Five Points Theater
507 W. Exchange Street,
Akron,
OH
44302
507 W. Exchange Street,
Akron,
OH
44302
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Botzum Brothers
Functions: Office Space
Previous Names: Portage Theater
Nearby Theaters
This location opened on December 12, 1915 as the Portage Theater. Its' opening movie was Theda Bara in “A Fool There Was”. In September 1924 it received a refresh. On November 19, 1937 it was renamed Five Points Theater. It was closed on June 7, 1951 with David Brian in “Inside Straight” & Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in “The Great Manhunt”. It became a church. It still stands its post at the Five Points intersection, if only functioning as a vacant warehouse.
Contributed by
Rolling Acres
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
Does anyone know the current state of this or who owns it?
Still standuing, and has a sign saying “Community” something. Couldn’t make out the rest of the sign but appears to be offices and at least is not vacant.
As of right now, it’s listed as for-lease on NAI’s website; they’re asking $1500 a month for the theater and the space to the right of it (505 W Exchange). However, I’m a little worried that it’s been too heavily modified to ever be a theater again. The front doors are open in Google street-view, as well as a garage door in the back, and it appears the whole thing is a flat concrete floor. (Looking in the front, you can see the light coming in from the back door.) It makes me think concrete was poured on top of the old sloped floor.
Is the address correct? The building to the left of the one pinned by Google looks more like a theater structure, it’s the red brick building, the last one before the empty lot as you head west…
The Portage Theatre was a new-build movie house that launched December 12, 1915 with Theda Bara in “A Fool There Was.” In 1924, the theatre closed for over one month as it got a major refresh and, under new operator Frank S. Falkenberg, reopened with Norma Talmadge in “The Song of Love” on September 6, 1924.
Late in 1929, the theatre was equipped with sound by operator William I. Foutts to remain viable. After a new operator took on the venue, the Portage name was dropped in favor of the neighborhood’s Five Points moniker. The Five Points Theatre launched on November 19, 1937 with “Broadway Melody of 1938” and “One Mile From Heaven.” The new operator was Lorenzo Bozzelli who operated it with his sons, Arthur and Tony. The Bozellis closed the venue on June 7, 1951 with “Inside Straight” and “Great Manhunt.” The former Five Points / Portage was used soon thereafter as a house of worship.