Christian speaks of a “huge net under the ceiling to catch bits of plaster” supposedly falling due to the then sensation of low frequency sound of “Sensurround” for the 1974 movie “Earthquake.” I will bet dollars to doughnuts that the entire net and any seeming plaster in it were entirely props to promote the new sound technique (which was NOT all that novel nor convincing in actuality!) It was typical Hollywood hyperbole (‘hype’) that intended to scare the potential patron a little as if to say: ‘Are you man enough to sit in a place that might lose its plaster while watching LA being reduced to rubble?!!’ This ploy was used across the nation as advance men wrote letters to the local papers by a “concerned citizen” to have local theaters inspected for cracks before the film was allowed to play. Such ad men then prevailed upon local building inspectors to parade through movie palaces (there were a few more in business then) with a TV camera crew and supposedly ‘inspect’ and ‘certify’ the “old” building as resistant to their vaunted “Sensurround!!” And, yes, the theatres were in on the joke. It was free publicity as the local TV stations all took it seriously, not knowing or caring anything about ‘old’ theatres which they naively implied were close to falling down anyway. It all worked: people voiced concern about “old” buildings and the movie made millions without any theatre anywhere ever losing anything legitimately in a structural sense, even if some of the patrons came there to really experience something falling from a ceiling, as opposed to enjoying one of the first of the ‘Disaster films’. One cannot help but wonder how much more vandalism to the interiors of palaces was prompted by this disdainful approach to our theatres heritage.
Movie palaces were HEAVILY built and anyone having any real knowledge of construction would have laughed at their attempts to gain publicity at the expense of the “old” theatres. Any such man would have said that if anything were to fall, it would be the lightweight Fiberglas acoustic ceiling rectangles in the jerrybuilt cinemas then sprouting around the country. Earthquakes can take down theatres and their plaster, but not some silly contrivance of louder sound waves. (Yes, I know; sound waves of sufficient amplitude can, in theory, destroy a building, but had the sound been anywhere near that strong, the audience would have left, or died in their seats! Obviously not the outcome the promoters had in mind for maximum ticket sales.)
I hope someone knowing the details of the neon change of color comes forward, but it may simply be that the exact shade of red that preceeded it has fallen out of production. A number of colors that originated with neon in the 1920s, are not now made, since it has been found cheaper to make subsitute colors. For example, there was a “Uranium green” but it was never made after a new use was found for uranium and the price of the ore thus shot out of reach. Maybe someone at the sign company making it will know the details and tell the truth of the matter, assuming the exact choice of color was theirs.
Rosebudâ€\s success spawns sequel
Theater owner to open Bay View movie house
By TOM DAYKIN
Posted: Dec. 16, 2004
Milwaukeeâ€\s reviving Bay View area finally is getting a cinema, but it wonâ€\t be at the neighborhoodâ€\s former Avalon Theatre.
Theater Sequel in Bay View
Photo/Jeffrey Phelps
Patrons enter a midnight show at Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse, 6823 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa, in 2002. Owner Jay Hollis is expanding his business with a new theater in Milwaukeeâ€\s Bay View area.
The Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse Bay View will open next summer in a former Kohlâ€\s supermarket, 2826 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., said Jay Hollis, who operates the original Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse, 6823 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa.
The Bay View Rosebud, like the Wauwatosa business, will feature first-run and art house films in a single-screen theater, furnished with tables, sofas and chairs, and offering a dining service with beer, wine, pizza and other foods.
Hollis said Thursday he signed a letter of intent to sublease 5,000 square feet from Outpost Natural Foods, which recently agreed to lease the 24,000-square-foot building. The building has been empty since August 2003, when Kohlâ€\s Food Stores Inc. closed its 23 area supermarkets after several years of declining sales.
Outpost plans to open an 8,000-square-foot store by next summer and will use additional space for its catering division. Outpost, which also operates stores at 100 E. Capitol Drive and at 7000 W. State St. in Wauwatosa, is subleasing the north part of the building to Hollis.
Outpost plans to begin its $2.1 million renovation in January, said Pam Mehnert, general manager. She said the Rosebud, which will show movies only at night, will be compatible with the natural foods store, which operates during the day.
Outpost also might provide some food for the Rosebudâ€\s dining service, Mehnert said.
Hollis, who today celebrates the fifth anniversary of the Wauwatosa Rosebud, has been considering a second location in Bay View for about two years.
The south side neighborhood has seen an influx of new homeowners, which has increased property values and attracted several new retailers along Kinnickinnic Ave.
“The demographics are perfect for Rosebud,†Hollis said.
Also, Bay Viewâ€\s only movie theater, the Avalon, closed in July 2000. Avalon owner Craig Ellsworth said it could no longer compete with modern, multi-screen cinemas.
Hollis said the Wauwatosa Rosebud began turning a profit its second year, thanks to the dining service, unusual furnishings and a fun atmosphere drawing customers from throughout the Milwaukee area.
Hollis said it would cost roughly $250,000 to create the Bay View Rosebud. He expects to finance the project mainly with cash generated by the Wauwatosa cinema and a bank loan.
Hollis originally hoped to buy and reopen the Avalon, but dropped that plan because it would have been too expensive. He said Ellsworth wanted $1.5 million for the building, which includes 19 apartments and street-level retail space, or $550,000 for just the theater portion. Hollis estimated it would cost an additional $500,000 to properly renovate the theater building.
Ellsworth declined to comment on his discussions with Hollis. He said he continues to market the 1,250-seat theater for conversion to office space.
The Bay View Rosebud will have 170 to 190 seats, about the size of the Wauwatosa theater.
The new theater will be a welcome addition to the neighborhood, said Carol Voss, a spokeswoman for the Bay View Neighborhood Association.
Still, Voss added, “It would have been nice if it could have been in the Avalon.â€
The Avalon opened in 1929. It is known for its decorative facade, ornate ceiling that depicts twinkling stars and a Wurlitzer pipe organ.
The Common Council in March designated the Avalon as a historic structure. That designation protects the Avalon from demolition or exterior renovations, but wonâ€\t affect Ellsworthâ€\s plan to turn the theater space into offices. In June, the Avalon made the stateâ€\s Ten Most Endangered Properties list for 2004, compiled annually by the Madison-based Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation.
From the Dec. 17, 2004, editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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As to the ROXY being “tacky” one only has to read the extensive chapters in the late Ben M. Hall’s landmark book THE BEST REMAINING SEATS: THE STORY OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE MOVIE PALACE to learn that the ROXY started out with just the same programming that the Music Hall did, but that by 1931 the ROXY was deprived of both Mr. Rothafel, as well as most of the financial backing it originally had. The Rockefellers were in a much better position to fund RCMH, and so it took the higher ground the ROXY was forced to abandon. In its last years, the venerable ROXY was humbled repeatedly and took anything the audiences fleeing to TV might accept. Sic transit gloria.
Note that these “quotes” are by writings of Roxy’s son, Robert, not the great man his father was: Samuel Lionel Ropthapfel (legally changed to Rothafel in the Teutophobic years after WWI). Whether Robert intended to honor his Dad’s style is not known. Of course, hyperbole was always the concommitant of show business!
In the book “Four Aspects of Film” the author describes ‘Smell-O-Vision’ or ‘Odororama’ in detail, and mentions that one of the main reasons the films quickly failed (besides the considerable costs involved) is that by the time a scent was released in the balcony, the scene had changed and a new scent was drifting up from the orchestra seats, and the two scents often conflicted, as when a field of grass was replaced with a view of a wine cask being broken open. Also, many of the smells were not really true to life, and some patrons found themselves nauseated by the odor. He explained that the effect was accomplished by means of pellets in a dispenser underneath some seats that were electrically dropped by a cue on the film into a container of liquid with a small fan that wafted the ‘fragrance’ about. Later on, some theatres in the 70s experimented with a new gimmick where the patron was instructed to scratch a designated area on a card given them at entry, and it would release an odor that then represented some things the early guys had never thought of: vomit, hair spray, feces, etc.! Maybe the ‘ghost’ of the Capitol is still reeling from the heady experience, if not a few patrons!
Myron, you couldn’t be more right: as the theatres grew smaller, so did the films! Hollywood is no longer the base of artists trying to achieve art, or even enterainment, just PROFITS. Get the video from PBS “The Monster That Ate Hollywood” to find out how the conglomerates are steadily destroying it by authorizing only cookie cutter product best able to guarantee profits. And with the TV writers' stike a few years ago, the studios are trying freeze out the writers to reduce fees. Since all the great novels have been converted to film, the source of good stories in a visual generation is drying up, what with few writers having the morals to write decently, and the studios wanting big effects and soft porn to sell big.
