Walton Theatre
39 Gardiner Place,
Walton,
NY
13856
39 Gardiner Place,
Walton,
NY
13856
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 6 comments
Probably no one who did the original posts will see this but opening night in 1914 featured a production of the long running Broadway show, Within The Law, by a traveling company. Over the next 20 to 30 years before movies became the only feature, there many live shows including the cowboy Tex Ritter and his horse, Gene Autry’s sidekick Smiley Burnett and even Teddy Roosevelt (although there is some confusion whether he was actually on the stage of the Opera house that burned down. The theatre is now again featuring live shows, a monthly series of classic films, a monthly coffeehouse as well as first run movies. It continues undergoing all manner of restoration planned by a the not-for-profit, Walton Theatre Preservation Association. Come see us.
The history section of the Walton Theatre’s official web site says that the original village hall, built around 1883, burned in December, 1912, and the present building opened on April 21, 1914. The building was designed by architect William T. Towner. Movies were shown as early as September, 1914, and became regular fare after the house was leased to William Smalley in 1923.
The official web site link is not working. The wt/ has to be removed from the end of it.
Somehow, Lost, I knew you’d be the one person to respond to that last post… and pretty much in the precise manner I imagined! There’s great comfort in that. Thanks! ;–}
I checked a map of upstate NY and found that Monroe, NY, is quite a way from Walton. Then, the town of Roscoe sort of leapt off the map at me. Lo and behold, I found a page for the Roscoe Theatre which I believe to be the site of the “Blues Brothers” screening I mentioned above. No deal to anyone reading this (so why post it) but I have a pathological compulsion to complete open threads!
Ha ha ha ha. Did I just laugh out loud?
Wow. Another blast from my youthful past courtesy of CT! Thanks for the link to the official website, Lost!
My grade school pal Matthew (or rather Matthew’s parents) had a vacation home up on Walton Mountain and I used to go up with his family once or twice a year every summer from around 1976 through 1980. Mostly, I recall going up for the Delaware County Fair (and the Demolition Derby run during the fair), but we did attend at least one movie here at the Walton Theater in the ‘70’s. I remember Matt’s dad dropped the two of us off for a showing of the 1968 live-action Disney flick “Blackbeard’s Ghost” with Peter Ustinov and Dean Jones – must have been Disney’s summer re-release for that year.
I remember the place seemed like a barn to me… a big, boxy, rectangular space with a very high ceiling with a decor that even at the time seemed to me sort of Yankee-rustic. The photos on the official website confirm those memories. The showing we attended was a midday matinee and there were only a handful of other patrons in the building.
I know on at least one other occasion, Matt and I saw another movie while up visting in Walton – and that was to see “The Blues Brothers” in 1980. Matt’s dad was with us for that one, but I don’t think it was here at the Walton Theatre. It was another big and spacious barn of a place in a nearby town (maybe Monroe, NY)?
Anyway… It was fun strolling back to those times! That’s the sort of buzz that I get ONLY from this website!