This webpage includes a photo (click upon it to enlarge it) which shows how the Allen’s auditorium has been remodeled (I would indeed say desecrated) to meet the needs of the Cleveland Playhouse:
Eric Veillette, on one of the articles he later wrote for his Silent Toronto website, did unravel the mystery of why the Midtown/Bloor’s facade looks so different from that of its earlier incarnation as the Madison. The current theater is a essentially a new structure built in 1940 and opened in 1941. Only some outer sidewalls from the Madison were retained. The article is here:
http://silenttoronto.com/?p=2035
I am surprised it has lasted this long, given AMC’s tendency to close older locations. This not a particularly attractive theater anymore and AMC has not upgraded it in quite some time. I think it is possible hat a new theater might be part of the new development, but except for Ronnie’s to the south and Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac to the the northwest, that part of greater Saint Louis is really under screened. I wonder how long AMC will hang on to the Esquire.
Ken McIntyre posted an interior picture of the Cinestage on May 13, 2009 at 12:30 am (see earlier comments). My recollection is that it little changed during its days as a Cinerama house, except for the installation of an orchestra level projection booth. Except for a screen with a shallower curve compared to the original Cinerama installations at the Palace and McVickers theaters in Chicago, I thought was a terrific Cinerama house
This is an updated link to a picture of the shredded Cinerama strip screen at the Cinestage:
I checked the link I embedded in my comment of October 11, 2011 and it appears to be working.
The photo that shows “Middle of the Night” playing at the United Artists also shows that “Anatomy of a Murder” was playing at the Woods; then Mayor Richard J. Daley tried to ban the film’s showing within Chicago because of content some considered at the time to be taboo, but he and the then Chief of Police were overruled.
After running in the red for some time, this theater closed on November 3, 2011: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/briefs/x541893161/Downtown-Huntington-cinema-closes-doors
The theater is expected to formally open on November 18, 2011 after some preview events: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111024/NEWS01/111024015/Movie-theater-at-Opry-Mills-to-reopen-week-of-Nov.-18-
According to the publication SFist, there is a proposal to turn the former Red Vic into “a food-centric incubator space where budding entrepreneurs and retailers can get their sea legs before moving on to their own commercial kitchens or storefronts”. Story here: http://sfist.com/2011/10/25/red_vic_movie_house_could_become_fo.php
Well, it is far away from New York obviously, but the Seattle Cinerama sure tried to evoke the showmanship of yore with its Big Screen Cinerama and 70mm Film Festival just recently held. Most of the films had their overtures, intermission, and exit music intact and the curtains were used for every show.
Some projection details were a little disappointing occasionally and the print quality varied, but that was to be expected given how rare and hard-to-find some of the 70mm prints were. Also they probably had no way of locating the instructional material for projectionists that the studios provided during the heyday of the roadshow presentations, so the in many cases the lights did not go down at the point they originally would have when the films were first shown in theaters.
The first two photos are of the interior of the Chicago United Artists on this webpage: http://www.rphillipsphoto.com/gallery_art/movie_theatre/index_5.htm
The headnote should be revised to reflect that a commercial and retail complex finally was erected on Block 37 after years of false starts, revised designs, and financial wrangling. The proposed multi-screen cinema is not, at least as of 2011, a part of it, but there is much vacant space within in it and it still might happen one day, though not likely at any time soon.
This is a link to a picture of the theater in its advanced state of decay from another online publication:
http://tinyurl.com/6s8jqlo
NY Times article about that recent events involving this heater with a picture (subscription may be required):
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/us/in-laurens-sc-the-redneck-shop-and-its-neighbor.html?_r=1&hp
The Theatres at Canal Place will soon be adding four additional screens:
http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2012/01/theatres_at_canal_place_to_tak.html
This webpage includes a photo (click upon it to enlarge it) which shows how the Allen’s auditorium has been remodeled (I would indeed say desecrated) to meet the needs of the Cleveland Playhouse:
http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/euclid-shuffle/Content?oid=2724702
A follow-up article:
http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/illinois/news/city-s-plans-for-cinema-will-cater-to-residents/article_3ba5d1d5-6cb9-5610-913c-7cd02c19c547.html
Frank Theaters will be closing the Tilton 9 at the end of January, 2012 for major renovations and plans to reopen it in May:
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/northfield_linwood_somers-point/tilton-movie-theater-to-close-at-end-of-month-for/article_d87187b2-359f-11e1-af1b-0019bb2963f4.html
Eric Veillette, on one of the articles he later wrote for his Silent Toronto website, did unravel the mystery of why the Midtown/Bloor’s facade looks so different from that of its earlier incarnation as the Madison. The current theater is a essentially a new structure built in 1940 and opened in 1941. Only some outer sidewalls from the Madison were retained. The article is here: http://silenttoronto.com/?p=2035
Here is a wbsite about the history of this theater including a picture of it as the Garden ( it actually had a roof garden at one time):
http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2011/11/then-and-now-garden-theatre
Unwilling to invest in upgrades, Rave closed this theater on December 29, 2011. A church will take over the property.
