It did rotate. I have seen these carousels before and in fact someone is selling one someplace. I forgot where. While it does rotate, the horses do not go up and down or anything like that. On some old carousels like this there could have been a ‘rocking’ motion built into a spring mechanism, much like a ‘playground pet’ type riding animal. The handrails also suggests that the platform rotated as well.
Oh yes, it is a beautiful state. I only could imagine what it looks like in the fall when the leaves change color. Anyway, the real estate agent that introduced me to the property also knows of someone that owns a theatre in town, but is not doing anything with it. So I might be able to lease that while I get a game plan going for the property. So that will be cool if that goes down.
LOL! Yes, most kids would think of the ‘other’ style of carousel. I believe I mentioned that I too wanted to combine a theatre with a small entertainment complex that would include an antique carousel. However finding a building that could support that operation is like finding a needle in a haystack. BUT!! There is a glimmer of hope in that I did find a property for sale with some acreage in Vermont this weekend. The property has several buildings and two large barns. One could be made into a theatre and the other into a small entertainment center and I could put a small antique carousel in there.
I am glad that you are happy with the Annuals, as I figured you would be. They are very worth the cost and the THS has done an excellent job at presenting each and every theatre that they cover. Heh, heh. Yeah I know the carousel is not what one would normally think of. Generally when you think of a carousel this (click on link) pops in one’s head!
I have seen the Kennywood carousel in person. Trust me it is to die for.
The reason I picked this carousel in particular because it was built around the same time the Paradise was built…1927. This coursel was built by the John Eberson of carousels, William Dentzel. So it is very much possible that Denzel could have carved the horses on that mini carousel for the Paradise.
If you have become attached to old theatres like I have and want to support saving them, do talk with Jim at the THS some more. What I found out from him is that the THS has MANY nice pictures of old theatres that do not have annuals written yet…and really just about anyone with a knack for history and finding information on a theatre could write an annual for the THS. I think if more stories started circulating on standing, but not operating classic theatres, it could inspire more people, like me, that want to buy and bring back a theatre to it’s former glory. That is all anyone can do as it is very heart wrenching to see what has become of classic gems such as the Paradise, Marbro, Granada, Roxy and other beautiful theatres. There is alot going on with the Chicago Uptown and I am keeping my fingers crossed for that theatre. Given today’s economy and business structure, it is very hard to keep a large theatre in business. The grim reality is that very few theatre’s the size of Radio City Music Hall are still in business. They are just way too big. Years ago, when they were built there were no TV’s and in some cases no radio. So theatres were a primary source of entertainment. That box that sits in your den with the satellite dish attached to it was the primary distructive that has destroyed both the large theatre industry AND the large amusement park industry of the Roaring 20’s. So if you love these theatres (and the amusement parks too) help them out visit them if they are still open or band together to help them reopen.
Oh, lastly, if you are in the Pittsburgh area of PA, DO make sure you visit Kennywood Amusement Park. This is an example of what a ‘REAL’ traditional amsuement park is all about. They are by far a better alternative to the Six Flags parks. In fact just about all the PA parks have their traditional roots intact, such as Dorney and Hershey. While there, take a good look at the carousels and the artistry involved. VERY similar to these old classic theatres. As they say, they just don’t build them like they used to anymore.
SCOTT—You pretty much hit the nail on the head with what I was explaining to Mary with correlating old theatres to old carousels of the same era. What you said is very true of the Carousel makers as well. There were Five huge carousel companies in existance in the 20’s and all vied for their piece of the pie by making each carousel larger, fancier, with more lights, more animals. In the end, each carousel was a moving palace in itself. The authenticity and realizm of the carousel animals in addition to it’s flashy colors and lighting were designed to touch the imagination of all people and would entice them ride. Notice I said “ALL PEOPLE” rather than just children. Back in the day, the carousel was considered a major park attraction and ride for everyone. They didn’t have massive thrill rides prior to the early 20’s when most of the beautiful carousels were built. It was only in the late 20’s when a roller coaster inventor, John Miller invented something called an ‘upstop’ that made roller coasters as you come to know them today. So slowly with developement of this invention, the roller coaster replaced the carousel as the park’s main attraction.
Unlike the many old theatres which are are still left, there are less than 200 of the once 3000 antique carousels left. So like old theatres carousels do share the same plight and in some cases worse. But the grandest of carousels are, luckily, in the hands of good parks that will be around for quite a while and that really care for these wonderful machines.
So if you love old theatres…do your part in trying to help those that are in need. I know, easier said than done, but the more people that become aware and interested, the better the chances that these old picture palaces will be saved.
The carousel is ‘unique’ in many ways, but I just wanted you not to think of a carousel like you or I would think of at a park from that era. The early 20’s not only had it’s place with creating beautiful theatres, but also beautiful carousels. The Golden Age for theatres is also the Golden Age for carousels. The carousel in the Paradise was much like the small carousels that you may see at a party mounted to a trailer that someone brings along for guests at a birthday party. It does look mostly made of wood and the animals are nice carvings. But there are no lights or anything really fancy on it.
Glad to hear you are also getting the annuals for the Granada/Marbro theatres. These theatres are just as beautiful as the Paradise. The annuals will definately ‘WOW’ you.
Sorry to hear that hubby isn’t into going to old theatres like yourself. My wife is the same way. She isn’t too ‘gung-ho’ about my theatre project either. True as well, many things she considers fun, I find bore me to death! Touche' I guess. Well, you know the saying, opposites attract :). We do like to see Broadway shows together though when we get a shot to go into the city.
Oh, I probably mixed them up them, perhaps I ment Marquee. I know there was something you had on the Valencia and Roxy. I know I didn’t see anything on Radio City. WOW, that would be an incredible task to right up an annual for the THS. I would more than love to do it, given that I do have a knack for finding things out. The only thing right now is that I already have too many eggs boiling in the pot. As you may know I AM in the midst of looking for a theatre to buy myself and with all the business planning, it does take up most of my days. So if I were to do something, it would have to wait.
TNTIM, I know what you mean about certain house accents designed to be on for the show. I have been in a few theatres that have cove lighting and usually during a show, they go to a dim dark blue and stay that way. The theatres look beautiful. Yet another theatre, one I am considering for purchase, has murals and they stay lit during the show, albeit dimmer. So ‘art’ lighting is not quite dead yet! But I am glad to see that it is making a comeback. As for atmospherics, it was this theatre, the Paradise that started it for me. I have completely fallen in love with the atmospheric style. There was one beautiful one that I wanted to get a hold of, the Beaver Falls Granada. However, it is a theatre that was butchered terribly and also has a roof problem…a serious roof problem. There is some water damage. But unfortunately I do not have the funds to restore AND then start a business at that location. Moreover, I seriously doubt the town would support a 1600 seat auditorium with only parking in the town for half of them. So I abandoned that project. Bottom line is that whatever building I get, I would most definately look into house lighting accents. Restoring beauty to an old theatre is what will set it appart from the the new stale stadium seating boxes. People do take to this very well, especially if the theatre is competatively prices. But even so, if the pricing were the same and the same movie was playing at a local multi-plex AND at an older theatre or even a Drive-In, people would pick these types of theatres over the multiplex. So that is proof that things are changing and I take it as a good sign. So I feel this is a good time to get into the theatre business and do what I always dreamed of.
