Eastern Theatre
1624 E. Main Street,
Columbus,
OH
43205
1624 E. Main Street,
Columbus,
OH
43205
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: J. Real Neth Theaters Co.
Architects: Charles Howard Crane
Styles: Spanish Renaissance
Previous Names: Neth's Eastern Theatre
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A neighborhood second-run theatre located on the near East side of Columbus, Ohio. According to Phil Sheridan, the original Eastern Theatre was owned by Carl Ludwig’s Eastern Amusement Company. It opened on February 14, 1915, with a seating capacity of 523. Ten years later, on January 20, 1924, William M. “Billy” James purchased the Eastern Theatre. After two years, the Eastern Theatre was closed on June 1, 1926 and the building was razed.
The new Eastern Theatre was opened at 2 p.m., Christmas Day, 1926, with Buster Keaton in “Battling Butler”. The new building had a Spanish motif and seating capacity of 1,500.
By the early-1930’s, J. Real Neth took over ownership of the Eastern Theatre. It closed in 1965. It was converted into a disco called Ball of Confusion in the 1980’s and eventually was demolished. Sources: Phil Sheridan’s “My Kind of Town” column in the May 1996–Senior Times, p. 13" and The Columbus Dispatch.
Contributed by
Dow Ellis
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
According to the TheatreOrgans.com Searchable Opus List Database,
the Eastern Theatre had a two manual, 12 rank Moller organ, opus 2942, installed in 1920 at the cost of $6100.00. Actually, this was a rebuild of an existing “Winder” (sic as per website) organ. I don’t know what happened to this instrument.
Maybe someone else on here does?
Architected by C. Howard Crane for the James Amusement Circuit.
Too bad this couldn’t have been saved somehow. C. Howard Crane was a noted theater architect. (Assuming there can’t be two of them). Wish there were pictures of the auditorium.
Was there a balcony? Does anyone know?
I saw a couple of movies there. There was no balcony. The only balcony I know of in neighborhood theatres in Columbus was one of the incarnations of the Linden.