This theatre is one of some 200 that could be described as “Skouras-ized For Showmanship” which is the title of the ANNUAL of 1987 of the Theatre Historical Soc. of America. In the late 1930s through the 1950s, there occurred on the west coast of the United States a phenomenon known as the ‘Skouras style’ in recognition of the oversight of the Skouras brothers in their management of several cinema chains. They employed a designer by the name of Carl G. Moeller to render their cinemas/theatres in a new style best described as ‘Art Moderne meets Streamlined.’ The then new availability of aluminum sheeting at low cost was the principal material difference to this style allowing for sweeping, 3-dimensional shapes of scrolls to adorn walls and facades in an expression that would have been much more expensive and not at all the same in plaster. With the use of hand tinted and etched aluminum forms, the designers could make ornaments in mass production that allowed much greater economies of scale. The ANNUAL also show in its 44 pages how some 20 theatres were good examples of this combining of aluminum forms with sweeping draperies heavily hung with large tassels, and with box offices and facades richly treated with neon within the aluminum forms. Few of these examples survive today, but it was a glorious era while it lasted, and this collection of crisp b/w photos is a fitting epitaph by the late Preston Kaufmann.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 44 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to lend it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
This theatre is one of some 200 that could be described as “Skouras-ized For Showmanship” which is the title of the ANNUAL of 1987 of the Theatre Historical Soc. of America. In the late 1930s through the 1950s, there occurred on the west coast of the United States a phenomenon known as the ‘Skouras style’ in recognition of the oversight of the Skouras brothers in their management of several cinema chains. They employed a designer by the name of Carl G. Moeller to render their cinemas/theatres in a new style best described as ‘Art Moderne meets Streamlined.’ The then new availability of aluminum sheeting at low cost was the principal material difference to this style allowing for sweeping, 3-dimensional shapes of scrolls to adorn walls and facades in an expression that would have been much more expensive and not at all the same in plaster. With the use of hand tinted and etched aluminum forms, the designers could make ornaments in mass production that allowed much greater economies of scale. The ANNUAL also show in its 44 pages how some 20 theatres were good examples of this combining of aluminum forms with sweeping draperies heavily hung with large tassels, and with box offices and facades richly treated with neon within the aluminum forms. Few of these examples survive today, but it was a glorious era while it lasted, and this collection of crisp b/w photos is a fitting epitaph by the late Preston Kaufmann.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 44 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to lend it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
This theatre is one of some 200 that could be described as “Skouras-ized For Showmanship” which is the title of the ANNUAL of 1987 of the Theatre Historical Soc. of America. In the late 1930s through the 1950s, there occurred on the west coast of the United States a phenomenon known as the ‘Skouras style’ in recognition of the oversight of the Skouras brothers in their management of several cinema chains. They employed a designer by the name of Carl G. Moeller to render their cinemas/theatres in a new style best described as ‘Art Moderne meets Streamlined.’ The then new availability of aluminum sheeting at low cost was the principal material difference to this style allowing for sweeping, 3-dimensional shapes of scrolls to adorn walls and facades in an expression that would have been much more expensive and not at all the same in plaster. With the use of hand tinted and etched aluminum forms, the designers could make ornaments in mass production that allowed much greater economies of scale. The ANNUAL also show in its 44 pages how some 20 theatres were good examples of this combining of aluminum forms with sweeping draperies heavily hung with large tassels, and with box offices and facades richly treated with neon within the aluminum forms. Few of these examples survive today, but it was a glorious era while it lasted, and this collection of crisp b/w photos is a fitting epitaph by the late Preston Kaufmann.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 44 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to lend it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
This theatre is one of some 200 that could be described as “Skouras-ized For Showmanship” which is the title of the ANNUAL of 1987 of the Theatre Historical Soc. of America. In the late 1930s through the 1950s, there occurred on the west coast of the United States a phenomenon known as the ‘Skouras style’ in recognition of the oversight of the Skouras brothers in their management of several cinema chains. They employed a designer by the name of Carl G. Moeller to render their cinemas/theatres in a new style best described as ‘Art Moderne meets Streamlined.’ The then new availability of aluminum sheeting at low cost was the principal material difference to this style allowing for sweeping, 3-dimensional shapes of scrolls to adorn walls and facades in an expression that would have been much more expensive and not at all the same in plaster. With the use of hand tinted and etched aluminum forms, the designers could make ornaments in mass production that allowed much greater economies of scale. The ANNUAL also show in its 44 pages how some 20 theatres were good examples of this combining of aluminum forms with sweeping draperies heavily hung with large tassels, and with box offices and facades richly treated with neon within the aluminum forms. Few of these examples survive today, but it was a glorious era while it lasted, and this collection of crisp b/w photos is a fitting epitaph by the late Preston Kaufmann.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 44 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to lend it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
The mention of the “Skouras-style” in the previous post may be puzzling to some if they are now aware of the entire ‘style’ that the owner of a chain of theatres had promoted in the 1940s and 50s, and this ‘style’ is nowhere better explored in text and many b/w photos than in the ANNUAL of the Theatre Historical Soc. for 1987 by the late Preston J. Kaufmann. Within its 44 pages are dozens of photos of the interiors of theatres/cinemas that sported the almost trademark blend of formed aluminum sheeting shaped in sweeping forms and hand tinted to adorn the walls in contrast to the rich drapery treatments typical of that era. This publication is as much a tour into architecture as theatres.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
The LOS ANGELES is notable for many luxurious appointments such as the lavish decor, the neon strips bordering the aisles, the fire curtain sporting fully clothed figures upon it, the viewing device in the lower lounge, and that most unforgettable ornament: the crystal fountain at the head of the Grand staircase. This opulent ornament is one thing that sets this theatre apart from so many others in that it is a feature beyond the ordinary and focuses to the smaller scale as well as the grand scale of the theatre.
Another theatre that employs smaller scale, focus point ornaments is the CORONADO in Rockford, Ill, which features ‘vases’ of stained glass flowers in niches in the sidewalls under the balcony to this day. Using flame shaped bulbs to illuminate them, these decorations also lend the more artistic air so little found in smaller scale in theatres; we all appreciate the large scale effects, but a good planner balances the theme by means of attention to ornaments on both ends of the size scale. One might also recall similar ornaments in the form of the dioramas of Chicago cityscapes that once graced the niches in the walls of Chicago’s long-lost SOUTHTOWN (preserved at the Theatre Historical Soc. www.HistoricTheatres.org ), but people can increase the level of interest by using smaller ‘jewels’ to highlight the lobbies, as was done with antique figural lamps upon an imported mahogany back bar in the PABST in Milwaukee, for example. The wonderful ‘fountain’ of stained glass centered in the rotunda of the lobby of the RIALTO in Joliet, Il, also comes to mind as a wonderful focal point feature that takes that theatre beyond the ordinary.
One can see many vintage photos of the LOS ANGELES in the Annual of the Theatre Historical Soc. by that name for the year 1998 and its 36 pages will leave one a lasting impression of a luxury that has rarely been seen in American theatres, and unlike its reputed model, the San Francisco FOX, it is still with us and used by many commercial photographers as a background, even as it has been used in many videos.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
A theatre that employs smaller scale, focus point ornaments is the CORONADO in Rockford, Ill, which features ‘vases’ of stained glass flowers in niches in the sidewalls under the balcony to this day. Using flame shaped bulbs to illuminate them, these decorations also lend the more artistic air so little found in smaller scale in theatres; we all appreciate the large scale effects, but a good planner balances the theme by means of attention to ornaments on both ends of the size scale. One might also recall similar ornaments in the form of the dioramas of Chicago cityscapes that once graced the niches in the walls of Chicago’s long-lost SOUTHTOWN (preserved at the Theatre Historical Soc. www.HistoricTheatres.org ), but people can increase the level of interest by using smaller ‘jewels’ to highlight the lobbies, as was done with antique figural lamps upon an imported mahogany back bar in the PABST in Milwaukee, for example. The wonderful ‘fountain’ of stained glass centered in the rotunda of the lobby of the RIALTO in Joliet, Il, also comes to mind as a wonderful focal point feature that takes that theatre beyond the ordinary. And the monumental crystal fountain at the top of the stairs in the LOS ANGELES is perhaps the largest of such custom ornaments to grace a theatre in a most memorable way!
