Wisconsin Cinemas I & II
530 W. Wisconsin Avenue,
Milwaukee,
WI
53201
530 W. Wisconsin Avenue,
Milwaukee,
WI
53201
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BEAUTIFUL WISCONSIN THEATRE OPENS MAR. 28 The Wisconsin theatre, largest and most beautiful showhouse in the Northwest, will open in Milwaukee, March 28th. This massive structure, Saxe’s $2,000,000 picture palace, houses not only the theatre proper, with its 3,500 seats, but also the largest ball room in the United States in roof garden on top, and recreation parlors containing billiard and pool tables and bowling alleys in the sub-levels. The building contains every improvement known to modern theatre-craft which can add to the pleasure, comfort and safety of the public.
The theatre will be primarily devoted to motion pictures. However, a large part of each program will be given to stage presentations and musical offerings by the organists and symphony concert orchestra. A feature of the theatre is the $50,000 organ, which when played by two organists at the same time rise from three floors below into full view of the auditors, and later sink from sight. The symphony concert or chestra is the largest in the North west. Each of the 3,500 seats affords an uninterrupted view of the stage.
They are most comfortably designed, con taining specially constructed up holstery and double springs in seat and back. Patrons will breathe pure air at proper temperatures. A re cently designed ventilating system will wash the air, heating or cooling it at the same time, as need be. The cooling system, alone, was installed at a cost of more than $65,000. The plan of decoration throughout the house is artistic and elaborate.
Rare oil paintings, marble pillars and rich drapes lend an atmosphere of grandeur to the lobby. Patrons may keep appointments with friends on the handsomely appointed mezzanine promenade which surrounds the lobby. An orchestra on the mezzanine will play softly for those resting there. The lighting system of the theatre is a triumph of electrical artistry. Light colors will be blended, increasing or decreasing automatically to synchronize with the theme of the production.
The 75-foot electric sign in front of the building is admitted by sign makers to be the largest theatrical sign in the United States, each letter being larger than an ordinary man. The name “Wisconsin” will flash on Grand avenue with a blaze of light which can be seen for more than twenty miles. The ladies' lounging rooms luxuriously furnished, contain many innovations. Maids will direct patrons past full length mirrors to chiffoniers containing every known cosmetic, where they may “see that their powder is on straight.” Three floors beneath the building is the “Laboratory theatre,” a diminutive theatre, not open to the public, where directors and executives will rehearse coming attractions while thousands are enjoying productions in the main theatre above. The stage is of such unusual proportions that the largest spectacle can be presented.
Within 24 hours it can be converted for grand opera or any desired attraction. No possible stage requirement has been overlooked, even to the steel animal rooms, which will house wild beasts during jungle productions. The theatre and roof garden are operated by the Saxe Operating corporation of Milwaukee, the largest operators of theatres in Wisconsin. This corporation conducts eight Milwaukee theatres and fourteen theatres in other Wisconsin towns. The purchasing power of these twenty-two theatres assures patrons of the best productions at the lowest possible rates. (The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, 3/14/1924)
Became Cinema 1 & 2 on December 20th and 25th, 1963. Grand opening ad posted.
Photos of the Esquire, Strand & Wisconsin Theatres in below 2/11/16 link.
http://onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/9downtown70spics.html
I am interested in pictures of the gargoyles that were in the ceiling of the lobby and also the gargoyles that were on both sides of the original stage that was covered up in 1963 if someone could help me find more information and pictures of this theater
A Golden Toned Barton Theater Pipe Organ, 3/17, manual/ranks, keyboards/set of pipes, it had TWO CONSOLES, was shipped from the Barton organ factory in 1924. It seems the organ was removed around 1963? What happened to the organ?
I saw Astro-Zombies at this theater. It was part of a horror triple feature upstairs and played with House of Whipcord or some such title. The next day I returned and saw the three kung fu movies playing downstairs. Dennis
When I opened this page and seen that “Move Over Darling” was on the marque, I almost fell off my chair. I seen it their on a very cold December day.
Thanks for the ads,always great to look at all of them.
March 28th, 1924 ad is at View link
pre grand opening ad for the Cinema 1 & 2 is on the top of the page at View link
Here is a photo circa 1944:
http://tinyurl.com/o7eyjb
I couldn’t identify the partially obscured theater on the left.