Warren, those would have to be the most humungous rollers the world has ever seen! How about a fleet of 500 air balloons picking up at once? And in this season, surely we could get Santa to loan his sleigh and maybe 10,000 reindeer! But surely Brooklyners would shed a tear at the loss of one of their landmarks. We can only hope that more of them come to see the KINGS as a landmark to be preserved.
Rosebudâ€\s success spawns sequel
Theater owner to open Bay View movie house
By TOM DAYKIN
Posted: Dec. 16, 2004
Milwaukeeâ€\s reviving Bay View area finally is getting a cinema, but it wonâ€\t be at the neighborhoodâ€\s former Avalon Theatre.
Theater Sequel in Bay View
Photo/Jeffrey Phelps
Patrons enter a midnight show at Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse, 6823 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa, in 2002. Owner Jay Hollis is expanding his business with a new theater in Milwaukeeâ€\s Bay View area.
The Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse Bay View will open next summer in a former Kohlâ€\s supermarket, 2826 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., said Jay Hollis, who operates the original Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse, 6823 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa.
The Bay View Rosebud, like the Wauwatosa business, will feature first-run and art house films in a single-screen theater, furnished with tables, sofas and chairs, and offering a dining service with beer, wine, pizza and other foods.
Hollis said Thursday he signed a letter of intent to sublease 5,000 square feet from Outpost Natural Foods, which recently agreed to lease the 24,000-square-foot building. The building has been empty since August 2003, when Kohlâ€\s Food Stores Inc. closed its 23 area supermarkets after several years of declining sales.
Outpost plans to open an 8,000-square-foot store by next summer and will use additional space for its catering division. Outpost, which also operates stores at 100 E. Capitol Drive and at 7000 W. State St. in Wauwatosa, is subleasing the north part of the building to Hollis.
Outpost plans to begin its $2.1 million renovation in January, said Pam Mehnert, general manager. She said the Rosebud, which will show movies only at night, will be compatible with the natural foods store, which operates during the day.
Outpost also might provide some food for the Rosebudâ€\s dining service, Mehnert said.
Hollis, who today celebrates the fifth anniversary of the Wauwatosa Rosebud, has been considering a second location in Bay View for about two years.
The south side neighborhood has seen an influx of new homeowners, which has increased property values and attracted several new retailers along Kinnickinnic Ave.
“The demographics are perfect for Rosebud,†Hollis said.
Also, Bay Viewâ€\s only movie theater, the Avalon, closed in July 2000. Avalon owner Craig Ellsworth said it could no longer compete with modern, multi-screen cinemas.
Hollis said the Wauwatosa Rosebud began turning a profit its second year, thanks to the dining service, unusual furnishings and a fun atmosphere drawing customers from throughout the Milwaukee area.
Hollis said it would cost roughly $250,000 to create the Bay View Rosebud. He expects to finance the project mainly with cash generated by the Wauwatosa cinema and a bank loan.
Hollis originally hoped to buy and reopen the Avalon, but dropped that plan because it would have been too expensive. He said Ellsworth wanted $1.5 million for the building, which includes 19 apartments and street-level retail space, or $550,000 for just the theater portion. Hollis estimated it would cost an additional $500,000 to properly renovate the theater building.
Ellsworth declined to comment on his discussions with Hollis. He said he continues to market the 1,250-seat theater for conversion to office space.
The Bay View Rosebud will have 170 to 190 seats, about the size of the Wauwatosa theater.
The new theater will be a welcome addition to the neighborhood, said Carol Voss, a spokeswoman for the Bay View Neighborhood Association.
Still, Voss added, “It would have been nice if it could have been in the Avalon.â€
The Avalon opened in 1929. It is known for its decorative facade, ornate ceiling that depicts twinkling stars and a Wurlitzer pipe organ.
The Common Council in March designated the Avalon as a historic structure. That designation protects the Avalon from demolition or exterior renovations, but wonâ€\t affect Ellsworthâ€\s plan to turn the theater space into offices. In June, the Avalon made the stateâ€\s Ten Most Endangered Properties list for 2004, compiled annually by the Madison-based Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation.
From the Dec. 17, 2004, editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Finally found the Westinghouse lamps catalog on-line and they still make at least four versions of what they now call “½ chrome” lamps up to 100 watts. These are sometimes also called “half silvered” and maybe the Music Hall doesn’t want to invest in this short lived lamp any longer. It is a pity, for the effect described must have been classy.
The light bulbs you are referring to are called “SILVER BOWL LAMPS” and as late as 1986 the Westinghouse brand was listed as selling seven versions of them in both medium and mogul bases. They ranged from 60 to 1000 watts. The ‘silver’ was sprayed into the inside of the glass of the bowl. I am not sure if these are still made, but various dealers around the country still have stocks according to today’s search for them on google. They were once common in ‘moderne’ ceilings and displays where they were often centered in grids of reflector tiles in ceilings, but like all incandescents, they have short life spans and are expensive to operate at today’s rates since only 5% of the energy they consume comes out as light.
“DavidH” posted these two comments on another theatre’s page: The HITCHIING POST THEATRE of Hollywood CA: /theaters/1973/ and thereby shamed me into submitting the Milwaukee version of the ‘Hitching Post Theatre,’ the MIRTH here. His posts are copied here because they fill in some gaps in my narrative.
“The Hitching Post theater in Milwaukee lasted for only for a short time.
Fox Wisconsin Amusement Corp which owned the Mirth never bothered to change the name on the marquee or add any cowboy features to the decor. Within a month or two the Mirth was the Mirth again showing regular Hollywood features.
At the Pearl, Grace, Park, Midget or Mozart in Milwaukee theaters which always had cowboy pictures, whenever Andy Clyde came on the screen the audience cheered.
Was he as funny as he was in the movies when he had the job of scout master?
posted by DavidH on Dec 15, 2004 at 7:15pm
The Mirth which became Milwaukee’s Hitching Post had admission prices were much higher than the other theaters which also regularly showed cowboy films. That is probably the reason that Milwaukee’s Hitching Post did not catch on.
posted by DavidH on Dec 15, 2004 at 7:22pm"
Vincent: This is not the place for an autobiography, but suffice it to say that I have been studying theatre architecture and related topics since the 1960s, so do have a few years under my belt. If I come across as experienced, that can only be attributed to the year I spent as the Archivist/Historian to the 1895 National Historic Landmark PABST theatre here in Milwaukee. I am a published researcher and writer, but neuropathy is now robbing me of my ability to do much more, so at least appreciative people like you make CT a wonderful forum for our shared interest, as I have told the owners of this site, Ross and Patrick, several times.
It might actually be a good time to contact Sears' chief operating officer, or better yet, the billionaire who just bought them and Kmart a year ago. Many companies are looking for ‘image’ properties and the publicity that public good will would bring to them. Any approach to them should be very professional in tone and delivery, with possibly a full corporate presentation scheduled before the chairman and the board of directors of the new holding company. They are the ones that now control the purse strings and may be impressed enough to impose their wish for this even if the Sears executives are not enthusiastic. Since Sears now is also the sponsor of the TV show EXTREME MAKEOVER—HOME EDITION, they might be in the mood to top their work there with something like this “Sears Performing Arts Center” but then again, maybe it should be presented as being in the name of that billionaire who runs it all. I can’t recall his name, but it will be in the current news media on-line though any business magazine.
One would have to write their HQ to get an appointment to approach the Board of Directors and the Big Man, but would probably have to convince someone of lower rank first as to the idea’s merit, seriousness of purpose, and feasibility. This means at least something like a PowerPoint presentation, with photo blowups of the site, past and present, as well as the Sears store behind it. Remember that they do not go to all their stores, so may have no clear idea of the physical situation there; an aerial shot to show proximity may help. If you can get the Brooklyn borough chief to go with such as BruceC and perhaps an architect who has drawn up sketches on spec, then you will have a convincing team that can emphasize that Sears tools and materials will be prominent in the rebuild, and that cameras will follow the whole project. Since ABC television now runs the show on-air, it might be best to first contact them to see if they will film and air a show about such a project, and a letter from them to the Big Man may grease your way into their board room. And if you can line up a celebrity to offer to open the place in front of ABC’s cameras for a special, then you may have a working formula, provided that you have also written out a workable business plan for the place. One experienced theatre rehabilitator is Paul Warshauer of Grande Venues Co. ( http://www.grandevenues.com/ ) outside of Chicago. He might be willing to undertake the entire project supervision for a fee. Asking NYC’s Evergreen Studios (locate them through the League of Historic American Theatres: www.LHAT.org ) or the famous Conrad Schmitt Studios ( www.conradschmitt.com ) to do a “sample” in the building will help greatly in getting people to see what can be achieved, and photos of this should be brought to the presentation. Best Wishes New Yorkers; you are in a position to help save a theatrical jewel for the entire nation.
