Ohio Theatre
547 Broadway,
Lorain,
OH
44052
547 Broadway,
Lorain,
OH
44052
4 people
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Built and operated in 1924 by August Ilg, with a seating capacity of 692 by 1954, per an image I just added. It was taken over by Selected Theatres in 1952 if the image is correct. When it was extensively modernized with a wide screen for CinemaScope productions.
Yes, the State Theatre was the famous building that collapsed during the storm killing 15 injuring bunches of people. Very tragic.
Oh, I didn’t know there were 2 Ohio theaters. Wasn’t there another theater destroyed in that tornado where the Palace sits now? I think it may have been called the State?
The Ohio Theatre #2 opened early in 1925 after a July 1924 tornado destroyed Ohio Theatre #1.
Mr Dick Klein managed it and the Lorain Drive In in 1956. My dad and I hand painted large coming attraction murals in the lobby every week. I was paid 25 cents per hour, age 11. I always was admitted there for free. Sears and Roebuck was just down the street. That’s were I bought my first multi-speed bicycle. I still ride.
Zip code is 44052.
I remember a lot of Disney films were booked there when I was a kid.
Thanks Gerald.
“A Small House Receives the 1954 Touch"
Article, with photos, of the Ohio Theatre, from Boxoffice magazine, October 2, 1954:
View link
The Ohio closed for the first time (as a regular theater)in 1969, re-opening as a porno house in 1970. It closed again in ‘71, and re-opened for the final time in '73, showing whatever films we could get; I was an unpaid “intern” of sorts, getting to eat popcorn, candy, watch the movies and the Manager’s daughter, who worked the projection booth and tended to wear swimsuits to work.
As I said, we showed whatever we could get…we were showing “The Outfit”, with Jim Brown, when it premiered on “The CBS Late Movie”! We closed for good in July, after a run of two months.
The theater was torn down not long after.
This theater showed primarily MGM product. I remember seeing Ben-Hur there (not in 70mm, but general release). I think it closed sometime in the late 70’s and a bank was built there. I think it was the first of the downtown theaters to close.