I think when it comes to Dennis DeYoung, contact with a ‘higher authority figure’ may be in order. But it could be also as you said and what I said before that perhaps we are not the only ones to ask this question. Well, it is posted here now and it is fully documented as to the reason why Styx chose art work based on the Granada rather than the Paradise Theatre. Mostly it was a mislabeled drawing and I wouldn’t be surprised that while Styx did some homework on the theatre, it could possibly be that they didn’t get a picture of the real building until production was well under way for the album cover. But of course that would be another story. You WILL enjoy the annuals. They are the best sources of information on old theatres. Which ones did you get besides the Paradise? I am going to put an order in again for another batch of annuals because I want to get one for the Uptown, The Loews Valencia, and The Roxy. Oh! As far as that children’s room carousel…don’t get your hopes up. It is not a big flashy light bulb encrusted carousel that you would normally expect from that era. The entire room was scarcely larger than a large living room in a present day home. The carousel probably had seating for more than 8 – 12 kids. It was just a simple wooden platform with a hand rail and really nicely carved wooden carousel animals. But no big fancy canopy, no fancy lighting. There is also a cool slide that is in the shape of an elephant as well. There are a few hobby horses, rocking horses and of course blocks balls, and tops (no bottoms, that toy hasn’t been invented yet). The room is fairly bland in comparison to the rest of the theatre. Clearly the room was designed more in terms of function rather than form. Don’t forget back in the day a theatre that even offered an ammenity like this stood out. After all that was what the whole concept behind the Paradise was. This theatre was designed to severely crush the competition, in many aspects it could have very well done that, if it wasn’t for the fact that a severe acoustic problem reared it’s ugly head as only a year later talking films were introduced. Well so there you have it the answer to a 25 year old question of mine.
JIM RANKIN Does the THS have an annual for the Radio City Music Hall?
As you know I been making progress with the help of MARY L in regards to the origins of the artwork and conception of the Styx Paradise Theatre Album. Well today I can finally say that the saga finally comes to an end.
Derek Sutton, Styx’s past manager finally contacted me with the answer to my question. Here it is:
<<Dennis was reading a book about old theaters
there were a lot of pictures, showing the palaces
in their haydays.
Somehow he saw a line drawing of the Granada sadly
unrestored.
That lead to a series of discussions with album artists
Which lead to the cover.
hope this helps
Derek Sutton>>
Beardbear31 also made an interjection above that confirms this. In addition the seriograph (picture in question) was labeled Paradise Theatre…even though it was the Granada. So it was Robert Addison that misnamed the print. Perhaps accidently, perhaps on purpose. But the fact is that his drawing is named Paradise Theatre. So Styx saw the Robert Addison drawing, liked it and brought it to the attention of their manager and A & M records. A & M records commissioned Chris Hopkins to ‘refine’ the Addison drawing to work with Styx’s Album Concept, and the rest is history. BAM! Case Closed!
Finally after so long I have my answer. Ahhh.
The nice cherry on the cake would be to finally talk to Dennis DeYoung. I always wanted to me him. In my pre-teen years Styx was my favorite band for the longest time.
So there you have it.
Special thanks goes to MARY L for the key to solving this.
Thanks to Chris Hopkins and Derek Sutton for the facts.
Thanks to Beardbear31 for the confirmation.
Enjoy the theatre and enjoy the album…in fact I am going to pop it in now to celebrate I havn’t listened to it in a while.
So you are decendant from the Rapp family huh? I guess that does explain quite a bit. Yes, I guess all business’s have their rosy parts and not so rosy parts. I have ran business’s before, but this is the first one starting from the ground up, so it is pretty scary too. But if it does work, the reward would be tremendous.
I was being faciscous with my remark up there. I know very well that the Chicago West Side is not what it used to be and none of the Chicago Golden Age Theatres would work out there today. I also know it is very difficult to get and keep a large theatre in operation in general. This is why I am very concerned for the very big theatres like the Uptown. Right now I am looking in to possible purchase of a 900 seat theatre and it is much bigger than what I was looking for. But it is a nice place. It is such a hard building to pass up on so I am going the extra mile to ensure that I can keep it open should I buy it. So I do know what you mean and it is a constant struggle. The artistic side of me is always fighting with the business reality. But for me, if this works, I for one can save a classic theatre and that would be a tremendous achievement in my life. It isn’t the Uptown, but for me it is enough. By the way, I meant to ask you. Do you have a theatre of your own? I been following your posts carefully and you seem to know quite a bit about the industry.
I have not emailed Dennis DeYoung recently and so far Derek Sutton has not answered my email. I just found and emailed him, but we will see. I will give it a few more days. Yeah, I figured you would get a kick out of the front page on Dennis DeYoung’s site. I dunno, maybe I will try him again.
Oh yeah! When you do get the annual you will see the room with the carousel and other play items. I couldn’t believe that when I first saw it. In addition to my theatre dream I always wanted to get an antique carousel as well so naturally I reasoned why not have both. So when I started to look for a theatre I did hope to find one with a store front in which I could house the carousel and a few games in a building next to the theatre. I would punch a hole through the wall into the lobby so this way the carousel ‘room’ could be accessed through the theatre’s lobby. So naturally I was really taken back when I saw that picture in the Paradise annual. Someone beat me to my idea and it was the Paradise no less! Unbelieveable.
As far as the basement of the Paradise is concerned, I consulted my annual. They built the supermarket right on top of the Paradise’s basement and even retained the original lobby floor. So at that point the lounges and playroom probably still existed. However, I would believe that it has been filled in by now. If not there wouldn’t be much to look at. The supermarket burned in 70’s and the basements filled with water.
There is also a cool arial shot of the Chicago West Side in the annual and it shows the Paradise Theatre, The Paradise Ballroom and even the Marbro Theatre. It is amazing how close these buildings are to each other. Anyway, I looked at the location of the Paradise using LIFES TOO SHORT’s satellite image. I tried to match building for building the area where these theatres were located in relation to each other. If you home in to street level on that satellite photo, scroll down a bit from the Paradise’s site until you find a road with a chicane (s curve) in it. Now scroll left one block by the parking lot(oh that parking lot IS there in the old photo) and now scroll down one block. You will see a building with a red mansard roof then next to it across the street you will see a building in the center of a small parking lot. THAT was where the Marbro was located. Now here is the kicker all the buildings to the left of the Marbro on that block were there when the Marbro still existed. GREAT! Keep the bland office builings, tear down the beautiful theatre!
Here is the Marbro’s reference point in case you didn’t get to it right.
I kind of figured that Chris would have CC'ed you as well. Yeah, I just can’t believe I had one piece of the puzzle under my nose all along. I remember Hopkins' name on the back of the album cover, but back in the day there were no home computers, so following up on a lead like that was difficult. But I was foolish for not going back to that lead myself. Even on my CD copy it does mention Hopkins and his organization. Well, as they say two heads are better than one and apparently we attacked this from both angles and met in the middle. At first when I recalled Hopkins when you mentioned him that there must have been some mix up on my end with Addison. But then I had TWO different references to the same piece with one claiming to own the original art work. Then when Hopkins mentioned that he had no prior knowledge of the Chicago theatres…then the cat was out of the bag. I then examined both pieces and realized that while similar, they were very different, especially in the Marquee Area. Hopkins basically custome tailored Addison’s work for the Album. So we were both right. It was great when Hopkings said is memory was jarred into place when he saw that picture. I would like to show everyone the original picture… but one it is small and hard to make out and two, I don’t know how to upload the photo here. BUT what you can do is do a Yahoo IMAGE search for Paradise Theatre (spelled this way) go in to page 5 and look for a small picture of what resembles the rear cover of the Styx album. If you click on the picture you will be taken to that auction site I mentioned above, BUT here is the kicker, the picture doesn’t show up there. So all this time I only have the thumbnail from the image search. An alternative is you could also give me your email address and I can mail you the little picture.
