As far as I know, the only movie shown at the Huntington Hartford during the ten years (1954-1964) the house had that name was Ely Landau’s production of Eugene O'Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, which had its west coast premier there on December 18, 1962. The movie had a fairly long run at the Hartford, but I believe the house went back to stage productions after it ended.
An entertainment venue has been on the site of the Mesa Theatre since 1885. The text on the marker placed at the site by the Colorado Historical Society reads as follows:
“This building originally housed the Mesa Opera Rink, which opened in 1885. It offered a 300-seat playhouse for live theater, musical, and vaudeville acts. Ballroom dancing was on the large wooden ‘Rink’ floor. In 1907, the front of the building was remodeled, the show house was enlarged to seat 1,000, and it reopened as the Majestic Theater. Some of the first silent films and the first movie with sound in Western Colorado were shown at the Majestic Theatre.
“It was renamed the Mesa Theater in 1930, and in 1953 a complete mid-century remodel brought it up to date with a panoramic screen, stereo sound, and plush seats. It remained open until 1987.”
In the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, 110 N. Broadway is listed as the address of the Broadway Theatre. The Broadway is also listed, though with no addess given, in the 1914 edition of Gus Hill’s National Theatrical Directory. It was then a 10 cent house operated by O. Gill, subscribed to the General Film Service, and seated 301.
This item is from the October 4, 1919 issue of The Moving Picture World:
“Gill Building a $40,000 House.
“O. Gill, of Hugo, Okla., is constructing a new theatre which will seat 800 persons and cost $40,000. It will be called the Erie Theatre and will take the place of the old Erie Theatre.”
O. Gill is mentioned in quite a few trade journals in the 1910s and 1920s, having been Hugo’s movie theater mogul during the period.
A Dixie Theatre at 120 Duke Street is one of five theaters listed at Hugo in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory. The Dixie is also one of two movie houses listed at Hugo in the 1914 edition of Gus Hill’s National Theatrical Directory, but with no address given. It was managed by O. Hill, charged 10 cents admission, subscribed to the Universal service, and had a capacity of 288.
This notice from The American Contractor of June 16, 1917, might be a bit early for a theater that didn’t open until January, 1919, but it does fit the description of the Rapids Theatre, and local sources indicate that E. A. Hunt was the original owner of the house:
“Rock Rapids, Ia.—Theater & Amusement Bldg.: $20,000. 3 sty. & bas. 50x100. Archt. J. J. Crossett, 401 Frances bldg., Sioux City. Ia. Owner E. A. Hunt, Rock Rapids, taking bids.”
The June 27, 1917 issue of The American Architect also carried a notice about the project:
“J. J. Crossett, Architect, 401 Frances building, has completed plans for a theatre and amusement building to be erected at Rock Rapids for E. A. Hunt of that place. The building will cost about $20,000.”
Here is an item about the Rio Theatre from the April 25, 1941 issue of The Film Daily:
“House Will Be Reopened
“Van Buren, Ark.— The Rio Theater which has been closed since the Bob Burns Theater opened in 1937, was reopened April 19, it is announced. The building is being remodeled and a new marquee is being installed.”
This item about the Brentwood Theatre is from the April 25, 1941 issue of The Film Daily:
“Brentwood Open In Fla.
“Jacksonville, Fla. — The new Sparks Theater, the Brentwood, has been opened with Robert Ewing as manager. This is a 540-seat house, designed by Roy A. Benjamin, architect, and built by A. L. Clayton, Jacksonville contractors.”
A 1946 opening under the name Bonito Theatre indicates that there is probably a missing aka, as the building (which in the vintage photo looks like it has a stage house) dates from 1925. The reliable Bill Counter says the remodeled building is currently in use as a print shop.
The American Theatre that opened in 1913 was probably completely demolished to make way for the house that was built in 1928. The new American Theatre had a frontage about twice that of the original house, so it’s very unlikely that any of the old building was incorporated into the new one.
This web page has links to photos of both of them. The original theater was at modern address 217 S. Jefferson, the second theater used the address 215 S. Jefferson. The building on the site now, originally a bank, is today a medical clinic with the address 213 S. Jefferson.
An ad in the May 15, 1915 issue of the Muskogee Times-Democrat touted the summer season openings of the “Wigwam Airdomes.” The Wigwam #1 was on Court Street and the Wigwam #4 was on 4th Street. Wigwam #1 would show only movies during the summer season, and the Wigwam #4 would have stock companies and musical comedies.
It might be that the Wigwams had both indoor and outdoor houses at each location, with the indoor theaters operating only during the cooler seasons. The ad also noted a program of movies at the New Yale Theatre, N. 2nd Street, for five and ten cents, and movies at the New Gaiety Theatre.
The April, 1912 issue of The Typographical Journal makes a reference to “… the Muskogee Amusement Company, which operates the four Wigwam theaters in this city….” What became of the other two Wigwams by 1915 I haven’t discovered.
