Powers Auditorium
260 Federal Plaza West,
Youngstown,
OH
44503
260 Federal Plaza West,
Youngstown,
OH
44503
7 people
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Showing 1 - 25 of 77 comments
Facebook link to a 1962 photo.
https://www.facebook.com/businessmediaarchives/photos/a.1666016470351470.1073741828.1665444937075290/1741437052809411/?type=3&theater
Here is an interesting link about the Warner Brothers life in Youngstown, Ohio.
http://ohiowins.com/warner-bros/
What is sad is the fact that the Warners also were the last owners of the Dome Theatre yet there is nothing remaining of that theatre in the way of its projection equipment. The Dome showed The Jazz Singer on first run, and it would be great if DeYor/Powers would have a film festival featuring Warner’s greatest movies. I wish that some Angels could come forward with the funds to sponsor a Warner’s Film Festival.
Powers has gathered together memorabilia from its Warner Theater days including one of the first projectors, ushers uniforms and other material that will go on display in the Grand Lobby for a week, and then turned over to the Mahoning Valley Historical Society for preservation, and the event will be open to the public free of charge during regular business hours. (SEE AD IN THE PHOTO SECTION FOR THIS THEATER.)
Thank you ERD. In case you didn’t know it, the Warnerswere from Youngstown and were not only in various businesses, but some ofthe brothers were active in various theatrical businesses. Sam Warner brought movies to the Grand Opera House; Jack Warner was active in one of Youngstown’s stock companies that performed at the theater in Idora Park as well as the Grand Opera House. The warners also had a financial interest in several of Youngstown’s early movie theaters such as the Rex and Bijou, and later the Dome before finally building the Warner Theater that was built in memory of Sam Warner.
A beautiful theatre that future generations will continue to admire.
This year this jewel is celebrating it’s 84th birthday, and it’s original splendor stands as a monument to the Warner’s and the men that built her. March 14,1931 saw theater goers attending the opening night show in cloths worthy of those attending the crowning of a king.
WYTV did a story on DeYor/Powers the other night with some good interior views. Here is the link
http://wytv.com/2014/11/17/powers-auditorium-is-gem-in-downtown-youngstown/
What did you think about the articles? I noticed that the paper didn’t give as big a splash to the Palace as they did the Warner.
Chuck, thank you for the links, I don’t know how to do it so your contribution is quite helpful.
Thanks for posting the above links! Aloha!
Opening night for the Warner Theatre was a huge affair for the people of Youngstown, and riveled anything out of Hollywood or New York. Here are te links to the newspaper account of opening night.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6Y9cAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3VcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2234%2C5886153
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6Y9cAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3VcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1559%2C5956204
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6Y9cAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3VcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4950%2C5886448
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6Y9cAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3VcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1289%2C5926321
Here is some information about the organ that was in the Warner Theater.
It was a Wulitzer style 240. Three manual/24 rank. 13 ranks of pipes; seven tuned percussion and 24 orchestra traps. It is still bouncing around somewhere, but as I understand it was upgraded so that it isn’t in its original state.
Organ question: One of our public auditoriums/concert hall has an E. M. Skinner opus 582 pipe organ. Can anyone tell me how this organ rates among theater organs?
Here are the specks:
·Henry Stambaugh Auditorium, Youngstown, OH ·1926 Skinner Organ Co. Opus 582 · ·Great: ·16' Diapason ·16' Bourdon (Pedal ext.) ·8' First Diapason ·8' Second Diapason ·8' Claribel Flute ·8' Erzahler ·4' Octave ·4' Flute ·2 2/3' Twelfth ·2' Fifteenth ·IV Mixture (12-15-19-22) ·16' Ophicleide (enclosed in Ch.) ·8' Tuba (enclosed in Ch.) ·4' Clarion (enclosed in Ch.) ·Chimes · ·Swell: ·16' Bourdon ·8' Diapason ·8' Gedeckt ·8' Salicional ·8' Voix Celeste ·8' Flauto Dolce ·8' Flauto Dolce (tc) ·4' Octave ·4' Flute Triangulaire ·V Mixture (15-19-22-26-29) ·16' Posaune ·8' Cornopean ·8' Corno d'Amore ·8' Vox Humana ·4' Clarion ·Tremulant · ·Choir: ·16' Gamba ·8' Diapason ·8' Concert Flute ·8' Gamba ·8' Kleine Erzahler II ·4' Flute ·2 2/3' Nazard ·2' Piccolo ·1 3/5' Tierce ·8' Clarinet ·8' Orchestral Oboe ·Tremulant ·Harp ·Celesta · ·Solo: ·8' Gross Gedeckt ·8' Gross Gamba ·8' Gamba Celeste ·4' Orchestral Flute ·8' Tuba Mirabilis ·8' French Horn ·8' Corno di Bassetto ·Tremulant ·Chimes (Gt.) · ·Pedal: ·32' Resultant (Diapason/Bourdon) ·16' Diapason ·16' Bourdon ·16' Violone ·16' Gamba (Ch.) ·16' Echo Bourdon (Sw.) ·10 2/3' Quint (Bourdon) ·8' Octave ·8' Gedeckt ·8' Cello ·8' Still Gedeckt (Sw.) ·4' Flute ·3 1/5' Tierce (Bourdon) ·2 2/7' Septieme (Bourdon) ·32' Bombarde ·16' Trombone ·16' Ophicleide (Gt.) ·16' Posaune (Sw.) ·8' Tromba ·4' Clarion ·Chimes (Gt.)