The RIALTO has a number of claims to fame, but it is the more unusual elements that remain in my memory, and while I bemoan the loss of the luxurious draperies (later somewhat replaced by lesser creations done by Mid-West Scenic in Milwaukee), it is that wonderful ‘fountain’ in stained glass forms centered in the rotunda lobby since opening day that is most memorable. Here a four foot high octagon of metal grillework upon a marble base rises to a bowl of glass fruits which are illuminated from below. The grilles are backed with sheets of stained glass and illuminated from within to silhouette the grillework. It is artistic touches such as this which lend grace to a theatre and distinguish it from all the others with only the basic features. Another theatre that employs such ornaments is the CORONADO in Rockford, Ill, which features ‘vases’ of stained glass flowers in niches in the sidewalls under the balcony to this day. Using flame shaped bulbs to illuminate them, these decorations also lend the more artistic air so little found in smaller scale in theatres; we all appreciate the large scale effects, but a good planner balances the theme by means of attention to ornaments on both ends of the size scale. One might also recall similar ornaments in the form of the dioramas of Chicago cityscapes that once graced the niches in the walls of Chicago’s long-lost SOUTHTOWN (preserved at the Theatre Historical Soc. www.HistoricTheatres.org ), but people can increase the level of interest by using smaller ‘jewels’ to highlight the lobbies, as was done with antique figural lamps upon an imported mahogany back bar in the PABST in Milwaukee, for example.
The MARBRO had many unusual features, the lobby’s ‘flying’ staircase being perhaps the most memorable, but the auditorium had at least one notable feature too: the illuminated giant discs. These four gilded sheet metal discs were about three feet in diameter and contained cut out spaces filled with dyed isinglass panels that allowed the incandescent lights mounted behind them to show through in jewel-like colors. There were some of the trimmings made for the Grand Drapery against which they hung to cast halos of light upon the shimmering satin drapery cloth. They were probably wired in to the proscenium lights circuit and went on whenever the front wall was illuminated. They are shown in perhaps the only good photos of the area in the catalog of the E.L. Mansure Co. of 1928 as examples of some of the more unusual decorations made by that prominent firm, which still exists as a small division of the Joanna Western Mills div. of the Crown Henry conglomerate, in Joanna, S. Carolina. The same designs of convex discs were also used in the late lamented GRANADA in Chicago, and these were removed before demolition and stored in the nearby UPTOWN. The Mansure catalog is preserved at the Theatre Historical Soc. in Elmhurst, Ill. and they can be contacted at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
The Hitching Post is a good moniker for a Westerns cinema, and the former MIRTH THEATRE in Milwaukee was known by the locals as the ‘Hitching Post’ during the 40s and 50s, according to the nearby local bank president recalling the days of his youth when he and his pals went there every Saturday matinee. I don’t know if there was a literal hitching post in front (though many of the older homes in the neighborhood had hitching rings cast into the pavement!) but it shows the favor of Westerns to the innocent youths of years ago.
Possibly the only way to be really sure, is to go to the Register of Deeds and take the time to locate all covenants annd deeds recorded for the legal description of the land the theatre occupies. It is true that a theatre can have a separate land owner, a local builder or building owner, and still be “built” by a chain of theatres, in the sense that they lease the site and building from a local owner, but it is their plans that are completed; thus all mentioned may have been involved at some point. Contracts may be recorded there or perhaps with the Secretary of State.
The experience of the PORT THEATRE (http://cinematreasures.org/news/11623_0_1_0_M/ )in its quest for listing on the National Register of Historic Places brought back to mind my own efforts over a year’s time in doing the research and writing of the application for National Historic Landmark designation for the PABST THEATER in Milwaukee back in 1990-91. True, it is by no means an easy task, but it is well worth it! The major criterion for National Registry listing is to prove historic significance to the area of the theatre. The major criterion for NATIONAL LANDMARK listing is to prove significance to the nation as a whole, as well as state and local significance. Yes, one often does start with his state historic sites officer, as detailed on the web site of the National Park Service which administers both programs. If one cannot get local and state backing, it is usually impossible to convince the feds of any real import of a theater; merely being old is not enough.
At the PABST, they had completed a 15-page Application for the National Register of Historic Places, following the city designating it a landmark in ‘72. But by 1990 it was evident that it would likely qualify for national recognition, and that such would bring the much needed contributions its way. I spent hurried months scanning the hundreds of documents and clippings in the 1895 theatre’s archive, and then months more scouring all other sources in the state, and finally ended up with some 20 pounds of copies of documents to send off to the Park Service, and these things are now preserved in the National Archives in Washington, as well as at the theater and at the main library in Milwaukee. In 1991 the Secretary of the Interior affixed his name and seal to the Designation of National Historic Landmark of the United States. When in 1995 the German-American legit theatre celebrated its Centennial, it was a pleasure to know that it was our long effort that culminated in that day being realized, and to this day, our 'blood, sweat and tears’ have preserved that wonderful venue against other threats and have garnered a new owner pledged by contract to maintain the landmark. Our guestbook there bulges with the words of praise of many notables as well as regular folk who value such a landmark and its future seems assured. PORT Theatre, don’t give up! (and be sure to anchor your plaque in such a way that metal scavengers can’t easily remove it some dark night, to sell as scrap for drug money.)
Jim Rankin, former Archivist/Historian to the PABST. ( /theaters/2753/ )
The experience of the PORT THEATRE in its quest for listing on the National Register of Historic Places brought back to mind my own efforts over a year’s time in doing the research and writing of the application for National Historic Landmark designation for the PABST THEATER in Milwaukee back in 1990-91. True, it is by no means an easy task, but it is well worth it! The major criterion for National Registry listing is to prove historic significance to the area of the theatre. The major criterion for NATIONAL LANDMARK listing is to prove significance to the nation as a whole, as well as state and local significance. Yes, one often does start with his state historic sites officer, as detailed on the web site of the National Park Service which administers both programs. If one cannot get local and state backing, it is usually impossible to convince the feds of any real import of a theater; merely being old is not enough.
At the PABST, they had completed a 15-page Application for the National Register of Historic Places, following the city designating it a landmark in ‘72. But by 1990 it was evident that it would likely qualify for national recognition, and that such would bring the much needed contributions its way. I spent hurried months scanning the hundreds of documents and clippings in the 1895 theatre’s archive, and then months more scouring all other sources in the state, and finally ended up with some 20 pounds of copies of documents to send off to the Park Service, and these things are now preserved in the National Archives in Washington, as well as at the theater and at the main library in Milwaukee. In 1991 the Secretary of the Interior affixed his name and seal to the Designation of National Historic Landmark of the United States. When in 1995 the German-American legit theatre celebrated its Centennial, it was a pleasure to know that it was our long effort that culminated in that day being realized, and to this day, our 'blood, sweat and tears’ have preserved that wonderful venue against other threats and have garnered a new owner pledged by contract to maintain the landmark. Our guestbook there bulges with the words of praise of many notables as well as regular folk who value such a landmark and its future seems assured. PORT Theatre, don’t give up! (and be sure to anchor your plaque in such a way that metal scavengers can’t easily remove it some dark night, to sell as scrap for drug money.)
Jim Rankin, former Archivist/Historian to the PABST. ( /theaters/2753/ )
A beautiful color photo of the facade is on this web site, fourth row down, at the extreme right. Click on it to isolate it, and then click again to enlarge it. View link
In the otherwise excellent book, “The Last Remaining Seats: Movie Palaces of Tinseltown” by Berger and Conser (1997), there is on page 85 a color photo of the proscenium of the EL CAPITAN showing a giant ‘beam’ or ‘track’ directly in front of the grand drapery. There is no mention of it in the caption, as though no one would notice such an ugly thing was there! It does not appear in the two (sadly, not enlargeable) photos on the theatre’s web site (http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/el_capitan/about.html), so does anyone know what that ugly thing is and why it was there during prime professional photography for the book?
