Other articles describe the technical achievements of the Covent Garden. The balcony was noted as requiring no sight-obstructing pillars, making it one of the earlier cantilevered balconies. The capacity was 2,684, making it one of the earliest huge theaters outside the Loop. The stage was designed to hydraulically “split and raise like a jack-knife bridge revealing a broad and deep pool for the water acts. The mechanics of this arrangement, said to be more complete than that of the New York Hippodrome, was the cause of the delayed opening.” The screen drop was painted to imitate a gigantic lady’s handkerchief.
“The stage is of proportions adequate for circus performances, winter carnivals and the largest of grand opera and musical comedy spectacles. A huge water stage, patterned on the lines of the one installed at the New York Hippodrome, is included in the stage equipment for spectacular water effects. A Wurlitzer Hope-Jones orchestral organ, installed at a cost of nearly $75,000, and said to be the largest of its kind in the world with more than 2000 pipes and attachments, will be used exclusively for the interpretation of scores for the musical plays as well as for solo purposes.”
However, the programming was a bust and within two months, after experimenting with combined revues and vaudeville, it was leased to Lubliner & Trinz, becoming the largest film theater in the city despite its tiny, high-perched projection booth.
Here is a nice article with pictures on the Villard
The silver balls are now missing.
Compare to the photo at http://www.fineartsbuilding.com/theaters.html. The proscenium must have been moved out and widened at some point.
Name should be changed to Studebaker, status to Open
First opened as the Crown in April 1917. Remodeled as Palace in 1926.
Other articles describe the technical achievements of the Covent Garden. The balcony was noted as requiring no sight-obstructing pillars, making it one of the earlier cantilevered balconies. The capacity was 2,684, making it one of the earliest huge theaters outside the Loop. The stage was designed to hydraulically “split and raise like a jack-knife bridge revealing a broad and deep pool for the water acts. The mechanics of this arrangement, said to be more complete than that of the New York Hippodrome, was the cause of the delayed opening.” The screen drop was painted to imitate a gigantic lady’s handkerchief.
“The stage is of proportions adequate for circus performances, winter carnivals and the largest of grand opera and musical comedy spectacles. A huge water stage, patterned on the lines of the one installed at the New York Hippodrome, is included in the stage equipment for spectacular water effects. A Wurlitzer Hope-Jones orchestral organ, installed at a cost of nearly $75,000, and said to be the largest of its kind in the world with more than 2000 pipes and attachments, will be used exclusively for the interpretation of scores for the musical plays as well as for solo purposes.”
However, the programming was a bust and within two months, after experimenting with combined revues and vaudeville, it was leased to Lubliner & Trinz, becoming the largest film theater in the city despite its tiny, high-perched projection booth.
Here is another. Gives architect as Horatio Wilson, who also designed the Harper Theater.
Here is a 1917 review of the theatre
Here is a 1917 review of the theatre
Here is a 1917 review of the theatre
Here is a 1917 review of the theatre. The reviewer judged the 25' screen to be too big.
Here is a nice opening day photo.
Here is a nice view of the front.
The parapet restoration looks well-done.
It’s a hassle to write in the link HTML for everything when it can be copy-pasted just the same.
Try clicking this again. I have no idea why this isn’t working for you, but it’s an April 1918 issue, page 734
Just copy and pasted it in three different browsers and it worked fine.
Architect was Henry L. Newhouse.
http://archive.org/stream/movwor37chal#page/n427/mode/2up
http://archive.org/stream/motography17elec#page/503/mode/1up/search/newhouse
http://archive.org/stream/movpict33chal#page/n855/mode/1up/search/newhouse
Architect was Henry L. Newhouse. http://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew121unse#page/n1486/mode/1up/search/newhouse
Incredibly, in 1917 the Studebaker was closed only 5 weeks for renovations. http://archive.org/stream/exhibitorstra00newy#page/710/mode/1up
During planning and construction, the Senate was originally to be called the Panacea. Weird name!
http://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew18moti_7#page/3586/mode/2up