I emailed Derek Sutton (sorry misspelled it up there) this afternoon. I am crossing my fingers that he does respond soon. Music people usually have tight schedules and I am hoping that he does come through, so I think bombarding him with two similar emails may not be a good idea. I tell you I must have sent 5 letters, twice as many emails, and several phone calls trying to get in contact with Dennis DeYoung over the years. I guess I was ignored because I am sure he has been bombarded by that question quite a few times. I just can’t believe after all this time it is FINALLY coming together and hopefully soon I will be able to complete this project.
Mary, it seems like we make a good team on this project. I just got an idea. Maybe Dennis DeYoung would respond to you.
Here is his website http://dennisdeyoung.com …AND you are not going to believe what he has on his homepage!
LIFES TOO SHORT —LOL, it is funny that you mention the Valencia…that was my mom’s ‘other’ favorite theatre.
JAZZLAND— Well, I guess LIFES TOO SHORT wasn’t too far off then. I guess it must be situation on the outside of the complex then as that does look like a working street intersection and nothing that is in a park. But I never been to Universal, so I could be very much wrong on that count.
MARY L— YIPPEE! Chris Hopkins just got back to me with exciting news! I showed him the pictures of the original Paradise, and both the Granada and Marbro Theatres. He was totally amazed that his drawing represented actually buildings that really existed (Granada & Marbro). Then I sent him the small copy of Addison’s drawing I had. Chris said when he saw that little picture, it hit him like a ton of bricks! He remember that it was that picture which was given to him by Derrick Sutton, Styx’s manager at the time. So it is coming around as I theorized! So now the last thing to do is to contact Sutton. Once that last piece is in place I would have finally come full circle on a question that has been nagging me for close to 25 years! (off and on of course).
Actually I think the picture I posted above for that ‘rogue’ Paradise Theatre is very real. Why? Look at the road. Would Disneyworld have a double yellow line a crosswalk and a traffic light? Nope, this is definately a working intersection. BTW, this is Disneyworld Main Street:
Also for the most part the building ‘looks’ open for business. I checked with all the Cinema Treasure’s theatres under the name Paradise. Thankfully there were only a few and I know half of them. But I never came across this one before. So I do not think it is fake. The big bummer is that I cannot make out the name on the second building to the left. Knowing that could help identify where this theater is located. For one…this Paradise looks like a beauty and I would like to see the inside. Moreover, I would like to see the whole town. If you notice the back street has buildings of the same type and era. So I am gathering that this is probably a small town someplace. As for atmospherics…I would LOVE to get one. There was one in Beaver Falls, PA that I took an interest in…and believe it or not, it was The Granada. It was VERY Ebersonian in style, but it was not one of Eberson’s masterpieces. Alas the theatre required too much work and I had to forgo it as a contender.
JIM I know exactly what you mean by the ‘downgrading’ the showmanship side of theatre nowadays. I too remembered a theatre by me, The Deer Park theatre, that used to have a gorgous horizontally rippled curtain that lifted straight up on cable pulls (the same way Radio City does it) and it raised for each movie and then lowered at the end. It even had the lights on the bottom of the stage that lit up the curtain from the front in hue of oranges and ambers. Very very nice. But as time went on, they only raised the curtain on the first show and lowered it on the last of of the day. Eventually for a short time they changed hands and they stopped using it altogether and left it open. They stopped using the pretty lights too. It wasn’t long after that before the theatre closed for good. The theatre wasn’t torn down, but was ‘absorbed’ by a Marshall’s clothing store that moved in next to the theatre. Today it is a Sears hardware store. But if you go around to the back of the Sears, you can clearly see that the left side of the Sears store was a movie theatre.
I am hoping to restore much of the ‘pre-entertainment’ side of things when I do find my ‘dream theatre’. I would like Butterfly Curtains if possible and I would put the small lamps in front of the curtain very much in a similar way as to the old Deer Park Theatre I remember.
With today’s rising gas prices, people need more reasons to get up and go to the theatre. Just showing ad slides and a bunch of pre-views in ones face is NOT entertaining. Nor are these new bland monochromatic auditoriums. Something enticing when you walk in and to before the show starts is mandatory. I do remember ‘back in the day’, my mom said she used to go to Radio City and said that they used to show a Cartoon, a feature film, AND a short live act. You were in the theatre for just about the WHOLE day. Now THATS entertaining.
Speaking of entertaining, has anyone seen the Loews Paradise lately? OH….MY…GOD…! This is definately one of the “Die-go to heaven” type theatres.
WOW, that is incredible that you heard from Chris Hopkins so fast! What I am amazed at is that he doesn’t have much recollection of the source of his inspiration to create the album cover. What more is that he says that he has no prior knowledge of the Granada Theatre AND he is not from Chicago. So that still does leave the Robert Addison situation. While I was hoping there was some on-line mix up…I am beginning to think that there were TWO artists. Hopkins, who did the final work for the album cover and Addison, who did the original drawing in the first place. Now I am really starting to believe my theory even more. Dennis DeYoung must have been inspired by Addison’s work and perhaps secured permission to duplicate it for his Paradise Theatre album cover. The drawing must have been presented to Hopkins and he made his creation from there. NOW I went back to the small drawing I have which is labeled “1977 Addison Paradise Theatre” and compared it to Hopkins'work. Guess what? It is different…but very slightly.
I just now emailed Hopkins myself and forwarded that drawing to him and I am going to see if he recognizes it. The next step is I am hoping he might know someone that could shed some light on the truth. You know that I come to realize that I been hung up on this for over 25 years now (off and on). I was 11 years old when I got that album! Ouch! Makes one feel old!
Thank you for doing the follow up on Hopkins. I got a bit side-tracked as I am pretty busy lately. But it is something I am very curious about…especially I would like to confirm or bust my theory on why artwork was chosen based on the Granada theatre. As for the Indiana, I have not seen it personally myself, but it gorgous and probably would be must do for anyone wanting to do a ‘theatre crawl’ in the area. I myself am looking to buy and run a classic theatre myself for the use of live shows and performing arts. I owe those dreams and inspirations to the Paradise Theatre album. Growing up in NY suburbia in the 70’s and 80’s as a kid, I was never exposed to beautiful theatres like the Paradise. So when I first picked up Styx’s ‘new album’ in 1980, my jaw dropped when I first saw the picture on the album cover. So that kind of started it. Watching the movie “The Majestic” didn’t help matters either. It was only recently that I found out about the Granada and all the other beautiful Chicago Theatres that were torn down. Then of course you probably heard of NY’s grand-daddy of a theatre, The Roxy, which was also demolished. The Loews Paradise is a fine restored example of these golden era theatres. But one I am still rooting for and hopefully it does get fully restored is the Chicago Uptown. The Uptown is huge, physically larger than Radio City Music Hall (it has much less seating capcity though)and very much eleborate like The Roxy. Even in it’s unrestored state, the Uptown is a beauty to behold. But my favorite will always be the Chicago Paradise. When you get the Annual and see the expanded shot of the proscenium, you will see what I am talking about.