Rhett brings out a good point: in some smaller locations, it is possible for a non-greedy owner to put on successful shows and vintage films and still keep the theatre alive, but that option is gone for megalopolises such as New York City. In such places the property values and attendant taxes upon them are so huge as to make any enterprise strain at the need to bring in the maximum possible dollars per square foot, and believe me when I say that every theatre is calculated as being worth so many dollars per square foot in income. Overarching greed is everywhere, but some places such as NYC are so unfortunate as to have a business climate that does not much allow any property to be ‘marginal’ as to profits. I hope the LAFAYETTE continues in its success, but I am afraid that it cannot be easily transported to the much, much larger Gotham.
The ANNUAL of the Theatre Historical Soc. for 1982, “The Brooklyn Fox” is Report No. 8 (in a series of 10) by the Historic American Buildings Survey of the Department of the Interior. It is reprinted in its entirety in this ANNUAL NO. 9 by architect A. Craig Morrison in 1971. The Report there lists the FOX to have been at 20 Flatbush Ave. (not “10”) and the address of its surrounding office building to have been: 1 Nevins St. It also relates under “Alterations and Additions” that in 1934 William Fox’s 8th floor apartment became radio station WBNY. Within the 50-page softcover publication are 44 pages of dense text describing all surfaces in the theater.
Of note in the descriptions is a statement on page 40, column 2, paragraph 2: “Above the foliated semicircular top of the ‘boss,’ there was an acanthus crown from which sprouted a burst of voluted foliation atop which perched a very large, long-necked bird with wings outspread, perhaps meant to represent a phoenix.” The photo of this area on page 28 (left) shows the bird in question to have been a CORMORANT, a species of oriental diving bird. This is the only significant error of description I have found in the multi-thousand word text.
For those wanting this publication, it is still available from the Society:
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
Many of the comments here maintain that BIG shows on stage will certainly bring back the big audiences and maybe could be combined with films, vintage or current. Sad to say, none of this works today from the standpoint of the operators of RCMH. Times have changed; theatres are no longer temples of amusement, and movies and shows are not produced by impassioned impresarios. Today everything is controlled by conglomerates which own the studios, film distributors, and often the theatre operators. A conglomerate is not interested one little bit in the nature of what it owns or its history; they exist solely for the acquisition of MONEY and all the power that comes from more and more MONEY. As one previous post said, the ‘nut’ (total operating expenses) for RCMH is too large to permit much more that the least expensive fare the management is able to find, and that fare must be so inexpensive to allow the ultimate owners, the conglomerates, to get as much PROFIT as possible, since that is their raison d'être. The Music Hall and thousands of other businesses are simply pawns in the international competition of one conglomerate to another to gain market dominance, and thus more power and MONEY, the real god of most people today. Shed a tear for our theatres and showmanship heritage, for less and less of it will remain in our future filled with ever increasing greed, corporate and personal. As God’s word the Bible says at 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things…”
No, Charles, the COLONIAL on Greenfield Ave. you mention, was in West Allis, a suburb of Milw., and nothing remains of that theatre, the lot having been rebuilt upon in later years. That location was a 600 seater, not the 800 seater on Vliet St., the first building discussed on this page. We also had yet another COLONIAL on Milwaukee Ave. in South Milwaukee, another suburb, but that venue had only 400 seats and is also gone, having lasted only from 1910 to 1914. This data if from the 1986 book “Milwaukee Movie Palaces” by Larry Widen, and though out of print, copies can sometimes be found by book locator services, or viewed via Inter-Library Loan at most libraries.
It is clear that the noted and demonstrably capable and expert architects, Cornelius and George Rapp of Chicago, did indeed plan extra lavatories as brought out in an earlier post where the commenter explains that there is to this day a very large excavated area under the lobby, so it is apparent that the builders did plan for more rest rooms and a lounge, as would have been customary. Just why they were never built is not currently known. It could well be due to financial limitations at the time, since the movie house circuits were building ‘right and left’ and it would not have been the first time that one of them found themselves overextended financially, and were forced to cut costs somewhere, and an ornate lounge with restrooms would have cost many thousands more dollars. With the stock market crash of the Great Depression coming along just then, many who had intended to enlarge or alter their theatres, were now struggling to survive, much less be concerned with already operating buildings. That fateful day in October of 1929 was a landmark event in financial terms, and few alive today can realize what a tremendous change it was to the ‘spend freely, live freely’ attitudes of the ‘Roaring Twenties.’ It is true that lavatory provisions of those days were behind what we would prescribe these days, but every true movie palace was a model of adequate toilet rooms in that era, with much meager provisions in most other buildings of the day. We must also look at the changes in theatre usage patterns in our day, with no more continuous performances, and people looking upon modern multiplexes as a social meeting place, with girls and women sometimes using the ‘bathrooms’ as conversation centers to ‘hang out’. It is also fashionable nowadays for women writers to ‘dump’ upon men as though men were abusive of women and responsible for not realizing that women take longer and therefore require more facilities. No, it is clear that lavish facilities for women (usually much more elaborate than for men) were designed by the men at Rapp&Rapp, but outside circumstances beyond their control forced the deletion of the usual basement lounges from their plans, no doubt against their advice! Even the most superficial examination of their works across the nation will show that they never stinted on lavatories â€" nor anywhere else. The architects of that day as well as the owners of the theatres were acutely aware of the prominence of female audiences, and adroitly catered to them, so no men should find themselves “in a special place in Hell” since there was no intent to deprive as the uninformed writer referred to in the previous post assumes.
Few theatres can say that they have been discussed by the Supreme Court, but that is the case for the RIVERSIDE when the Wis. state Supreme Court was asked to decide about the theatre’s vertical sign. Here is the story:
When the RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum) Vaudeville circuit was looking for a larger venue to better dominate the Milwaukee market, they approached the developers of the land at the junction of Water St. and Grand Ave. (now N. Plankinton Ave. and W. Wisconsin Ave.) and offered to become the star tenant in the planned new giant office bldg. and theatre to be erected for a 1928 opening. During the planning stages the theatre was referred to as the “New Majestic,” the then Majestic Theatre only two blocks away being RKO’s current venue. Adaptations to the needs of RKO were made in the drawings of architects Kirchoff and Rose of Milwaukee, such as six boxes in the auditorium and 3, ten-foot-long girders to project from the facade to carry a future giant vertical sign.
Like most cities, Milw. had ordinances limiting the size of signs, and prior to July of 1928, it was a maximum of 60 feet high and no more than 4 feet in projection from a building. Perhaps the ordinance was based on old construction safety limitations or merely on aesthetics, but evidently the RKO people foresaw changing the ordinance. The 3 giant girders were built into the new building’s steelwork in 1927. The lease between tenant RKO (then styled as “The New Majestic Theatre Co.”) and building/land owner “Water-Grand Holding Co.” allowed for a sign and even for future sign changes of approximately similar nature. Apparently, as the theatre approached opening day and the ordinance hadn’t changed yet, RKO (who was responsible for costs of the planned eight-story-high sign) had to arrange for a smaller 60-foot-high by 4-foot-wide design, the contract for which it gave to Milw.’s Federal Sign Co., the local licensee of the highly litigious Claude Neon Co. of France, the putative originator of neon tubing. They produced a vertical of the size above (not the 70 foot one as claimed in the day-before-opening ad on pg. 8 of the (Milwaukee) “Sentinel” of April 28, 1928), which utilized the then new neon tubing (500 feet of it along with 1,500 incandescent lamps) apparently for the fist time on a Milw. theatre sign. This vertical was erected before opening day (a Grand Opening without a sign would have looked naked indeed!). On those 3 beams/girders which were far larger than the sign, Federal’s design must have seemed peculiar. The only known photo from that day shows this to have been the case!
