The theatre is listed as “Keith & Proctor’s 23rd Street Theatre” in a roster (Nov. 1909) of theatres affiliated with “B.F. Keith International Circuit Theatrical Enterprises”. There is a reproduction of a program for the week of Oct. 30, 1905 in the book “Lillian Russell” by Armond Fields (McFarland 1999). The famed musical comedy and operetta queen Lillian Russell had a vaude act at the time in which she sang some of her “greatest hits” with a piano accompaniest. There were 10 vaude acts and she was the headliner with her name in large type. At the end of the program, which played twice a day, was a movie “The Boarding School Girls at Coney Island”. The program is headed “Proctor’s 23rd Street – All-Star Vaudeville”.
Hathaway’s Theatre in New Bedford was part of the Keith circuit as of 1909. There was also a Hathaway’s Theatre in Brockton and one in Lowell MA. The latter was also part of the Keith circuit in 1909. Were these 3 theatres related to one another ? Back in 1897 there was a “A. E. Hathaway” who served as an advertising man for the 1,582-seat Grand Opera House in New Bedford. Is he the Hathaway who built Hathaway’s Theatre in New Bedford, and possibly those in Brockton and Lowell ?
During the past few months demolition work has taken place in the rear portions of the Bijou building (what the City calls the “Arcade Building” because it housed a pinball/electronic game “arcade” for decades).
Doing some further reading in old notes, it appears that Olympia Theatres lasted to early-1930s when the chain was combined with NETOCO to form M&P Theatres (Mullin & Pinanski) of Boston. NETOCO is not to be confused with NETC (New England Theatres Corp.) which, along with ATC (American Theatres Corp), was the result of the break-up of M&P. Did Nathan Gordon have a brother? Joe Cifre, in his essay on movie exhibition in Boston, refers to “the Gordon brothers of Olympia Theatres”. Maybe he got confused with the Mark brothers and the Levenson brothers who were early film-show pioneers in Boston.
Nathan Gordon is indeed mentioned in the Donald King book “The Theatres of Boston” (McFarland, 2005). He says that Gordon ran the Olympia Theatres circuit in the 1910’s and that his real estate arm was called Olympia Realty. He built the Washington Street Olympia (later, the Pilgrim) and the Scollay Square Olympia in Boston; plus the Central Sq. Theatre in Cambridge and the Strand Theatre in the Uphams Corner section of Dorchester. He also acquired the Old South Theatre (the original) in downtown Boston. His star organist was Arthur Martel who was quite well-known. Nathan Gordon also produced road-show movie engagements at other theatres, for example “Daddy Long Legs” at the Tremont Theatre in Boston. King does not mention it, but somehow the partnership of “Gordon & Lloyd” is in my head— did Gordon have a partner named Lloyd ?? I think that Gordon may have left the cinema biz by the 1920s and his theatres went to Paramount Publix/ New England Theatre Operating Co. (NETOCO).
Savannah has many wonderful old buildings. The Savannah Theatre is listed in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Charles Coburn was the Mgr. The seating capacity was 1,268. The proscenium opening was 32 feet wide X 27 feet high, and the stage was 38 feet deep. The house had electric illumination and there were 6 members of the house orchestra. Savannah’s 1897 population was 65,000. The Savannah Theatre is also listed in LHAT’s “Directory of Historic American Theatres” by John Fisk and Carlton Ward. (Greenwood Press, 1987). It says that the theatre opened in 1818 at Bull Street and Chippewa Square; the architect was William Jay. It was at one time known as the Atheneum. It was remodeled in 1895, and suffered fires in 1906, 1944 and 1948. The Guide points out that the Drayton Street wall is “most likely the only part of the building which remains from 1818”.
The theatre’s Manager/owner is Bryana Goodrich; their info phone is 802-885-2929, and website at www.springfieldmovietheater.com Did any CT members attend the premier yesterday ??