Oh, OK, I can’t have you busting at the seams…here is a teaser:
Click on this and do a browser search for “Robert Addison Paradise Theatre”. I am right now looking at the CD of the Styx Paradise Theatre album cover and it is very small, but for some reason I homed in the spot right above the last poster case. There is a name there that I can barely make out. Shoot! I have the original record album at my parents house. Another way to get to the bottom of this is contact Hopkins…see what he says. Maybe he can also shed some light on why the Paradise Theatre concept album used the facade of the Granada. But it is a good thing that you did find that picture on Hopkin’s site. While it is still not the whole picture, it does clearly show the pediment on top and it is clearly Granada inspired. This is getting really interesting and I think it may be a good idea to contact Hopkins. As you pointed out…it is clearly his name on the piece. I have noticed on the Addison reference they also mention the Paradise Ballroom. There WAS a real Paradise Ballroom and it was owned by the same people that created the Paradise Theatre. I am wondering if there was a mix up on the auction site and they referenced the picture of the Paradise Theatre rather than the Paradise Ballroom. Still the one poster in that link I gave you mentions he has the 1977 Piece labeled Paradise Theatre. So if it is indeed Hopkin’s work, his signature would be on it. This is peculiar. I think next order of business is to contact Hopkins, since Addison is no longer living.
Oh! If you are ever in NY, you must check out the Paradise Theatre in the Bronx. Also Indiana has a beautiful John Eberson creation, the Indiana Theatre in Terre Haute. The whole facade is built on a curve (it is a corner theatre). It is a gorgous building and in my opinion one of Eberson’s best facades.
Here take a look see: /theaters/1677/ It has been restored, but unfortunately no longer carries it’s original sign.
I received the source of that information based on a auction of Robert Addison’s creations. One of them is clearly the art work used for the Paradise Theatre album cover. Now since you referred to Chris Hopkins, Willardson and White INC (the keyword being the INC). It very may well be possible that that Addison could have worked for them. There are alot of misconceptions about the album, for one is the use of artwork that resembles another Chicago theatre…The Granada. I am a Styx fan myself as you probably followed along and I even went to the extent of trying to contact Dennis DeYoung to get some answers regarding the album and the artwork used (emails and calls went unanswered). My questions though were not originally geared to who created the artwork for the album, but why was the backdrop of a very different theatre used. If you see the references to the pictures I made of the Granada…and I mean the old pictures with the original marquee, you can see that almost the entire Styx album art inspiration draws from the Granada Theatre rather than the Paradise Theatre—including the Marquee (to an extent). Why the Granda and not the Marbro? Well, what you don’t see on the album cover is the full layout of the original drawing. I have seen the full layout and the top crest of the building matches that of the Granada Theatre. While similar but slightly larger, the Marbro has a much different crest on it’s facade. But the two buildings are very close in design and are sister theatres. So why was this artwork chosen and not artwork of the original Paradise? I really do not know. However, one good guess is that since the drawing DID exist a few years before the conception of the Paradise Theatre album, I started to think that Dennis DeYoung saw this drawing of the Granada first and probably that became the initial trigger for the concept of the Paradise Theatre album, given that at the time, the Granada Theatre was still standing…it would seem more dramatic to do a cover on a theatre that was maliciously destroyed. The only hitch to this theory is that the Marbro theatre was torn down a few years AFTER the Paradise. So it could be that Styx didn’t know about the Marbro (highly unlikely)…or perhaps they liked the sound “Paradise” better (highly likely) and did the cover on that theatre yet. Using a pre-existing drawing and having it altered to the use of the album would certainly be cheaper than having a drawing made from scratch. Remember we are talking about pre-computer age here, so many printers didn’t have the luxury that we have today with computers. Ok, so another poser…why not just use a picture of the original Paradise? Well, in the 20’s there were no color photographs. So the bottom line is that the artworks is very attractive and it does bring across the Golden Era of theatres very well. The album cover is appealing to the masses. Apparently Styx perhaps didn’t into account that their fans may also be classic theatre fans and might to research on the real theatre as we all have here. Since these fans would be so few in comparison to the masses, the flak they would take from those people would be minimal. It also seems like the solution is effective too…ignore them rather then explain it. Again this is all speculation on the real reason why artwork representing the Granada Theatre was used and not an acurate representation of the real Paradise Theatre was used. I see that you have taken Jim’s advice and ordered the annuals on the Paradise, Marbro, and Granada theatres. I have these documents myself and you will NOT be disappointed. While the pictures are B&W, they are of astounding quality. The proscenium in the Paradise Theatre is and probably will always be my favorite. Nothing compares to it. Also The Paradise is a prime example of an Atmospheric Theatre at it’s best. The Paradise does share a relative that still stands here in NY. It is of the same creator (John Eberson) and also the same name. While an Atomospheric itself, it is very different inside. However, it has been recently restored and is breathtaking. The theatre is the Loew’s Paradise right here in the Bronx (NY). You should get the annual for that theatre too. Unlike the Chicago Paradise, Marbro, and Granada…this one you can still visit and see in all it’s glory.
Always thought the Pipe Organ Pizza Parlor concept was cool however so far this is the third one that seemed to have failed as a business. Thus far only one, Organ Stop Pizza seems to prevail. Are these pipe organ based pizza restaurants a flash in the pan and are they doomed to fail? It it is shame if that is the case because this is a nice way to ‘recycle’ a pipe organ. At least the good thing is with the increased interest in silent films, hopefully many a pipe organ will return to their old theatres.
First time I have seen outside pictures of the theatre. Hmmm, very nice. From those pictures from IDORAFAN, it does look very restorable. BUT, I have seen pictures of the inside of this gem and it looks like a bomb was detonated on the interior. It will take big big big bucks to get this building operational again. BUT! if it can be done, this will be one of the real beauties.
First time I have seen outside pictures of the theatre. Hmmm, very nice. From those pictures from IDORAFAN, it does look very restorable. BUT, I have seen pictures of the inside of this gem and it looks like a bomb was detonated on the interior. It will take big big big bucks to get this building operational again. BUT! if it can be done, this will be one of the real beauties.
Hello LOWELL,
It did rotate. I have seen these carousels before and in fact someone is selling one someplace. I forgot where. While it does rotate, the horses do not go up and down or anything like that. On some old carousels like this there could have been a ‘rocking’ motion built into a spring mechanism, much like a ‘playground pet’ type riding animal. The handrails also suggests that the platform rotated as well.
JG
Hello MARY-L
Oh yes, it is a beautiful state. I only could imagine what it looks like in the fall when the leaves change color. Anyway, the real estate agent that introduced me to the property also knows of someone that owns a theatre in town, but is not doing anything with it. So I might be able to lease that while I get a game plan going for the property. So that will be cool if that goes down.
JG
Hello MARY-L
LOL! Yes, most kids would think of the ‘other’ style of carousel. I believe I mentioned that I too wanted to combine a theatre with a small entertainment complex that would include an antique carousel. However finding a building that could support that operation is like finding a needle in a haystack. BUT!! There is a glimmer of hope in that I did find a property for sale with some acreage in Vermont this weekend. The property has several buildings and two large barns. One could be made into a theatre and the other into a small entertainment center and I could put a small antique carousel in there.