I bow to your estimation, ‘mjc’ and will hereafter refer to the SHRINE AUDTORIUM as a “theatre” even if not quite a movie palace; oh, what the heck, I hereby dub it a MOVIE PALACE!! (for what my 2 cents is worth). It gets grayer and grayer, or “curiouser and curiouser” as Alice said in Wonderland. :)
REVERSE THEATRE
This is one of the few “Reverse” or ‘backwards’ theatres in the world, of which 10 were in the USA and 2 in England, of those that are known. This unusual format had the audience entering the front as usual, but the screen was at their backs as they entered, and the projection room/booth faced them! In some cases it was a construction demanded by the topography, as when the land at the rear sloped up sharply at the rear of the building (as with the DARRESS ( /theaters/1645/ ) and the little LINCOLN in Limon Colorado), but for others as with the WHITEHOUSE in Milwaukee ( /theaters/2642/ ), it was purely a gimmick to make the place memorable in competition with the dozens of other show houses in most communities in the ‘golden days!’ The known Reverse Theatres are:
Existing in the USA, if not also operating:
1) The SEBASTIAN, Ft. Smith, AR ( /theaters/257/ )
2) The DARRESS, Boonton, NJ ( /theaters/1645/ )
3) The LINCOLN, Limon, CO ( /theaters/7595/ )
4) The HASTINGS, Pasadena, CA (/theaters/8487/ ) now the “PACIFIC HASTINGS 8”.
No longer existing as a theatre, if still standing at all (USA):
5) The PHIEL, St. Petersburg, FL
6) The METROPOLITAN, 3308 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL (later TERMINAL, METRO)
7) The E.A.R. (for Earl A. Reisden), Chicago, IL ( /theaters/7597/ )
8) The FAMILY, Quincy, IL
9) The HAPPY HOUR, New Orleans, LA
10) The WHITEHOUSE, Milwaukee, WI ( /theaters/2642/ )
These two are known of in England, but status unknown (courtesy of Louis Barfe):
11) The CINEMA ROYAL, Epsom, Surrey (1910—1938)
12) The CINEMA LUXE, Lake, Isle of Wight (1989—?)
And then there is the FOX Theatre, Taft, CA, ( /theaters/7564/ )where one “entered on the side, the back corner, actually,” to round out our little list of eccentric theatres.
“mjc” is right about the huge SHRINE AUDITORIUM (where the Academy Awards were staged for many years) having possibly the largest INDOOR seating of a facility in the US with perhaps only the Atlantic City CONVENTION HALL where the Miss America Pageant was held being among those in its league, along with possibly the new KODAK auditorium. But, of course, these are not really theatres per se; they fall into the classification of Civic, Fraternal, and Scholastic Auditoria which is rather a different beast than a true theatre, showing movies or not. Like “mjc” I prefer to just enjoy the facility and its decor regardless of what classification it fall into, or the size it is, so long as it serves the purpose well.
When Vincent asks if the Radio City Music Hall should be classed as a movie palace, he here brings up the ‘gray’ area of definition, since chronology also enters the picture. Since “Roxy” Rothafel was called over from his ROXY theatre to help with the RCMH, one might assume that it became a ‘movie palace’ by simple association with him, but others might not accept that position in view of the fact that the place was intended as a live action venue primarily and was programed and marketed as such for most of its existance. Perhaps it waas the last of the palaces in view of the Great Depression ending that era. I believe that it is also a matter of being designed as distinctive themed decor that helps in the definition, to distinguish ‘palaces’ from merely any theatre with some ornament in its decor; the RCMH was/is ornamental, but does not use traditional ornament in its decor. In the end, I guess the definition boils down to a matter of personal perception.
Ziggy: No, the PABST in Milwaukee was not by chronology nor design a Movie Palace; I was only trying to show that if mere ornamental elaborateness is the criterion, then it could be put in that category since it did show movies for a while. The true definition of a movie palace must include not only elaborateness (else the NYC NEW AMSTERDAM would qualify on that alone), but also large size, being built FOR movies, but also having a working stage to distinguish it from a mere cinema. Theatres this large, ornate and elaborate were really called “Presentation Houses” where Vaudeville, legit stage, choral and orchestral works, as well as movies could be presented. No, the PABST and a number of other large, ornate theatres across the nation could resemble ‘palaces’ but were technically not that.
Naomi is confusing the EMPRESS on Plankinton Ave. with the EMPRESS once on Third St., as DavidH brings out. Of course, they were not both holding the same name at the same time, but at different times. The structure once at 748 N. Plankinton Ave. (which is the parking lot Naomi refers to) actually opened as the CLUB in 1909 and was designed by Lee DeCamp of Chicago according to the “Free Press” newspaper of Dec. 16th, 1909, Page 3. This 1100-seater continued as the EMPRESS and closed as the EMBASSY in 1929 when an office bldg. was built on the site, now demolished. It is shown on page 80 of “Milwaukee Movie Palaces.”
The theatre on the Southwest corner of Third St. at Wells St. was built in 1906 as the NEW STAR, the former STAR vaudeville theatre having been demolished when the former Gimbel’s department store on Wisconsin Ave. at the river expanded westward to Plankinton (then called West Water St.) to the space that is now the courtyard of the new office complex there. There is a photo of the STAR/GARRICK in the “Milwaukee Sentinel” of May 20, 1907, including a story about the NEW STAR, which was designed by noted Milw. architects Kirchoff & Rose. The NEW STAR was built by the Schlitz brewery and had three seating levels with eight box seats, and a five pointed star of light bulbs over its proscenium. The most notable feature of that 1500-seat burlesque theatre, however, was the giant beer bar (serving only Schlitz, of course) located in a mezzanine lobby that one had to pass through to get to the mezzanine or gallery seats, but one concludes that most patrons were happy to visit the bar! It continued with this order of names through the years: NEW STAR, SAXE, ORPHEUM, GAYETY, EMPRESS until it was closed in 1955, but a fragment of the building remained as a Thom McAn shoe store for years, though the Rathskeller that was below it in the basement was also closed. Now, the parking structure of the New Federal Office Bldg. stands where one of our more notorious EMPRESSES reigned so many years ago. See the photo of it on page 97 of Larry Widen’s “Milwaukee Movie Palaces” (which is to be released as a new enlarged edition titled “Silver Screens” in about a year.)
The name GARRICK had been applied at different times to another theatre as well: the BIJOU which once stood where the 2nd St. entrance to the Shops At Grand Avenue now stands on the Western side, south of Wis. Ave.
The theatre on the Southwest corner of Third St. at Wells St. was built in 1906 as the NEW STAR, the former STAR vaudeville theatre having been demolished when the former Gimbel’s department store on Wisconsin Ave. at the river expanded westward to Plankinton (then called West Water St.) to the space that is now the courtyard of the new office complex there. There is a photo of the STAR/GARRICK in the “Milwaukee Sentinel” of May 20, 1907, including a story about the NEW STAR, which was designed by noted Milw. architects Kirchoff & Rose. The NEW STAR was built by the Schlitz brewery and had three seating levels with eight box seats, and a five pointed star of light bulbs over its proscenium. The most notable feature of that 1500-seat burlesque theatre, however, was the giant beer bar (serving only Schlitz, of course) located in a mezzanine lobby that one had to pass through to get to the mezzanine or gallery seats, but one concludes that most patrons were happy to visit the bar! It continued with this order of names through the years: NEW STAR, SAXE, ORPHEUM, GAYETY, EMPRESS until it was closed in 1955, but a fragment of the building remained as a Thom McAn shoe store for years, though the Rathskeller that was below it in the basement was also closed. Now, the parking structure of the New Federal Office Bldg. stands where one of our more notorious EMPRESSES reigned so many years ago. See the photo of it on page 97 of Larry Widen’s “Milwaukee Movie Palaces” (which is to be released as a new enlarged edition titled “Silver Screens” in about a year.)