THE SUPERME COURT BECOMES INVOLVED
It appears from the digest of a case before the Wis. State Supreme Court that RKO was still trying to get the larger vertical sign it wanted (and already had, no doubt, in other cities) and so filed an application on April 1, 1928 for a permit for a 70 foot by 10 foot sign. The city stalled with a reply that such size was presently illegal but that the common council was due to consider a new statute. AS if this were not enough to frustrate them, an odd thing now happens. For reasons not yet found, the bldg. owner, Water-Grand Holding Co., objected to the new proposed larger sign, and foreseeing the coming change in city statute, they commenced a long correspondence with their tenant (RKO) to persuade them against a new large sign for which the steelwork already projected from the building’s face and well beyond the edge of the smaller sign! This produced no resolution so they obtained a restraining order against RKO and a trial ensued in circuit court which terminated on the very day the theatre opened, in favor of the tenant. The landlord appealed to the Supreme court and precisely one year later, in 1929, the Court affirmed the tenant’s right to the new sign in view of lease language and the revision of the Milw. sign ordinance which had occurred on July 11, 1928. This is documented in the “Wis. [state supreme court] Reports”, Vol. 199, Pgs. 8-12, April 30, 1929.
An item on page 16, col. 2 of the “Wis. News” of Tuesday, April 30, 1929 headlined THEATRE GETS SIGN gives the above results and states that a new sign to be 80 feet by 10 feet is now to begin construction, according to a Mr. Billings, the RIVERSIDE’s then manager. Mr. Robert Baird of Everbrite Sign Co. of Milw. has recently confirmed that they did indeed build this second vertical sign back then (the one shown in the 1950s photo on this site where the caption should read “Wis. Avenue” not ‘Wis. street") but they no longer retain reliable records of it. All of this was occasioned by an April 1991 news story about the then operators trying to find out about the original signage in order to design a new one to better reflect the now live action venue the theatre had become. The theatre now has no vertical sign since the second one was removed as shown in a dramatic photo (with a man walking along the lowermost girder) in the “Milwaukee Journal” of March 5, 1967, though allusions to it did appear in artist’s depictions in ads in Dec. of 1991. From late in 1991 to today, the theatre’s 1946 marquee frame has been revamped with the attraction boards replaced with smooth plastic panels in burgundy with white lettering reading The Riverside in a serifed typeface with the word 'theatre’ below it in a scrolled frame, all illuminated by fluorescents from behind. A modern sign board tops the line of ten entry doors below it to carry the name of the attraction. It would seem that the Supreme Court’s action is moot today, with neither this nor any other theatre in the city retaining their vertical signs, a sad loss to the street scene of the glitter that entranced so many, so years ago, as brought out in a nostalgic letter to the “National Observer” of March 13, 1967:
“CURTAIN COMES DOWN ON A SHOW-BIZ FAVORITE"
Milwaukee: An eight-story sign on Milwaukee’s main shopping street that read from top to bottom R-I-V-E-R-S-I-D-E came down this month and with its dismantling an era ended. It was the last of what theater men call "verticals” on Wisconsin Avenue, a street that once was the closest thing Milwaukee had to a great white way. In those vanished days, every downtown theater had these flashing signs, but over the years the signs and some of the theaters disappeared until only the Riverside’s eight-ton vertical was left.
When the theater and its sign were built in 1929, show-business devotees from smaller Wisconsin cities came to stand on the sidewalk and watch admiringly as the 3,500 bulbs winked on and off [on the double-sided sign]. It was the biggest sign of its kind in the state and a source of some envy.
The sign was still faithfully blinking in days of pork pie hats, when Benny Goodman played swing music on the Riverside stage or Bill “Bojangles” Robinson demonstrated how to tap dance down a flight of stairs.
Some years ago, when styles in theaters as well as other things had changed, the sign was allowed to glow instead of flash on and off. Finally it was decided to take it down altogether.
Russell Mortenson, vice president of Standard Theatres, said the sign was taken down to modernize the theater front in line with downtown beautification efforts â€" which seemed to imply that those 3,500 blinking bulbs weren’t once a thing of beauty on a Saturday night.“
By (the late) Robert Wells, then retired reporter for the "Milw. Journal”
The famous duo of the stage, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, resided at their small estate “Ten Chimneys” in the town of Genesee Depot, about 30 miles west of Milwaukee, until their deaths. Now that estate has been preserved in their memories as a meetings and tourist spot, which has its own web site: http://www.tenchimneys.org/ The historic 1895 PABST theater in Milwaukee (www.pabsttheater.org) was their ‘home’ theater, and the place from which the couple began and ended their professional tours each season for almost 50 years. The PABST maintains two display cases in its lobby of the Lunts showing their many triumphs there and on the road at the hundreds of theatres at which they appeared. They are best seen today in the film “The Guardsman” which is reviewed at and available from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021931/
Tour of Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas Theatres in 2004
From June 26 through July 1, 2004 the Theatre Historical Society of America will tour a number of theatres in Kansas City Missouri and surrounding areas, including theatres in Lamar, Joplin, Richmond, St. Joseph and Springfield, MO, as well as Miami, OK, and these cities in Kansas: Leavenworth, Kansas City, Emporia, El Dorado, Augusta, Wichita, Hutchinson, McPherson, Salina, Concordia, and Topeka. More information is contained on their web site: http://www.HistoricTheatres.org and special photos and information concerning the Kansas City theatres: UPTOWN and the MIDLAND is available on this temporary page of their site at: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~angell/thsa/fromarch.html A glossy brochure about this “Heart of America” Conclave is available from the Society’s headquarters listed on their homepage, via E-mail to the Ex. Director, or via snail mail. Membership in the Society is not required to attend the Conclave and tour the theatres, but fees do apply as detailed on their site. Bring your camera and lots of film, for it is usually difficult or impossible to enter these theatres for photos, and some of them will surely not be with us in the years to come.
Tour of Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas Theatres in 2004
From June 26 through July 1, 2004 the Theatre Historical Society of America will tour a number of theatres in Kansas City Missouri and surrounding areas, including theatres in Lamar, Joplin, Richmond, St. Joseph and Springfield, MO, as well as Miami, OK, and these cities in Kansas: Leavenworth, Kansas City, Emporia, El Dorado, Augusta, Wichita, Hutchinson, McPherson, Salina, Concordia, and Topeka. More information is contained on their web site: http://www.HistoricTheatres.org and special photos and information concerning the Kansas City theatres: UPTOWN and the MIDLAND is available on this temporary page of their site at: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~angell/thsa/fromarch.html A glossy brochure about this “Heart of America” Conclave is available from the Society’s headquarters listed on their homepage, via E-mail to the Ex. Director, or via snail mail. Membership in the Society is not required to attend the Conclave and tour the theatres, but fees do apply as detailed on their site. Bring your camera and lots of film, for it is usually difficult or impossible to enter these theatres for photos, and some of them will surely not be with us in the years to come.
Tour of Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas Theatres in 2004
From June 26 through July 1, 2004 the Theatre Historical Society of America will tour a number of theatres in Kansas City Missouri and surrounding areas, including theatres in Lamar, Joplin, Richmond, St. Joseph and Springfield, MO, as well as Miami, OK, and these cities in Kansas: Leavenworth, Kansas City, Emporia, El Dorado, Augusta, Wichita, Hutchinson, McPherson, Salina, Concordia, and Topeka. More information is contained on their web site: http://www.HistoricTheatres.org and special photos and information concerning the Kansas City theatres: UPTOWN and the MIDLAND is available on this temporary page of their site at: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~angell/thsa/fromarch.html A glossy brochure about this “Heart of America” Conclave is available from the Society’s headquarters listed on their homepage, via E-mail to the Ex. Director, or via snail mail. Membership in the Society is not required to attend the Conclave and tour the theatres, but fees do apply as detailed on their site. Bring your camera and lots of film, for it is usually difficult or impossible to enter these theatres for photos, and some of them will surely not be with us in the years to come.
