The address is given as 444 Main Street in this 1959 article:
Fox-Wisconsin Chain Sold To Zilber, Realtor
The Fox Theater, 444 Main St., Stevens Point’s only year-around movie house, was transferred to new ownership in a major business transaction announced this weekend at Milwaukee. The Fox, along with three theaters at Milwaukee, two at Janesville and one at Wausau, comprised the holdings of the Fox-Wisconsin Amusement Corp., which was purchased from the National Theater and Television Corp., of Los Angeles, Calif. The new owner is Joseph J. Zilber, Whitefish Bay, president of the Towne Realty Co., one of Milwaukee’s major real estate developers.
The purchase price was not disclosed, but industry sources were quoted at Milwaukee in estimates of more than $250,000. Zibler said the chain will be renamed Wisconsin Theaters Inc. About 125 employees of the organization will be affected by the change of ownership, he said. Zilber will head the new firm, with S. Daniel Tishberg, Milwaukee attorney, as vice president, and Albert Frank, Milwaukee, who was district manager for the former owners, as general manager. Gerald McMillan, Whiting, is manager of the Fox Theater here.
The chain includes the Wisconsin, Palace and Strand Theaters in Milwaukee, the Jeffris and Myers in Janesville and the Wausau in Wausau. Also included is the Layton Park at Milwaukee, now leased to another operator, as well as the Fox Theater here. The Myers is closed at present. The only real estate transaction believed in the sale is the building that houses the Wausau. Zilber’s company already owned the Carpenter Building at Milwaukee, the location of the Wisconsin.
The building housing the Fox Theater here has been owned by the Andrae family since the land was purchased by the late G. F. Andrae from John and Henry Curran in 1893. In September 1894, Andrae opened the Grand Opera House, and this provided the stage for many community events for many years, home talent productions, vaudeville, minstrels, graduation exercises and other stage presentations besides movies. For a six-year period prior to 1920, it was closed. In 1923 the Midwest Theater Corp. leased the theater and operated the showhouse until 1928, when Fox-Wisconsin took over the lease. Meanwhile ownership of the building remained with the Andrae family. The present owner is Mrs. Donald Sanders, who resides in the Andrae family homestead at 541 Clark St. Fox-Wisconsin also held a lease on the Lyric Theater here, which was closed on Oct. 1, 1957. The
building is owned by Myron T. Clifford of Phoenix. Ariz., a former resident of Stevens Point.
If that doesn’t sound like a press release, I don’t know what does. This theater is across the street, roughly, from the location of the former Palace.
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio (UPI)-It was Paris, 1922, when James Joyce first unleashed the “Ulysses" controversy and now it’s cropped up here. Police impounded the film version of the controversial novel Friday night, closed the Vine Theater and charged the manager and projectionist with showing a lewd and obscene film.
The film, with a liberal dose of four letter words, was playing at three other Cleveland area theaters, but there were no complaints. “If a guy said some of those things on a street corner and anyone heard him, he’d be arrested,” said Willoughby Law Director Lewis Turl Jr.
Here is a story about the long-time manager of the Tivoli from the Frederick News dated 4/30/52:
‘Jack’ Forney To Leave Here
Louis C. “Jack' Forney, for the past 14 years manager of the Tivoli Theater here, will leave Warner Brothers employ Thursday to take a position at Harrisonburg, Va. His successor here has not yet been named. Well-known in civic, fraternal and the entertainment business, Mr. Forney will be associated with the Roth chain of theaters having its home offices in Washington and operating moving-picture enterprises in the District of Columbia and Virginia. Mr. Forney will be employed in a supervisory capacity for a group of more than a half-dozen theaters including two drive-ins. His headquarters will be in Harrisonburg.
A native of Winchester. Va., where his father, mother and sister still reside, the 43-year old Forney has been associated with the motion-picture business since he was a student at Handley High School in Winchester. He started as an assistant projectionist for L. Marshall Baker in the Empire Theater, Winchester, went to Staunton as a projectionist and assistant manager of the Strand and New theaters until 1931 when le was appointed manager of the Strand Theater at Staunton.
Mr. Forney came to the Tivoli as manager, May 19, 1938 after having been with Warner Bros, in Virginia for eight and a-half years. He succeeded C. O. Clark as manager here and is the fifth manager of the local show house. Since 1938, except for 23 months service in the Navy during World War II, he has been continuously occupied handling the Tivoli until October 1, 1950 when the renovated Frederick Theater was also added to his management. He tendered his resignation to Warner Bros., March 15, to take effect May 1 this year.
Here is an article about the long-time projectionist dated 2/28/54:
Gene Sherman Notes Another Milestone In Theater Career
“The Robe,” the new CinemaScope production to be shown at the Marlow for a full week beginning Wednesday, will be one of many milestones passed by Gene Sherman, the theater projectionist. Sherman has been projectionist at the Marlow for the past 20 years of the 47-year career. He began as a trouper in a stock company operated by Lulu Sutton, daughter of Montana’s famous Uncle Dick Sutton, who built the Empress theaters in Helena and Butte, the Broadway (now the Montana) in Butte, and other theaters, and who presented scores of shows when no other producer would venture into the backwoods that was then Montana.