It may simply be that businessmen don’t see things ‘in the public eye’ as we theatre buffs do. To them it is likely just a financial investment that may or may not pan out; they may have no real love of theatres since it may be just a business venue to them. In such cases, the owners usually do NOT want too much public exposure aside from publicity for their eventual business, and publicity for that is usually just traditional advertising. They don’t want ‘volunteers’ or others not legally connected with their place tromping about and possibly getting into things, or relating any code violations they might discover (there are often code violations in a large project that inspectors may miss. If customers are fewer than wished, attitudes may change for the better.
Re: The PARADISE theatre in West Allis is sold and to be restored.
The eagle eyes of Joe Zollner of THSA spotted an 8-½-inch display ad in a local ‘shopper’ newspaper which he kindly shares with us and which was titled: “ANOUNCING THE RESURRECTION OF A WEST ALLIS LANDMARK”. It states in part, regarding the former PARADISE theatre building: the building will be known as “The Paradise Family Life Center”; “The theatre will be renovated and restored to its original elegance and will be used for a variety of presentations ….” “We anticipate that … the Center… will be open and available to the public sometime in early 2005.” Strangely, no name of the new owner is given, but it is made clear that it will be a religious operation.
A long conversation with Dan Baldwin, the man who headed the group that bought the 1929 movie palace in 2000 from recent Greek immigrant land developer, Peter Agnos, revealed that his group of three investors, Creative Community Solutions LLC, had sold the theatre and surrounding commercial and office bldg. to Ziklag Global Investments Corp. LLC, a division of Ziklag Ministries, Inc., a not-for-profit. Baldwin had wanted to expand his psychological counseling company, but the events surrounding 9-11-01, about a year after they purchased the building, proved so depressing to the business market in the following years, that loan funds dried up, as did a lot of business. Within a year after, he had divorced, and one of his partners withdrew for larger offices, causing more disruptions in his plans for the building. Parking for their patients was also a problem with little children then having to cross busy Greenfield avenue from the only lot available. So, by Nov. 1st last, they were able to conclude the sale after a year of negotiations with this nationwide religious foundation for a sale price of $400,000, about $50,000 more than they paid for it. In a way, it was the end of a dream for Dan, but he pledges to remain in the area after relocating his offices from above the storefronts, and will still be somewhat active behind the scenes as a consultant to the new operators.
In the intervening years, the city inaugurated a new Tax Incremental Financing program, and so now funds became available to help properties along Greenfield avenue, the main street of the older eastern half of West Allis, and this helped pave the way for a reasonable plan for the 1300-seat theatre which last showed films in 1995. New operations are to be under the direction of pastor Tom Redlich who is to oversee the ‘restoration’ of the building. Dan Baldwin states that they plan to remove some plaster ornament from under the balcony to place upon water damaged areas near the proscenium, so it appears that they will be more interested in an economical approach to ‘restoration’ than recreating all the missing elements as seen in 1929 photos now at Theatre Historical Soc., copies of which Dan Baldwin has turned over to the new owners. The new owner plans to turn the curved point of the building at the junction of “Six Points” into a Christian coffee shop with a staircase up to a new conference center and a passage will be cut through the lobby wall of the theatre to access the enlarged corner restaurant/coffee shop. A “Christian” book store will occupy the store fronts to the west of the theatre entry. The auditorium will be used only for things which a child should be allowed to see, as is stated in the Announcement. We hope the new owners will be able to return the gloss to this modest palace designed by Urban F. Peacock, who as part of the firm Peacock & Frank, designed several Midwestern movie palaces.
Crowd-pleaser Bill Cosby ‘feeling good to be the first’
By Dan Moran,
staff writer
WAUKEGAN â€" The moment finally arrived just a few minutes late, with early arrivals already wrapped around the corner on a brisk Friday evening.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Genesee Theatre,” said Bob Papke of the SMG management group, cracking open the main lobby’s south doors. “The house is now open for business.”
Indeed it was, some 77 years after it first welcomed pre-Depression crowds and three years since the old was torn out to make way for the new. A full house slowly filed into the Genesee for a grand re-opening night that, from all accounts, lived up to expectations.
“It was fabulous,” said Phil Carrigan of Waukegan after watching headliner Bill Cosby hold the throng in his hands for a 90-minute opener. “I think everyone was excited just to be here.”
“You looked around,” said his wife, Mary Claire Jakes, “and everybody was just smiling.”
The magnitude of the event wasn’t lost on Cosby, who went out of his way early and often to pat his host city on the back.
“OK, OK. I’m here in — Mmmmm â€" Waukegan,“ Cosby said to sustained cheers after casually strolling onto the stage just after 6:30 p.m. "I am not — I am not â€" in Chicago. I’m in your own city."
As the crowd roared again, Cosby added, “You did not have to drive someplace else to go see somebody. Nobody is saying, ‘Wauk-What?’ Yeah, this is very nice, and I’m feeling good to be the first.”
And so it went as the $24 million renovation bore its first fruit on an evening that saw Genesee Street alive with activity and every corner of the theater telling a different story. Among the snapshots seen:
In the city’s new 699-space parking garage on County and Clayton streets, mother and daughter Cheryle and Lauren Witt of Waukegan were surprised to have the pick of spaces around 5 p.m.
“I didn’t know how fast it would fill up, so we got here a little early,” said Cheryle Witt, who parked strategically near a first-floor exit. With 90 minutes until showtime, the Witts planned to eat at La Casa del Samuel, a newer restaurant on Genesee Street that Lauren’s students at Waukegan High School recommended.
In Jack Benny Plaza, the Deep Chicago Rhythm Owls and John Stewart set up their instruments in the elements, ready to provide live entertainment from 5 to 10 p.m. Their music soon echoed off the surrounding buildings as traffic flowed relatively smoothly into the area.
Waukegan’s new police horses, Freedom and Liberty, stepped forth with officers Ray Jones and Mike Noyer in the saddles. The horses were said to be a little leery of the rotating searchlights set up in the middle of Genesee Street, but otherwise they worked the crowd as expected, posing for snapshots with children.
When the doors opened, the first ticket-holders in the door were Steve and Donna Warneke of Gurnee and Sean and Lynne Depke of Wadsworth. Donna Warneke reported that it was “cold, very cold” waiting in line, but added that the wait was worth it. “It’s so nice,” she said. “Just beautiful.”
Foot traffic through the lobby tied up a bit as arrivals stopped to gape upward at the grand chandelier. Guests worked their way up to the lounges on the upper floors, and Waukeganites Richard Vanlake and Jan Paxton were among the first to discover the open-air terrace above the theater marquee.
“I love it. It’s beautiful,” said Vanlake, taking in the view of Benny Plaza and holiday landscaping that used to be the Academy Theatre. “It’s unbelievable what this town can do when it wants to.”
Many visitors were heard exchanging memories of the last time they were inside the Genesee. Movie titles like Jaws and Saturday Night Fever were offered, and Gurnee Mayor Don Rudny wracked his brain until he recalled that he saw Love Story in 1970.
Waukegan native Margaret Dausman of her husband, Bill, who drove in from Long Lake, harked back to seeing movies in the 1960s. Margaret said she thinks nostalgia played a huge hand in drawing the sold-out opening night.
“This is fantastic. I have goosebumps,” she said. “I was so excited to come here, and I think I was more excited to see the Genesee than to see Bill Cosby.”
Mayor Richard Hyde actually beat Cosby to the stage, walking out in full tuxedo to welcome the crowd “no matter where you’re from. This is for Waukegan, and this is for all of you.”
Later, Cosby would get in a dig at Hyde’s dapper appearance.
“Did you see the mayor? He came out, he had a tuxedo on,” Cosby said. “You better keep an eye on him.”
Cosby also teased the crowd, and himself, about how the euphoria of re-opening the theater would pass with time â€" a long stretch of time.
“You’ll get to the point where they’ll say, ‘How old is that theater?’ ” said Cosby, answering his own question with a pained face. “ ‘Oh, it’s old — Bill Cosby was the first act … They’re renovating it now.’"
