Home Theatre

dallasmovietheaters on July 18, 2024 at 4:33 pm

Judson and Avers opened the Home a Theatre on June 22, 1911 with “The Country Lovers,“ “A Good Turn” and “An Imitator of Blondin”. The theatre closed for a major refresh in 1950. It relaunched as the New Home Theatre on April 13, 1950 with;”Battleground.” It reverted to Home Theatre closing in 1960.

Joe Vogel on November 21, 2022 at 8:44 pm

The Home Theatre was one of three houses listed at Portage in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory, the other two being the Crystal Theatre on DeWitt Street and the Empire Theatre, no location given. By 1916 Portage had houses called the Gem and the Majestic, though the latter was slated to close that year.

AndrewBarrett on September 25, 2014 at 11:49 pm

According to “The Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ” by David Junchen, pg. 631, the “Home Theatre” in Portage, Wisconsin, had a two-manual Smith theatre pipe organ installed at some point.

Other than the state, town, and theatre name, and # of manuals, no other details are given in the book.

However, given what I know so far about the Smith firm in its various permutations:

If this organ was installed through about 1916, it was likely a Smith organ made in upstate New York.

If it was installed between about 1917 and early 1921, it was likely Seeburg-Smith organ made in Chicago in the Seeburg factory under Smith’s supervision.

If it was installed between late 1921 and early 1924, it was likely a Smith organ made in Chicago in Smith’s own factory.

Finally, if the organ was installed between late 1924, and the end of the 1920s (c. 1927) it was likely a Leathurby-Smith organ made in Alameda, California. However, the latter is quite unlikely, since I’m not aware of any Leathurby-Smith organs sold outside of the West Coast states (California, Oregon, and Washington).

If anybody knows any more info about this organ, or the theatre itself, that would be great!