You have my full support and I empathize with your feelings totally, as possibly many others on this site do too? I have just added many former gay male porn cinemas in New York, Florida and San Francisco to the site. Some of course were former regular movie theaters like the Montauk once was. This is a better use for an old theater than being carved up into yet another drug store etc or demolition.
42nd St and the Times Sq area has certainly ‘lost it’ as far as I’m concerned. It used to be the heart of NYC which gave it the edgy feel which made it an exciting place to visit. Now its about as exciting as a ride on the horse drawn street car on Main St, Disneyland!
Keep on supporting the Montauk, your $$’s MAY make all the difference to the future of the building. I will be doing the same when in West Hollywood in a couple of weeks time at the Tomcat Theatre (former Monica Theatre)
Happy New Year to All Theatre and Cinema Treasures enthusiasts.
The current Wurlitzer 3Manual/18Rank Opus 1524 theatre pipe organ is enlarged to this size from the original 3Manual/10Rank Style 235 SP installation.
Since North Tonawanda was the home of the Rudolph Wurlitzer organ factory, Wurlitzer used the Riviera’s organ, with its highly decorated console, as a demonstration model to show off all their special features.
When first opened in 1920, Sheas North Park Theatre was equipped with a Wurlitzer 2Manual/6Rank theatre pipe organ Opus 365. However it was repossed on 27th March 1926 and removed to the Lyric Theatre, Louisville, KY. It is now in Albany. NY.
In 1915 (two years after opening) a Beman Symphonie organ was installed to accompany the silent movies. Its current status is unknown, but I’m sure it is not located in the theatre today.
The headers for this theatre need updating as follows;
Architectural Style : Adam
Chain: Loew's
Architect: Thomas W. Lamb
In 1900 the Orpheum replaced the Music Hall when the auditorium was totally turned around, now with a new stage and proscenium at the north end. For 15 years the Orpheum was a leading vaudeville theatre.
In 1915 Marcus Loew acquired the site. The theatre was gutted – only the north and south exterior walls are original from its days as the Music Hall. It opened on 20th January 1916 with 7 ‘family’ vaudeville acts. A Frazee 3 Manual/25 Rank Opus. 30. theatre pipe organ was installed (which had a reputation of having a notoriously slow action). The auditorium was in an early Adam style design by the architect Thomas Lamb, the proscenium being back-lit which was unusual for a Lamb theatre.
The Orpheum played movies for many years, sorry, I don’t know when these stopped, but in the 1970’s it was the home for Sarah Caldwell’s Opera Co. of Boston before they found a new home at Keith’s Memorial Theater.
Its opening seating capacity was 2,927, today as a concert hall it seats 2,763.
Sorry here is the correct link to the 1925 map
View link
The California Theater opened pre-1922.
Here is a vintage view View link
On this 1925 map View link there is a Venice Theatre #33 located on the north boardwalk at the land end opposite the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster #43
I have a feeling this is the California Theater.
Looking at street maps of San Clemente, travelling South on El Camino Real, the first theatre you would have seen would be the Casino on the corner of cross street W. Avenida Pico.
Travelling further south one block on the corner of the next street off to the right Boca de La Playa is the Miramar/San Clemente Theatre.
That’s a very interesting resume of the San Clemente history lostmemory. Thanks for posting it.
Let’s hope someone on here can supply more details on the Casino and Miramar Theaters.
No sorry, as I stated above, there is only the San Clemente Theater listed in the 3 year’s FDY that I have. Maybe another contributer on here has FDY for 1937 thru 1940?
I have it listed in Film Daily Yearbooks, 1941 and 1952 as the San Clemente Theater. FDY for 1941 gives a seating capacity of 800 and in 1952 it is listed with 650 seats. The address given is Highway 101. It is the only theatre listed in the town of San Clemente.
I went by there last June (2004) and as I was taking photographs a guy came out from the car dealership across the road and asked ‘why are you taking photo’s that dump for? The sooner its torn down the better’. I just told him that it is an important part of the local history of the community and something should be done to get it open again in some form or another. He just walked away swearing, as if I was some kinda ‘nut’.
I checked out the actual street address and I can confirm lostmemory’s posting that it is located at 1598 El Camino Real, on the corner of Boca de La Playa.