Im off!
JG
Hello MARY-L
I am glad that you are happy with the Annuals, as I figured you would be. They are very worth the cost and the THS has done an excellent job at presenting each and every theatre that they cover. Heh, heh. Yeah I know the carousel is not what one would normally think of. Generally when you think of a carousel this (click on link) pops in one’s head!
View link
I have seen the Kennywood carousel in person. Trust me it is to die for.
The reason I picked this carousel in particular because it was built around the same time the Paradise was built…1927. This coursel was built by the John Eberson of carousels, William Dentzel. So it is very much possible that Denzel could have carved the horses on that mini carousel for the Paradise.
If you have become attached to old theatres like I have and want to support saving them, do talk with Jim at the THS some more. What I found out from him is that the THS has MANY nice pictures of old theatres that do not have annuals written yet…and really just about anyone with a knack for history and finding information on a theatre could write an annual for the THS. I think if more stories started circulating on standing, but not operating classic theatres, it could inspire more people, like me, that want to buy and bring back a theatre to it’s former glory. That is all anyone can do as it is very heart wrenching to see what has become of classic gems such as the Paradise, Marbro, Granada, Roxy and other beautiful theatres. There is alot going on with the Chicago Uptown and I am keeping my fingers crossed for that theatre. Given today’s economy and business structure, it is very hard to keep a large theatre in business. The grim reality is that very few theatre’s the size of Radio City Music Hall are still in business. They are just way too big. Years ago, when they were built there were no TV’s and in some cases no radio. So theatres were a primary source of entertainment. That box that sits in your den with the satellite dish attached to it was the primary distructive that has destroyed both the large theatre industry AND the large amusement park industry of the Roaring 20’s. So if you love these theatres (and the amusement parks too) help them out visit them if they are still open or band together to help them reopen.
Oh, lastly, if you are in the Pittsburgh area of PA, DO make sure you visit Kennywood Amusement Park. This is an example of what a ‘REAL’ traditional amsuement park is all about. They are by far a better alternative to the Six Flags parks. In fact just about all the PA parks have their traditional roots intact, such as Dorney and Hershey. While there, take a good look at the carousels and the artistry involved. VERY similar to these old classic theatres. As they say, they just don’t build them like they used to anymore.
SCOTT—You pretty much hit the nail on the head with what I was explaining to Mary with correlating old theatres to old carousels of the same era. What you said is very true of the Carousel makers as well. There were Five huge carousel companies in existance in the 20’s and all vied for their piece of the pie by making each carousel larger, fancier, with more lights, more animals. In the end, each carousel was a moving palace in itself. The authenticity and realizm of the carousel animals in addition to it’s flashy colors and lighting were designed to touch the imagination of all people and would entice them ride. Notice I said “ALL PEOPLE” rather than just children. Back in the day, the carousel was considered a major park attraction and ride for everyone. They didn’t have massive thrill rides prior to the early 20’s when most of the beautiful carousels were built. It was only in the late 20’s when a roller coaster inventor, John Miller invented something called an ‘upstop’ that made roller coasters as you come to know them today. So slowly with developement of this invention, the roller coaster replaced the carousel as the park’s main attraction.
Unlike the many old theatres which are are still left, there are less than 200 of the once 3000 antique carousels left. So like old theatres carousels do share the same plight and in some cases worse. But the grandest of carousels are, luckily, in the hands of good parks that will be around for quite a while and that really care for these wonderful machines.
So if you love old theatres…do your part in trying to help those that are in need. I know, easier said than done, but the more people that become aware and interested, the better the chances that these old picture palaces will be saved.
JG
Hello MARY L
The carousel is ‘unique’ in many ways, but I just wanted you not to think of a carousel like you or I would think of at a park from that era. The early 20’s not only had it’s place with creating beautiful theatres, but also beautiful carousels. The Golden Age for theatres is also the Golden Age for carousels. The carousel in the Paradise was much like the small carousels that you may see at a party mounted to a trailer that someone brings along for guests at a birthday party. It does look mostly made of wood and the animals are nice carvings. But there are no lights or anything really fancy on it.
Glad to hear you are also getting the annuals for the Granada/Marbro theatres. These theatres are just as beautiful as the Paradise. The annuals will definately ‘WOW’ you.
Sorry to hear that hubby isn’t into going to old theatres like yourself. My wife is the same way. She isn’t too ‘gung-ho’ about my theatre project either. True as well, many things she considers fun, I find bore me to death! Touche' I guess. Well, you know the saying, opposites attract :). We do like to see Broadway shows together though when we get a shot to go into the city.
JG
Hello JIM RANKIN,
Oh, I probably mixed them up them, perhaps I ment Marquee. I know there was something you had on the Valencia and Roxy. I know I didn’t see anything on Radio City. WOW, that would be an incredible task to right up an annual for the THS. I would more than love to do it, given that I do have a knack for finding things out. The only thing right now is that I already have too many eggs boiling in the pot. As you may know I AM in the midst of looking for a theatre to buy myself and with all the business planning, it does take up most of my days. So if I were to do something, it would have to wait.
TNTIM, I know what you mean about certain house accents designed to be on for the show. I have been in a few theatres that have cove lighting and usually during a show, they go to a dim dark blue and stay that way. The theatres look beautiful. Yet another theatre, one I am considering for purchase, has murals and they stay lit during the show, albeit dimmer. So ‘art’ lighting is not quite dead yet! But I am glad to see that it is making a comeback. As for atmospherics, it was this theatre, the Paradise that started it for me. I have completely fallen in love with the atmospheric style. There was one beautiful one that I wanted to get a hold of, the Beaver Falls Granada. However, it is a theatre that was butchered terribly and also has a roof problem…a serious roof problem. There is some water damage. But unfortunately I do not have the funds to restore AND then start a business at that location. Moreover, I seriously doubt the town would support a 1600 seat auditorium with only parking in the town for half of them. So I abandoned that project. Bottom line is that whatever building I get, I would most definately look into house lighting accents. Restoring beauty to an old theatre is what will set it appart from the the new stale stadium seating boxes. People do take to this very well, especially if the theatre is competatively prices. But even so, if the pricing were the same and the same movie was playing at a local multi-plex AND at an older theatre or even a Drive-In, people would pick these types of theatres over the multiplex. So that is proof that things are changing and I take it as a good sign. So I feel this is a good time to get into the theatre business and do what I always dreamed of.