In the winter of 1907-1908 Sherman deserted the stage for the projection booth, and from there he has seen such innovations as a one reel version of the opera “Carmen” (1908), the first movie made in California; D. W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation” (1915), the forerunner of the feature picture as we have come to know it, and “Lights of New York” (1928), the first all-talking picture. His earliest work was with the Vitagraph company and later for General Programs, produced by Lubin-Selig-Essanay. He has been a Fox Intermountain Amusement projectionist for 28 yearsâ€"eight years in Lewistown and 20 years in Helena. Looking at the plans for CinemaScope, and working on them, he asks, “What next?” A faithful patron suggests noiseless popcorn.
There was a full page ad in the 6-28-52 edition of the Humboldt Standard celebrating George Mann week for his 35 years in Eureka. Full staff lists are given for the Eureka, State, Rialto, Midway Drive-In, Fortuna and Arcata. I won’t copy all the names here, but if someone is looking for an usher or candy girl around that time, let me know and I will look it up.
There was a full page ad in the 6-28-52 edition of the Humboldt Standard celebrating George Mann week for his 35 years in Eureka. Full staff lists are given for the Eureka, State, Rialto, Midway Drive-In, Fortuna and Arcata. I won’t copy all the names here, but if someone is looking for an usher or candy girl around that time, let me know and I will look it up.
Here is an ad, circa 1974:
http://tinyurl.com/2ohh2a
The address is given as 444 Main Street in this 1959 article:
Fox-Wisconsin Chain Sold To Zilber, Realtor
The Fox Theater, 444 Main St., Stevens Point’s only year-around movie house, was transferred to new ownership in a major business transaction announced this weekend at Milwaukee. The Fox, along with three theaters at Milwaukee, two at Janesville and one at Wausau, comprised the holdings of the Fox-Wisconsin Amusement Corp., which was purchased from the National Theater and Television Corp., of Los Angeles, Calif. The new owner is Joseph J. Zilber, Whitefish Bay, president of the Towne Realty Co., one of Milwaukee’s major real estate developers.
The purchase price was not disclosed, but industry sources were quoted at Milwaukee in estimates of more than $250,000. Zibler said the chain will be renamed Wisconsin Theaters Inc. About 125 employees of the organization will be affected by the change of ownership, he said. Zilber will head the new firm, with S. Daniel Tishberg, Milwaukee attorney, as vice president, and Albert Frank, Milwaukee, who was district manager for the former owners, as general manager. Gerald McMillan, Whiting, is manager of the Fox Theater here.
The chain includes the Wisconsin, Palace and Strand Theaters in Milwaukee, the Jeffris and Myers in Janesville and the Wausau in Wausau. Also included is the Layton Park at Milwaukee, now leased to another operator, as well as the Fox Theater here. The Myers is closed at present. The only real estate transaction believed in the sale is the building that houses the Wausau. Zilber’s company already owned the Carpenter Building at Milwaukee, the location of the Wisconsin.
The building housing the Fox Theater here has been owned by the Andrae family since the land was purchased by the late G. F. Andrae from John and Henry Curran in 1893. In September 1894, Andrae opened the Grand Opera House, and this provided the stage for many community events for many years, home talent productions, vaudeville, minstrels, graduation exercises and other stage presentations besides movies. For a six-year period prior to 1920, it was closed. In 1923 the Midwest Theater Corp. leased the theater and operated the showhouse until 1928, when Fox-Wisconsin took over the lease. Meanwhile ownership of the building remained with the Andrae family. The present owner is Mrs. Donald Sanders, who resides in the Andrae family homestead at 541 Clark St. Fox-Wisconsin also held a lease on the Lyric Theater here, which was closed on Oct. 1, 1957. The
building is owned by Myron T. Clifford of Phoenix. Ariz., a former resident of Stevens Point.
Leather jackets equals trouble:
http://tinyurl.com/2x525q
The Norwood owners were defendants in a 1958 anti-trust suit:
http://tinyurl.com/ytrlce
Ladies, keep an eye on your purses:
http://tinyurl.com/2b8kbk
Bank Night was popular in the forties:
http://tinyurl.com/ytet3s
The Arcade was renovated in 1950:
http://tinyurl.com/2a54or
Vaudeville and a double feature in 1948:
http://tinyurl.com/yw723r
Wendy’s took a hit nationwide after the finger in the chili scandal last year.
