From the Estey organ company I find record of them selling an organ to the Isis Theatre, Denver CO in 1910, 3 years before this building opened. Then the Wurlitzer records show THEY sold an organ to the Isis Theatre, Denver CO, in 1915, 2 years after this theatre opened. Certainly theatres upgraded their organs – and believe me, if you had a theatre with an Estey, you needed an upgrade. I can even understand maybe Estey using a contract date rather than an installation date, but 3 years is too long for that. Any suggestions? Was there a previous Isis Theatre?
The Wurlitzer records indicate a large instrument (opus 27 IV/22) was installed at the Pitt Theatre, Pittsburg PA in August 1913. The organ apparently not only had the usual left and right chambers, but also a stage division and a balcony division – seriously deluxe upgrades.
The Franklin Theatre had one of the earliest Wurlitzer organs, (opus 6). It was a small instrument only 4 ranks, but cost a whopping $4000. The organ was reportedly sold to a theatre in Cincinnati Ohio.
The Wurlitzer records show their organ opus 570 was installed in the Princess Theatre in Corning NY. Would that be this theatre? CT doesn’t list a Princess Theatre in Corning, and the State / Opera House is the right age.
Here’s a song tribute to Blossom Seeley, last headliner at the old Orpheum. The musician has included several images of the old Orpheum along with at least one of the new (existing) Orpheum, built on the same site. Good tune, very reminicent of Blossom Seeley’s own style, worth the 2 ½ minutes of your time. It’s called “Hot Blossom.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpgYei_I5Ko
Wurlitzer II/7 organ, opus 1651, style “E-X” was installed in the Princess in October 1927. The organ seems to have been removed in 1964 and moved to a Methodist church in Auburn Maine.
The theatre organ database indicates a 3-manual 35 rank Frazee organ (their opus 30) was installed at the Loew’s Orpheum in 1916. Its current location unknown.
Bryan, one correction to your excellent description at the top of this page: the 4 tall center columns and the frieze are Ionic, rather than Doric. The pilasters to each side are Renaissance Doric inspired. Not that this makes one whit of difference. Does this make me the architectural equivalent of one of the “grammer police?”
Vincent, thanks for the confirmation on the name Majestic. There is a photo of one of Memphis' Majestics (not the one still standing) in the book Nickelodeon Theatres and Their Music. Wonder if it was this one?
Joe: what a great article! And I stand corrected. The Jefferson Theatre, stood on Madison, not on Jefferson, a block away. It soon became known as the Lyric and later the Mazda. Thanks for the addition. Now if we can just find some more photos…
Vincent, it’s been too long since I did this research and can’t tell you a date anymore. Seems odd that there would be a Jefferson Theatre on Madison Ave when Jefferson Ave is just a block away. It is certainly possible, but you have to hope that the owners weren’t that blind to the possibility for confusion. Since you have access to the city directories maybe this will help: the storefront at the far left, the big sign is cut off but says “…aus and Co. Dyers” and the small sign up under the canopy says “..raus and Co. Cleaners.” The word “Dyers” appears again right next to the entrance. Could be Straus or Kraus.
Immediately to the left of the theatre’s lobby appears to be a barber shop. (What is it about theatres and barber shops?) For all the world I think the name is “Ed’s.”
Can’t make out what’s immediately to the right of the lobby, one word on the window might be “buffet.” Did they have buffet’s in 1910?
The building at far right looks like “Memphis Storage Company.” Can’t make out the first word well, but it’s “something Storage Company.”
What I wouldn’t give to be able to read the poster cases at the theatre entrance and the little A-frame sign on the sidewalk. (And did you notice the horse at the far right?)
Re the Germania Hall, I remember seeing that in a different context entirely. Correct me if I’m not wrong, but wasn’t that where Oscar Wilde spoke in 1882 (1883?). Probably a different venue from this entirely.
The address 275 South Main puts the Bijou on the same side of the street as the Orpheum at 195-197 South Main (west side of the street). The Loew’s State, the Strand and the Warner (nee Pantages) were on the east side of Main. The Orpheum’s vertical sign is visible in the street view here – if you look closely.
Doctor Phil: any photos? The Memphis Public Library would be really interested in anything you’d like to donate – old ledgers, photos, anything at all. Can you describe the interiors of any of those theatres? It’d be great to hear any details you can remember.
Vincent, there’s a seperate listing for the Jefferson Theatre, but the address I found was 309-311 Jefferson Ave not 291 Madison. Ideas about the descrepancy?
KenRoe et al, I’ve heard a rumor that the II/8 Wurlitzer from this theatre survived in Chattanooga in a person’s home into the 1990’s. Any confirmation or knowledge on this topic?