JG
Hello MARY-L
I think when it comes to Dennis DeYoung, contact with a ‘higher authority figure’ may be in order. But it could be also as you said and what I said before that perhaps we are not the only ones to ask this question. Well, it is posted here now and it is fully documented as to the reason why Styx chose art work based on the Granada rather than the Paradise Theatre. Mostly it was a mislabeled drawing and I wouldn’t be surprised that while Styx did some homework on the theatre, it could possibly be that they didn’t get a picture of the real building until production was well under way for the album cover. But of course that would be another story. You WILL enjoy the annuals. They are the best sources of information on old theatres. Which ones did you get besides the Paradise? I am going to put an order in again for another batch of annuals because I want to get one for the Uptown, The Loews Valencia, and The Roxy. Oh! As far as that children’s room carousel…don’t get your hopes up. It is not a big flashy light bulb encrusted carousel that you would normally expect from that era. The entire room was scarcely larger than a large living room in a present day home. The carousel probably had seating for more than 8 – 12 kids. It was just a simple wooden platform with a hand rail and really nicely carved wooden carousel animals. But no big fancy canopy, no fancy lighting. There is also a cool slide that is in the shape of an elephant as well. There are a few hobby horses, rocking horses and of course blocks balls, and tops (no bottoms, that toy hasn’t been invented yet). The room is fairly bland in comparison to the rest of the theatre. Clearly the room was designed more in terms of function rather than form. Don’t forget back in the day a theatre that even offered an ammenity like this stood out. After all that was what the whole concept behind the Paradise was. This theatre was designed to severely crush the competition, in many aspects it could have very well done that, if it wasn’t for the fact that a severe acoustic problem reared it’s ugly head as only a year later talking films were introduced. Well so there you have it the answer to a 25 year old question of mine.
JIM RANKIN Does the THS have an annual for the Radio City Music Hall?
Have a good day!
JG
ANSWER TO WHY THE STYX PARADISE THEATRE ALBUM IS ACTUALLY AN ARTIST’S RENDERING OF THE CHICAGO GRANADA THEATRE.
PLEASE READ THE POSTS BY MARY L, BEARDBEAR31, AND MYSELF, GEO1 STARTING FROM JULY 21, 2006 IN THE CHICAGO PARADISE THEATRE THREAD… ENJOY!!!
ANSWER TO WHY THE STYX PARADISE THEATRE ALBUM IS ACTUALLY AN ARTIST’S RENDERING OF THE CHICAGO GRANADA THEATRE.
PLEASE READ ABOVE POSTS BY MARY L, BEARDBEAR31, AND MYSELF GEO1 STARTING FROM JULY 21, 2006 ABOVE… ENJOY!!!
Hello All, MARY L
As you know I been making progress with the help of MARY L in regards to the origins of the artwork and conception of the Styx Paradise Theatre Album. Well today I can finally say that the saga finally comes to an end.
Derek Sutton, Styx’s past manager finally contacted me with the answer to my question. Here it is:
<<Dennis was reading a book about old theaters
there were a lot of pictures, showing the palaces
in their haydays.
Somehow he saw a line drawing of the Granada sadly
unrestored.
That lead to a series of discussions with album artists
Which lead to the cover.
hope this helps
Derek Sutton>>
Beardbear31 also made an interjection above that confirms this. In addition the seriograph (picture in question) was labeled Paradise Theatre…even though it was the Granada. So it was Robert Addison that misnamed the print. Perhaps accidently, perhaps on purpose. But the fact is that his drawing is named Paradise Theatre. So Styx saw the Robert Addison drawing, liked it and brought it to the attention of their manager and A & M records. A & M records commissioned Chris Hopkins to ‘refine’ the Addison drawing to work with Styx’s Album Concept, and the rest is history. BAM! Case Closed!
Finally after so long I have my answer. Ahhh.
The nice cherry on the cake would be to finally talk to Dennis DeYoung. I always wanted to me him. In my pre-teen years Styx was my favorite band for the longest time.
So there you have it.
Special thanks goes to MARY L for the key to solving this.
Thanks to Chris Hopkins and Derek Sutton for the facts.
Thanks to Beardbear31 for the confirmation.
Enjoy the theatre and enjoy the album…in fact I am going to pop it in now to celebrate I havn’t listened to it in a while.
JG
Hello LIFE’S TOO SHORT
Just for the record, I pulled up the Uptown Satellite.
View link
My God the that place IS big. It takes up the whole block!
Hello LIFE’S TOO SHORT
So you are decendant from the Rapp family huh? I guess that does explain quite a bit. Yes, I guess all business’s have their rosy parts and not so rosy parts. I have ran business’s before, but this is the first one starting from the ground up, so it is pretty scary too. But if it does work, the reward would be tremendous.
JG
Hello LIFE’S TOO SHORT
I was being faciscous with my remark up there. I know very well that the Chicago West Side is not what it used to be and none of the Chicago Golden Age Theatres would work out there today. I also know it is very difficult to get and keep a large theatre in operation in general. This is why I am very concerned for the very big theatres like the Uptown. Right now I am looking in to possible purchase of a 900 seat theatre and it is much bigger than what I was looking for. But it is a nice place. It is such a hard building to pass up on so I am going the extra mile to ensure that I can keep it open should I buy it. So I do know what you mean and it is a constant struggle. The artistic side of me is always fighting with the business reality. But for me, if this works, I for one can save a classic theatre and that would be a tremendous achievement in my life. It isn’t the Uptown, but for me it is enough. By the way, I meant to ask you. Do you have a theatre of your own? I been following your posts carefully and you seem to know quite a bit about the industry.
JG
Hello MARY L
I have not emailed Dennis DeYoung recently and so far Derek Sutton has not answered my email. I just found and emailed him, but we will see. I will give it a few more days. Yeah, I figured you would get a kick out of the front page on Dennis DeYoung’s site. I dunno, maybe I will try him again.
Oh yeah! When you do get the annual you will see the room with the carousel and other play items. I couldn’t believe that when I first saw it. In addition to my theatre dream I always wanted to get an antique carousel as well so naturally I reasoned why not have both. So when I started to look for a theatre I did hope to find one with a store front in which I could house the carousel and a few games in a building next to the theatre. I would punch a hole through the wall into the lobby so this way the carousel ‘room’ could be accessed through the theatre’s lobby. So naturally I was really taken back when I saw that picture in the Paradise annual. Someone beat me to my idea and it was the Paradise no less! Unbelieveable.
As far as the basement of the Paradise is concerned, I consulted my annual. They built the supermarket right on top of the Paradise’s basement and even retained the original lobby floor. So at that point the lounges and playroom probably still existed. However, I would believe that it has been filled in by now. If not there wouldn’t be much to look at. The supermarket burned in 70’s and the basements filled with water.
There is also a cool arial shot of the Chicago West Side in the annual and it shows the Paradise Theatre, The Paradise Ballroom and even the Marbro Theatre. It is amazing how close these buildings are to each other. Anyway, I looked at the location of the Paradise using LIFES TOO SHORT’s satellite image. I tried to match building for building the area where these theatres were located in relation to each other. If you home in to street level on that satellite photo, scroll down a bit from the Paradise’s site until you find a road with a chicane (s curve) in it. Now scroll left one block by the parking lot(oh that parking lot IS there in the old photo) and now scroll down one block. You will see a building with a red mansard roof then next to it across the street you will see a building in the center of a small parking lot. THAT was where the Marbro was located. Now here is the kicker all the buildings to the left of the Marbro on that block were there when the Marbro still existed. GREAT! Keep the bland office builings, tear down the beautiful theatre!
Here is the Marbro’s reference point in case you didn’t get to it right.