Christian speaks of a “huge net under the ceiling to catch bits of plaster” supposedly falling due to the then sensation of low frequency sound of “Sensurround” for the 1974 movie “Earthquake.” I will bet dollars to doughnuts that the entire net and any seeming plaster in it were entirely props to promote the new sound technique (which was NOT all that novel nor convincing in actuality!) It was typical Hollywood hyperbole (‘hype’) that intended to scare the potential patron a little as if to say: ‘Are you man enough to sit in a place that might lose its plaster while watching LA being reduced to rubble?!!’ This ploy was used across the nation as advance men wrote letters to the local papers by a “concerned citizen” to have local theaters inspected for cracks before the film was allowed to play. Such ad men then prevailed upon local building inspectors to parade through movie palaces (there were a few more in business then) with a TV camera crew and supposedly ‘inspect’ and ‘certify’ the “old” building as resistant to their vaunted “Sensurround!!” And, yes, the theatres were in on the joke. It was free publicity as the local TV stations all took it seriously, not knowing or caring anything about ‘old’ theatres which they naively implied were close to falling down anyway. It all worked: people voiced concern about “old” buildings and the movie made millions without any theatre anywhere ever losing anything legitimately in a structural sense, even if some of the patrons came there to really experience something falling from a ceiling, as opposed to enjoying one of the first of the ‘Disaster films’. One cannot help but wonder how much more vandalism to the interiors of palaces was prompted by this disdainful approach to our theatres heritage.
Movie palaces were HEAVILY built and anyone having any real knowledge of construction would have laughed at their attempts to gain publicity at the expense of the “old” theatres. Any such man would have said that if anything were to fall, it would be the lightweight Fiberglas acoustic ceiling rectangles in the jerrybuilt cinemas then sprouting around the country. Earthquakes can take down theatres and their plaster, but not some silly contrivance of louder sound waves. (Yes, I know; sound waves of sufficient amplitude can, in theory, destroy a building, but had the sound been anywhere near that strong, the audience would have left, or died in their seats! Obviously not the outcome the promoters had in mind for maximum ticket sales.)
I hope someone knowing the details of the neon change of color comes forward, but it may simply be that the exact shade of red that preceeded it has fallen out of production. A number of colors that originated with neon in the 1920s, are not now made, since it has been found cheaper to make subsitute colors. For example, there was a “Uranium green” but it was never made after a new use was found for uranium and the price of the ore thus shot out of reach. Maybe someone at the sign company making it will know the details and tell the truth of the matter, assuming the exact choice of color was theirs.
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Rosebudâ€\s success spawns sequel
Theater owner to open Bay View movie house
By TOM DAYKIN
Posted: Dec. 16, 2004
Milwaukeeâ€\s reviving Bay View area finally is getting a cinema, but it wonâ€\t be at the neighborhoodâ€\s former Avalon Theatre.
Theater Sequel in Bay View
Photo/Jeffrey Phelps
Patrons enter a midnight show at Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse, 6823 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa, in 2002. Owner Jay Hollis is expanding his business with a new theater in Milwaukeeâ€\s Bay View area.
The Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse Bay View will open next summer in a former Kohlâ€\s supermarket, 2826 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., said Jay Hollis, who operates the original Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse, 6823 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa.
The Bay View Rosebud, like the Wauwatosa business, will feature first-run and art house films in a single-screen theater, furnished with tables, sofas and chairs, and offering a dining service with beer, wine, pizza and other foods.
Hollis said Thursday he signed a letter of intent to sublease 5,000 square feet from Outpost Natural Foods, which recently agreed to lease the 24,000-square-foot building. The building has been empty since August 2003, when Kohlâ€\s Food Stores Inc. closed its 23 area supermarkets after several years of declining sales.
Outpost plans to open an 8,000-square-foot store by next summer and will use additional space for its catering division. Outpost, which also operates stores at 100 E. Capitol Drive and at 7000 W. State St. in Wauwatosa, is subleasing the north part of the building to Hollis.
Outpost plans to begin its $2.1 million renovation in January, said Pam Mehnert, general manager. She said the Rosebud, which will show movies only at night, will be compatible with the natural foods store, which operates during the day.
Outpost also might provide some food for the Rosebudâ€\s dining service, Mehnert said.
Hollis, who today celebrates the fifth anniversary of the Wauwatosa Rosebud, has been considering a second location in Bay View for about two years.
The south side neighborhood has seen an influx of new homeowners, which has increased property values and attracted several new retailers along Kinnickinnic Ave.
“The demographics are perfect for Rosebud,†Hollis said.
Also, Bay Viewâ€\s only movie theater, the Avalon, closed in July 2000. Avalon owner Craig Ellsworth said it could no longer compete with modern, multi-screen cinemas.
Hollis said the Wauwatosa Rosebud began turning a profit its second year, thanks to the dining service, unusual furnishings and a fun atmosphere drawing customers from throughout the Milwaukee area.
Hollis said it would cost roughly $250,000 to create the Bay View Rosebud. He expects to finance the project mainly with cash generated by the Wauwatosa cinema and a bank loan.
Hollis originally hoped to buy and reopen the Avalon, but dropped that plan because it would have been too expensive. He said Ellsworth wanted $1.5 million for the building, which includes 19 apartments and street-level retail space, or $550,000 for just the theater portion. Hollis estimated it would cost an additional $500,000 to properly renovate the theater building.
Ellsworth declined to comment on his discussions with Hollis. He said he continues to market the 1,250-seat theater for conversion to office space.
The Bay View Rosebud will have 170 to 190 seats, about the size of the Wauwatosa theater.
The new theater will be a welcome addition to the neighborhood, said Carol Voss, a spokeswoman for the Bay View Neighborhood Association.
Still, Voss added, “It would have been nice if it could have been in the Avalon.â€
The Avalon opened in 1929. It is known for its decorative facade, ornate ceiling that depicts twinkling stars and a Wurlitzer pipe organ.
The Common Council in March designated the Avalon as a historic structure. That designation protects the Avalon from demolition or exterior renovations, but wonâ€\t affect Ellsworthâ€\s plan to turn the theater space into offices. In June, the Avalon made the stateâ€\s Ten Most Endangered Properties list for 2004, compiled annually by the Madison-based Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation.
From the Dec. 17, 2004, editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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As to the ROXY being “tacky” one only has to read the extensive chapters in the late Ben M. Hall’s landmark book THE BEST REMAINING SEATS: THE STORY OF THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE MOVIE PALACE to learn that the ROXY started out with just the same programming that the Music Hall did, but that by 1931 the ROXY was deprived of both Mr. Rothafel, as well as most of the financial backing it originally had. The Rockefellers were in a much better position to fund RCMH, and so it took the higher ground the ROXY was forced to abandon. In its last years, the venerable ROXY was humbled repeatedly and took anything the audiences fleeing to TV might accept. Sic transit gloria.
Note that these “quotes” are by writings of Roxy’s son, Robert, not the great man his father was: Samuel Lionel Ropthapfel (legally changed to Rothafel in the Teutophobic years after WWI). Whether Robert intended to honor his Dad’s style is not known. Of course, hyperbole was always the concommitant of show business!
In the book “Four Aspects of Film” the author describes ‘Smell-O-Vision’ or ‘Odororama’ in detail, and mentions that one of the main reasons the films quickly failed (besides the considerable costs involved) is that by the time a scent was released in the balcony, the scene had changed and a new scent was drifting up from the orchestra seats, and the two scents often conflicted, as when a field of grass was replaced with a view of a wine cask being broken open. Also, many of the smells were not really true to life, and some patrons found themselves nauseated by the odor. He explained that the effect was accomplished by means of pellets in a dispenser underneath some seats that were electrically dropped by a cue on the film into a container of liquid with a small fan that wafted the ‘fragrance’ about. Later on, some theatres in the 70s experimented with a new gimmick where the patron was instructed to scratch a designated area on a card given them at entry, and it would release an odor that then represented some things the early guys had never thought of: vomit, hair spray, feces, etc.! Maybe the ‘ghost’ of the Capitol is still reeling from the heady experience, if not a few patrons!
Myron, you couldn’t be more right: as the theatres grew smaller, so did the films! Hollywood is no longer the base of artists trying to achieve art, or even enterainment, just PROFITS. Get the video from PBS “The Monster That Ate Hollywood” to find out how the conglomerates are steadily destroying it by authorizing only cookie cutter product best able to guarantee profits. And with the TV writers' stike a few years ago, the studios are trying freeze out the writers to reduce fees. Since all the great novels have been converted to film, the source of good stories in a visual generation is drying up, what with few writers having the morals to write decently, and the studios wanting big effects and soft porn to sell big.