During the late 1980’s the Lamar’s side doors (on the side away from the cross street)were so rotten that they had fallen out of the door frames, leaving the theatre open to -ahem- exploration. The building was ruined, the roof mostly gone, however, enough remained of the interior to know what it had alooked like. The seat end standards were ornate, but every other row of seats had been removed – apparently to facilitate the live portion of the adult entertainment shown in its last days. There were two organ chambers at stage level, one on each side of the small stage. No sign of the organ of course. No dressing rooms or stage facilites. There was a boiler room under the stage. The auditorium side walls had simple plaster moldings creating large rectangular panels.
Coming in from the front doors, there was a very small lobby with floor sloping up. Doors opened into the standee area with a cross aisle to exit doors at each end. There was no balcony.
The biggest surprise was up in the projection booth: it was obvious that the wall between booth and auditorium had been an exterior wall – there were bits of stone moldings and details which would never have been placed there just for the projectionist to look at. If you look at the photos of the front, you’ll see an arched top window, just above the marquee. That opens into the projection booth. The small window on the angled portion was the generator room. Directly below the booth (main floor) were two small restrooms, an office, the concession stand (later addition) and of course, the tiny “lobby.” That front 10-15 feet seems to have been added to and existing building. What was it previously? Don’t know. Theatre? Storefront? Couldn’t say.
TLSLOEWS, your patience is admirable. BTW it’s taken me forever to get restablished on CT. The new format looks great, but I got unsubscibed from EVERY page I was watching. I thought everyone had given up and gone home.
Jack, from Wikipedia, the source of all knowledge: “The name ‘Mazda’ was (a brand name of light bulbs) used from 1909 through 1945 by … General Electric… The company chose the name due to its association with Ahura Mazda, the transcendental and universal God of Zoroastrianism whose name means "Wise Lord” in the Avestan language."
In the longer version of the story, there is an association between Ahura Mazda and the triumph of light – so a movie theatre with the name Mazda is pretty clever.
Friends: a bit of clarification please – I just found this link to a theatre organ, currently located in the Asbury Park Convention Center. The photo certainly does not seem to be the Paramount auditorium. Is the organ over in the other part of the building? Out over the water? http://www.gstos.org/asbury.htm
Mike: I think it says “Ford.” I know it sounds odd that cars might be on display at a movie theatre, but I know for sure that cars were occassionally displayed on the stage of Knoxville’s Bijou. It’s a thought anyway.
From the Estey organ company I find record of them selling an organ to the Isis Theatre, Denver CO in 1910, 3 years before this building opened. Then the Wurlitzer records show THEY sold an organ to the Isis Theatre, Denver CO, in 1915, 2 years after this theatre opened. Certainly theatres upgraded their organs – and believe me, if you had a theatre with an Estey, you needed an upgrade. I can even understand maybe Estey using a contract date rather than an installation date, but 3 years is too long for that. Any suggestions? Was there a previous Isis Theatre?
The Wurlitzer records indicate a large instrument (opus 27 IV/22) was installed at the Pitt Theatre, Pittsburg PA in August 1913. The organ apparently not only had the usual left and right chambers, but also a stage division and a balcony division – seriously deluxe upgrades.
The Franklin Theatre had one of the earliest Wurlitzer organs, (opus 6). It was a small instrument only 4 ranks, but cost a whopping $4000. The organ was reportedly sold to a theatre in Cincinnati Ohio.
The Wurlitzer records show their organ opus 570 was installed in the Princess Theatre in Corning NY. Would that be this theatre? CT doesn’t list a Princess Theatre in Corning, and the State / Opera House is the right age.
Ventilation openings? You mean “windows?”
Here’s a song tribute to Blossom Seeley, last headliner at the old Orpheum. The musician has included several images of the old Orpheum along with at least one of the new (existing) Orpheum, built on the same site. Good tune, very reminicent of Blossom Seeley’s own style, worth the 2 ½ minutes of your time. It’s called “Hot Blossom.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpgYei_I5Ko
A nod to V Astor for noting the image of the long forgotten Bijou Theatre visible in this photo.
vastor: the link to Memphis Tech High doesn’t seem to work. Can you check the address?
Wurlitzer II/7 organ, opus 1651, style “E-X” was installed in the Princess in October 1927. The organ seems to have been removed in 1964 and moved to a Methodist church in Auburn Maine.
The theatre organ database indicates a 3-manual 35 rank Frazee organ (their opus 30) was installed at the Loew’s Orpheum in 1916. Its current location unknown.
Bryan, one correction to your excellent description at the top of this page: the 4 tall center columns and the frieze are Ionic, rather than Doric. The pilasters to each side are Renaissance Doric inspired. Not that this makes one whit of difference. Does this make me the architectural equivalent of one of the “grammer police?”
Where else? Stan Hightower.
Vincent, thanks for the confirmation on the name Majestic. There is a photo of one of Memphis' Majestics (not the one still standing) in the book Nickelodeon Theatres and Their Music. Wonder if it was this one?