View link
JG
Hello MARY L
I kind of figured that Chris would have CC'ed you as well. Yeah, I just can’t believe I had one piece of the puzzle under my nose all along. I remember Hopkins' name on the back of the album cover, but back in the day there were no home computers, so following up on a lead like that was difficult. But I was foolish for not going back to that lead myself. Even on my CD copy it does mention Hopkins and his organization. Well, as they say two heads are better than one and apparently we attacked this from both angles and met in the middle. At first when I recalled Hopkins when you mentioned him that there must have been some mix up on my end with Addison. But then I had TWO different references to the same piece with one claiming to own the original art work. Then when Hopkins mentioned that he had no prior knowledge of the Chicago theatres…then the cat was out of the bag. I then examined both pieces and realized that while similar, they were very different, especially in the Marquee Area. Hopkins basically custome tailored Addison’s work for the Album. So we were both right. It was great when Hopkings said is memory was jarred into place when he saw that picture. I would like to show everyone the original picture… but one it is small and hard to make out and two, I don’t know how to upload the photo here. BUT what you can do is do a Yahoo IMAGE search for Paradise Theatre (spelled this way) go in to page 5 and look for a small picture of what resembles the rear cover of the Styx album. If you click on the picture you will be taken to that auction site I mentioned above, BUT here is the kicker, the picture doesn’t show up there. So all this time I only have the thumbnail from the image search. An alternative is you could also give me your email address and I can mail you the little picture.
I emailed Derek Sutton (sorry misspelled it up there) this afternoon. I am crossing my fingers that he does respond soon. Music people usually have tight schedules and I am hoping that he does come through, so I think bombarding him with two similar emails may not be a good idea. I tell you I must have sent 5 letters, twice as many emails, and several phone calls trying to get in contact with Dennis DeYoung over the years. I guess I was ignored because I am sure he has been bombarded by that question quite a few times. I just can’t believe after all this time it is FINALLY coming together and hopefully soon I will be able to complete this project.
Mary, it seems like we make a good team on this project. I just got an idea. Maybe Dennis DeYoung would respond to you.
Here is his website http://dennisdeyoung.com …AND you are not going to believe what he has on his homepage!
Off I go!
JG
Hello:
LIFES TOO SHORT —LOL, it is funny that you mention the Valencia…that was my mom’s ‘other’ favorite theatre.
JAZZLAND— Well, I guess LIFES TOO SHORT wasn’t too far off then. I guess it must be situation on the outside of the complex then as that does look like a working street intersection and nothing that is in a park. But I never been to Universal, so I could be very much wrong on that count.
MARY L— YIPPEE! Chris Hopkins just got back to me with exciting news! I showed him the pictures of the original Paradise, and both the Granada and Marbro Theatres. He was totally amazed that his drawing represented actually buildings that really existed (Granada & Marbro). Then I sent him the small copy of Addison’s drawing I had. Chris said when he saw that little picture, it hit him like a ton of bricks! He remember that it was that picture which was given to him by Derrick Sutton, Styx’s manager at the time. So it is coming around as I theorized! So now the last thing to do is to contact Sutton. Once that last piece is in place I would have finally come full circle on a question that has been nagging me for close to 25 years! (off and on of course).
JG
Hello LIFE’S TOO SHORT
Actually I think the picture I posted above for that ‘rogue’ Paradise Theatre is very real. Why? Look at the road. Would Disneyworld have a double yellow line a crosswalk and a traffic light? Nope, this is definately a working intersection. BTW, this is Disneyworld Main Street:
View link
Also for the most part the building ‘looks’ open for business. I checked with all the Cinema Treasure’s theatres under the name Paradise. Thankfully there were only a few and I know half of them. But I never came across this one before. So I do not think it is fake. The big bummer is that I cannot make out the name on the second building to the left. Knowing that could help identify where this theater is located. For one…this Paradise looks like a beauty and I would like to see the inside. Moreover, I would like to see the whole town. If you notice the back street has buildings of the same type and era. So I am gathering that this is probably a small town someplace. As for atmospherics…I would LOVE to get one. There was one in Beaver Falls, PA that I took an interest in…and believe it or not, it was The Granada. It was VERY Ebersonian in style, but it was not one of Eberson’s masterpieces. Alas the theatre required too much work and I had to forgo it as a contender.
JIM I know exactly what you mean by the ‘downgrading’ the showmanship side of theatre nowadays. I too remembered a theatre by me, The Deer Park theatre, that used to have a gorgous horizontally rippled curtain that lifted straight up on cable pulls (the same way Radio City does it) and it raised for each movie and then lowered at the end. It even had the lights on the bottom of the stage that lit up the curtain from the front in hue of oranges and ambers. Very very nice. But as time went on, they only raised the curtain on the first show and lowered it on the last of of the day. Eventually for a short time they changed hands and they stopped using it altogether and left it open. They stopped using the pretty lights too. It wasn’t long after that before the theatre closed for good. The theatre wasn’t torn down, but was ‘absorbed’ by a Marshall’s clothing store that moved in next to the theatre. Today it is a Sears hardware store. But if you go around to the back of the Sears, you can clearly see that the left side of the Sears store was a movie theatre.
I am hoping to restore much of the ‘pre-entertainment’ side of things when I do find my ‘dream theatre’. I would like Butterfly Curtains if possible and I would put the small lamps in front of the curtain very much in a similar way as to the old Deer Park Theatre I remember.
With today’s rising gas prices, people need more reasons to get up and go to the theatre. Just showing ad slides and a bunch of pre-views in ones face is NOT entertaining. Nor are these new bland monochromatic auditoriums. Something enticing when you walk in and to before the show starts is mandatory. I do remember ‘back in the day’, my mom said she used to go to Radio City and said that they used to show a Cartoon, a feature film, AND a short live act. You were in the theatre for just about the WHOLE day. Now THATS entertaining.
Speaking of entertaining, has anyone seen the Loews Paradise lately? OH….MY…GOD…! This is definately one of the “Die-go to heaven” type theatres.
JG
Hello All,
On a different note…can anyone identify THIS Paradise Theatre?
View link
JG
Hello MARY L
WOW, that is incredible that you heard from Chris Hopkins so fast! What I am amazed at is that he doesn’t have much recollection of the source of his inspiration to create the album cover. What more is that he says that he has no prior knowledge of the Granada Theatre AND he is not from Chicago. So that still does leave the Robert Addison situation. While I was hoping there was some on-line mix up…I am beginning to think that there were TWO artists. Hopkins, who did the final work for the album cover and Addison, who did the original drawing in the first place. Now I am really starting to believe my theory even more. Dennis DeYoung must have been inspired by Addison’s work and perhaps secured permission to duplicate it for his Paradise Theatre album cover. The drawing must have been presented to Hopkins and he made his creation from there. NOW I went back to the small drawing I have which is labeled “1977 Addison Paradise Theatre” and compared it to Hopkins'work. Guess what? It is different…but very slightly.
I just now emailed Hopkins myself and forwarded that drawing to him and I am going to see if he recognizes it. The next step is I am hoping he might know someone that could shed some light on the truth. You know that I come to realize that I been hung up on this for over 25 years now (off and on). I was 11 years old when I got that album! Ouch! Makes one feel old!
