Ritz Theatre
108 W. George Street,
Arcanum,
OH
45304
108 W. George Street,
Arcanum,
OH
45304
No one has favorited this theater yet
The 1914 Sanborn shows ‘Moving Pictures’ in the eastern storefront of the Masonic Lodge, a three story commercial block constructed sometime before 1895. The space was shown as vacant on the 1907 map. The 125-seat Dreamland Theatre was opened by March 1908. It was operated by Harry Chancellor, offering 4 to 7 shows a day. Still listed as the Dreamland Theatre with 150-seats in 1927, by May 1927 it had been renamed Ritz Theatre
The building is very oddly angled to be much wider at the front due to the tracks of the Dayton & Union (later Baltimore & Ohio) which used to run just to the west. The eastern storefront was smaller, and was a regular rectangle.
The theatre remained in operation through the 1951 map, operating with 149-seats. At some point it seems to have expanded onto the second floor. The Ritz Theatre was closed in July 1953.
The building today seems to be in pretty good shape, and is used as part of a large antique store.
Contributed by
Seth Gaines
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
The May 9, 1908 issue of Moving Picture World printed a letter from Mr. H. Chancellor of Arcanum, Ohio, renewing his subscription to the magazine. Given the standard one year term of magazine subscriptions, Mr. Chancellor must have been one of MPW’s earliest subscribers, as it was first published in March, 1907. The 1913-1914 Cahn Guide and 1914-1915 edition of the Gus Hill National Theatrical Directory both list H. Chancellor as the manager of the Arcanum Opera House.
Harry Chancellor and his brother William, a professional photographer, were partners in the Dreamland Theatre, which they opened in 1907 according to the article on this web page, which includes an early photo of the house. After a brief closure for remodeling, the house operated as the Ritz Theatre from May, 1927 though July, 1953, when it closed. William Chancellor had died in March, 1953, but Harry remained the theater’s manager until its closing. He died in 1965.