It was nice of you folks to respond, but Jim has found a local donator of a screen.
Warren, those would have to be the most humungous rollers the world has ever seen! How about a fleet of 500 air balloons picking up at once? And in this season, surely we could get Santa to loan his sleigh and maybe 10,000 reindeer! But surely Brooklyners would shed a tear at the loss of one of their landmarks. We can only hope that more of them come to see the KINGS as a landmark to be preserved.
Rosebudâ€\s success spawns sequel
Theater owner to open Bay View movie house
By TOM DAYKIN
Posted: Dec. 16, 2004
Milwaukeeâ€\s reviving Bay View area finally is getting a cinema, but it wonâ€\t be at the neighborhoodâ€\s former Avalon Theatre.
Theater Sequel in Bay View
Photo/Jeffrey Phelps
Patrons enter a midnight show at Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse, 6823 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa, in 2002. Owner Jay Hollis is expanding his business with a new theater in Milwaukeeâ€\s Bay View area.
The Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse Bay View will open next summer in a former Kohlâ€\s supermarket, 2826 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., said Jay Hollis, who operates the original Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse, 6823 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa.
The Bay View Rosebud, like the Wauwatosa business, will feature first-run and art house films in a single-screen theater, furnished with tables, sofas and chairs, and offering a dining service with beer, wine, pizza and other foods.
Hollis said Thursday he signed a letter of intent to sublease 5,000 square feet from Outpost Natural Foods, which recently agreed to lease the 24,000-square-foot building. The building has been empty since August 2003, when Kohlâ€\s Food Stores Inc. closed its 23 area supermarkets after several years of declining sales.
Outpost plans to open an 8,000-square-foot store by next summer and will use additional space for its catering division. Outpost, which also operates stores at 100 E. Capitol Drive and at 7000 W. State St. in Wauwatosa, is subleasing the north part of the building to Hollis.
Outpost plans to begin its $2.1 million renovation in January, said Pam Mehnert, general manager. She said the Rosebud, which will show movies only at night, will be compatible with the natural foods store, which operates during the day.
Outpost also might provide some food for the Rosebudâ€\s dining service, Mehnert said.
Hollis, who today celebrates the fifth anniversary of the Wauwatosa Rosebud, has been considering a second location in Bay View for about two years.
The south side neighborhood has seen an influx of new homeowners, which has increased property values and attracted several new retailers along Kinnickinnic Ave.
“The demographics are perfect for Rosebud,†Hollis said.
Also, Bay Viewâ€\s only movie theater, the Avalon, closed in July 2000. Avalon owner Craig Ellsworth said it could no longer compete with modern, multi-screen cinemas.
Hollis said the Wauwatosa Rosebud began turning a profit its second year, thanks to the dining service, unusual furnishings and a fun atmosphere drawing customers from throughout the Milwaukee area.
Hollis said it would cost roughly $250,000 to create the Bay View Rosebud. He expects to finance the project mainly with cash generated by the Wauwatosa cinema and a bank loan.
Hollis originally hoped to buy and reopen the Avalon, but dropped that plan because it would have been too expensive. He said Ellsworth wanted $1.5 million for the building, which includes 19 apartments and street-level retail space, or $550,000 for just the theater portion. Hollis estimated it would cost an additional $500,000 to properly renovate the theater building.
Ellsworth declined to comment on his discussions with Hollis. He said he continues to market the 1,250-seat theater for conversion to office space.
The Bay View Rosebud will have 170 to 190 seats, about the size of the Wauwatosa theater.
The new theater will be a welcome addition to the neighborhood, said Carol Voss, a spokeswoman for the Bay View Neighborhood Association.
Still, Voss added, “It would have been nice if it could have been in the Avalon.â€
The Avalon opened in 1929. It is known for its decorative facade, ornate ceiling that depicts twinkling stars and a Wurlitzer pipe organ.
The Common Council in March designated the Avalon as a historic structure. That designation protects the Avalon from demolition or exterior renovations, but wonâ€\t affect Ellsworthâ€\s plan to turn the theater space into offices. In June, the Avalon made the stateâ€\s Ten Most Endangered Properties list for 2004, compiled annually by the Madison-based Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation.
From the Dec. 17, 2004, editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Finally found the Westinghouse lamps catalog on-line and they still make at least four versions of what they now call “½ chrome” lamps up to 100 watts. These are sometimes also called “half silvered” and maybe the Music Hall doesn’t want to invest in this short lived lamp any longer. It is a pity, for the effect described must have been classy.
The light bulbs you are referring to are called “SILVER BOWL LAMPS” and as late as 1986 the Westinghouse brand was listed as selling seven versions of them in both medium and mogul bases. They ranged from 60 to 1000 watts. The ‘silver’ was sprayed into the inside of the glass of the bowl. I am not sure if these are still made, but various dealers around the country still have stocks according to today’s search for them on google. They were once common in ‘moderne’ ceilings and displays where they were often centered in grids of reflector tiles in ceilings, but like all incandescents, they have short life spans and are expensive to operate at today’s rates since only 5% of the energy they consume comes out as light.
“DavidH” posted these two comments on another theatre’s page: The HITCHIING POST THEATRE of Hollywood CA: /theaters/1973/ and thereby shamed me into submitting the Milwaukee version of the ‘Hitching Post Theatre,’ the MIRTH here. His posts are copied here because they fill in some gaps in my narrative.
“The Hitching Post theater in Milwaukee lasted for only for a short time.
Fox Wisconsin Amusement Corp which owned the Mirth never bothered to change the name on the marquee or add any cowboy features to the decor. Within a month or two the Mirth was the Mirth again showing regular Hollywood features.
At the Pearl, Grace, Park, Midget or Mozart in Milwaukee theaters which always had cowboy pictures, whenever Andy Clyde came on the screen the audience cheered.
Was he as funny as he was in the movies when he had the job of scout master?
posted by DavidH on Dec 15, 2004 at 7:15pm
The Mirth which became Milwaukee’s Hitching Post had admission prices were much higher than the other theaters which also regularly showed cowboy films. That is probably the reason that Milwaukee’s Hitching Post did not catch on.
posted by DavidH on Dec 15, 2004 at 7:22pm"
Vincent: This is not the place for an autobiography, but suffice it to say that I have been studying theatre architecture and related topics since the 1960s, so do have a few years under my belt. If I come across as experienced, that can only be attributed to the year I spent as the Archivist/Historian to the 1895 National Historic Landmark PABST theatre here in Milwaukee. I am a published researcher and writer, but neuropathy is now robbing me of my ability to do much more, so at least appreciative people like you make CT a wonderful forum for our shared interest, as I have told the owners of this site, Ross and Patrick, several times.
Poor Bob Furmanek; he has noticed what I have: that the theares are often far sweeter than the people who own and run them.
It might actually be a good time to contact Sears' chief operating officer, or better yet, the billionaire who just bought them and Kmart a year ago. Many companies are looking for ‘image’ properties and the publicity that public good will would bring to them. Any approach to them should be very professional in tone and delivery, with possibly a full corporate presentation scheduled before the chairman and the board of directors of the new holding company. They are the ones that now control the purse strings and may be impressed enough to impose their wish for this even if the Sears executives are not enthusiastic. Since Sears now is also the sponsor of the TV show EXTREME MAKEOVER—HOME EDITION, they might be in the mood to top their work there with something like this “Sears Performing Arts Center” but then again, maybe it should be presented as being in the name of that billionaire who runs it all. I can’t recall his name, but it will be in the current news media on-line though any business magazine.
One would have to write their HQ to get an appointment to approach the Board of Directors and the Big Man, but would probably have to convince someone of lower rank first as to the idea’s merit, seriousness of purpose, and feasibility. This means at least something like a PowerPoint presentation, with photo blowups of the site, past and present, as well as the Sears store behind it. Remember that they do not go to all their stores, so may have no clear idea of the physical situation there; an aerial shot to show proximity may help. If you can get the Brooklyn borough chief to go with such as BruceC and perhaps an architect who has drawn up sketches on spec, then you will have a convincing team that can emphasize that Sears tools and materials will be prominent in the rebuild, and that cameras will follow the whole project. Since ABC television now runs the show on-air, it might be best to first contact them to see if they will film and air a show about such a project, and a letter from them to the Big Man may grease your way into their board room. And if you can line up a celebrity to offer to open the place in front of ABC’s cameras for a special, then you may have a working formula, provided that you have also written out a workable business plan for the place. One experienced theatre rehabilitator is Paul Warshauer of Grande Venues Co. ( http://www.grandevenues.com/ ) outside of Chicago. He might be willing to undertake the entire project supervision for a fee. Asking NYC’s Evergreen Studios (locate them through the League of Historic American Theatres: www.LHAT.org ) or the famous Conrad Schmitt Studios ( www.conradschmitt.com ) to do a “sample” in the building will help greatly in getting people to see what can be achieved, and photos of this should be brought to the presentation. Best Wishes New Yorkers; you are in a position to help save a theatrical jewel for the entire nation.