This theatre is one of some 200 that could be described as “Skouras-ized For Showmanship” which is the title of the ANNUAL of 1987 of the Theatre Historical Soc. of America. In the late 1930s through the 1950s, there occurred on the west coast of the United States a phenomenon known as the ‘Skouras style’ in recognition of the oversight of the Skouras brothers in their management of several cinema chains. They employed a designer by the name of Carl G. Moeller to render their cinemas/theatres in a new style best described as ‘Art Moderne meets Streamlined.’ The then new availability of aluminum sheeting at low cost was the principal material difference to this style allowing for sweeping, 3-dimensional shapes of scrolls to adorn walls and facades in an expression that would have been much more expensive and not at all the same in plaster. With the use of hand tinted and etched aluminum forms, the designers could make ornaments in mass production that allowed much greater economies of scale. The ANNUAL also show in its 44 pages how some 20 theatres were good examples of this combining of aluminum forms with sweeping draperies heavily hung with large tassels, and with box offices and facades richly treated with neon within the aluminum forms. Few of these examples survive today, but it was a glorious era while it lasted, and this collection of crisp b/w photos is a fitting epitaph by the late Preston Kaufmann.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 44 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to lend it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
This theatre is one of some 200 that could be described as “Skouras-ized For Showmanship” which is the title of the ANNUAL of 1987 of the Theatre Historical Soc. of America. In the late 1930s through the 1950s, there occurred on the west coast of the United States a phenomenon known as the ‘Skouras style’ in recognition of the oversight of the Skouras brothers in their management of several cinema chains. They employed a designer by the name of Carl G. Moeller to render their cinemas/theatres in a new style best described as ‘Art Moderne meets Streamlined.’ The then new availability of aluminum sheeting at low cost was the principal material difference to this style allowing for sweeping, 3-dimensional shapes of scrolls to adorn walls and facades in an expression that would have been much more expensive and not at all the same in plaster. With the use of hand tinted and etched aluminum forms, the designers could make ornaments in mass production that allowed much greater economies of scale. The ANNUAL also show in its 44 pages how some 20 theatres were good examples of this combining of aluminum forms with sweeping draperies heavily hung with large tassels, and with box offices and facades richly treated with neon within the aluminum forms. Few of these examples survive today, but it was a glorious era while it lasted, and this collection of crisp b/w photos is a fitting epitaph by the late Preston Kaufmann.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 44 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to lend it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
This theatre is one of some 200 that could be described as “Skouras-ized For Showmanship” which is the title of the ANNUAL of 1987 of the Theatre Historical Soc. of America. In the late 1930s through the 1950s, there occurred on the west coast of the United States a phenomenon known as the ‘Skouras style’ in recognition of the oversight of the Skouras brothers in their management of several cinema chains. They employed a designer by the name of Carl G. Moeller to render their cinemas/theatres in a new style best described as ‘Art Moderne meets Streamlined.’ The then new availability of aluminum sheeting at low cost was the principal material difference to this style allowing for sweeping, 3-dimensional shapes of scrolls to adorn walls and facades in an expression that would have been much more expensive and not at all the same in plaster. With the use of hand tinted and etched aluminum forms, the designers could make ornaments in mass production that allowed much greater economies of scale. The ANNUAL also show in its 44 pages how some 20 theatres were good examples of this combining of aluminum forms with sweeping draperies heavily hung with large tassels, and with box offices and facades richly treated with neon within the aluminum forms. Few of these examples survive today, but it was a glorious era while it lasted, and this collection of crisp b/w photos is a fitting epitaph by the late Preston Kaufmann.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 44 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to lend it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
This theatre is one of some 200 that could be described as “Skouras-ized For Showmanship” which is the title of the ANNUAL of 1987 of the Theatre Historical Soc. of America. In the late 1930s through the 1950s, there occurred on the west coast of the United States a phenomenon known as the ‘Skouras style’ in recognition of the oversight of the Skouras brothers in their management of several cinema chains. They employed a designer by the name of Carl G. Moeller to render their cinemas/theatres in a new style best described as ‘Art Moderne meets Streamlined.’ The then new availability of aluminum sheeting at low cost was the principal material difference to this style allowing for sweeping, 3-dimensional shapes of scrolls to adorn walls and facades in an expression that would have been much more expensive and not at all the same in plaster. With the use of hand tinted and etched aluminum forms, the designers could make ornaments in mass production that allowed much greater economies of scale. The ANNUAL also show in its 44 pages how some 20 theatres were good examples of this combining of aluminum forms with sweeping draperies heavily hung with large tassels, and with box offices and facades richly treated with neon within the aluminum forms. Few of these examples survive today, but it was a glorious era while it lasted, and this collection of crisp b/w photos is a fitting epitaph by the late Preston Kaufmann.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 44 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to lend it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
The mention of the “Skouras-style” in the previous post may be puzzling to some if they are now aware of the entire ‘style’ that the owner of a chain of theatres had promoted in the 1940s and 50s, and this ‘style’ is nowhere better explored in text and many b/w photos than in the ANNUAL of the Theatre Historical Soc. for 1987 by the late Preston J. Kaufmann. Within its 44 pages are dozens of photos of the interiors of theatres/cinemas that sported the almost trademark blend of formed aluminum sheeting shaped in sweeping forms and hand tinted to adorn the walls in contrast to the rich drapery treatments typical of that era. This publication is as much a tour into architecture as theatres.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
The LOS ANGELES is notable for many luxurious appointments such as the lavish decor, the neon strips bordering the aisles, the fire curtain sporting fully clothed figures upon it, the viewing device in the lower lounge, and that most unforgettable ornament: the crystal fountain at the head of the Grand staircase. This opulent ornament is one thing that sets this theatre apart from so many others in that it is a feature beyond the ordinary and focuses to the smaller scale as well as the grand scale of the theatre.
Another theatre that employs smaller scale, focus point ornaments is the CORONADO in Rockford, Ill, which features ‘vases’ of stained glass flowers in niches in the sidewalls under the balcony to this day. Using flame shaped bulbs to illuminate them, these decorations also lend the more artistic air so little found in smaller scale in theatres; we all appreciate the large scale effects, but a good planner balances the theme by means of attention to ornaments on both ends of the size scale. One might also recall similar ornaments in the form of the dioramas of Chicago cityscapes that once graced the niches in the walls of Chicago’s long-lost SOUTHTOWN (preserved at the Theatre Historical Soc. www.HistoricTheatres.org ), but people can increase the level of interest by using smaller ‘jewels’ to highlight the lobbies, as was done with antique figural lamps upon an imported mahogany back bar in the PABST in Milwaukee, for example. The wonderful ‘fountain’ of stained glass centered in the rotunda of the lobby of the RIALTO in Joliet, Il, also comes to mind as a wonderful focal point feature that takes that theatre beyond the ordinary.
One can see many vintage photos of the LOS ANGELES in the Annual of the Theatre Historical Soc. by that name for the year 1998 and its 36 pages will leave one a lasting impression of a luxury that has rarely been seen in American theatres, and unlike its reputed model, the San Francisco FOX, it is still with us and used by many commercial photographers as a background, even as it has been used in many videos.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
A theatre that employs smaller scale, focus point ornaments is the CORONADO in Rockford, Ill, which features ‘vases’ of stained glass flowers in niches in the sidewalls under the balcony to this day. Using flame shaped bulbs to illuminate them, these decorations also lend the more artistic air so little found in smaller scale in theatres; we all appreciate the large scale effects, but a good planner balances the theme by means of attention to ornaments on both ends of the size scale. One might also recall similar ornaments in the form of the dioramas of Chicago cityscapes that once graced the niches in the walls of Chicago’s long-lost SOUTHTOWN (preserved at the Theatre Historical Soc. www.HistoricTheatres.org ), but people can increase the level of interest by using smaller ‘jewels’ to highlight the lobbies, as was done with antique figural lamps upon an imported mahogany back bar in the PABST in Milwaukee, for example. The wonderful ‘fountain’ of stained glass centered in the rotunda of the lobby of the RIALTO in Joliet, Il, also comes to mind as a wonderful focal point feature that takes that theatre beyond the ordinary. And the monumental crystal fountain at the top of the stairs in the LOS ANGELES is perhaps the largest of such custom ornaments to grace a theatre in a most memorable way!
The RIALTO has a number of claims to fame, but it is the more unusual elements that remain in my memory, and while I bemoan the loss of the luxurious draperies (later somewhat replaced by lesser creations done by Mid-West Scenic in Milwaukee), it is that wonderful ‘fountain’ in stained glass forms centered in the rotunda lobby since opening day that is most memorable. Here a four foot high octagon of metal grillework upon a marble base rises to a bowl of glass fruits which are illuminated from below. The grilles are backed with sheets of stained glass and illuminated from within to silhouette the grillework. It is artistic touches such as this which lend grace to a theatre and distinguish it from all the others with only the basic features. Another theatre that employs such ornaments is the CORONADO in Rockford, Ill, which features ‘vases’ of stained glass flowers in niches in the sidewalls under the balcony to this day. Using flame shaped bulbs to illuminate them, these decorations also lend the more artistic air so little found in smaller scale in theatres; we all appreciate the large scale effects, but a good planner balances the theme by means of attention to ornaments on both ends of the size scale. One might also recall similar ornaments in the form of the dioramas of Chicago cityscapes that once graced the niches in the walls of Chicago’s long-lost SOUTHTOWN (preserved at the Theatre Historical Soc. www.HistoricTheatres.org ), but people can increase the level of interest by using smaller ‘jewels’ to highlight the lobbies, as was done with antique figural lamps upon an imported mahogany back bar in the PABST in Milwaukee, for example.