It should be pointed out that in Roloff’s beautiful colored postcard which he posted on July 16 that there was a gap between the 3rd and 4th theatres in the row because there was a narrow side street there.
Patsy- the Theatre Row in Boston mentioned above was in place from 1932 when the Paramount opened until the end of 1943 when the Bijou was closed due to fire regulations. Then the Normandie closed in Feb. 1951. As for Lawrence, touring roadshows and concerts today play at the nearby Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, which seems adequate for today’s area needs. It has over 2800 seats, a balcony, and a large stage, was designed by the noted Boston theatre architect Clarence Blackall, and opened in 1922.
Why should the citizens of Lawrence be ashamed ? Lawrence is a hard-scrabble town and many of the people who live there today were not there when “Theatre Row” was in its hey-day. The theatres became uneconomic, were closed and then demolished. End of story. BTW, there was a similar Theatre Row on Washington St. in downtown Boston. The RKO Keith Memorial, Bijou, Normandie, and Paramount where all in a row; a fifth movie theatre, the Modern, was located only one store-front away from the other four. There were similar Theatre Rows on the side-streets to the west of Times Sq. in NY.
Ed Mirvish not only saved the Royal Alexandra, but also the historic Old Vic Theatre in London. And he built a large new theatre, to traditional designs, just steps away from the Royal Alexandra. He was a very accomplished man, “A do-er, not a dreamer”.
I have been told by Someone Who Was There that the classic film shows are still going on as of Summer 2007, using very vintage projection equipment, and taking place every other weekend. The theatre is a “gem” with about 400 seats, a balcony, and what appears to be an old-fashioned pressed-tin ceiling.
The Quincy Patriot-Ledger of July 10 reported that a plaque will be placed in the lobby in memory of Brian Marshall who led the move to either preserve the old Scituate Playhouse or replace it with a new cinema. Marshall died suddenly in 2001 just minutes after he spoke at a meeting in Scituate Town Hall.
The Academy of Music in Chicago is listed in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. E.P. Simpson was Mgr. and it had 2,450 seats. There was an orchestra floor and 2 balconies, and ticket prices ranged from 10 cents to 50 cents. The proscenium opening was 30 feet wide X 33 feet high, and the stage was 32 feet deep. The theatre was on the ground floor and there were 10 in the house orchestra.
The Academy of Music in Newburgh is listed in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Fred Taylor was the Mgr. and the seating was 1,248. Ticket prices ranged from 25 cents to $1. The house had both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 40 feet square, and the stage was 30 feet deep. The theatre was on the ground floor and there were 6 in the house orchestra. There were 3 daily newspapers and one weekly and there were 5 hotels in town. The 1897 population of Newburgh was 28,000.
In the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook, there are no less than 4 movie venues listed for Adams MA: the Atlas Theatre with 700 seats, open 7 days per week; the Photoplay with 650 seats, open 7 days per week; the Recreation Hall with 400 seats, and the Summer St. with 400 seats. In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the Adams is listed as being run by Charles Morse Theatres of Boston. Morse also ran the Park Theatre in Adams at that time.
In the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook there are no less than 3 movie venues listed under Athol MA: the Lyric Theatre with 800 seats, the Opera House with 1100 seats, and the YMCA Auditorium with 250 seats. (in the 1897-98 Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide, the Athol Opera House is listed with 800 seats, so perhaps it was the Lyric which had 1100). All of these must have been considered obsolete, so that’s why the York was opened.
The Academy of Music is listed under Fall River in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. W.J. Wiley was the Mgr. Seating capacity was 2,000; the proscenium opening was 36 feet wide X 35 feet high and the stage was 45 feet deep. It says that the theatre was on the second floor – was that true ?? There were 4 daily newspapers in Fall River, plus a French-language Sunday paper. Hotels for show folk were Mellen, Wilbur, Narragansett and St. James. Railroad was the New Haven RR. The 1897 population of Fall River was 93,000.