I bow to your estimation, ‘mjc’ and will hereafter refer to the SHRINE AUDTORIUM as a “theatre” even if not quite a movie palace; oh, what the heck, I hereby dub it a MOVIE PALACE!! (for what my 2 cents is worth). It gets grayer and grayer, or “curiouser and curiouser” as Alice said in Wonderland. :)
REVERSE THEATRE
This is one of the few “Reverse” or ‘backwards’ theatres in the world, of which 10 were in the USA and 2 in England, of those that are known. This unusual format had the audience entering the front as usual, but the screen was at their backs as they entered, and the projection room/booth faced them! In some cases it was a construction demanded by the topography, as when the land at the rear sloped up sharply at the rear of the building (as with the DARRESS ( /theaters/1645/ ) and the little LINCOLN in Limon Colorado), but for others as with the WHITEHOUSE in Milwaukee ( /theaters/2642/ ), it was purely a gimmick to make the place memorable in competition with the dozens of other show houses in most communities in the ‘golden days!’ The known Reverse Theatres are:
Existing in the USA, if not also operating:
1) The SEBASTIAN, Ft. Smith, AR ( /theaters/257/ )
2) The DARRESS, Boonton, NJ ( /theaters/1645/ )
3) The LINCOLN, Limon, CO ( /theaters/7595/ )
4) The HASTINGS, Pasadena, CA (/theaters/8487/ ) now the “PACIFIC HASTINGS 8”.
No longer existing as a theatre, if still standing at all (USA):
5) The PHIEL, St. Petersburg, FL
6) The METROPOLITAN, 3308 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL (later TERMINAL, METRO)
7) The E.A.R. (for Earl A. Reisden), Chicago, IL ( /theaters/7597/ )
8) The FAMILY, Quincy, IL
9) The HAPPY HOUR, New Orleans, LA
10) The WHITEHOUSE, Milwaukee, WI ( /theaters/2642/ )
These two are known of in England, but status unknown (courtesy of Louis Barfe):
11) The CINEMA ROYAL, Epsom, Surrey (1910—1938)
12) The CINEMA LUXE, Lake, Isle of Wight (1989—?)
And then there is the FOX Theatre, Taft, CA, ( /theaters/7564/ )where one “entered on the side, the back corner, actually,” to round out our little list of eccentric theatres.
“mjc” is right about the huge SHRINE AUDITORIUM (where the Academy Awards were staged for many years) having possibly the largest INDOOR seating of a facility in the US with perhaps only the Atlantic City CONVENTION HALL where the Miss America Pageant was held being among those in its league, along with possibly the new KODAK auditorium. But, of course, these are not really theatres per se; they fall into the classification of Civic, Fraternal, and Scholastic Auditoria which is rather a different beast than a true theatre, showing movies or not. Like “mjc” I prefer to just enjoy the facility and its decor regardless of what classification it fall into, or the size it is, so long as it serves the purpose well.
When Vincent asks if the Radio City Music Hall should be classed as a movie palace, he here brings up the ‘gray’ area of definition, since chronology also enters the picture. Since “Roxy” Rothafel was called over from his ROXY theatre to help with the RCMH, one might assume that it became a ‘movie palace’ by simple association with him, but others might not accept that position in view of the fact that the place was intended as a live action venue primarily and was programed and marketed as such for most of its existance. Perhaps it waas the last of the palaces in view of the Great Depression ending that era. I believe that it is also a matter of being designed as distinctive themed decor that helps in the definition, to distinguish ‘palaces’ from merely any theatre with some ornament in its decor; the RCMH was/is ornamental, but does not use traditional ornament in its decor. In the end, I guess the definition boils down to a matter of personal perception.
Ziggy: No, the PABST in Milwaukee was not by chronology nor design a Movie Palace; I was only trying to show that if mere ornamental elaborateness is the criterion, then it could be put in that category since it did show movies for a while. The true definition of a movie palace must include not only elaborateness (else the NYC NEW AMSTERDAM would qualify on that alone), but also large size, being built FOR movies, but also having a working stage to distinguish it from a mere cinema. Theatres this large, ornate and elaborate were really called “Presentation Houses” where Vaudeville, legit stage, choral and orchestral works, as well as movies could be presented. No, the PABST and a number of other large, ornate theatres across the nation could resemble ‘palaces’ but were technically not that.
Naomi is confusing the EMPRESS on Plankinton Ave. with the EMPRESS once on Third St., as DavidH brings out. Of course, they were not both holding the same name at the same time, but at different times. The structure once at 748 N. Plankinton Ave. (which is the parking lot Naomi refers to) actually opened as the CLUB in 1909 and was designed by Lee DeCamp of Chicago according to the “Free Press” newspaper of Dec. 16th, 1909, Page 3. This 1100-seater continued as the EMPRESS and closed as the EMBASSY in 1929 when an office bldg. was built on the site, now demolished. It is shown on page 80 of “Milwaukee Movie Palaces.”
The theatre on the Southwest corner of Third St. at Wells St. was built in 1906 as the NEW STAR, the former STAR vaudeville theatre having been demolished when the former Gimbel’s department store on Wisconsin Ave. at the river expanded westward to Plankinton (then called West Water St.) to the space that is now the courtyard of the new office complex there. There is a photo of the STAR/GARRICK in the “Milwaukee Sentinel” of May 20, 1907, including a story about the NEW STAR, which was designed by noted Milw. architects Kirchoff & Rose. The NEW STAR was built by the Schlitz brewery and had three seating levels with eight box seats, and a five pointed star of light bulbs over its proscenium. The most notable feature of that 1500-seat burlesque theatre, however, was the giant beer bar (serving only Schlitz, of course) located in a mezzanine lobby that one had to pass through to get to the mezzanine or gallery seats, but one concludes that most patrons were happy to visit the bar! It continued with this order of names through the years: NEW STAR, SAXE, ORPHEUM, GAYETY, EMPRESS until it was closed in 1955, but a fragment of the building remained as a Thom McAn shoe store for years, though the Rathskeller that was below it in the basement was also closed. Now, the parking structure of the New Federal Office Bldg. stands where one of our more notorious EMPRESSES reigned so many years ago. See the photo of it on page 97 of Larry Widen’s “Milwaukee Movie Palaces” (which is to be released as a new enlarged edition titled “Silver Screens” in about a year.)
The name GARRICK had been applied at different times to another theatre as well: the BIJOU which once stood where the 2nd St. entrance to the Shops At Grand Avenue now stands on the Western side, south of Wis. Ave.
The theatre on the Southwest corner of Third St. at Wells St. was built in 1906 as the NEW STAR, the former STAR vaudeville theatre having been demolished when the former Gimbel’s department store on Wisconsin Ave. at the river expanded westward to Plankinton (then called West Water St.) to the space that is now the courtyard of the new office complex there. There is a photo of the STAR/GARRICK in the “Milwaukee Sentinel” of May 20, 1907, including a story about the NEW STAR, which was designed by noted Milw. architects Kirchoff & Rose. The NEW STAR was built by the Schlitz brewery and had three seating levels with eight box seats, and a five pointed star of light bulbs over its proscenium. The most notable feature of that 1500-seat burlesque theatre, however, was the giant beer bar (serving only Schlitz, of course) located in a mezzanine lobby that one had to pass through to get to the mezzanine or gallery seats, but one concludes that most patrons were happy to visit the bar! It continued with this order of names through the years: NEW STAR, SAXE, ORPHEUM, GAYETY, EMPRESS until it was closed in 1955, but a fragment of the building remained as a Thom McAn shoe store for years, though the Rathskeller that was below it in the basement was also closed. Now, the parking structure of the New Federal Office Bldg. stands where one of our more notorious EMPRESSES reigned so many years ago. See the photo of it on page 97 of Larry Widen’s “Milwaukee Movie Palaces” (which is to be released as a new enlarged edition titled “Silver Screens” in about a year.)
