Telenews Theatre

The address of the Telenews Theatre was 525 E. Main Street.

This PDF from rjbuffalo.com gives the theater at 525 Main Street, Buffalo, a whole string of aka’s. It opened as the Vendome Theatre in 1909. On February 4, 1912, it became the Happy Hour Theatre, and retained that name until ca.1931, when it was renamed the Embassy Theatre. On April 17, 1942, it became the Telenews Theatre, but was renamed the Vogue Theatre in May, 1946. Two years later it returned to the name Telenews, but was renamed the Guild Theatre by 1950.

The document notes that the Vendome was apparently a conversion of an existing building and the theater was designed by architect F.A. Baynes; that it extended through the block to Washington Street; and that at the time the document was written it housed a Chinese restaurant, which is apparently still there. Google Street View shows the Washington Street end of the building, as Main Street has been converted into a transit mall and the camera car didn’t travel along this block of it.

The document also carries a cryptic note saying “Not to be confused with the Empire at 261 Main, the Empire at 1514 Main, or the Empire at 164–170 Pearl.” This is odd, as Empire Theatre is not listed among the aka’s for the house.

Bing’s map quirk is especially odd considering that Main Street runs north and south, not east and west. But I’ve found that it works with any directional indicator- N., S., E., or W. Only the plain Main Street goes to the wrong location.

Embassy grand opening ad was also posted.