The seating capacity of the Auburn Theatre when it first opened in 1938 was 1,802 seats. It was one of the last designs carried out by John Eberson.
It closed as a movie theatre in 1978 and was a nightclub for several years until the elcrical system was blown out during a concert. A video store was opened in the foyer in 1986 and the auditorium was sealed off and abandoned. The video store closed in 1992. Fundraising and community suppost paid for a new roof in 1998. Any further news?
The architect of the Paramount Theater was Ernest Carlson. After closing as a full time movie house in the 1960’s it was used for mixed use concerts & movies. In 1973 the name was changed to the Julia Sanderson Theatre, after a once well known Broadway actress and Springfield resident. Live shows were presented but in 1980 it was converted into a repertory movie house.
The original Wurlitzer 3/11 Opus 2011, Style 230 theatre organ is still in situ as are most of the original light fitings and painted murals.
The architect of the Coolidge Corner Theatre was Ernest Haywood. It was not built in 1933 (as stated in the opening introduction notes above), but was converted in that year from a former Beacon Universalist Church (a Romanesque revival edifice) which was built in 1906.
Originally seating 1,274, the main auditorium now seats 600, the screen in the former balcony seats 250 and the small screening room seats 45.
The architects of the Somerville Theatre were Funk & Wilcox. The opening programme on 11th May 1914 was; “The Inventor’s Wife” on the screen with Vaudeville acts on stage.
The 200 seat Reel Cinema opened in May 2000, although the former Town Hall within which it is located was used as a theatre and and cinema performances on two nights a week from 1997.
The Gaiety Theatre opened on 23rd November 1908 as a burlesque house, the opening programme was Charles Waldron’s “Tocadero Burlesquers”. The architect was Clarence H. Blackall and it had a seating capacity of 1,700.
In 1919 it was re-named Gayety and continued as a live venue until 1931 when it was taken over by New England theatre magnet E.M. Loew who introduced movies to the building, while keeping some stage productions for a while. The 2nd balcony was closed in 1932. In 1949 it was re-named the Publix and continued as a movie thear until it closed in 1980, since when it has been shuttered and un-used.
Many thanks for your most informative comments on the Cameo Theater, James Edwards and the El Sereno area.
I list here the 24 theatres operated by the Edwards Theaters Circuit in 1950;
Alhambra: Alhambra, Coronet, Garfield, Single Bill
Arcadia: Santa Anita
Azusa: State
Beverly Hills: Laurel
El Monte: Valley
El Sereno: Cameo, El Sereno
East Arcadia: Edwards Drive-In
Five Points: Tumbleweed
Garvey: Garvey
Los Angeles: Cairo, Elysian, Green Meadows, San Carlos
Monterey Park: Monterey
Montrose: Montrose
Rosemead: Rosemead
San Gabriel: San Gabriel
South Pasadena: Ritz
Tembple City: Temple
Tujunga: Tujunga
The Paramount has been unused and shuttered since it closed in 1976. It was the only Boston downtown theatre to be built in an art deco style. It opened on 25th February 1932 with “Shanghai Express” starring Marlene Deitrich. The original Wurlitzer 3/13 theatre organ has been removed.
The marquee and vertical sign were restored in 2002 and now its red, yellow, orange and white tracer lights are illuminated on alternate weekends.
The 1941 edition of the Film Daily Yearbook lists the Cameo Theater as having 750 seats and is listed under the El Sereno area, not Los Angeles v(although by 1950 it was listed under Los Angeles and had 816 seats).
I am told by a reliable source that it was at this theatre that James Edwards Jr began his Edwards Theatre Circuit. The head office of that circuit is listed at the Cameo address in 1950.
Maggie Valentine’s book on architect S.Charles Lee “The Show Start on the Sidewalk” gives an opening year of the Vogue as 1941. Strangely, it gets no mention in the listings of Film Daily Yearbooks I have for 1941, 1950 or 1952.
I went to take a look at the Vogue in 2002 and found the exterior mainly intact, including neon tubing on the marquee and tower feature. The paybox and terrazo floor is still there too. Sadly, inside the swap meet market which now uses the auditorium space there is hardly any trace of decorative plasterwork which was there in it’s theatre days. Seating would have been on one level, with no balcony.