Closed/demolished?
http://tinyurl.com/2sfzlk
http://tinyurl.com/2rjcpj
http://tinyurl.com/33e5zt
http://tinyurl.com/33p3lh
Here is a photo of the intersection:
http://tinyurl.com/ypoj9q
I think this is the Strand in Kingsport:
http://tinyurl.com/2f5wc6
Trouble in 1971:
http://tinyurl.com/3e5fdm
Trouble in 1970:
http://tinyurl.com/2p9a4m
Trouble in 1971:
http://tinyurl.com/2qnnr3
Bess Myerson was once Miss America:
http://tinyurl.com/2p5lpq
If that doesn’t sound like a press release, I don’t know what does. This theater is across the street, roughly, from the location of the former Palace.
Trouble in 1967:
‘Ulysses,'The Movie, Is Banned
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio (UPI)-It was Paris, 1922, when James Joyce first unleashed the “Ulysses" controversy and now it’s cropped up here. Police impounded the film version of the controversial novel Friday night, closed the Vine Theater and charged the manager and projectionist with showing a lewd and obscene film.
The film, with a liberal dose of four letter words, was playing at three other Cleveland area theaters, but there were no complaints. “If a guy said some of those things on a street corner and anyone heard him, he’d be arrested,” said Willoughby Law Director Lewis Turl Jr.
Here is a story about the long-time manager of the Tivoli from the Frederick News dated 4/30/52:
‘Jack’ Forney To Leave Here
Louis C. “Jack' Forney, for the past 14 years manager of the Tivoli Theater here, will leave Warner Brothers employ Thursday to take a position at Harrisonburg, Va. His successor here has not yet been named. Well-known in civic, fraternal and the entertainment business, Mr. Forney will be associated with the Roth chain of theaters having its home offices in Washington and operating moving-picture enterprises in the District of Columbia and Virginia. Mr. Forney will be employed in a supervisory capacity for a group of more than a half-dozen theaters including two drive-ins. His headquarters will be in Harrisonburg.
A native of Winchester. Va., where his father, mother and sister still reside, the 43-year old Forney has been associated with the motion-picture business since he was a student at Handley High School in Winchester. He started as an assistant projectionist for L. Marshall Baker in the Empire Theater, Winchester, went to Staunton as a projectionist and assistant manager of the Strand and New theaters until 1931 when le was appointed manager of the Strand Theater at Staunton.
Mr. Forney came to the Tivoli as manager, May 19, 1938 after having been with Warner Bros, in Virginia for eight and a-half years. He succeeded C. O. Clark as manager here and is the fifth manager of the local show house. Since 1938, except for 23 months service in the Navy during World War II, he has been continuously occupied handling the Tivoli until October 1, 1950 when the renovated Frederick Theater was also added to his management. He tendered his resignation to Warner Bros., March 15, to take effect May 1 this year.
At least they weren’t running with scissors:
http://tinyurl.com/2mpj7t
Interesting case from 1955 involving 3-D pictures:
http://tinyurl.com/2wrfws
Here is an article about the long-time projectionist dated 2/28/54:
Gene Sherman Notes Another Milestone In Theater Career
“The Robe,” the new CinemaScope production to be shown at the Marlow for a full week beginning Wednesday, will be one of many milestones passed by Gene Sherman, the theater projectionist. Sherman has been projectionist at the Marlow for the past 20 years of the 47-year career. He began as a trouper in a stock company operated by Lulu Sutton, daughter of Montana’s famous Uncle Dick Sutton, who built the Empress theaters in Helena and Butte, the Broadway (now the Montana) in Butte, and other theaters, and who presented scores of shows when no other producer would venture into the backwoods that was then Montana.
In the winter of 1907-1908 Sherman deserted the stage for the projection booth, and from there he has seen such innovations as a one reel version of the opera “Carmen” (1908), the first movie made in California; D. W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation” (1915), the forerunner of the feature picture as we have come to know it, and “Lights of New York” (1928), the first all-talking picture. His earliest work was with the Vitagraph company and later for General Programs, produced by Lubin-Selig-Essanay. He has been a Fox Intermountain Amusement projectionist for 28 yearsâ€"eight years in Lewistown and 20 years in Helena. Looking at the plans for CinemaScope, and working on them, he asks, “What next?” A faithful patron suggests noiseless popcorn.
There was a full page ad in the 6-28-52 edition of the Humboldt Standard celebrating George Mann week for his 35 years in Eureka. Full staff lists are given for the Eureka, State, Rialto, Midway Drive-In, Fortuna and Arcata. I won’t copy all the names here, but if someone is looking for an usher or candy girl around that time, let me know and I will look it up.
There was a full page ad in the 6-28-52 edition of the Humboldt Standard celebrating George Mann week for his 35 years in Eureka. Full staff lists are given for the Eureka, State, Rialto, Midway Drive-In, Fortuna and Arcata. I won’t copy all the names here, but if someone is looking for an usher or candy girl around that time, let me know and I will look it up.
Remember all the fuss about “The Exorcist” in 1974?
http://tinyurl.com/yvbp6u