There is one theatre listed under Elgin IL in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide: the Elgin Opera House. There are no street addresses in the Cahn Guide. I assume that the Elgin O.H. sat on the site of the Rialto, and is not the same as the DuBois Opera House in Elgin. The Elgin O.H. was on the ground floor, had 1,110 seats and a stage which was 40 feet deep.
Prior to the opening of the Opera House in Waterville, touring shows played at the City Hall auditorium, according to the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. It was located on the ground floor, had 700 seats and a stage 26 feet deep.
The Tabor Grand Opera House is listed in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. It was managed by Bush & McCourt. Ticket prices ranged from 25 cents to $1.50. The seating capacity is given as 1,220, but the breakdown does not add up to that figure: Orchestra, 390; Dress Circle, 192; Balcony, 150; Gallery, 130; total: 862, plus box seats, and maybe standees. The house had both gas and electric illumination, and was on the ground floor. The proscenium opening was 33 feet wide X 37 feet high, and the stage was 45 feet deep. There were 8 members of the house orchestra.
Steinburg’s Grand Opera House in listed in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Julius Steinburg was the Mgr. The seating capacity was 776 and the ticket prices ranged from 35 cents to $1. The theatre was on the second floor and had electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 26 feet wide X 19 feet high, and the stage was 32 feet deep. There were 6 in the house orchestra. There was also a City Opera House listed for Traverse City.
The Springer Opera House in Columbus is listed in the addenda section of the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. It was managed by the Springer Brothers, the seating capacity was 1,363, and it had both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 33 feet wide X 22 feet high, and the stage was 25 feet deep. The theatre was on the second floor and there were 8 in the house orchestra. There were 2 daily and 3 weekly newspapers in Columbus and 4 hotels, including the Rankin, the Central and the Vernon. The 1897 population was 20,000.
The theatre is listed as “Keith & Proctor’s 23rd Street Theatre” in a roster (Nov. 1909) of theatres affiliated with “B.F. Keith International Circuit Theatrical Enterprises”. There is a reproduction of a program for the week of Oct. 30, 1905 in the book “Lillian Russell” by Armond Fields (McFarland 1999). The famed musical comedy and operetta queen Lillian Russell had a vaude act at the time in which she sang some of her “greatest hits” with a piano accompaniest. There were 10 vaude acts and she was the headliner with her name in large type. At the end of the program, which played twice a day, was a movie “The Boarding School Girls at Coney Island”. The program is headed “Proctor’s 23rd Street – All-Star Vaudeville”.
Joe Rosenberg is a very good tour organizer and guide !
Hathaway’s Theatre in New Bedford was part of the Keith circuit as of 1909. There was also a Hathaway’s Theatre in Brockton and one in Lowell MA. The latter was also part of the Keith circuit in 1909. Were these 3 theatres related to one another ? Back in 1897 there was a “A. E. Hathaway” who served as an advertising man for the 1,582-seat Grand Opera House in New Bedford. Is he the Hathaway who built Hathaway’s Theatre in New Bedford, and possibly those in Brockton and Lowell ?
During the past few months demolition work has taken place in the rear portions of the Bijou building (what the City calls the “Arcade Building” because it housed a pinball/electronic game “arcade” for decades).
Doing some further reading in old notes, it appears that Olympia Theatres lasted to early-1930s when the chain was combined with NETOCO to form M&P Theatres (Mullin & Pinanski) of Boston. NETOCO is not to be confused with NETC (New England Theatres Corp.) which, along with ATC (American Theatres Corp), was the result of the break-up of M&P. Did Nathan Gordon have a brother? Joe Cifre, in his essay on movie exhibition in Boston, refers to “the Gordon brothers of Olympia Theatres”. Maybe he got confused with the Mark brothers and the Levenson brothers who were early film-show pioneers in Boston.
