Art Theatre
288 E. Cuyahoga Falls Avenue,
Akron,
OH
288 E. Cuyahoga Falls Avenue,
Akron,
OH
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March 20th, 1958 grand opening ad in photo section.
The Art theater was origialy a second run movie house called the Dayton so named because it was at the corner of Cuyahoga Falls Ave and Dayton Ave.This theater probably dates from the twenties being in a “rubber boom town” comercial block of that era between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls.There was some ownership connection with the Royal theater on Johnson St since they ran a duel ad in the newspaper.
The Art theater showed foreign and independent films throughout the 50’s and 60’s. then in the mid-1970’s like the “old Allen” (Astor) downtown, it began showing porn films. It’s former status as an Art theater made it the more legit choice of couples — even a trendy place to take a spouse. But porn is porn, and the clientelle soon dwindled to the typical porn house crowd of older gents and giggling tipsy college kids. It never lost its attractive, beautifully upholstered and carpeted lustre, so many preferred it to the older and less reputable Astor downtown.