TO: Patsy: Hold on to that exit sign from the Hipp! I might have changed the lightbulb in it at one time! No question that Cleveland had its share of absolutely great theatres. I’m thankful that I had the chance to see so many of them before they were destroyed. Happy New Year!
TO: cjdv. A great report! Do you suppose that the Siamese Twins, —Violet and Daisy Hilton — were perhaps the great-grandparents of Nicky and Paris Hilton?
TO: Jlove: There were murals at the Stillman and the Park – and maybe at Keith’s 105th. As for sculpture, I can’t really remember. Seems like the Park and Keith’s 105th Street both had some statuary, but I’m getting old and my memory is fading quickly. Wish I could help you further. Cleveland lost a lot of very fine “Cinema Treasures” when they lost the five theatres at Euclid and East 105th. Ditto for the Uptown – at 105th and St Clair. The Granada – West 114th & Detroit — The Knickerbocker – Euclid and E. 90th (or thereabouts) — the Carter – down on East 9th Street, (a “flop-house” in its later days. It was open 24 hours a day, ran junky westerns continuously and charged 35-cents admission. The drunks and bums — today we call them “homeless” — lived and slept in the Carter. It smelled worse than the city dump!) Good luck with your research!
TO: ‘TJ’ — The Park was the newest of the theatres at East 105 & Euclid, and next to the Keith’s 105th, it was the most opulent. When you saw those ads in the late 60s, you should have also noticed one for “Loew’s Park & Granada Theatres.” For years, Loew’s ran the same movies at both theatres — the Granada was located on the West Side, on Detroit Avenue. The two theatres advertised together in the Cleveland newspapers throughout the 1940s and 50s. That policy continued even after Loew’s sold the two houses to Associated Theatres — circa 1959. I’d guess that the Park probably closed sometime during the mid 1960s. I visited Cleveland in 1977, and the Park’s auditorium and stage house were the only thing still standing. The lobby and front part of the theatre had apparently been demolished long before. As to your question concerning the “Scrumpy Dump” – that was located in the old University Theatre – across the street from the Alhambra.
movie guidesThe theatres were far enough apart so that they attracted a completely different audience.
Toby: A minor correction: The theatre opened as the “Windermere” and remained under that name until the early 1940s when the marquee was damaged by a truck, removed, and then replaced with a smaller version and the new name, “Wind-A-Meer.” When the Continental Art Theatre made its debut, I can remember the storm of controversy that erupted in East Cleveland over the scheduling of the Brigitte Bardot movie, “And God Created Woman.”
An interesting sidelight: It’s not widely known around Cleveland, but the Mall was formerly a Loew’s theatre. This was very early on in its existence. A photograph does exist showing the Loew’s Mall sign atop the Euclid Avenue marquee. I’m trying to obtain a copy of this photo right now.
Another quasi-interesting note: During the early to late 1930s, the Mall was managed by Bert H. Todd, who would become an assistant manager to Billy Rose, the famous showman who managed the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Todd returned to Cleveland after the fair, and was manager and part-owner of several area theatres, including the Oriental and Bandbox.
Dave: Way over 4000 seats — for sure! You’re exactly right about the Palace – it was 3600 and then some before they put in Cinerama, and maybe 2800 when they got through.(Those three projection booths and the screen extensions took up a lot of space.) The Hipp was a whole lot bigger – no question about it! All you had to do was look at it to tell that. Somebody once made the comment that “you could put the Palace and the Ohio into the Hipp and still have room left over for a dance hall!” I don’t know about that, but I do know that I’d have hated to be the one paying the heat and air conditioning bill when the Hipp was operational!
The Hippodrome Theatre was truly a magnificent place! When it opened, it was reported to be the largest theatre in Ohio, with the second-largest stage in the United States. Backstage, there were 42 private dressing rooms on 6 floors — served by two elevators. The stage once held a full-size swimming pool. It was so large that live horses were ridden around a “ring” that was similar to what you’d find on a horse farm.
For years, the house attendance record was held by Sophie Tucker, who “packed ‘em in” during a 12-day run back in the twenties. At the time I worked at the Hippodrome, (the late 1950s), a lot of memorabelia like signs, one-sheets and stage props from the vaudeville era were stored in several rooms under the stage area. Today, these items would be worth a fortune. I only hope someone was smart enough to retrieve them before the theatre was demolished.
The original Florida Theatre on Hollywood Blvd in downtown Hollywood, Florida burned to the ground in 1963 or 1964. A theatre of the same name was subsequently built in the Hollywood Mall. I have no information on whether or not that theatre exists today.