The MARBRO had many unusual features, the lobby’s ‘flying’ staircase being perhaps the most memorable, but the auditorium had at least one notable feature too: the illuminated giant discs. These four gilded sheet metal discs were about three feet in diameter and contained cut out spaces filled with dyed isinglass panels that allowed the incandescent lights mounted behind them to show through in jewel-like colors. There were some of the trimmings made for the Grand Drapery against which they hung to cast halos of light upon the shimmering satin drapery cloth. They were probably wired in to the proscenium lights circuit and went on whenever the front wall was illuminated. They are shown in perhaps the only good photos of the area in the catalog of the E.L. Mansure Co. of 1928 as examples of some of the more unusual decorations made by that prominent firm, which still exists as a small division of the Joanna Western Mills div. of the Crown Henry conglomerate, in Joanna, S. Carolina. The same designs of convex discs were also used in the late lamented GRANADA in Chicago, and these were removed before demolition and stored in the nearby UPTOWN. The Mansure catalog is preserved at the Theatre Historical Soc. in Elmhurst, Ill. and they can be contacted at: www.HistoricTheatres.org
The Hitching Post is a good moniker for a Westerns cinema, and the former MIRTH THEATRE in Milwaukee was known by the locals as the ‘Hitching Post’ during the 40s and 50s, according to the nearby local bank president recalling the days of his youth when he and his pals went there every Saturday matinee. I don’t know if there was a literal hitching post in front (though many of the older homes in the neighborhood had hitching rings cast into the pavement!) but it shows the favor of Westerns to the innocent youths of years ago.
Possibly the only way to be really sure, is to go to the Register of Deeds and take the time to locate all covenants annd deeds recorded for the legal description of the land the theatre occupies. It is true that a theatre can have a separate land owner, a local builder or building owner, and still be “built” by a chain of theatres, in the sense that they lease the site and building from a local owner, but it is their plans that are completed; thus all mentioned may have been involved at some point. Contracts may be recorded there or perhaps with the Secretary of State.
The experience of the PORT THEATRE (http://cinematreasures.org/news/11623_0_1_0_M/ )in its quest for listing on the National Register of Historic Places brought back to mind my own efforts over a year’s time in doing the research and writing of the application for National Historic Landmark designation for the PABST THEATER in Milwaukee back in 1990-91. True, it is by no means an easy task, but it is well worth it! The major criterion for National Registry listing is to prove historic significance to the area of the theatre. The major criterion for NATIONAL LANDMARK listing is to prove significance to the nation as a whole, as well as state and local significance. Yes, one often does start with his state historic sites officer, as detailed on the web site of the National Park Service which administers both programs. If one cannot get local and state backing, it is usually impossible to convince the feds of any real import of a theater; merely being old is not enough.
At the PABST, they had completed a 15-page Application for the National Register of Historic Places, following the city designating it a landmark in ‘72. But by 1990 it was evident that it would likely qualify for national recognition, and that such would bring the much needed contributions its way. I spent hurried months scanning the hundreds of documents and clippings in the 1895 theatre’s archive, and then months more scouring all other sources in the state, and finally ended up with some 20 pounds of copies of documents to send off to the Park Service, and these things are now preserved in the National Archives in Washington, as well as at the theater and at the main library in Milwaukee. In 1991 the Secretary of the Interior affixed his name and seal to the Designation of National Historic Landmark of the United States. When in 1995 the German-American legit theatre celebrated its Centennial, it was a pleasure to know that it was our long effort that culminated in that day being realized, and to this day, our 'blood, sweat and tears’ have preserved that wonderful venue against other threats and have garnered a new owner pledged by contract to maintain the landmark. Our guestbook there bulges with the words of praise of many notables as well as regular folk who value such a landmark and its future seems assured. PORT Theatre, don’t give up! (and be sure to anchor your plaque in such a way that metal scavengers can’t easily remove it some dark night, to sell as scrap for drug money.)
Jim Rankin, former Archivist/Historian to the PABST. ( /theaters/2753/ )
The experience of the PORT THEATRE in its quest for listing on the National Register of Historic Places brought back to mind my own efforts over a year’s time in doing the research and writing of the application for National Historic Landmark designation for the PABST THEATER in Milwaukee back in 1990-91. True, it is by no means an easy task, but it is well worth it! The major criterion for National Registry listing is to prove historic significance to the area of the theatre. The major criterion for NATIONAL LANDMARK listing is to prove significance to the nation as a whole, as well as state and local significance. Yes, one often does start with his state historic sites officer, as detailed on the web site of the National Park Service which administers both programs. If one cannot get local and state backing, it is usually impossible to convince the feds of any real import of a theater; merely being old is not enough.
At the PABST, they had completed a 15-page Application for the National Register of Historic Places, following the city designating it a landmark in ‘72. But by 1990 it was evident that it would likely qualify for national recognition, and that such would bring the much needed contributions its way. I spent hurried months scanning the hundreds of documents and clippings in the 1895 theatre’s archive, and then months more scouring all other sources in the state, and finally ended up with some 20 pounds of copies of documents to send off to the Park Service, and these things are now preserved in the National Archives in Washington, as well as at the theater and at the main library in Milwaukee. In 1991 the Secretary of the Interior affixed his name and seal to the Designation of National Historic Landmark of the United States. When in 1995 the German-American legit theatre celebrated its Centennial, it was a pleasure to know that it was our long effort that culminated in that day being realized, and to this day, our 'blood, sweat and tears’ have preserved that wonderful venue against other threats and have garnered a new owner pledged by contract to maintain the landmark. Our guestbook there bulges with the words of praise of many notables as well as regular folk who value such a landmark and its future seems assured. PORT Theatre, don’t give up! (and be sure to anchor your plaque in such a way that metal scavengers can’t easily remove it some dark night, to sell as scrap for drug money.)
Jim Rankin, former Archivist/Historian to the PABST. ( /theaters/2753/ )
A beautiful color photo of the facade is on this web site, fourth row down, at the extreme right. Click on it to isolate it, and then click again to enlarge it.
View link
In the otherwise excellent book, “The Last Remaining Seats: Movie Palaces of Tinseltown” by Berger and Conser (1997), there is on page 85 a color photo of the proscenium of the EL CAPITAN showing a giant ‘beam’ or ‘track’ directly in front of the grand drapery. There is no mention of it in the caption, as though no one would notice such an ugly thing was there! It does not appear in the two (sadly, not enlargeable) photos on the theatre’s web site (http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/el_capitan/about.html), so does anyone know what that ugly thing is and why it was there during prime professional photography for the book?
Rhett brings out a good point: in some smaller locations, it is possible for a non-greedy owner to put on successful shows and vintage films and still keep the theatre alive, but that option is gone for megalopolises such as New York City. In such places the property values and attendant taxes upon them are so huge as to make any enterprise strain at the need to bring in the maximum possible dollars per square foot, and believe me when I say that every theatre is calculated as being worth so many dollars per square foot in income. Overarching greed is everywhere, but some places such as NYC are so unfortunate as to have a business climate that does not much allow any property to be ‘marginal’ as to profits. I hope the LAFAYETTE continues in its success, but I am afraid that it cannot be easily transported to the much, much larger Gotham.