Should be “eardrum breaking perportions”.
Most folks here are not as concerned about the cosmetic changes in the auditorium as are “purists” who insist that a theater be kept in its original condition.
Once the lights go off, the curten rises and the performance begins, what concerns the audience is “can it be heard without the volume increased to eardrum perportions” and indeed all the way to the very last row of the balcony.
During the time I worked at Powers I saw a number of shows from there and enjoyed every minute of the show.
Powers is accustically a gem of an auditorium riveled only by the Stambaugh Auditorium also in Youngstown, with a unique addition, an accustic shell under the stage that permits a symphony orchestra to be seated there and be heard as if they were on the stage.
The orchestra pit while large cannot hold the whole orchestra, so the floor of the pit is removed expoing the shell which is large enough to hold the larger orchestra and the accustical walls project the sound outward. This unique pit was a part of the original design when the theater was first built.
Glad to see that the place was successfully repurposed. But, while I assume they are needed I must say that the sound material added to the cieling and side walls is rather strange looking. I have studied many photo’s of this theatre from opening day and today and the auditorium has been significantly altered in decorative appearance. Although the changes could be easily removed. But it is still used and loved and NOT a parking lot.
I imagine you have already thought of this, but I recall John Hegfield of the Palace in Hubbard talking about his movie booking agent in Cleveland, so if they still exist in Cleveland with a history back to those days, they may still have old booking files.
It’s a great resource for those who are into the technical side of the industry but as a historian of Youngstown, Ohio, its overload and doesn’t provide the kind of information I need … specific information on local theaters.
For a number of other theaters here at CT there are lists of movies that ran at those theaters along with the year they ran and that is the kind of data I need for the Warner; State; Palace; and Paramount.
As for the Vindicator at Googlenews it’s a hit and miss thing since many of the issues are not there, and others are incomplete making the finding of specific material difficult so I have to spend many hours at the Public Library which does have a complete collection of all the Youngstown newspapers. But without dates that means spending many hours in vane.
The library doesn’t have much information and few pictures of the local theaters, and while the historical society can supply pictures of local theaters, they charge a fee for them and the pictures are copywritten so I cannot afford to use that resource.
If I can get a complete list of th 70mm movies that were shown at the State, hopefully I can also find articles about the State in connection with the Todd-A-O process.
wolfgirl500 Are you familiar with the WideScreen Museum? The site owner is extremely picky about getting facts right, so it’s a very reliable source. http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/
I posted some personal history on the State and Paramount but they disappeared so I’ll try again. Yes, I saw Ben Hur at the State in 70mm as well as the Ten Commandments, but I’m been trying to tease out some information on whether it was true VistaVision or not. My comments on the Belmont, the Palace and Powers are there, however. I got started by posting some photos on the Hubbard Palace Theater. I’m just 67 myself.
Thanks for the kind words Wayne. The history of Youngstown and its institutions is a project that I have devoted many hours, nay week, months and years to, and our theater history is an important part of it.
My Webshots site has over 1000 pictures, and I contribute historical information at mahoningvalley.info to preserve our local history.
The Warner and Palace as well as the Park played key roles in local theatrical history, and by the way, the State did have 70mm Todd-A-O and I recall the long lines waiting to buy tickets.
Today at 72, I guess I have more than my share of nostelga (sp) for Youngstown’s glory days.
No, I am not downgrading it. I am thrilled it was saved. I spent many days there, as Frank Savage’s guest, and I have vivid memories of how it looked. The lobby looks nearly the same, but the ceiling, the furniture and so on, is a bygone glory. I’d just like people to remember the Warner was one of America’s most amazing theaters. There are very few left in their original state.
By the way, you seem to have a wonderful body of resources, and I’m glad you’re keeping all that alive. Well done.
It was removed and the Rosette was installed. The chandelier is currently in storage.
No offense intended but it seems that you are degrading Powers solely in the basis if that one item.
The Warner family who is the best judge of the matter applauded the auditorium officials for their efforts in preserving the auditorium, and by the way there is nothing “new” save the Rosette which was to inhance the sound quality.
As I said before, I worked there for two years, on a daily basis, and I can safely assure you that the greatest care was maintained in bringing it up to what it is today even to the point of bringing in experts in paint matching and plastering where needed including folks from the company that built the building in the first place.
As youth, our vision of a theater isn’t what it is for an adult. I know that my view of the Palace Theater was different than when I was older.
The new interior, although beautiful in its own right, is no match for the opulence it had when I was a teen. I often wonder what happened to that huge crystal chandelier that once hung in the auditorium ceiling.
Six new pictures have been added.