JG
Hello MARY L
Thank you for doing the follow up on Hopkins. I got a bit side-tracked as I am pretty busy lately. But it is something I am very curious about…especially I would like to confirm or bust my theory on why artwork was chosen based on the Granada theatre. As for the Indiana, I have not seen it personally myself, but it gorgous and probably would be must do for anyone wanting to do a ‘theatre crawl’ in the area. I myself am looking to buy and run a classic theatre myself for the use of live shows and performing arts. I owe those dreams and inspirations to the Paradise Theatre album. Growing up in NY suburbia in the 70’s and 80’s as a kid, I was never exposed to beautiful theatres like the Paradise. So when I first picked up Styx’s ‘new album’ in 1980, my jaw dropped when I first saw the picture on the album cover. So that kind of started it. Watching the movie “The Majestic” didn’t help matters either. It was only recently that I found out about the Granada and all the other beautiful Chicago Theatres that were torn down. Then of course you probably heard of NY’s grand-daddy of a theatre, The Roxy, which was also demolished. The Loews Paradise is a fine restored example of these golden era theatres. But one I am still rooting for and hopefully it does get fully restored is the Chicago Uptown. The Uptown is huge, physically larger than Radio City Music Hall (it has much less seating capcity though)and very much eleborate like The Roxy. Even in it’s unrestored state, the Uptown is a beauty to behold. But my favorite will always be the Chicago Paradise. When you get the Annual and see the expanded shot of the proscenium, you will see what I am talking about.
Oh, OK, I can’t have you busting at the seams…here is a teaser:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/PALACE/avalon1.jpg
Have a good day!
JG
Hello MARY L
I cannot find the original site, but this also should give you a clue:
View link
Click on this and do a browser search for “Robert Addison Paradise Theatre”. I am right now looking at the CD of the Styx Paradise Theatre album cover and it is very small, but for some reason I homed in the spot right above the last poster case. There is a name there that I can barely make out. Shoot! I have the original record album at my parents house. Another way to get to the bottom of this is contact Hopkins…see what he says. Maybe he can also shed some light on why the Paradise Theatre concept album used the facade of the Granada. But it is a good thing that you did find that picture on Hopkin’s site. While it is still not the whole picture, it does clearly show the pediment on top and it is clearly Granada inspired. This is getting really interesting and I think it may be a good idea to contact Hopkins. As you pointed out…it is clearly his name on the piece. I have noticed on the Addison reference they also mention the Paradise Ballroom. There WAS a real Paradise Ballroom and it was owned by the same people that created the Paradise Theatre. I am wondering if there was a mix up on the auction site and they referenced the picture of the Paradise Theatre rather than the Paradise Ballroom. Still the one poster in that link I gave you mentions he has the 1977 Piece labeled Paradise Theatre. So if it is indeed Hopkin’s work, his signature would be on it. This is peculiar. I think next order of business is to contact Hopkins, since Addison is no longer living.
Oh! If you are ever in NY, you must check out the Paradise Theatre in the Bronx. Also Indiana has a beautiful John Eberson creation, the Indiana Theatre in Terre Haute. The whole facade is built on a curve (it is a corner theatre). It is a gorgous building and in my opinion one of Eberson’s best facades.
Here take a look see: /theaters/1677/ It has been restored, but unfortunately no longer carries it’s original sign.
Well I am off,
JG
Hello MARY L.
I received the source of that information based on a auction of Robert Addison’s creations. One of them is clearly the art work used for the Paradise Theatre album cover. Now since you referred to Chris Hopkins, Willardson and White INC (the keyword being the INC). It very may well be possible that that Addison could have worked for them. There are alot of misconceptions about the album, for one is the use of artwork that resembles another Chicago theatre…The Granada. I am a Styx fan myself as you probably followed along and I even went to the extent of trying to contact Dennis DeYoung to get some answers regarding the album and the artwork used (emails and calls went unanswered). My questions though were not originally geared to who created the artwork for the album, but why was the backdrop of a very different theatre used. If you see the references to the pictures I made of the Granada…and I mean the old pictures with the original marquee, you can see that almost the entire Styx album art inspiration draws from the Granada Theatre rather than the Paradise Theatre—including the Marquee (to an extent). Why the Granda and not the Marbro? Well, what you don’t see on the album cover is the full layout of the original drawing. I have seen the full layout and the top crest of the building matches that of the Granada Theatre. While similar but slightly larger, the Marbro has a much different crest on it’s facade. But the two buildings are very close in design and are sister theatres. So why was this artwork chosen and not artwork of the original Paradise? I really do not know. However, one good guess is that since the drawing DID exist a few years before the conception of the Paradise Theatre album, I started to think that Dennis DeYoung saw this drawing of the Granada first and probably that became the initial trigger for the concept of the Paradise Theatre album, given that at the time, the Granada Theatre was still standing…it would seem more dramatic to do a cover on a theatre that was maliciously destroyed. The only hitch to this theory is that the Marbro theatre was torn down a few years AFTER the Paradise. So it could be that Styx didn’t know about the Marbro (highly unlikely)…or perhaps they liked the sound “Paradise” better (highly likely) and did the cover on that theatre yet. Using a pre-existing drawing and having it altered to the use of the album would certainly be cheaper than having a drawing made from scratch. Remember we are talking about pre-computer age here, so many printers didn’t have the luxury that we have today with computers. Ok, so another poser…why not just use a picture of the original Paradise? Well, in the 20’s there were no color photographs. So the bottom line is that the artworks is very attractive and it does bring across the Golden Era of theatres very well. The album cover is appealing to the masses. Apparently Styx perhaps didn’t into account that their fans may also be classic theatre fans and might to research on the real theatre as we all have here. Since these fans would be so few in comparison to the masses, the flak they would take from those people would be minimal. It also seems like the solution is effective too…ignore them rather then explain it. Again this is all speculation on the real reason why artwork representing the Granada Theatre was used and not an acurate representation of the real Paradise Theatre was used. I see that you have taken Jim’s advice and ordered the annuals on the Paradise, Marbro, and Granada theatres. I have these documents myself and you will NOT be disappointed. While the pictures are B&W, they are of astounding quality. The proscenium in the Paradise Theatre is and probably will always be my favorite. Nothing compares to it. Also The Paradise is a prime example of an Atmospheric Theatre at it’s best. The Paradise does share a relative that still stands here in NY. It is of the same creator (John Eberson) and also the same name. While an Atomospheric itself, it is very different inside. However, it has been recently restored and is breathtaking. The theatre is the Loew’s Paradise right here in the Bronx (NY). You should get the annual for that theatre too. Unlike the Chicago Paradise, Marbro, and Granada…this one you can still visit and see in all it’s glory.
JG
Hello,
Always thought the Pipe Organ Pizza Parlor concept was cool however so far this is the third one that seemed to have failed as a business. Thus far only one, Organ Stop Pizza seems to prevail. Are these pipe organ based pizza restaurants a flash in the pan and are they doomed to fail? It it is shame if that is the case because this is a nice way to ‘recycle’ a pipe organ. At least the good thing is with the increased interest in silent films, hopefully many a pipe organ will return to their old theatres.
JG
First time I have seen outside pictures of the theatre. Hmmm, very nice. From those pictures from IDORAFAN, it does look very restorable. BUT, I have seen pictures of the inside of this gem and it looks like a bomb was detonated on the interior. It will take big big big bucks to get this building operational again. BUT! if it can be done, this will be one of the real beauties.
JG
First time I have seen outside pictures of the theatre. Hmmm, very nice. From those pictures from IDORAFAN, it does look very restorable. BUT, I have seen pictures of the inside of this gem and it looks like a bomb was detonated on the interior. It will take big big big bucks to get this building operational again. BUT! if it can be done, this will be one of the real beauties.
JG