The California Theatre opened in 1918 as Miller’s California Theater, the architect was A.B. Rosenthal and it had a seating capaicty of 1,650. It was at this theatre, leased at the time (1919) to Sam Goldwyn, that the famous showman ‘Roxy’ Rothaphel was brought in to manage the stage shows, prior to him moving to New York>>>but that’s another story.
I have posted the address and details of the Garvey Theatre in that listing of Cinema Treasures.
Regarding the details for the Rosemead Theatre, I can only give you what I have here in print. I live in the UK so am not familier with the locality as you or Jeff are. Hopefully someone else can shed more light on this.
There is a Rosemead Theatre listed for Rosemead, CA in the Film Daily Yearbook 1941. No seating capacity is quoted, so this could be that the theatre had only just been constructed/opened? By 1950 the FDY lists the Rosemead Theatre, 1629 E. Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, CA. Seating capacity 713.
The Rosemead 4 Theatres built by AMC in 1971 should be a seperate entry on Cinema Treasures.
The correct street address should be 7425 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, CA. When the Granada Theatre first opened in about 1926 the architects were Meyer & Holler and a seating capacity of 896 (on one floor) is given on their plans. The style of the building was Spanish Pueblo, not Oriental. It had been re-named Oriental Theatre (for some reason?) from at least 1941 and was still listed as such in the Film Daily Yearbook of 1950.
RobertR
Sorry to inform you that I have heard that a majority of the roof and ceiling have come down at the Pitkin. Looks like it will be gone eventually, well perhaps when land values in the area start to rise.
Peter.K
The ‘New York’ theatre featured in the 1933 version of “King Kong” was filmed in the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. CA The same venue was featured in the 1954 version of “A Star is Born”. Of course over recent years, until 2001, the Shrine Auditorium has been host to the Oscar Awards and others. But back to the Loew’s Pitkin>>>>>
According to David Cone’s book ‘Popcorn Palaces’ the San Marco was opened in 1938. It is listed in the Film Daily Yearbook 1950 under South Jacksonville, NOT Jacksonville. Seating is given as 500.
The seating capacity of the Auburn Theatre when it first opened in 1938 was 1,802 seats. It was one of the last designs carried out by John Eberson.
It closed as a movie theatre in 1978 and was a nightclub for several years until the elcrical system was blown out during a concert. A video store was opened in the foyer in 1986 and the auditorium was sealed off and abandoned. The video store closed in 1992. Fundraising and community suppost paid for a new roof in 1998. Any further news?
The architect of the Paramount Theater was Ernest Carlson. After closing as a full time movie house in the 1960’s it was used for mixed use concerts & movies. In 1973 the name was changed to the Julia Sanderson Theatre, after a once well known Broadway actress and Springfield resident. Live shows were presented but in 1980 it was converted into a repertory movie house.
The original Wurlitzer 3/11 Opus 2011, Style 230 theatre organ is still in situ as are most of the original light fitings and painted murals.
The architect of the Coolidge Corner Theatre was Ernest Haywood. It was not built in 1933 (as stated in the opening introduction notes above), but was converted in that year from a former Beacon Universalist Church (a Romanesque revival edifice) which was built in 1906.
Originally seating 1,274, the main auditorium now seats 600, the screen in the former balcony seats 250 and the small screening room seats 45.
The architects of the Somerville Theatre were Funk & Wilcox. The opening programme on 11th May 1914 was; “The Inventor’s Wife” on the screen with Vaudeville acts on stage.
The 200 seat Reel Cinema opened in May 2000, although the former Town Hall within which it is located was used as a theatre and and cinema performances on two nights a week from 1997.
The Gaiety Theatre opened on 23rd November 1908 as a burlesque house, the opening programme was Charles Waldron’s “Tocadero Burlesquers”. The architect was Clarence H. Blackall and it had a seating capacity of 1,700.
In 1919 it was re-named Gayety and continued as a live venue until 1931 when it was taken over by New England theatre magnet E.M. Loew who introduced movies to the building, while keeping some stage productions for a while. The 2nd balcony was closed in 1932. In 1949 it was re-named the Publix and continued as a movie thear until it closed in 1980, since when it has been shuttered and un-used.
Joe:
Many thanks for your most informative comments on the Cameo Theater, James Edwards and the El Sereno area.