Nathan Gordon is indeed mentioned in the Donald King book “The Theatres of Boston” (McFarland, 2005). He says that Gordon ran the Olympia Theatres circuit in the 1910’s and that his real estate arm was called Olympia Realty. He built the Washington Street Olympia (later, the Pilgrim) and the Scollay Square Olympia in Boston; plus the Central Sq. Theatre in Cambridge and the Strand Theatre in the Uphams Corner section of Dorchester. He also acquired the Old South Theatre (the original) in downtown Boston. His star organist was Arthur Martel who was quite well-known. Nathan Gordon also produced road-show movie engagements at other theatres, for example “Daddy Long Legs” at the Tremont Theatre in Boston. King does not mention it, but somehow the partnership of “Gordon & Lloyd” is in my head— did Gordon have a partner named Lloyd ?? I think that Gordon may have left the cinema biz by the 1920s and his theatres went to Paramount Publix/ New England Theatre Operating Co. (NETOCO).
Savannah has many wonderful old buildings. The Savannah Theatre is listed in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Charles Coburn was the Mgr. The seating capacity was 1,268. The proscenium opening was 32 feet wide X 27 feet high, and the stage was 38 feet deep. The house had electric illumination and there were 6 members of the house orchestra. Savannah’s 1897 population was 65,000. The Savannah Theatre is also listed in LHAT’s “Directory of Historic American Theatres” by John Fisk and Carlton Ward. (Greenwood Press, 1987). It says that the theatre opened in 1818 at Bull Street and Chippewa Square; the architect was William Jay. It was at one time known as the Atheneum. It was remodeled in 1895, and suffered fires in 1906, 1944 and 1948. The Guide points out that the Drayton Street wall is “most likely the only part of the building which remains from 1818”.
The theatre’s Manager/owner is Bryana Goodrich; their info phone is 802-885-2929, and website at www.springfieldmovietheater.com Did any CT members attend the premier yesterday ??
It should be pointed out that in Roloff’s beautiful colored postcard which he posted on July 16 that there was a gap between the 3rd and 4th theatres in the row because there was a narrow side street there.
Patsy- the Theatre Row in Boston mentioned above was in place from 1932 when the Paramount opened until the end of 1943 when the Bijou was closed due to fire regulations. Then the Normandie closed in Feb. 1951. As for Lawrence, touring roadshows and concerts today play at the nearby Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, which seems adequate for today’s area needs. It has over 2800 seats, a balcony, and a large stage, was designed by the noted Boston theatre architect Clarence Blackall, and opened in 1922.
Why should the citizens of Lawrence be ashamed ? Lawrence is a hard-scrabble town and many of the people who live there today were not there when “Theatre Row” was in its hey-day. The theatres became uneconomic, were closed and then demolished. End of story. BTW, there was a similar Theatre Row on Washington St. in downtown Boston. The RKO Keith Memorial, Bijou, Normandie, and Paramount where all in a row; a fifth movie theatre, the Modern, was located only one store-front away from the other four. There were similar Theatre Rows on the side-streets to the west of Times Sq. in NY.
Ed Mirvish was a Hero to me; he “Did It His Way” and didn’t give a hoot what anyone thought.
Ed Mirvish not only saved the Royal Alexandra, but also the historic Old Vic Theatre in London. And he built a large new theatre, to traditional designs, just steps away from the Royal Alexandra. He was a very accomplished man, “A do-er, not a dreamer”.
I have been told by Someone Who Was There that the classic film shows are still going on as of Summer 2007, using very vintage projection equipment, and taking place every other weekend. The theatre is a “gem” with about 400 seats, a balcony, and what appears to be an old-fashioned pressed-tin ceiling.
The Quincy Patriot-Ledger of July 10 reported that a plaque will be placed in the lobby in memory of Brian Marshall who led the move to either preserve the old Scituate Playhouse or replace it with a new cinema. Marshall died suddenly in 2001 just minutes after he spoke at a meeting in Scituate Town Hall.