There were only five listings at Muskogee in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, the only Wigwam listed being the Wigwam Theatre #2, 218 N. 3rd St. The directory also lists the Yale Theatre, at 200 N. 2nd Street and the Gaiety at 322 Court Street, as well as a Pastime Theatre, no address given. The Muskogee Amusement Company is also listed, without an address.
A year and a half to complete a large theater in a small town does not seem surprising, especially considering that the national economy had just hit the bottom of the recession of 1920-21 at the time the map was made, and arranging financing for large projects was still difficult in some places, particularly in manufacturing towns (Point Marion’s largest employer was a glass factory.)
The AMPD most likely did get the name of the town and opera house wrong. The publication surely has more than a few other mistakes, too.
Barney’s Theatre in Point Marion is mentioned in the August 7, 1954 issue of The Independent Film Journal. Owner Jack Mapel is quoted in an ad for the Cinemascope company saying “I have been thinking about turning my theatre into anything I could, and now I think I will remain in show business.” I haven’t been able to discover if he did or not, but at least we know that Barney’s Theatre was still in existence in the summer of 1954.
The October 4, 1922 issue of The Moving Picture World indicates that Barney’s Theatre had moved to a new location:
“Barney’s Theatre at Point Marion, Pa., is again ready for business. The house seats 1,000. Barney’s older and smaller house has been closed.”
I suspect that the house on the Sanborn map had originally operated under a different name, and was taken over by Barney’s in 1922. Point Marion appears in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory as Port Marion, with two theaters listed: the Port Marion Opera House on Janes Street, and the Vaudeville Theatre on Penn Street, so the Vaudevile Theatre is the only one likely to have become Barney’s in 1922. I’ve been unable to find Port (or Point) Marion listed in the Cahn guides. However, Barney’s Theatre is mentioned in the March 23, 1929 issue of Universal Weekly.
The modern address of the building in which the Taylor Theatre is seen in the vintage photo we display is 143 W. Jackson Street. It has not been demolished, but is occupied by the Ivy Cottage Antique Store.
During the 1950s and at least into the early 1960s this house was advertised as the Fox Yuma Theatre. The January 13, 1951 issue of Boxoffice reported that management of the house had been taken over by Fox West Coast Theates following an extensive remodeling project costing $100,000. The Yuma had previously been managed by the Rickard-Nace circuit, who owned the theater in partnership with Fox.
This page from the University of Northern Florida’s Historical Architecture Gallery says that the Lyric Theatre was built in 1923. An earlier house also called the Lyric Theatre was in operation by 1914, when it was one of four movie theaters listed at Waycross in the American Motion Picture Directory.
The official web site link is defunct. The State Theatre Company also has a Facebook page, but it hasn’t been updated in almost two years. There is also a Twitter feed, but its last update is from 28 June 2017. The theater company was presenting events that year, but apparently not at the theater itself. I haven’t found anything more recent, and suspect that the renovation project is currently moribund.
Boxoffice of November 9, 1964, said that the Elizabeth Theatre in Falmouth had recently reopened after having been closed fro a month for refurbishment. Improvements included a new, larger screen and all new equipment in the booth.
The November 9, 1964 issue of Boxoffice said that the Victoria Theatre in Chicopee, which was being extensively remodeled, would reopen as the Cabot Theatre. Seating capacity would be reduced to 650, to provide more room between rows.
As far as I know, the only movie shown at the Huntington Hartford during the ten years (1954-1964) the house had that name was Ely Landau’s production of Eugene O'Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, which had its west coast premier there on December 18, 1962. The movie had a fairly long run at the Hartford, but I believe the house went back to stage productions after it ended.
This house should be listed as Hardy’s Theatre, since it was called the Liberty only from 1917 to 1931.
An entertainment venue has been on the site of the Mesa Theatre since 1885. The text on the marker placed at the site by the Colorado Historical Society reads as follows:
An earlier Park Theatre operated at 920 9th Street, as listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory.
Listed as the Orpheum Theatre in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory.
In the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, 110 N. Broadway is listed as the address of the Broadway Theatre. The Broadway is also listed, though with no addess given, in the 1914 edition of Gus Hill’s National Theatrical Directory. It was then a 10 cent house operated by O. Gill, subscribed to the General Film Service, and seated 301.
This item is from the October 4, 1919 issue of The Moving Picture World:
O. Gill is mentioned in quite a few trade journals in the 1910s and 1920s, having been Hugo’s movie theater mogul during the period.A Dixie Theatre at 120 Duke Street is one of five theaters listed at Hugo in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory. The Dixie is also one of two movie houses listed at Hugo in the 1914 edition of Gus Hill’s National Theatrical Directory, but with no address given. It was managed by O. Hill, charged 10 cents admission, subscribed to the Universal service, and had a capacity of 288.
This notice from The American Contractor of June 16, 1917, might be a bit early for a theater that didn’t open until January, 1919, but it does fit the description of the Rapids Theatre, and local sources indicate that E. A. Hunt was the original owner of the house:
The June 27, 1917 issue of The American Architect also carried a notice about the project:Here is an item about the Rio Theatre from the April 25, 1941 issue of The Film Daily:
This item about the Brentwood Theatre is from the April 25, 1941 issue of The Film Daily:
A 1946 opening under the name Bonito Theatre indicates that there is probably a missing aka, as the building (which in the vintage photo looks like it has a stage house) dates from 1925. The reliable Bill Counter says the remodeled building is currently in use as a print shop.