It may simply be that businessmen don’t see things ‘in the public eye’ as we theatre buffs do. To them it is likely just a financial investment that may or may not pan out; they may have no real love of theatres since it may be just a business venue to them. In such cases, the owners usually do NOT want too much public exposure aside from publicity for their eventual business, and publicity for that is usually just traditional advertising. They don’t want ‘volunteers’ or others not legally connected with their place tromping about and possibly getting into things, or relating any code violations they might discover (there are often code violations in a large project that inspectors may miss. If customers are fewer than wished, attitudes may change for the better.
Re: The PARADISE theatre in West Allis is sold and to be restored.
The eagle eyes of Joe Zollner of THSA spotted an 8-½-inch display ad in a local ‘shopper’ newspaper which he kindly shares with us and which was titled: “ANOUNCING THE RESURRECTION OF A WEST ALLIS LANDMARK”. It states in part, regarding the former PARADISE theatre building: the building will be known as “The Paradise Family Life Center”; “The theatre will be renovated and restored to its original elegance and will be used for a variety of presentations ….” “We anticipate that … the Center… will be open and available to the public sometime in early 2005.” Strangely, no name of the new owner is given, but it is made clear that it will be a religious operation.
A long conversation with Dan Baldwin, the man who headed the group that bought the 1929 movie palace in 2000 from recent Greek immigrant land developer, Peter Agnos, revealed that his group of three investors, Creative Community Solutions LLC, had sold the theatre and surrounding commercial and office bldg. to Ziklag Global Investments Corp. LLC, a division of Ziklag Ministries, Inc., a not-for-profit. Baldwin had wanted to expand his psychological counseling company, but the events surrounding 9-11-01, about a year after they purchased the building, proved so depressing to the business market in the following years, that loan funds dried up, as did a lot of business. Within a year after, he had divorced, and one of his partners withdrew for larger offices, causing more disruptions in his plans for the building. Parking for their patients was also a problem with little children then having to cross busy Greenfield avenue from the only lot available. So, by Nov. 1st last, they were able to conclude the sale after a year of negotiations with this nationwide religious foundation for a sale price of $400,000, about $50,000 more than they paid for it. In a way, it was the end of a dream for Dan, but he pledges to remain in the area after relocating his offices from above the storefronts, and will still be somewhat active behind the scenes as a consultant to the new operators.
In the intervening years, the city inaugurated a new Tax Incremental Financing program, and so now funds became available to help properties along Greenfield avenue, the main street of the older eastern half of West Allis, and this helped pave the way for a reasonable plan for the 1300-seat theatre which last showed films in 1995. New operations are to be under the direction of pastor Tom Redlich who is to oversee the ‘restoration’ of the building. Dan Baldwin states that they plan to remove some plaster ornament from under the balcony to place upon water damaged areas near the proscenium, so it appears that they will be more interested in an economical approach to ‘restoration’ than recreating all the missing elements as seen in 1929 photos now at Theatre Historical Soc., copies of which Dan Baldwin has turned over to the new owners. The new owner plans to turn the curved point of the building at the junction of “Six Points” into a Christian coffee shop with a staircase up to a new conference center and a passage will be cut through the lobby wall of the theatre to access the enlarged corner restaurant/coffee shop. A “Christian” book store will occupy the store fronts to the west of the theatre entry. The auditorium will be used only for things which a child should be allowed to see, as is stated in the Announcement. We hope the new owners will be able to return the gloss to this modest palace designed by Urban F. Peacock, who as part of the firm Peacock & Frank, designed several Midwestern movie palaces.
From: SuburbanChicagoNews.com
REBORN GENESEE ‘OPEN FOR BUSINESS’
Crowd-pleaser Bill Cosby ‘feeling good to be the first’
By Dan Moran,
staff writer
WAUKEGAN â€" The moment finally arrived just a few minutes late, with early arrivals already wrapped around the corner on a brisk Friday evening.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Genesee Theatre,” said Bob Papke of the SMG management group, cracking open the main lobby’s south doors. “The house is now open for business.”
Indeed it was, some 77 years after it first welcomed pre-Depression crowds and three years since the old was torn out to make way for the new. A full house slowly filed into the Genesee for a grand re-opening night that, from all accounts, lived up to expectations.
“It was fabulous,” said Phil Carrigan of Waukegan after watching headliner Bill Cosby hold the throng in his hands for a 90-minute opener. “I think everyone was excited just to be here.”
“You looked around,” said his wife, Mary Claire Jakes, “and everybody was just smiling.”
The magnitude of the event wasn’t lost on Cosby, who went out of his way early and often to pat his host city on the back.
“OK, OK. I’m here in — Mmmmm â€" Waukegan,“ Cosby said to sustained cheers after casually strolling onto the stage just after 6:30 p.m. "I am not — I am not â€" in Chicago. I’m in your own city."
As the crowd roared again, Cosby added, “You did not have to drive someplace else to go see somebody. Nobody is saying, ‘Wauk-What?’ Yeah, this is very nice, and I’m feeling good to be the first.”
And so it went as the $24 million renovation bore its first fruit on an evening that saw Genesee Street alive with activity and every corner of the theater telling a different story. Among the snapshots seen:
In the city’s new 699-space parking garage on County and Clayton streets, mother and daughter Cheryle and Lauren Witt of Waukegan were surprised to have the pick of spaces around 5 p.m.
“I didn’t know how fast it would fill up, so we got here a little early,” said Cheryle Witt, who parked strategically near a first-floor exit. With 90 minutes until showtime, the Witts planned to eat at La Casa del Samuel, a newer restaurant on Genesee Street that Lauren’s students at Waukegan High School recommended.
In Jack Benny Plaza, the Deep Chicago Rhythm Owls and John Stewart set up their instruments in the elements, ready to provide live entertainment from 5 to 10 p.m. Their music soon echoed off the surrounding buildings as traffic flowed relatively smoothly into the area.
Waukegan’s new police horses, Freedom and Liberty, stepped forth with officers Ray Jones and Mike Noyer in the saddles. The horses were said to be a little leery of the rotating searchlights set up in the middle of Genesee Street, but otherwise they worked the crowd as expected, posing for snapshots with children.
When the doors opened, the first ticket-holders in the door were Steve and Donna Warneke of Gurnee and Sean and Lynne Depke of Wadsworth. Donna Warneke reported that it was “cold, very cold” waiting in line, but added that the wait was worth it. “It’s so nice,” she said. “Just beautiful.”
Foot traffic through the lobby tied up a bit as arrivals stopped to gape upward at the grand chandelier. Guests worked their way up to the lounges on the upper floors, and Waukeganites Richard Vanlake and Jan Paxton were among the first to discover the open-air terrace above the theater marquee.
“I love it. It’s beautiful,” said Vanlake, taking in the view of Benny Plaza and holiday landscaping that used to be the Academy Theatre. “It’s unbelievable what this town can do when it wants to.”
Many visitors were heard exchanging memories of the last time they were inside the Genesee. Movie titles like Jaws and Saturday Night Fever were offered, and Gurnee Mayor Don Rudny wracked his brain until he recalled that he saw Love Story in 1970.
Waukegan native Margaret Dausman of her husband, Bill, who drove in from Long Lake, harked back to seeing movies in the 1960s. Margaret said she thinks nostalgia played a huge hand in drawing the sold-out opening night.
“This is fantastic. I have goosebumps,” she said. “I was so excited to come here, and I think I was more excited to see the Genesee than to see Bill Cosby.”
Mayor Richard Hyde actually beat Cosby to the stage, walking out in full tuxedo to welcome the crowd “no matter where you’re from. This is for Waukegan, and this is for all of you.”
Later, Cosby would get in a dig at Hyde’s dapper appearance.
“Did you see the mayor? He came out, he had a tuxedo on,” Cosby said. “You better keep an eye on him.”
Cosby also teased the crowd, and himself, about how the euphoria of re-opening the theater would pass with time â€" a long stretch of time.
“You’ll get to the point where they’ll say, ‘How old is that theater?’ ” said Cosby, answering his own question with a pained face. “ ‘Oh, it’s old — Bill Cosby was the first act … They’re renovating it now.’"
12/04/04