http://www.fox19.com/story/16412111/mason-movie-theater-to-close
I am surprised it has lasted this long, given AMC’s tendency to close older locations. This not a particularly attractive theater anymore and AMC has not upgraded it in quite some time. I think it is possible hat a new theater might be part of the new development, but except for Ronnie’s to the south and Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac to the the northwest, that part of greater Saint Louis is really under screened. I wonder how long AMC will hang on to the Esquire.
The Skokie Theater is closing as of December 31, 2011 and the theater is for sale:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-skokie-theatre-closed-20111228,0,7040078.story
Article, with pictures, about the reopening:
http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2011/12/joy_theater_on_canal_street_co.html
An effort has been launched to reopen this theater:
http://today.seattletimes.com/2011/12/seedarts-raising-money-to-reopen-columbia-city-cinema/
This theater is scheduled to reopen as a second-run house on December 16, 2011:
http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2011/12/15/movie-theater-to-open-in-kailua-friday.html
This theater is scheduled to reopen on Dec. 23, 2011 and will then be known as the Valley 11 Cinemas and be operated by Caspar Management:
http://www.redding.com/news/2011/dec/15/movie-theater-shasta-outlets-reopen-dec-23/
Milwaukee-based Marcus Theatres will now be operating this theater:
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2011/12/12/showtime-cinema-bought-by-marcus.html
An article about this theater; the current owners are getting on, and the theater needs repairs:
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/cc748894a91f49f8ab7fafbd7c7511bb/PA—Member-Exchange-Cochranton-Cinema/
An article about the Alhambra and its current use as a gym:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/26/MNK01M3CQH.DTL&ao=2
Ken McIntyre posted an interior picture of the Cinestage on May 13, 2009 at 12:30 am (see earlier comments). My recollection is that it little changed during its days as a Cinerama house, except for the installation of an orchestra level projection booth. Except for a screen with a shallower curve compared to the original Cinerama installations at the Palace and McVickers theaters in Chicago, I thought was a terrific Cinerama house
This is an updated link to a picture of the shredded Cinerama strip screen at the Cinestage:
http://home.earthlink.net/~stevekraus/cinestage.html
I checked the link I embedded in my comment of October 11, 2011 and it appears to be working.
The photo that shows “Middle of the Night” playing at the United Artists also shows that “Anatomy of a Murder” was playing at the Woods; then Mayor Richard J. Daley tried to ban the film’s showing within Chicago because of content some considered at the time to be taboo, but he and the then Chief of Police were overruled.
After running in the red for some time, this theater closed on November 3, 2011: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/briefs/x541893161/Downtown-Huntington-cinema-closes-doors
The theater is expected to formally open on November 18, 2011 after some preview events: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111024/NEWS01/111024015/Movie-theater-at-Opry-Mills-to-reopen-week-of-Nov.-18-
According to the publication SFist, there is a proposal to turn the former Red Vic into “a food-centric incubator space where budding entrepreneurs and retailers can get their sea legs before moving on to their own commercial kitchens or storefronts”. Story here: http://sfist.com/2011/10/25/red_vic_movie_house_could_become_fo.php
Well, it is far away from New York obviously, but the Seattle Cinerama sure tried to evoke the showmanship of yore with its Big Screen Cinerama and 70mm Film Festival just recently held. Most of the films had their overtures, intermission, and exit music intact and the curtains were used for every show.
Some projection details were a little disappointing occasionally and the print quality varied, but that was to be expected given how rare and hard-to-find some of the 70mm prints were. Also they probably had no way of locating the instructional material for projectionists that the studios provided during the heyday of the roadshow presentations, so the in many cases the lights did not go down at the point they originally would have when the films were first shown in theaters.
The first two photos are of the interior of the Chicago United Artists on this webpage: http://www.rphillipsphoto.com/gallery_art/movie_theatre/index_5.htm
The headnote should be revised to reflect that a commercial and retail complex finally was erected on Block 37 after years of false starts, revised designs, and financial wrangling. The proposed multi-screen cinema is not, at least as of 2011, a part of it, but there is much vacant space within in it and it still might happen one day, though not likely at any time soon.