RKO Family Theater
526 Vine Street,
Cincinnati,
OH
45202
526 Vine Street,
Cincinnati,
OH
45202
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1925 postcard by the Kraemer Art Company added. Courtesy Paul F. Bien Postcard Collection, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Cincinnati, Ohio. Family Theatre marquee left of center.
The Gazley Building had a long history in downtown Cincinnati. The Florentine Hotel once was housed there opening January 1, 1878 and adjoining the Woods Theatre. Its early roots of housing entertainment can also be traced to the Heck & Avery Dime Museum serving as early roots of entertainment way back in 1886. Within ten years, the venue became the Heck & Avery Dime Museum and Fmaily Theatre.
On June 18, 1910, plans to install the Family Theater were unveiled giving the facility a new steel interior. RKO dropped the theatre in 1948. It became a grind house called the Western Theatre on November 25, 1948 playing continuous double and triple features of westerns. It launched with “Hands Across the Border” and “Newshound.”
On January 5, 1953, the Western Theater became the New Lyric Theatre – an homage to the nearby and long-running Lyric Theatre that was being bulldozed the same month. The fun ended on November 25, 1953, the New Lyric shut down. In October of 1957 the building was torn down.
Current site of former Family Theater is a mexican restaurant with the alley to the left. This alley would have been the same one which seperated the Family Th. from the hotel next door.
Various 1910 issues of The American Contractor had news about this theater, which was an existing music hall that was being remodeled and expanded. Some of the items mention J. B. Harris of Pittsburgh and Daniel Butler of Cincinnati being involved in the Family Theater & Amusement Company. Architects for the $25,000 project were Kennedy & Adkins.