I wonder if it opened as the El Hidelgo Theater, became known as the San Clemente Theater and finally closed as the Miramar Theater?
The building looked closed up and un-used, to my eyes.
Two small photographs I took can be seen here:– http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=us&id=11305
The Stuart Galbraith IV. book ‘Motor City Marquees’ gives the architects of the Dawn Theater as Feldman & Seeler
RHSottSpencer;
I stand corrected by your superior local knowledge.
Just for the record I have several Kinematograph Yearbooks. Listing for Pontardulais (Glam) is given; Tivoli (no further details in the Yearbooks for 1937 and 1944). The 1947 Yearbook gives the Tivoli, prices 9d to 2/3d.
In the Kine. Yearbooks for 1963 and 1966 the cinema listed for Pontardulais is; Memorial and Welfare Hall, (Western Electric Sound) Phone 372. Two changes weekly. 500 seats. Prices 1s. to 3s. Cinemascope. One show daily. Booked at hall. Proscenium width 30ft. Screen 28ft by 14ft. Station: Pontardulais
Is the Memorial and Welfare Hall the former Tivoli?
Thats a great postcard view. I wonder if the low building just beyond the Warner Theatre building is the former first 1913 built Iris Theatre? It’s an empty plot of land there nowadays so perhaps we will never know.
That would be kewl. S. CA’s climate is one reason I will be there. I will be in LA from 12th Jan until 30th Jan and San Francisco from 31st Jan until 7th Feb.
e-mail me (link on my profile) if interested in meeting up anyone?
Thanks br91975;
I know for sure it was closed on one of my visits in the mid 1990’s and was open again on my next visit in 1998. Maybe it closed in 1994 and had re-opened by March 1996.
It is still currently operating, and I hope to go see a movie there when I visit LA in a couple of weeks time (depending whats on offer, that is!).
Christian;
Thanks for your kind remarks. It’s difficult doing research from so far away (as I am in the UK), but I try my best when I am over in the USA to locate as much info as I can on theatres. I think I have exhausted my knowledge on the Ricardo Montalban for the moment though.
I remember Lux soap over here in the UK in the 1950’s, in fact I think it could still be on sale in a few outlets. Of course we had the BBC which doesn’t allow sponsership of its programmes, well it didn’t back in the ‘old days’.
I too just bought Rosemary Lord’s book for the older photo’s, being a ‘coffee-table’ type book, its not the type you pick up and actually ‘read’ is it!
Glad we finally got the Helen Hayes play title right! As they say ‘A picture never lies’. Great photo. Thanks
When it first opened in 1931 as the Studio Theatre, it was billed on the marquee as being ‘The Worlds Most Unusual Theatre’. The new concept was that it was the first ‘automatic’ theatre in the area. It had no ushers, just a cashier, a manager and a projectionist. Patrons passed through a turnstyle after purchasing their tickets. The turnstyle operated automatic doors and candy, cigarettes and drinks were sold via coin-operated machines.
It closed as the Holly Theatre in the summer of 1986.
Great photo Christian. Again it is one I haven’t seen before.
As Joe Vogal mentions above, the Marcal Theater opened in 1925, it had a seating capacity of 964.
It was operated by Fox Theatres for many years and in 1949 architect S.Charles Lee drew up plans to renovate the theatre, although it is not certain whether this happened.
In 1983 the LA Times did a review on the movie theatres of Los Angeles and here is what they said about the World Theatre, Hollywood;
‘Well – Don’t go alone and check your seat before sitting down. This is a good theatre for seeing action and horror films. The audience keeps up a continuous barrage of commentary. These people dont just watch a film, they participate’.
You got 3 movies for $2 admission, running continuously daily from 12 noon until 4am and audiences ranged from film buffs, male hustlers to homeless street people. It closed as a movie theatre in the Summer of 1986.
The Hitching Post Theatre, Hollywood. operated from the mid 1940’s until the mid-1950’s. Film Daily Yearbooks give a seating capacity of 400.
Children were encouraged to attend the Saturday morning performances wearing their cowboy outfits, but had to check-in their cap pistols in the lobby.
There is a great photo of the kids in their outfits queuing up to enter the theatre. On the marquee the attractions are; Charles Starrett in “Outlaws of the Rockies” plus “Indian Agent” with Tim Holt. A notice on the box office window states ‘Guns must be checked inside’.