The Academy of Music in Chicago is listed in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. E.P. Simpson was Mgr. and it had 2,450 seats. There was an orchestra floor and 2 balconies, and ticket prices ranged from 10 cents to 50 cents. The proscenium opening was 30 feet wide X 33 feet high, and the stage was 32 feet deep. The theatre was on the ground floor and there were 10 in the house orchestra.
The Academy of Music in Newburgh is listed in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Fred Taylor was the Mgr. and the seating was 1,248. Ticket prices ranged from 25 cents to $1. The house had both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 40 feet square, and the stage was 30 feet deep. The theatre was on the ground floor and there were 6 in the house orchestra. There were 3 daily newspapers and one weekly and there were 5 hotels in town. The 1897 population of Newburgh was 28,000.
In the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook, there are no less than 4 movie venues listed for Adams MA: the Atlas Theatre with 700 seats, open 7 days per week; the Photoplay with 650 seats, open 7 days per week; the Recreation Hall with 400 seats, and the Summer St. with 400 seats. In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the Adams is listed as being run by Charles Morse Theatres of Boston. Morse also ran the Park Theatre in Adams at that time.
In the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook there are no less than 3 movie venues listed under Athol MA: the Lyric Theatre with 800 seats, the Opera House with 1100 seats, and the YMCA Auditorium with 250 seats. (in the 1897-98 Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide, the Athol Opera House is listed with 800 seats, so perhaps it was the Lyric which had 1100). All of these must have been considered obsolete, so that’s why the York was opened.
The Academy of Music is listed under Fall River in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. W.J. Wiley was the Mgr. Seating capacity was 2,000; the proscenium opening was 36 feet wide X 35 feet high and the stage was 45 feet deep. It says that the theatre was on the second floor – was that true ?? There were 4 daily newspapers in Fall River, plus a French-language Sunday paper. Hotels for show folk were Mellen, Wilbur, Narragansett and St. James. Railroad was the New Haven RR. The 1897 population of Fall River was 93,000.
There is one theatre listed under Elgin IL in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide: the Elgin Opera House. There are no street addresses in the Cahn Guide. I assume that the Elgin O.H. sat on the site of the Rialto, and is not the same as the DuBois Opera House in Elgin. The Elgin O.H. was on the ground floor, had 1,110 seats and a stage which was 40 feet deep.
Prior to the opening of the Opera House in Waterville, touring shows played at the City Hall auditorium, according to the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. It was located on the ground floor, had 700 seats and a stage 26 feet deep.
The Tabor Grand Opera House is listed in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. It was managed by Bush & McCourt. Ticket prices ranged from 25 cents to $1.50. The seating capacity is given as 1,220, but the breakdown does not add up to that figure: Orchestra, 390; Dress Circle, 192; Balcony, 150; Gallery, 130; total: 862, plus box seats, and maybe standees. The house had both gas and electric illumination, and was on the ground floor. The proscenium opening was 33 feet wide X 37 feet high, and the stage was 45 feet deep. There were 8 members of the house orchestra.
Steinburg’s Grand Opera House in listed in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Julius Steinburg was the Mgr. The seating capacity was 776 and the ticket prices ranged from 35 cents to $1. The theatre was on the second floor and had electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 26 feet wide X 19 feet high, and the stage was 32 feet deep. There were 6 in the house orchestra. There was also a City Opera House listed for Traverse City.
The Springer Opera House in Columbus is listed in the addenda section of the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. It was managed by the Springer Brothers, the seating capacity was 1,363, and it had both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 33 feet wide X 22 feet high, and the stage was 25 feet deep. The theatre was on the second floor and there were 8 in the house orchestra. There were 2 daily and 3 weekly newspapers in Columbus and 4 hotels, including the Rankin, the Central and the Vernon. The 1897 population was 20,000.