Should be 1957, not 1958, as that is the year the Braves won the World Series.
Here is a 1958 photo from Life Magazine that shows a few theaters, including the Wisconsin:
http://tinyurl.com/5ho7ms
Thanks for taking the time to type all of that out Jim. It is an interesting story, from a number of different standpoints.
Well, ‘Life,’ there are no 8x10 glossies as far as I have ever found out. The library of the county historical society has a copy of the Inaugural programme which has 1-inch square photos bordering the text, and there is a full page magazine photo in sepia showing just the left auditorium wall, but this is all I know of. That low resolution magazine photo has no date or identity on it since it was clipped and glued to pasteboard as part of the photos vertical file in originally childrens' dept. I brought the singular image to the attention of a senior librarian before the day when they liquidated the collection, and she said it would be transferred to the Local History Collection. Even in Larry Widen’s new book about Milw. theatre history, “Silver Screens,” he represents the WISCONSIN by means of an opening ad’s artwork from an unidentified source. Without good photos it, it is hard to judge just how accurate the artist’s rendition was. Likely good photos were taken for Rapp & Rapp, but as chance would have it, little appears to survive —that we have yet discovered that I know of.
I wish I had seen the WISCONSIN before it was split, but what I saw was a terrible hack job that only suggested the glamour that may have been. I try not to think of what I saw after 1963 when I started taking my own bus trips downtown from my parents' home 10 miles south in theatreless Greenfield. By the time I got there in my teen years, the chandeliers, draperies, and much plaster was gone. The era of aluminum and plate glass had taken over! The mezzanine was draped over, but I managed to creep into its very dusty seats that hadn’t been used in years; it was depressing. When demolition finally came, I actually felt better for it since the ignominy of slow decay left by United Artists was over. I took a last tour before the wrecking ball swung, and recall going back stage and finding a little room above the stage entrance where hanks of rope still hung on hooks, recalling its lively stage days so many years ago. I took one each of the three stained glass indicator lights from the switchboard (white, red and blue) and later donated them to the museum of the Theatre Historical Society ( www.historictheatres.org ) and am glad I did, since that long switchboard joined the rubble that was carted away. A tiny memory of R&R’s local ‘flagship’ house, but at least there is one.
Really Jim? Not even the THS archives have photos of this place? That is pretty wild, considering most major Rapp & Rapp houses were reasonably well-photographed.
Did you ever visit the Wisconsin, and what was your most respected opinion of what you saw?
There is a photo on this page, but it doesn’t show much of the theater:
http://bigscreen.execpc.com/history/widen.php
Hal is probably right that “not too many gave a hoot” since, as with the situation with the Warner/Centre/Grand, there were and are too few people still around who recall these theatres in their pre-splitting prime. That is 1963 for the WISCONSIN and ten years later for the Warner/Grand. While there are some excellent photos of the Warner at opening, the only good ones are of the Wisconsin’s Lobby; no good photos of the auditorium have been found.
I suspect that this was one of the first ‘piggy-back" conversions, (this fate came to the Centre/Grand as well) The downstairs house played some heavy hitters early on, many in 70mm, the upstairs house was always kind of a dumpy affair, and UA ran both so you know what that meant as far as upkeep! At the end, the booths were automated with platters and the 70mm equipment was removed from the downstairs house, which really didn’t matter because by that time all the downtown Milwaukee film houses were on their way into the crapper. This one was running X-rated upstairs and B& C grade stuff downstairs, the twinning pretty much runied whatever was left of the original theatre. I don’t think too many people gave a hoot when this one was finally put out of it’s misery.
The opening movie on 28th March 1924 was “Why Men Leave Home” starring Lewis Stone. The Wisconsin Theatre was equipped with a Barton 3Manual/17Rank theatre pipe organ that had 2 consoles.
During the early 50s the Wisconsin had occasional legit road shows appearing at the theater for six days. Its three big attractions were South Pacific, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Call Me Madam.
Please let me know if you learn anything more about this theatre. Thank You. Jim Rankin =
I attended several films here in 1967-68 while in school. Notable among them was the opening night of 2001: A Space Oddyssey. The line stretched a good block long.
Also saw Dr. Zhivago (shown on a conventional screen).
I was able to visit the Cinema 1 projection booth which was accessed through the mezzanine. I believe that the seats had been removed, but many were still around.