The Alhambra was on the north side of Euclid Avenue, just east of E. 105th St. At some time in its early years, the Alhambra was a Loew’s theatre. Reason I know is that when I worked there in the 50s, there was a large metal sign backstage that read as follows:
“Loew’s 105th Street Theatres:
105th & Superior: The Liberty
105th $ St. Clair: The Doan
105th & Euclid: The Alhambra"
Apparently, the Alhambra was the Loew’s theatre at 105 & Euclid before Loew’s Park Theatre was built down the street. In its later years, the Alhambra was operated by Associated Theatres, Inc. — to the best of my memory. By the way: I’m familiar with the other two theatres mentioned on the sign, the Liberty and Doan. The Liberty was still operating in the late 50s, while the Doan was closed in the early fifties.
Dave: I heard that the name “Ezella” came from the family of the Essex brothers. Supposedly, it was either the maiden name or middle name of Essex’s grandmother. (I don’t know if that’s factual or not.) The only other place in the Superior-E. 71st area with the same name was the Ezella Cleaners & Laundry, which was probably established after the theatre opened.
Dwodeyla: Well, I worked at a lot of the theatres on the east side of Cleveland, and a few on the west side. I was an apprentice stagehand for about 3 years, and as such, worked what the local union called “The Extra List” — which meant that I usually was assigned to a different place every night, or at best, every week or so. I did stay at the Ezella for a long time, because none of our journeymen stagehands bid on the job. When that happened, the union gave it to the apprentice with the most seniority — or sometimes to the guy they liked best. I could just about write a book about Cleveland theatres! By the way: The most “haunted” theatres I ever worked were the Park and Keith’s 105th Street, and then the old Hippodrome, downtown. I never saw a ghost in any of them, but strange noises, rustling curtains, and creaking floorboards were always present. There were even some old backstage dressing rooms that seemed colder than normal, for no apparent reason. But I could go on and on, and I’m sure whoever’s running this site would get upset with me. Soon as I figure out how to do it, I’ll add a few lines about the Ezella. I knew that old place from top to bottom!
I’m really happy to see that somebody cares something about the old Cleveland theatres. There were really some great ones. It’s a shame that most of them are now gone, and when old codgers like me are gone, who’ll be left to tell their stories? Anybody out there remember the Doan, the Liberty; the Uptown; the Knickerbocker; the Upper and Lower Mall; the Alhambra; the Stillman; the University; the Granada; the Lyric; the Union Square; and there’s probably 100 more!
Dave: Sounds like the old place really went downhill in the 70s! I worked there from about 1952 until 1955. I started as an usher at age 15. My mother worked in the concession stand, and I dated a girl who was the cashier. H. C. (Cliff)Pegg was the manager. I cleaned and painted that old downstairs men’s room many times, and of course, I used to burn trash in the incinerator in the boiler room. I never saw even so much as a trace of a leak in either the walls or the floor, so the flooding conditions must have started later on. The sidewalk heater was originally steam-heated. But we were told that a truck ran over it at some point early on, and the pipes broke. They replaced the concrete and installed the wires, and I remember that there was a separate box in the electric room that controlled this. We had to make sure that thing was on during snowy or cold weather, and off when it was warm – a pain in the posterior!
Of course I never knew about Rex, the porter. We had a famous and well-known stagehand by the name of Rex Anderson, who was a good friend of mine! I’m sure glad to know it was not he who hanged himself! As for hauntings from the pre-Rex days, I could tell you all sorts of stories about that! Finally, I’ll be happy to furnish info about the Ezella. I worked there as a stagehand – for about two years in the late 50s.
The Mayland Theatre opened in September, 1948, with a gala stage show featuring Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Manager was Art Brown. The theatre was part of the Cleveland-based Modern Theatres, Inc. chain, which also owned the Vine Theatre in Willoughby; the Berea Theatre in Berea; and the Ezella and Madison theatres in Cleveland. Principal owners of the chain were brothers, Jack and Ray Essex and Howard Reif. The Mayland had what was described as “the largest marquee in Ohio,” as well as the only circular lobby in the state. The auditorium held 1600 seats, later reduced to 1550 when a “panoramic screen” was installed, (circa
1953), in preparation for the Cinemascope presentation of “The Robe."
Other unusual characteristics of the theatre included "black (ultra-violet)lighting” on the side walls of the auditorium – said to be
the first such wall lighting used in the U.S. The theatre’s parking
lot was advertised to accomodate up to 1000 cars — a first for the
Cleveland area. The cement sidewalk area in front of the theatre entrance and box office was heated by electrical wires imbedded in the concrete — allowing patrons easy access without slipping on ice or snow during Ohio’s frequently fierce winters.
posted by rogers on September 30, 2004 at 10:30 pm
TO: Patsy: Hold on to that exit sign from the Hipp! I might have changed the lightbulb in it at one time! No question that Cleveland had its share of absolutely great theatres. I’m thankful that I had the chance to see so many of them before they were destroyed. Happy New Year!