The ANNUAL of the Theatre Historical Soc. for 1982, “The Brooklyn Fox” is Report No. 8 (in a series of 10) by the Historic American Buildings Survey of the Department of the Interior. It is reprinted in its entirety in this ANNUAL NO. 9 by architect A. Craig Morrison in 1971. The Report there lists the FOX to have been at 20 Flatbush Ave. (not “10”) and the address of its surrounding office building to have been: 1 Nevins St. It also relates under “Alterations and Additions” that in 1934 William Fox’s 8th floor apartment became radio station WBNY. Within the 50-page softcover publication are 44 pages of dense text describing all surfaces in the theater.
Of note in the descriptions is a statement on page 40, column 2, paragraph 2: “Above the foliated semicircular top of the ‘boss,’ there was an acanthus crown from which sprouted a burst of voluted foliation atop which perched a very large, long-necked bird with wings outspread, perhaps meant to represent a phoenix.” The photo of this area on page 28 (left) shows the bird in question to have been a CORMORANT, a species of oriental diving bird. This is the only significant error of description I have found in the multi-thousand word text.
For those wanting this publication, it is still available from the Society:
PHOTOS AVAILABLE:
To obtain any available Back Issue of either “Marquee” or of its ANNUALS, simply go to the web site of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA at:
www.HistoricTheatres.org
and notice on their first page the link “PUBLICATIONS: Back Issues List” and click on that and you will be taken to their listing where they also give ordering details. The “Marquee” magazine is 8-1/2x11 inches tall (‘portrait’) format, and the ANNUALS are also soft cover in the same size, but in the long (‘landscape’) format, and are anywhere from 26 to 40 pages. Should they indicate that a publication is Out Of Print, then it may still be possible to view it via Inter-Library Loan where you go to the librarian at any public or school library and ask them to locate which library has the item by using the Union List of Serials, and your library can then ask the other library to loan it to them for you to read or photocopy. [Photocopies of most THSA publications are available from University Microforms International (UMI), but their prices are exorbitant.]
Note: Most any photo in any of their publications may be had in large size by purchase; see their ARCHIVE link. You should realize that there was no color still photography in the 1920s, so few theatres were seen in color at that time except by means of hand tinted renderings or post cards, thus all the antique photos from the Society will be in black and white, but it is quite possible that the Society has later color images available; it is best to inquire of them.
Should you not be able to contact them via their web site, you may also contact their Executive Director via E-mail at:
Or you may reach them via phone or snail mail at:
Theatre Historical Soc. of America
152 N. York, 2nd Floor York Theatre Bldg.
Elmhurst, ILL. 60126-2806 (they are about 15 miles west of Chicago)
Phone: 630-782-1800 or via FAX at: 630-782-1802 (Monday through Friday, 9AM—4PM, CT)
Many of the comments here maintain that BIG shows on stage will certainly bring back the big audiences and maybe could be combined with films, vintage or current. Sad to say, none of this works today from the standpoint of the operators of RCMH. Times have changed; theatres are no longer temples of amusement, and movies and shows are not produced by impassioned impresarios. Today everything is controlled by conglomerates which own the studios, film distributors, and often the theatre operators. A conglomerate is not interested one little bit in the nature of what it owns or its history; they exist solely for the acquisition of MONEY and all the power that comes from more and more MONEY. As one previous post said, the ‘nut’ (total operating expenses) for RCMH is too large to permit much more that the least expensive fare the management is able to find, and that fare must be so inexpensive to allow the ultimate owners, the conglomerates, to get as much PROFIT as possible, since that is their raison d'être. The Music Hall and thousands of other businesses are simply pawns in the international competition of one conglomerate to another to gain market dominance, and thus more power and MONEY, the real god of most people today. Shed a tear for our theatres and showmanship heritage, for less and less of it will remain in our future filled with ever increasing greed, corporate and personal. As God’s word the Bible says at 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things…”
No, Charles, the COLONIAL on Greenfield Ave. you mention, was in West Allis, a suburb of Milw., and nothing remains of that theatre, the lot having been rebuilt upon in later years. That location was a 600 seater, not the 800 seater on Vliet St., the first building discussed on this page. We also had yet another COLONIAL on Milwaukee Ave. in South Milwaukee, another suburb, but that venue had only 400 seats and is also gone, having lasted only from 1910 to 1914. This data if from the 1986 book “Milwaukee Movie Palaces” by Larry Widen, and though out of print, copies can sometimes be found by book locator services, or viewed via Inter-Library Loan at most libraries.
It is clear that the noted and demonstrably capable and expert architects, Cornelius and George Rapp of Chicago, did indeed plan extra lavatories as brought out in an earlier post where the commenter explains that there is to this day a very large excavated area under the lobby, so it is apparent that the builders did plan for more rest rooms and a lounge, as would have been customary. Just why they were never built is not currently known. It could well be due to financial limitations at the time, since the movie house circuits were building ‘right and left’ and it would not have been the first time that one of them found themselves overextended financially, and were forced to cut costs somewhere, and an ornate lounge with restrooms would have cost many thousands more dollars. With the stock market crash of the Great Depression coming along just then, many who had intended to enlarge or alter their theatres, were now struggling to survive, much less be concerned with already operating buildings. That fateful day in October of 1929 was a landmark event in financial terms, and few alive today can realize what a tremendous change it was to the ‘spend freely, live freely’ attitudes of the ‘Roaring Twenties.’ It is true that lavatory provisions of those days were behind what we would prescribe these days, but every true movie palace was a model of adequate toilet rooms in that era, with much meager provisions in most other buildings of the day. We must also look at the changes in theatre usage patterns in our day, with no more continuous performances, and people looking upon modern multiplexes as a social meeting place, with girls and women sometimes using the ‘bathrooms’ as conversation centers to ‘hang out’. It is also fashionable nowadays for women writers to ‘dump’ upon men as though men were abusive of women and responsible for not realizing that women take longer and therefore require more facilities. No, it is clear that lavish facilities for women (usually much more elaborate than for men) were designed by the men at Rapp&Rapp, but outside circumstances beyond their control forced the deletion of the usual basement lounges from their plans, no doubt against their advice! Even the most superficial examination of their works across the nation will show that they never stinted on lavatories â€" nor anywhere else. The architects of that day as well as the owners of the theatres were acutely aware of the prominence of female audiences, and adroitly catered to them, so no men should find themselves “in a special place in Hell” since there was no intent to deprive as the uninformed writer referred to in the previous post assumes.
Few theatres can say that they have been discussed by the Supreme Court, but that is the case for the RIVERSIDE when the Wis. state Supreme Court was asked to decide about the theatre’s vertical sign. Here is the story:
When the RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum) Vaudeville circuit was looking for a larger venue to better dominate the Milwaukee market, they approached the developers of the land at the junction of Water St. and Grand Ave. (now N. Plankinton Ave. and W. Wisconsin Ave.) and offered to become the star tenant in the planned new giant office bldg. and theatre to be erected for a 1928 opening. During the planning stages the theatre was referred to as the “New Majestic,” the then Majestic Theatre only two blocks away being RKO’s current venue. Adaptations to the needs of RKO were made in the drawings of architects Kirchoff and Rose of Milwaukee, such as six boxes in the auditorium and 3, ten-foot-long girders to project from the facade to carry a future giant vertical sign.
Like most cities, Milw. had ordinances limiting the size of signs, and prior to July of 1928, it was a maximum of 60 feet high and no more than 4 feet in projection from a building. Perhaps the ordinance was based on old construction safety limitations or merely on aesthetics, but evidently the RKO people foresaw changing the ordinance. The 3 giant girders were built into the new building’s steelwork in 1927. The lease between tenant RKO (then styled as “The New Majestic Theatre Co.”) and building/land owner “Water-Grand Holding Co.” allowed for a sign and even for future sign changes of approximately similar nature. Apparently, as the theatre approached opening day and the ordinance hadn’t changed yet, RKO (who was responsible for costs of the planned eight-story-high sign) had to arrange for a smaller 60-foot-high by 4-foot-wide design, the contract for which it gave to Milw.’s Federal Sign Co., the local licensee of the highly litigious Claude Neon Co. of France, the putative originator of neon tubing. They produced a vertical of the size above (not the 70 foot one as claimed in the day-before-opening ad on pg. 8 of the (Milwaukee) “Sentinel” of April 28, 1928), which utilized the then new neon tubing (500 feet of it along with 1,500 incandescent lamps) apparently for the fist time on a Milw. theatre sign. This vertical was erected before opening day (a Grand Opening without a sign would have looked naked indeed!). On those 3 beams/girders which were far larger than the sign, Federal’s design must have seemed peculiar. The only known photo from that day shows this to have been the case!
