I can’t tell you how many times as a kid I spent a wonderful Saturday or Sunday afternoon here. Now, it was a small theater and the strangest thing was its inability to play a wide screen movie in its original aspect ratio. There was a stage and a screen that had no masking capability, so every movie image completely filled the screen. But the sides of a widescreen film fell off to the sides onto a dull set of curtains that stretched from the front of the stage to the back beside the screen.
I remember when “Becket” opened here in mid-1964. It kept playing into the fall until I believe they had to just stop it, despite its success, because they had to do a renovation to prepare for the roadshow of “My Fair Lady.” This renovation allowed them to concentrate on more roadshows such as “Doctor Zhivago,” “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” and “The Lion in Winter.” It was designed with gold curtains and gold walls. I don’t remember the color of the seats and carpets. It was a smaller theater in comparison to the downtown ones.
I attended the first night when it was opened to the public with “Seven Days in May.” There was a special “invitation only” performance the night before. Excellent movie but it confused me that it was selected as the first film. It really was not one to show off the capabilities of the theater – a small screen and black and white. I believe that this was supposed to be the second largest screen in the area and that it was designed in order to show Cinerama. But it never came to be since Cinerama died out a few years later. With no real stage and only a few stairs leading up to the base of the curtains, the gold curtains stretched from wall to wall and ceiling to floor. These curtains continued for a short distance along either side of the theater. One could see where some slight modifications would allow Cinerama. The seats were also gold and I believe the carpets were red. I saw “Becket” here and the picture was massive and impressive. There was a balcony. I was only up there for the opening of “Airport.” This place holds a very special place in my heart since this was my wife and I’s first date: a re-release of “Doctor Zhivago.”
I believe the theater was renovated in 1961 for the reserved seat engagement of “El Cid.” It is that renovation which gave it a light blue interior with light blue/silvery curtains matching the seats.
Hi, Joe. I grew up in Pittsburgh during the 50’s and 60’s and some of my most cherished memories are of going to the Warner Theater for their reserved seat engagements. I checked out the pictures on that page and yes, that is the Warner but with some significant modifications. The beautifully carved proscenium arch was preserved but everything behind it was removed: the half dome, the screen, the cameo panels, the orchestra pit, the screen, the stage, even several front rows of seats. This was all replaced by a large stage. A solid deep red curtain hung down behind
the arch across the width of the stage. It seemed to come down to the base of the half dome. One
can see from the picture where they obtained the stage depth to be able to hold a Cinerama screen, which stretched in an impressive arch from one end of the stage to the other. A curved deep red curtain was also in place masking the screen. Now for regular 70mm productions like “Ben-Hur”. a normal flat screen was used, stretching across the entire stage with its own deep red curtain. I believe the boxes on the side were kept but they were mostly for show. I never saw anyone actually sitting there. The primary colors were beige and deep red. The carpeting and the seats
matched the curtains. The deep red of the stage curtains was reinforced by a row of lights with red cels that were attached to the front wall of the balcony. I believe the foyer was much larger than in the picture because I don’t remember looking down on the last rows of the orchestra, so they must have removed several rows nd created a wall to contain the auditorium. Yes, that chandelier was there and the design of that dome resembled the main one in the auditorium itself, just without the chandelier. I don’t remember any furniture being there. I was hoping for some interior pictures of the theatre too, but thanks to linking to the pictures of The Grand. It brought back so many memories. I thought it was the most beautiful theater in the area, and it was well kept during that period so that it could show so many prestigious pictures.
I can’t tell you how many times as a kid I spent a wonderful Saturday or Sunday afternoon here. Now, it was a small theater and the strangest thing was its inability to play a wide screen movie in its original aspect ratio. There was a stage and a screen that had no masking capability, so every movie image completely filled the screen. But the sides of a widescreen film fell off to the sides onto a dull set of curtains that stretched from the front of the stage to the back beside the screen.
I remember when “Becket” opened here in mid-1964. It kept playing into the fall until I believe they had to just stop it, despite its success, because they had to do a renovation to prepare for the roadshow of “My Fair Lady.” This renovation allowed them to concentrate on more roadshows such as “Doctor Zhivago,” “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” and “The Lion in Winter.” It was designed with gold curtains and gold walls. I don’t remember the color of the seats and carpets. It was a smaller theater in comparison to the downtown ones.
I attended the first night when it was opened to the public with “Seven Days in May.” There was a special “invitation only” performance the night before. Excellent movie but it confused me that it was selected as the first film. It really was not one to show off the capabilities of the theater – a small screen and black and white. I believe that this was supposed to be the second largest screen in the area and that it was designed in order to show Cinerama. But it never came to be since Cinerama died out a few years later. With no real stage and only a few stairs leading up to the base of the curtains, the gold curtains stretched from wall to wall and ceiling to floor. These curtains continued for a short distance along either side of the theater. One could see where some slight modifications would allow Cinerama. The seats were also gold and I believe the carpets were red. I saw “Becket” here and the picture was massive and impressive. There was a balcony. I was only up there for the opening of “Airport.” This place holds a very special place in my heart since this was my wife and I’s first date: a re-release of “Doctor Zhivago.”
I believe the theater was renovated in 1961 for the reserved seat engagement of “El Cid.” It is that renovation which gave it a light blue interior with light blue/silvery curtains matching the seats.
Hi, Joe. I grew up in Pittsburgh during the 50’s and 60’s and some of my most cherished memories are of going to the Warner Theater for their reserved seat engagements. I checked out the pictures on that page and yes, that is the Warner but with some significant modifications. The beautifully carved proscenium arch was preserved but everything behind it was removed: the half dome, the screen, the cameo panels, the orchestra pit, the screen, the stage, even several front rows of seats. This was all replaced by a large stage. A solid deep red curtain hung down behind the arch across the width of the stage. It seemed to come down to the base of the half dome. One can see from the picture where they obtained the stage depth to be able to hold a Cinerama screen, which stretched in an impressive arch from one end of the stage to the other. A curved deep red curtain was also in place masking the screen. Now for regular 70mm productions like “Ben-Hur”. a normal flat screen was used, stretching across the entire stage with its own deep red curtain. I believe the boxes on the side were kept but they were mostly for show. I never saw anyone actually sitting there. The primary colors were beige and deep red. The carpeting and the seats matched the curtains. The deep red of the stage curtains was reinforced by a row of lights with red cels that were attached to the front wall of the balcony. I believe the foyer was much larger than in the picture because I don’t remember looking down on the last rows of the orchestra, so they must have removed several rows nd created a wall to contain the auditorium. Yes, that chandelier was there and the design of that dome resembled the main one in the auditorium itself, just without the chandelier. I don’t remember any furniture being there. I was hoping for some interior pictures of the theatre too, but thanks to linking to the pictures of The Grand. It brought back so many memories. I thought it was the most beautiful theater in the area, and it was well kept during that period so that it could show so many prestigious pictures.