Paramount Theatre Centre and Ballroom
1124 Meridian Plaza,
Anderson,
IN
46016
1124 Meridian Plaza,
Anderson,
IN
46016
13 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 30 comments
articles:
Night photo of marquee 8/19/79, 50th Anniversary Show, Dr. John Landon at the Page organ, The Marx Brothers in Coconuts on screen.
In case you didn’t know, the vertical Paramount sign that was recently placed back on the building is the original sign! It sat in a barn disassembled for decades and nobody knew until the man in possession of it(whom I believe was in his 90’s) told someone that he had it! It was restored and placed back in its original spot. So cool!
Nice photo Don L.
From 1957 a view of the Paramount and Times Theatres in Anderson.
Here is a July 1955 ad from the Anderson Daily Bulletin:
http://tinyurl.com/y8hbz9l
Glad to see they’ve added back the vertical “Paramount” sign.
A 1996 view of the Paramount Theater in Anderson here and here.
Recent photos of this theatre are HERE
The correct website for this theater is http://www.andersonparamount.org/
I saw Seven Brides for Seven Brothers here maybe about 10 years ago. Enjoyed the experience, but the similar atmosphere-style Louisville Palace about 150 miles south is a much better theater.
The Paramount Theatre opened on August 20th. 1929.
Photos:
http://www.agilitynut.com/05/10/inpara1.jpg
http://www.agilitynut.com/05/10/inpara2.jpg
Link:
View link
Sounds like the name Eberson and Frank Lloyd Wright are in the same category of architectural/historical importance! I’m a follower of both of these great visionaries. Would also include E.B. Green and Stickley of the arts and craft movement, too.
John Eberson had more than one legal locus of operation throughout his career, but he was no doubt not always registered in every state in which a developer wanted his work. One way around this legal hindrance, is to contract with a local architect, who is called the ‘Architect of Record’, who is legally responsible for what is submitted as plans to local authorities, and for what is actually built. With a man as renowned as Eberson, there was no hesitation by a local man to sign on as the local representative of the ‘great man’ since it was also lucrative to the local architect to enter into such an alliance. It oftentimes led to that man becoming a junior partner in Eberson’s firm, or so the man hoped. Building a movie palace was a HUGE enterprise demanding many talents and lots of money, so it was not difficult to imagine developers searching about for an architect/designer who had a proven track record of successful designs. By the mid ‘Twenties, there were hundreds of architects who had eagerly thrust their hand into such designs, but not all covered themselves with glory, as Ben Hall recalls in his landmark book THE BEST REMAINING SEATS.
Jim;
Thanks for your definition on style, I understand all that. What I was querying was the naming of A.M. Strauss as the architect of the Paramount, Anderson and not John Eberson, when it states on the headers here and on the website of Conrad Schmitt that Eberson was the architect.
I notice that in David Naylor’s book ‘Great American Movie Theaters’ the Embassy (Emboyd) Theatre, Fort Wayne, IN is credited to be the work of A.M.Strauss with John Eberson. So the two have worked together before, in this instance 1928 a year before the Paramount, Anderson,IN.
Apparently, “Eberson syle” is someone’s reference to what became known as the ‘Atmospheric’ TYPE (a ‘STYLE’ is an historic reference, as opposed to one of the two TYPES: ‘Standard’ {sometimes called Hard Top in slang}; and ‘Atmospheric’ which is the ‘stars-and-clouds’ look). The writer of that blurb in the Newsletter was the late Andrew Corsini (John Fowler) who was very aware of the two different Types, so he was here being a little Puckish in using Eberson’s name to denote the Type of theatre in question. This practice is common today where one often reads of someone selling a new light fixture in the “Tiffany style” when in fact it was produced decades after Mr. Tiffany’s death, and invariably it is only stained glass, and not at all the refined technique and panache of the great artist.
According to notes in the THS Newsletter issued as as a supplement to Marquee Vol 11 # 2 (The Theatre Historical Society of America quarterly magazine), ‘the Paramount Theatre, Anderson IN was done in the “Eberson” style – but the architect was A.M. Strauss of Ft. Wayne, IN.’ HHhhhuuuummmm!!!!?????
I was in this Theatre less than a month ago, and the interior will just blow you away. The way this theatre was restored is just astounding. Everywhere you look there is a new experience. The walls have villages on them, that look like a take off of the palace of Versailles and the atmospheric effects on the ceiling will really give you an experience. The lower Lobby is exceedingly sensational and the upper lobby near the balcony is just the same. This theatre is really decked out with historic chairs, and old fixtures, and wall sconces. It really gives you the feeling of being an a Palace.
Ashley Paradiso
Brian: THANKS! A Conrad Schmitt re-creation!
Some interior photos and restoration information are available at View link
Jim: Just read your post concerning the art deco exterior and the spanish interior decor as I just couldn’t picture in my mind’s eye a theatre having an art deco/atmospheric interior!
Haven’t seen too many theatres on this site with both an art deco/atmospheric description so will have to try and visit Anderson IN and see this combined artistic style!
In the early 70’s I was City Manager for Cinecom Theatres in Anderson,and managed the Paramount,in addition to supervising the State Theatre,North and South Drive Ins and the Mounds Mall Cinema.
I enjoyed my time there very much.
Kurt J. Noack
Even the most casual perusal of the photos on this theatre’s web site will show one that it is definitely NOT art deco; it is clearly Spanish in decor. Perhaps the outdoor facade is art deco, but nothing of the original interior is! At least here they used their heads and concealed the latter day lights truss in the auditorium within a lattice arbor, and did not simply puncture the dome, and hang something, as they did in the case of the ‘restored’ Hippodrome in Baltimore!