TO: cjdv. A great report! Do you suppose that the Siamese Twins, —Violet and Daisy Hilton — were perhaps the great-grandparents of Nicky and Paris Hilton?
TO: Jlove: There were murals at the Stillman and the Park – and maybe at Keith’s 105th. As for sculpture, I can’t really remember. Seems like the Park and Keith’s 105th Street both had some statuary, but I’m getting old and my memory is fading quickly. Wish I could help you further. Cleveland lost a lot of very fine “Cinema Treasures” when they lost the five theatres at Euclid and East 105th. Ditto for the Uptown – at 105th and St Clair. The Granada – West 114th & Detroit — The Knickerbocker – Euclid and E. 90th (or thereabouts) — the Carter – down on East 9th Street, (a “flop-house” in its later days. It was open 24 hours a day, ran junky westerns continuously and charged 35-cents admission. The drunks and bums — today we call them “homeless” — lived and slept in the Carter. It smelled worse than the city dump!) Good luck with your research!
TJ – Forget the last two lines above – they were somehow misplaced in the paragraph. (They should follow the word “newspapers” in the 5th sentence.
TO: ‘TJ’ — The Park was the newest of the theatres at East 105 & Euclid, and next to the Keith’s 105th, it was the most opulent. When you saw those ads in the late 60s, you should have also noticed one for “Loew’s Park & Granada Theatres.” For years, Loew’s ran the same movies at both theatres — the Granada was located on the West Side, on Detroit Avenue. The two theatres advertised together in the Cleveland newspapers throughout the 1940s and 50s. That policy continued even after Loew’s sold the two houses to Associated Theatres — circa 1959. I’d guess that the Park probably closed sometime during the mid 1960s. I visited Cleveland in 1977, and the Park’s auditorium and stage house were the only thing still standing. The lobby and front part of the theatre had apparently been demolished long before. As to your question concerning the “Scrumpy Dump” – that was located in the old University Theatre – across the street from the Alhambra.
movie guidesThe theatres were far enough apart so that they attracted a completely different audience.
Toby: A minor correction: The theatre opened as the “Windermere” and remained under that name until the early 1940s when the marquee was damaged by a truck, removed, and then replaced with a smaller version and the new name, “Wind-A-Meer.” When the Continental Art Theatre made its debut, I can remember the storm of controversy that erupted in East Cleveland over the scheduling of the Brigitte Bardot movie, “And God Created Woman.”
An interesting sidelight: It’s not widely known around Cleveland, but the Mall was formerly a Loew’s theatre. This was very early on in its existence. A photograph does exist showing the Loew’s Mall sign atop the Euclid Avenue marquee. I’m trying to obtain a copy of this photo right now.
Another quasi-interesting note: During the early to late 1930s, the Mall was managed by Bert H. Todd, who would become an assistant manager to Billy Rose, the famous showman who managed the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Todd returned to Cleveland after the fair, and was manager and part-owner of several area theatres, including the Oriental and Bandbox.
Dave: Way over 4000 seats — for sure! You’re exactly right about the Palace – it was 3600 and then some before they put in Cinerama, and maybe 2800 when they got through.(Those three projection booths and the screen extensions took up a lot of space.) The Hipp was a whole lot bigger – no question about it! All you had to do was look at it to tell that. Somebody once made the comment that “you could put the Palace and the Ohio into the Hipp and still have room left over for a dance hall!” I don’t know about that, but I do know that I’d have hated to be the one paying the heat and air conditioning bill when the Hipp was operational!
The Hippodrome Theatre was truly a magnificent place! When it opened, it was reported to be the largest theatre in Ohio, with the second-largest stage in the United States. Backstage, there were 42 private dressing rooms on 6 floors — served by two elevators. The stage once held a full-size swimming pool. It was so large that live horses were ridden around a “ring” that was similar to what you’d find on a horse farm.
For years, the house attendance record was held by Sophie Tucker, who “packed ‘em in” during a 12-day run back in the twenties. At the time I worked at the Hippodrome, (the late 1950s), a lot of memorabelia like signs, one-sheets and stage props from the vaudeville era were stored in several rooms under the stage area. Today, these items would be worth a fortune. I only hope someone was smart enough to retrieve them before the theatre was demolished.
During the 1950s, the Center-Mayfield was owned and managed by Joe Rembrandt, who also owned the Ellet Theatre in Akron.
The original Florida Theatre on Hollywood Blvd in downtown Hollywood, Florida burned to the ground in 1963 or 1964. A theatre of the same name was subsequently built in the Hollywood Mall. I have no information on whether or not that theatre exists today.
