This article dated 12/29/54 may concern this theater:
Ray Ballroom To Make Bow New Year’s Eve
Former Movie Theater Now Is a Gay and Glamorous Ballroom
New Year’s Eve will mark the debut of Chicago’s newest ballroom, the Ray, which has been converted from a movie theater into a most delightful and charming place where dancing will be presented every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening. Opening attraction is Jack Cavan, with his trumpet and his orchestra. Jimmy Featherstone may be the next band to follow. Opening night will have the added excitement and glamor that go with the biggest night of the year, with favors, hats and balloons adding to the fun.
Young Vandals Wreck Theater
Damage 95 Seats At Liberty Sunday
10/5/54 – Young vandals damaged 95 seats in the Liberty Theater during the last show Sunday night. Owner Abe Smead Monday said his theater would be closed for the Monday matinee showings while workmen make repairs. Some of the seats had coverings slashed with a knife and stuffing torn out. Others had been loosened from the floor and others had seat cushions removed from the chairs. Detectives Bernard Lund and Edward Rath are investigating.
The doorman Sunday night was apparently unaware of the damage being done during the final show, Smead said. The damage was discovered by an employee, Fred West, of 3109 W. Broadway, Monday morning. Smead said he is offering a $50 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the vandals. He estimated costs of the damage at over $100.
She was married to Mr. Van Der Vaart of Sheboygan in the early 1900s. In 1911 Mr. Van Der Vaart, E. R. Bowler, T. M. Bowler, and August Westermeyer formed the Majestic Theater Co. The theater recently was razed to make way for a million dollar motel and convention center.
Arlington Heights Police Chief Carl H. Skoog reported a flurry of vandalism over the New Year holiday. Two homes had outside Christmas lights smashed or stolen, 2 cars had windows smashed and 1 a canvas top slashed, and a parking meter on Davis Street was knocked off its post and found on the sidewalk. Skoog also reported the theft of a car from the Arlington Theater parking lot and the theft of gas, an aerial and hub caps from other autos.
The smashed Christmas trees were at the residence of Warren Treutler, 1015 N. Forrest Ave., December 27. Two strings of lights were stolen from the Henry Paulson home at 637 S. Bristol Ave. on December 28. A cab belonging to William F. Langan, 1703 Brown St., Arlington Heights, was stolen from the theatre parking lot December 28 and recovered 3 days later near Roselle by sheriff’s police. It was burned out and a total loss.
Hub caps and an aerial were stolen from an auto owned by Arnold L. Weise December 28. The car was parked in front of his home at 710 Kensington. All the gas was siphoned out of the gas tank of a car belonging to Mrs. Arthur Findall, Des Plaines, on New Year’s Eve and vandals broke a windshield and cut a convertible top of a 1954 Ford belonging to Eileen Brown, also of Des Plaines, December 30. Another window was broken on a car parked in the downtown area of Arlington Heights. The owner, Mrs. Otto Bunge of Addison told police the incident occurred between 8 and 10 p.m. December 29. Kenneth Rapp, 308 W. Euclid, picked a parking meter up off the sidewalk on Davis Street Thursday and brought it into the police station.
Here is a January 1976 article about the demolition of the Shubert:
Old Shubert Theater Torn Down
CINCINNATI (AP) â€" There has been little applause in the Shubert Theater in recent years and there was little mourning when it was razed by a wrecker’s ball along with the Cox Theater next door over the weekend. “I was a stage hand 22 years in there and now I’m tearing it down,” said Larry Trumbo, one of the wrecking crew. “I feel bad about it. But what can you do? They didn’t bring shows in there anymore ”.
The Cincinnati owners of the two downtown theaters said the land will be converted to a parking lot. The Theater Guild-American Theater Society canceled the 1975-76 season at the Shubert when touring companies refused to play Cincinnati because of financial losses in previous years. The 1,000 advance subscribers received refunds. The last two shows at the Shubert, however, were sellouts. Comedian Redd Foxx had two performances May 3, 1975, billed as “a black show for black people ”.
The Shubert Co. of New York spent $250,000 refurbishing the Shubert in 1964. The granite building was constructed by the YMCA in 1848 and Shubert converted it to a theater in 1921. Both theaters became vacant in the 1950s when the U.S. Department of Justice ordered them sold in an antitrust action. Shubert was allowed to reopen them in 1954 when no one bought the buildings. But productions there of “Misalliance,” “The Moon Is Blue” and “Dial M for Murder” played to almost empty houses.
This article dated 12/29/54 may concern this theater:
Ray Ballroom To Make Bow New Year’s Eve
Former Movie Theater Now Is a Gay and Glamorous Ballroom
New Year’s Eve will mark the debut of Chicago’s newest ballroom, the Ray, which has been converted from a movie theater into a most delightful and charming place where dancing will be presented every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening. Opening attraction is Jack Cavan, with his trumpet and his orchestra. Jimmy Featherstone may be the next band to follow. Opening night will have the added excitement and glamor that go with the biggest night of the year, with favors, hats and balloons adding to the fun.
There is a 1970 photo on this site. You have to scroll through the pictures:
http://tinyurl.com/23nlnx
Darn those kids:
Young Vandals Wreck Theater
Damage 95 Seats At Liberty Sunday
10/5/54 – Young vandals damaged 95 seats in the Liberty Theater during the last show Sunday night. Owner Abe Smead Monday said his theater would be closed for the Monday matinee showings while workmen make repairs. Some of the seats had coverings slashed with a knife and stuffing torn out. Others had been loosened from the floor and others had seat cushions removed from the chairs. Detectives Bernard Lund and Edward Rath are investigating.