The American Theatre that opened in 1913 was probably completely demolished to make way for the house that was built in 1928. The new American Theatre had a frontage about twice that of the original house, so it’s very unlikely that any of the old building was incorporated into the new one.
This web page has links to photos of both of them. The original theater was at modern address 217 S. Jefferson, the second theater used the address 215 S. Jefferson. The building on the site now, originally a bank, is today a medical clinic with the address 213 S. Jefferson.
A third address for a Yale Theatre turns up in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, which lists the Yale Theatre, 200 N. 2nd Street.
An ad in the May 15, 1915 issue of the Muskogee Times-Democrat touted the summer season openings of the “Wigwam Airdomes.” The Wigwam #1 was on Court Street and the Wigwam #4 was on 4th Street. Wigwam #1 would show only movies during the summer season, and the Wigwam #4 would have stock companies and musical comedies.
It might be that the Wigwams had both indoor and outdoor houses at each location, with the indoor theaters operating only during the cooler seasons. The ad also noted a program of movies at the New Yale Theatre, N. 2nd Street, for five and ten cents, and movies at the New Gaiety Theatre.
The April, 1912 issue of The Typographical Journal makes a reference to “… the Muskogee Amusement Company, which operates the four Wigwam theaters in this city….” What became of the other two Wigwams by 1915 I haven’t discovered.
There were only five listings at Muskogee in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, the only Wigwam listed being the Wigwam Theatre #2, 218 N. 3rd St. The directory also lists the Yale Theatre, at 200 N. 2nd Street and the Gaiety at 322 Court Street, as well as a Pastime Theatre, no address given. The Muskogee Amusement Company is also listed, without an address.
A year and a half to complete a large theater in a small town does not seem surprising, especially considering that the national economy had just hit the bottom of the recession of 1920-21 at the time the map was made, and arranging financing for large projects was still difficult in some places, particularly in manufacturing towns (Point Marion’s largest employer was a glass factory.)
The AMPD most likely did get the name of the town and opera house wrong. The publication surely has more than a few other mistakes, too.
Barney’s Theatre in Point Marion is mentioned in the August 7, 1954 issue of The Independent Film Journal. Owner Jack Mapel is quoted in an ad for the Cinemascope company saying “I have been thinking about turning my theatre into anything I could, and now I think I will remain in show business.” I haven’t been able to discover if he did or not, but at least we know that Barney’s Theatre was still in existence in the summer of 1954.
The October 4, 1922 issue of The Moving Picture World indicates that Barney’s Theatre had moved to a new location:
I suspect that the house on the Sanborn map had originally operated under a different name, and was taken over by Barney’s in 1922. Point Marion appears in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory as Port Marion, with two theaters listed: the Port Marion Opera House on Janes Street, and the Vaudeville Theatre on Penn Street, so the Vaudevile Theatre is the only one likely to have become Barney’s in 1922. I’ve been unable to find Port (or Point) Marion listed in the Cahn guides. However, Barney’s Theatre is mentioned in the March 23, 1929 issue of Universal Weekly.The modern address of the building in which the Taylor Theatre is seen in the vintage photo we display is 143 W. Jackson Street. It has not been demolished, but is occupied by the Ivy Cottage Antique Store.
Street view.
The recent opening of the rebuilt Aztec Theatre as the Esquire was noted in the January 13, 1951 issue of Boxoffice.
During the 1950s and at least into the early 1960s this house was advertised as the Fox Yuma Theatre. The January 13, 1951 issue of Boxoffice reported that management of the house had been taken over by Fox West Coast Theates following an extensive remodeling project costing $100,000. The Yuma had previously been managed by the Rickard-Nace circuit, who owned the theater in partnership with Fox.
The Grand was one of four movie theaters listed at Waycross in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory.
This page from the University of Northern Florida’s Historical Architecture Gallery says that the Lyric Theatre was built in 1923. An earlier house also called the Lyric Theatre was in operation by 1914, when it was one of four movie theaters listed at Waycross in the American Motion Picture Directory.
The official web site link is defunct. The State Theatre Company also has a Facebook page, but it hasn’t been updated in almost two years. There is also a Twitter feed, but its last update is from 28 June 2017. The theater company was presenting events that year, but apparently not at the theater itself. I haven’t found anything more recent, and suspect that the renovation project is currently moribund.
Boxoffice of November 9, 1964, said that the Elizabeth Theatre in Falmouth had recently reopened after having been closed fro a month for refurbishment. Improvements included a new, larger screen and all new equipment in the booth.
The November 9, 1964 issue of Boxoffice said that the Victoria Theatre in Chicopee, which was being extensively remodeled, would reopen as the Cabot Theatre. Seating capacity would be reduced to 650, to provide more room between rows.