The site of the theatre, directly across from the Hollywood Pantages Theater is now the open piazza which leads to the Red-Line Metro station.
This opened as the Admiral Theater pre 1939 (anyone know when?) It was re-modelled by architect S. Charles Lee in 1939-40 for the owner Julius Stern.
Pacific Theatres were operating the Vine Theater as a 2 movies for $2 admission policy before closing it in about 1994. It re-opened in 1998 showing recent movies in double bills and has a current seating capacity of 600.
Christian;
Many thanks for posting the ‘artist’s sketch pic (was this scheme ever carried out I wonder?) and also the 1934 photo of the S. Charles Lee? re-construction of the facade (I have never seen this one before). Your input is very much appreciated.
Here is a brief resume of the history of the Fox (former Iris Theatre);
It was built for theatre owner P. Tabor who had previously operated Hollywood’s first movie theatre, the Idyl Hour Theatre, built in 1911 at 6265 Hollywood Blvd.
In 1913, the Idyl Hour Theatre was re-located to 6415 Hollywood Blvd and the name changed to Iris Theatre (This location would put it just slightly East of the current Warner Theatre (Pacific 1-2-3)on what is currently an empty piece of land).
In 1918 a new Iris Theatre was constructed on the other side of Hollywood Blvd at #6508 (the current site today). It was designed in a formal Romanesque style by architect Frank Meline & Co- Designers and Builders, the entire structure was built of brick and it had a seating capacity of 814 on a single floor.
The first major change to the theatre came in 1934 when S.Charles Lee? (according to William’s post on here on Nov 11 2003) re-built the frontage (as seen in the photo you posted) and possibly did some re-modelling in the auditorium (strangely this is not mentioned in the Maggie Valentine book on S. Charles Lee ‘The Show Starts on the Sidewalk’). The only work Lee did in Hollywood in in that period according to the book is the newly built Vogue Theatre on Hollywood Blvd in 1934-35. But then there are several innacuraccies in that book, so this needs further investigation.
The Iris Theatre was re-named the Fox Theatre in the mid-1950’s when the former Music Box Theatre/Fox changed its name to Pix. This could tie-in with Artist’s sketch of 1955 which you posted. If this new treatment was carried out on the facade, then it didn’t last too long, as the current rendition we see today was possibly from the 1968 renovation.
The Fox was operated in its later years by Fox West Coast Theatres, National General Theatres and finally Mann Theatres. I have a copy of the LA Times, December 1983 when they did an article reviewing the movie theaters of Los Angeles. I quote; ‘The Fox, Hollywood – The screen is poorly matted. Its picture is cut off at top and bottom – and as for cleanliness – it’s a garbage dump’.
I have a year of closing for the Fox Theatre as 1994.
This area of London is known as Walham Green. It has been without a cinema since the former Regal/ABC on North End Rd closed in 1972. That has since been demolished.
The former Red Hall Cinema/Gaumont on Vanston Place closed in 1962 and is still there, in use as a bingo club.
This multiplex opened as the Warner Village Cinemas on 11th October 2002.
The Viers Mill Theater opened on 3rd August 1950 with the film “The Good Humour Man” starring Jack Carson.
The architect was Richard L. Parli and it was built as part of the Viers Mill Village Shopping Center. It had a seating capacity of 900.
It was operated throughout its existance by the Sidney Lust organisation.
After closing it was converted into a drugstore.
Theatrebuff;
You have my full support and I empathize with your feelings totally, as possibly many others on this site do too? I have just added many former gay male porn cinemas in New York, Florida and San Francisco to the site. Some of course were former regular movie theaters like the Montauk once was. This is a better use for an old theater than being carved up into yet another drug store etc or demolition.
42nd St and the Times Sq area has certainly ‘lost it’ as far as I’m concerned. It used to be the heart of NYC which gave it the edgy feel which made it an exciting place to visit. Now its about as exciting as a ride on the horse drawn street car on Main St, Disneyland!
Keep on supporting the Montauk, your $$’s MAY make all the difference to the future of the building. I will be doing the same when in West Hollywood in a couple of weeks time at the Tomcat Theatre (former Monica Theatre)
Happy New Year to All Theatre and Cinema Treasures enthusiasts.