Joe: what a great article! And I stand corrected. The Jefferson Theatre, stood on Madison, not on Jefferson, a block away. It soon became known as the Lyric and later the Mazda. Thanks for the addition. Now if we can just find some more photos…
Vincent, it’s been too long since I did this research and can’t tell you a date anymore. Seems odd that there would be a Jefferson Theatre on Madison Ave when Jefferson Ave is just a block away. It is certainly possible, but you have to hope that the owners weren’t that blind to the possibility for confusion. Since you have access to the city directories maybe this will help: the storefront at the far left, the big sign is cut off but says “…aus and Co. Dyers” and the small sign up under the canopy says “..raus and Co. Cleaners.” The word “Dyers” appears again right next to the entrance. Could be Straus or Kraus.
Immediately to the left of the theatre’s lobby appears to be a barber shop. (What is it about theatres and barber shops?) For all the world I think the name is “Ed’s.”
Can’t make out what’s immediately to the right of the lobby, one word on the window might be “buffet.” Did they have buffet’s in 1910?
The building at far right looks like “Memphis Storage Company.” Can’t make out the first word well, but it’s “something Storage Company.”
What I wouldn’t give to be able to read the poster cases at the theatre entrance and the little A-frame sign on the sidewalk. (And did you notice the horse at the far right?)
Re the Germania Hall, I remember seeing that in a different context entirely. Correct me if I’m not wrong, but wasn’t that where Oscar Wilde spoke in 1882 (1883?). Probably a different venue from this entirely.
The address 275 South Main puts the Bijou on the same side of the street as the Orpheum at 195-197 South Main (west side of the street). The Loew’s State, the Strand and the Warner (nee Pantages) were on the east side of Main. The Orpheum’s vertical sign is visible in the street view here – if you look closely.
Doctor Phil: any photos? The Memphis Public Library would be really interested in anything you’d like to donate – old ledgers, photos, anything at all. Can you describe the interiors of any of those theatres? It’d be great to hear any details you can remember.
Vincent, there’s a seperate listing for the Jefferson Theatre, but the address I found was 309-311 Jefferson Ave not 291 Madison. Ideas about the descrepancy?
KenRoe et al, I’ve heard a rumor that the II/8 Wurlitzer from this theatre survived in Chattanooga in a person’s home into the 1990’s. Any confirmation or knowledge on this topic?
During the late 1980’s the Lamar’s side doors (on the side away from the cross street)were so rotten that they had fallen out of the door frames, leaving the theatre open to -ahem- exploration. The building was ruined, the roof mostly gone, however, enough remained of the interior to know what it had alooked like. The seat end standards were ornate, but every other row of seats had been removed – apparently to facilitate the live portion of the adult entertainment shown in its last days. There were two organ chambers at stage level, one on each side of the small stage. No sign of the organ of course. No dressing rooms or stage facilites. There was a boiler room under the stage. The auditorium side walls had simple plaster moldings creating large rectangular panels.
Coming in from the front doors, there was a very small lobby with floor sloping up. Doors opened into the standee area with a cross aisle to exit doors at each end. There was no balcony.
The biggest surprise was up in the projection booth: it was obvious that the wall between booth and auditorium had been an exterior wall – there were bits of stone moldings and details which would never have been placed there just for the projectionist to look at. If you look at the photos of the front, you’ll see an arched top window, just above the marquee. That opens into the projection booth. The small window on the angled portion was the generator room. Directly below the booth (main floor) were two small restrooms, an office, the concession stand (later addition) and of course, the tiny “lobby.” That front 10-15 feet seems to have been added to and existing building. What was it previously? Don’t know. Theatre? Storefront? Couldn’t say.
Joe, you might also remember that the Memphis Loew’s State (q.v.) auditorium had been built into the shell of an existing warehouse.
TLSLOEWS, your patience is admirable. BTW it’s taken me forever to get restablished on CT. The new format looks great, but I got unsubscibed from EVERY page I was watching. I thought everyone had given up and gone home.
Jack, from Wikipedia, the source of all knowledge: “The name ‘Mazda’ was (a brand name of light bulbs) used from 1909 through 1945 by … General Electric… The company chose the name due to its association with Ahura Mazda, the transcendental and universal God of Zoroastrianism whose name means "Wise Lord” in the Avestan language."
In the longer version of the story, there is an association between Ahura Mazda and the triumph of light – so a movie theatre with the name Mazda is pretty clever.
Friends: a bit of clarification please – I just found this link to a theatre organ, currently located in the Asbury Park Convention Center. The photo certainly does not seem to be the Paramount auditorium. Is the organ over in the other part of the building? Out over the water? http://www.gstos.org/asbury.htm
Mike: I think it says “Ford.” I know it sounds odd that cars might be on display at a movie theatre, but I know for sure that cars were occassionally displayed on the stage of Knoxville’s Bijou. It’s a thought anyway.