The doorman Sunday night was apparently unaware of the damage being done during the final show, Smead said. The damage was discovered by an employee, Fred West, of 3109 W. Broadway, Monday morning. Smead said he is offering a $50 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the vandals. He estimated costs of the damage at over $100.
Small town sensibilities:
http://tinyurl.com/2wjkgf
This lobby photo from the USC archive is dated 1915, which is before the theater opened. Perhaps the date is a mistake.
http://tinyurl.com/3y5vkc
Here is a photo from 1906. The building exists, but the theater has not yet opened:
http://tinyurl.com/2nbhb8
The theater is looking poorly:
http://tinyurl.com/2d88er
Here is a larger picture of the church. The function should be changed accordingly:
http://tinyurl.com/2xy24v
This article mentions the Woodbine and its use as storage for new cars:
http://ezinearticles.com/?id=352083
There is a photo on this page of the Pix/Wigwam sign:
http://tinyurl.com/2jjah5
There is an old photo of the Rialto on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/2m8p87
The theater is now listed on the Register, along with five others in New Mexico:
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/56526.html
Here is a photo:
http://www.pbase.com/pathfindar/image/68942072
Here is another photo:
http://tinyurl.com/2q85vw
This is a 1940 photo, but it does not identify the city in which the Esquire was located:
http://tinyurl.com/2ewk9r
Is King Street different from King Boulevard? I won’t add the Madison if it’s the same theater as the Majestic:
http://tinyurl.com/287788
Demolition was in 1964:
She was married to Mr. Van Der Vaart of Sheboygan in the early 1900s. In 1911 Mr. Van Der Vaart, E. R. Bowler, T. M. Bowler, and August Westermeyer formed the Majestic Theater Co. The theater recently was razed to make way for a million dollar motel and convention center.
The Fresno Bee states theater built 1913, demolished 1957. Address is given as 1211 Fulton Street.
Crime wave in January 1956:
Chief Skoog Reports Weekend Vandalism, Theft
Arlington Heights Police Chief Carl H. Skoog reported a flurry of vandalism over the New Year holiday. Two homes had outside Christmas lights smashed or stolen, 2 cars had windows smashed and 1 a canvas top slashed, and a parking meter on Davis Street was knocked off its post and found on the sidewalk. Skoog also reported the theft of a car from the Arlington Theater parking lot and the theft of gas, an aerial and hub caps from other autos.
The smashed Christmas trees were at the residence of Warren Treutler, 1015 N. Forrest Ave., December 27. Two strings of lights were stolen from the Henry Paulson home at 637 S. Bristol Ave. on December 28. A cab belonging to William F. Langan, 1703 Brown St., Arlington Heights, was stolen from the theatre parking lot December 28 and recovered 3 days later near Roselle by sheriff’s police. It was burned out and a total loss.
Hub caps and an aerial were stolen from an auto owned by Arnold L. Weise December 28. The car was parked in front of his home at 710 Kensington. All the gas was siphoned out of the gas tank of a car belonging to Mrs. Arthur Findall, Des Plaines, on New Year’s Eve and vandals broke a windshield and cut a convertible top of a 1954 Ford belonging to Eileen Brown, also of Des Plaines, December 30. Another window was broken on a car parked in the downtown area of Arlington Heights. The owner, Mrs. Otto Bunge of Addison told police the incident occurred between 8 and 10 p.m. December 29. Kenneth Rapp, 308 W. Euclid, picked a parking meter up off the sidewalk on Davis Street Thursday and brought it into the police station.
Look both ways…
http://tinyurl.com/2vu87q
I think there was just the one.
The address was 115 W. Aurora Street. Demolition was in April 1961.
Movies, bah. No time for that when I am in Vegas.
An article in the Lincoln Star gives the demolition date as 12/12/75.
Here is a January 1976 article about the demolition of the Shubert:
Old Shubert Theater Torn Down
CINCINNATI (AP) â€" There has been little applause in the Shubert Theater in recent years and there was little mourning when it was razed by a wrecker’s ball along with the Cox Theater next door over the weekend. “I was a stage hand 22 years in there and now I’m tearing it down,” said Larry Trumbo, one of the wrecking crew. “I feel bad about it. But what can you do? They didn’t bring shows in there anymore ”.
The Cincinnati owners of the two downtown theaters said the land will be converted to a parking lot. The Theater Guild-American Theater Society canceled the 1975-76 season at the Shubert when touring companies refused to play Cincinnati because of financial losses in previous years. The 1,000 advance subscribers received refunds. The last two shows at the Shubert, however, were sellouts. Comedian Redd Foxx had two performances May 3, 1975, billed as “a black show for black people ”.
The Shubert Co. of New York spent $250,000 refurbishing the Shubert in 1964. The granite building was constructed by the YMCA in 1848 and Shubert converted it to a theater in 1921. Both theaters became vacant in the 1950s when the U.S. Department of Justice ordered them sold in an antitrust action. Shubert was allowed to reopen them in 1954 when no one bought the buildings. But productions there of “Misalliance,” “The Moon Is Blue” and “Dial M for Murder” played to almost empty houses.