The Alhambra was on the north side of Euclid Avenue, just east of E. 105th St. At some time in its early years, the Alhambra was a Loew’s theatre. Reason I know is that when I worked there in the 50s, there was a large metal sign backstage that read as follows:
“Loew’s 105th Street Theatres:
105th & Superior: The Liberty
105th $ St. Clair: The Doan
105th & Euclid: The Alhambra"
Apparently, the Alhambra was the Loew’s theatre at 105 & Euclid before Loew’s Park Theatre was built down the street. In its later years, the Alhambra was operated by Associated Theatres, Inc. — to the best of my memory. By the way: I’m familiar with the other two theatres mentioned on the sign, the Liberty and Doan. The Liberty was still operating in the late 50s, while the Doan was closed in the early fifties.
Dave: I heard that the name “Ezella” came from the family of the Essex brothers. Supposedly, it was either the maiden name or middle name of Essex’s grandmother. (I don’t know if that’s factual or not.) The only other place in the Superior-E. 71st area with the same name was the Ezella Cleaners & Laundry, which was probably established after the theatre opened.
Dwodeyla: Well, I worked at a lot of the theatres on the east side of Cleveland, and a few on the west side. I was an apprentice stagehand for about 3 years, and as such, worked what the local union called “The Extra List” — which meant that I usually was assigned to a different place every night, or at best, every week or so. I did stay at the Ezella for a long time, because none of our journeymen stagehands bid on the job. When that happened, the union gave it to the apprentice with the most seniority — or sometimes to the guy they liked best. I could just about write a book about Cleveland theatres! By the way: The most “haunted” theatres I ever worked were the Park and Keith’s 105th Street, and then the old Hippodrome, downtown. I never saw a ghost in any of them, but strange noises, rustling curtains, and creaking floorboards were always present. There were even some old backstage dressing rooms that seemed colder than normal, for no apparent reason. But I could go on and on, and I’m sure whoever’s running this site would get upset with me. Soon as I figure out how to do it, I’ll add a few lines about the Ezella. I knew that old place from top to bottom!
I’m really happy to see that somebody cares something about the old Cleveland theatres. There were really some great ones. It’s a shame that most of them are now gone, and when old codgers like me are gone, who’ll be left to tell their stories? Anybody out there remember the Doan, the Liberty; the Uptown; the Knickerbocker; the Upper and Lower Mall; the Alhambra; the Stillman; the University; the Granada; the Lyric; the Union Square; and there’s probably 100 more!
Dave: Sounds like the old place really went downhill in the 70s! I worked there from about 1952 until 1955. I started as an usher at age 15. My mother worked in the concession stand, and I dated a girl who was the cashier. H. C. (Cliff)Pegg was the manager. I cleaned and painted that old downstairs men’s room many times, and of course, I used to burn trash in the incinerator in the boiler room. I never saw even so much as a trace of a leak in either the walls or the floor, so the flooding conditions must have started later on. The sidewalk heater was originally steam-heated. But we were told that a truck ran over it at some point early on, and the pipes broke. They replaced the concrete and installed the wires, and I remember that there was a separate box in the electric room that controlled this. We had to make sure that thing was on during snowy or cold weather, and off when it was warm – a pain in the posterior!
Of course I never knew about Rex, the porter. We had a famous and well-known stagehand by the name of Rex Anderson, who was a good friend of mine! I’m sure glad to know it was not he who hanged himself! As for hauntings from the pre-Rex days, I could tell you all sorts of stories about that! Finally, I’ll be happy to furnish info about the Ezella. I worked there as a stagehand – for about two years in the late 50s.
The Mayland Theatre opened in September, 1948, with a gala stage show featuring Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Manager was Art Brown. The theatre was part of the Cleveland-based Modern Theatres, Inc. chain, which also owned the Vine Theatre in Willoughby; the Berea Theatre in Berea; and the Ezella and Madison theatres in Cleveland. Principal owners of the chain were brothers, Jack and Ray Essex and Howard Reif. The Mayland had what was described as “the largest marquee in Ohio,” as well as the only circular lobby in the state. The auditorium held 1600 seats, later reduced to 1550 when a “panoramic screen” was installed, (circa
1953), in preparation for the Cinemascope presentation of “The Robe."
Other unusual characteristics of the theatre included "black (ultra-violet)lighting” on the side walls of the auditorium – said to be
the first such wall lighting used in the U.S. The theatre’s parking
lot was advertised to accomodate up to 1000 cars — a first for the
Cleveland area. The cement sidewalk area in front of the theatre entrance and box office was heated by electrical wires imbedded in the concrete — allowing patrons easy access without slipping on ice or snow during Ohio’s frequently fierce winters.
posted by rogers on September 30, 2004 at 10:30 pm