Cameo Theatre

1060 Mount Vernon Avenue,
Columbus, OH 43203

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rivest266
rivest266 on November 10, 2021 at 10:31 am

The Vernon theater was opened by J. W. & W. J. Dusenbury on April 11th, 1914. Grand opening ad posted.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on July 16, 2014 at 3:49 pm

The Vernon Theatre was originally a project of the Dusenbury brothers. This item is from the February 7, 1914, issue of Motography:

“J. W. Dusenbury has taken out a building permit for the erection of a moving picture theater on Mount Vernon avenue, near Twentieth street, Columbus, to cost $30,000.”
A follow-up item appeared in the May 2 issue of the same publication:
“The new picture theater built by the Messrs. Dusenbury in Mt. Vernon avenue, Columbus, is now nearing completion and will be opened to the public shortly. It will be called the Vernon. Its capacity is 1,000.”
An early report on the project appeared in the September 13, 1913, issue of The American Contractor:
“Moving Picture Theater: 2 sty. & bas. $15,000. Mt. Vernon av., nr. 20th st. Archts. Dawson & Holbrook, Outlook bldg. Owner J. W. Dusenbury, care Southern Theater. Architects are receiving figures on foundation. Brick, terra cotta, tile lobby, composition roof, galv. iron cornice, pine finish & floors, struct. & archt. iron.”
Dawson & Holbrook also designed the downtown Columbus house that was long known as the Knickerbocker Theatre, and might have planned the conversion of the old Grand Opera House on State Street into a movie theater around 1914.

Mark_L
Mark_L on July 13, 2011 at 2:33 pm

The CAMEO closed on 9/26/1962, with its final features being ATLANTIS LOST CONTINENT & SADDLE THE WIND.

Again, I can find NO proof that this theatre was ever called the COMET. I’ve checked newspaper listings from 1946 to 1962, and this theatre was always called the CAMEO. Does anyone have any evidence of the name COMET?

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on February 16, 2010 at 7:55 pm

When did it close and why?

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on February 16, 2010 at 7:41 pm

1955 must have been the year the name was changed. Boxoffice of March 19 that year said that CinemaScope had been installed at the Cameo in Columbus, making it the last theater in the J. Real Neth circuit to be modernized.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on February 16, 2010 at 7:33 pm

Here is a photo of the interior of the Vernon Theatre from the magazine Popular Mechanics, June, 1926.

Mark_L
Mark_L on January 11, 2010 at 6:23 am

I have an address for the CAMEO theatre as 1060 Mt. Vernon Avenue. The 1949 picture noted above looks to be facing east at approximately the corner of Mt. Vernon and 20th Street.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on January 10, 2010 at 9:34 pm

Here is a view of Mt. Vernon Avenue, circa 1949:
http://tinyurl.com/yk56s46

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on November 8, 2009 at 7:20 pm

if the Pythian Theatre ever showed movies, can you enter it into CinemaTreasures?

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on November 5, 2009 at 5:01 pm

Thanks for the info.

Mark_L
Mark_L on November 5, 2009 at 3:27 pm

This was in the predominantly African-American neighborhood of Mt. Vernon Avenue. It was located just east of the Pythian Theatre, now the King Arts Complex, and north-east of the newly restored Lincoln Theatre. The theatre address is now part of a large housing/retail development known as Mt. Vernon Plaza.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on November 5, 2009 at 2:36 pm

Any info please,cool name.