THE SUPERME COURT BECOMES INVOLVED
It appears from the digest of a case before the Wis. State Supreme Court that RKO was still trying to get the larger vertical sign it wanted (and already had, no doubt, in other cities) and so filed an application on April 1, 1928 for a permit for a 70 foot by 10 foot sign. The city stalled with a reply that such size was presently illegal but that the common council was due to consider a new statute. AS if this were not enough to frustrate them, an odd thing now happens. For reasons not yet found, the bldg. owner, Water-Grand Holding Co., objected to the new proposed larger sign, and foreseeing the coming change in city statute, they commenced a long correspondence with their tenant (RKO) to persuade them against a new large sign for which the steelwork already projected from the building’s face and well beyond the edge of the smaller sign! This produced no resolution so they obtained a restraining order against RKO and a trial ensued in circuit court which terminated on the very day the theatre opened, in favor of the tenant. The landlord appealed to the Supreme court and precisely one year later, in 1929, the Court affirmed the tenant’s right to the new sign in view of lease language and the revision of the Milw. sign ordinance which had occurred on July 11, 1928. This is documented in the “Wis. [state supreme court] Reports”, Vol. 199, Pgs. 8-12, April 30, 1929.
An item on page 16, col. 2 of the “Wis. News” of Tuesday, April 30, 1929 headlined THEATRE GETS SIGN gives the above results and states that a new sign to be 80 feet by 10 feet is now to begin construction, according to a Mr. Billings, the RIVERSIDE’s then manager. Mr. Robert Baird of Everbrite Sign Co. of Milw. has recently confirmed that they did indeed build this second vertical sign back then (the one shown in the 1950s photo on this site where the caption should read “Wis. Avenue” not ‘Wis. street") but they no longer retain reliable records of it. All of this was occasioned by an April 1991 news story about the then operators trying to find out about the original signage in order to design a new one to better reflect the now live action venue the theatre had become. The theatre now has no vertical sign since the second one was removed as shown in a dramatic photo (with a man walking along the lowermost girder) in the “Milwaukee Journal” of March 5, 1967, though allusions to it did appear in artist’s depictions in ads in Dec. of 1991. From late in 1991 to today, the theatre’s 1946 marquee frame has been revamped with the attraction boards replaced with smooth plastic panels in burgundy with white lettering reading The Riverside in a serifed typeface with the word 'theatre’ below it in a scrolled frame, all illuminated by fluorescents from behind. A modern sign board tops the line of ten entry doors below it to carry the name of the attraction. It would seem that the Supreme Court’s action is moot today, with neither this nor any other theatre in the city retaining their vertical signs, a sad loss to the street scene of the glitter that entranced so many, so years ago, as brought out in a nostalgic letter to the “National Observer” of March 13, 1967:
“CURTAIN COMES DOWN ON A SHOW-BIZ FAVORITE"
Milwaukee: An eight-story sign on Milwaukee’s main shopping street that read from top to bottom R-I-V-E-R-S-I-D-E came down this month and with its dismantling an era ended. It was the last of what theater men call "verticals” on Wisconsin Avenue, a street that once was the closest thing Milwaukee had to a great white way. In those vanished days, every downtown theater had these flashing signs, but over the years the signs and some of the theaters disappeared until only the Riverside’s eight-ton vertical was left.
When the theater and its sign were built in 1929, show-business devotees from smaller Wisconsin cities came to stand on the sidewalk and watch admiringly as the 3,500 bulbs winked on and off [on the double-sided sign]. It was the biggest sign of its kind in the state and a source of some envy.
The sign was still faithfully blinking in days of pork pie hats, when Benny Goodman played swing music on the Riverside stage or Bill “Bojangles” Robinson demonstrated how to tap dance down a flight of stairs.
Some years ago, when styles in theaters as well as other things had changed, the sign was allowed to glow instead of flash on and off. Finally it was decided to take it down altogether.
Russell Mortenson, vice president of Standard Theatres, said the sign was taken down to modernize the theater front in line with downtown beautification efforts â€" which seemed to imply that those 3,500 blinking bulbs weren’t once a thing of beauty on a Saturday night.“
By (the late) Robert Wells, then retired reporter for the "Milw. Journal”
The famous duo of the stage, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, resided at their small estate “Ten Chimneys” in the town of Genesee Depot, about 30 miles west of Milwaukee, until their deaths. Now that estate has been preserved in their memories as a meetings and tourist spot, which has its own web site: http://www.tenchimneys.org/ The historic 1895 PABST theater in Milwaukee (www.pabsttheater.org) was their ‘home’ theater, and the place from which the couple began and ended their professional tours each season for almost 50 years. The PABST maintains two display cases in its lobby of the Lunts showing their many triumphs there and on the road at the hundreds of theatres at which they appeared. They are best seen today in the film “The Guardsman” which is reviewed at and available from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021931/
Tour of Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas Theatres in 2004
From June 26 through July 1, 2004 the Theatre Historical Society of America will tour a number of theatres in Kansas City Missouri and surrounding areas, including theatres in Lamar, Joplin, Richmond, St. Joseph and Springfield, MO, as well as Miami, OK, and these cities in Kansas: Leavenworth, Kansas City, Emporia, El Dorado, Augusta, Wichita, Hutchinson, McPherson, Salina, Concordia, and Topeka. More information is contained on their web site: http://www.HistoricTheatres.org and special photos and information concerning the Kansas City theatres: UPTOWN and the MIDLAND is available on this temporary page of their site at: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~angell/thsa/fromarch.html A glossy brochure about this “Heart of America” Conclave is available from the Society’s headquarters listed on their homepage, via E-mail to the Ex. Director, or via snail mail. Membership in the Society is not required to attend the Conclave and tour the theatres, but fees do apply as detailed on their site. Bring your camera and lots of film, for it is usually difficult or impossible to enter these theatres for photos, and some of them will surely not be with us in the years to come.
Tour of Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas Theatres in 2004
From June 26 through July 1, 2004 the Theatre Historical Society of America will tour a number of theatres in Kansas City Missouri and surrounding areas, including theatres in Lamar, Joplin, Richmond, St. Joseph and Springfield, MO, as well as Miami, OK, and these cities in Kansas: Leavenworth, Kansas City, Emporia, El Dorado, Augusta, Wichita, Hutchinson, McPherson, Salina, Concordia, and Topeka. More information is contained on their web site: http://www.HistoricTheatres.org and special photos and information concerning the Kansas City theatres: UPTOWN and the MIDLAND is available on this temporary page of their site at: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~angell/thsa/fromarch.html A glossy brochure about this “Heart of America” Conclave is available from the Society’s headquarters listed on their homepage, via E-mail to the Ex. Director, or via snail mail. Membership in the Society is not required to attend the Conclave and tour the theatres, but fees do apply as detailed on their site. Bring your camera and lots of film, for it is usually difficult or impossible to enter these theatres for photos, and some of them will surely not be with us in the years to come.
Tour of Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas Theatres in 2004
From June 26 through July 1, 2004 the Theatre Historical Society of America will tour a number of theatres in Kansas City Missouri and surrounding areas, including theatres in Lamar, Joplin, Richmond, St. Joseph and Springfield, MO, as well as Miami, OK, and these cities in Kansas: Leavenworth, Kansas City, Emporia, El Dorado, Augusta, Wichita, Hutchinson, McPherson, Salina, Concordia, and Topeka. More information is contained on their web site: http://www.HistoricTheatres.org and special photos and information concerning the Kansas City theatres: UPTOWN and the MIDLAND is available on this temporary page of their site at: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~angell/thsa/fromarch.html A glossy brochure about this “Heart of America” Conclave is available from the Society’s headquarters listed on their homepage, via E-mail to the Ex. Director, or via snail mail. Membership in the Society is not required to attend the Conclave and tour the theatres, but fees do apply as detailed on their site. Bring your camera and lots of film, for it is usually difficult or impossible to enter these theatres for photos, and some of them will surely not be with us in the years to come.