I list here the 24 theatres operated by the Edwards Theaters Circuit in 1950;
Alhambra: Alhambra, Coronet, Garfield, Single Bill
Arcadia: Santa Anita
Azusa: State
Beverly Hills: Laurel
El Monte: Valley
El Sereno: Cameo, El Sereno
East Arcadia: Edwards Drive-In
Five Points: Tumbleweed
Garvey: Garvey
Los Angeles: Cairo, Elysian, Green Meadows, San Carlos
Monterey Park: Monterey
Montrose: Montrose
Rosemead: Rosemead
San Gabriel: San Gabriel
South Pasadena: Ritz
Tembple City: Temple
Tujunga: Tujunga
From little acorns big oak’s grow eh!
The Paramount has been unused and shuttered since it closed in 1976. It was the only Boston downtown theatre to be built in an art deco style. It opened on 25th February 1932 with “Shanghai Express” starring Marlene Deitrich. The original Wurlitzer 3/13 theatre organ has been removed.
The marquee and vertical sign were restored in 2002 and now its red, yellow, orange and white tracer lights are illuminated on alternate weekends.
The 1941 edition of the Film Daily Yearbook lists the Cameo Theater as having 750 seats and is listed under the El Sereno area, not Los Angeles v(although by 1950 it was listed under Los Angeles and had 816 seats).
I am told by a reliable source that it was at this theatre that James Edwards Jr began his Edwards Theatre Circuit. The head office of that circuit is listed at the Cameo address in 1950.
Maggie Valentine’s book on architect S.Charles Lee “The Show Start on the Sidewalk” gives an opening year of the Vogue as 1941. Strangely, it gets no mention in the listings of Film Daily Yearbooks I have for 1941, 1950 or 1952.
I went to take a look at the Vogue in 2002 and found the exterior mainly intact, including neon tubing on the marquee and tower feature. The paybox and terrazo floor is still there too. Sadly, inside the swap meet market which now uses the auditorium space there is hardly any trace of decorative plasterwork which was there in it’s theatre days. Seating would have been on one level, with no balcony.
The seating capacity given for Walker’s State Theatre in 1941 is 700.
The architect of the Aero Theatre was P.M. Woolpert.
The California Theatre opened in 1918 as Miller’s California Theater, the architect was A.B. Rosenthal and it had a seating capaicty of 1,650. It was at this theatre, leased at the time (1919) to Sam Goldwyn, that the famous showman ‘Roxy’ Rothaphel was brought in to manage the stage shows, prior to him moving to New York>>>but that’s another story.
The architect of the Astoria was Edward A. Stone in association with T.R. Somerford.
Joe:
I have posted the address and details of the Garvey Theatre in that listing of Cinema Treasures.
Regarding the details for the Rosemead Theatre, I can only give you what I have here in print. I live in the UK so am not familier with the locality as you or Jeff are. Hopefully someone else can shed more light on this.
The address listed in the Film Daily Yearbooks 1950 and 1952 is; Garvey Theatre, 716 E. Garvey Avenue, Garvey, CA. A seating capacity of 740 is given.
The 1941 F.D.Y lists the Garvey Theatre in Garvey (no address given) with a seating capacity of 750.
There is a Rosemead Theatre listed for Rosemead, CA in the Film Daily Yearbook 1941. No seating capacity is quoted, so this could be that the theatre had only just been constructed/opened? By 1950 the FDY lists the Rosemead Theatre, 1629 E. Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, CA. Seating capacity 713.
The Rosemead 4 Theatres built by AMC in 1971 should be a seperate entry on Cinema Treasures.
In the Film Daily Yearbook 1941 the Ritz Theatre is listed with a seating capacity of 580.
The correct street address should be 7425 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, CA. When the Granada Theatre first opened in about 1926 the architects were Meyer & Holler and a seating capacity of 896 (on one floor) is given on their plans. The style of the building was Spanish Pueblo, not Oriental. It had been re-named Oriental Theatre (for some reason?) from at least 1941 and was still listed as such in the Film Daily Yearbook of 1950.
No location, just fiction. Perhaps the Hippodrome was intended, but that is North of the Empire State Building. Peter.K
RobertR
Sorry to inform you that I have heard that a majority of the roof and ceiling have come down at the Pitkin. Looks like it will be gone eventually, well perhaps when land values in the area start to rise.
Peter.K
The ‘New York’ theatre featured in the 1933 version of “King Kong” was filmed in the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. CA The same venue was featured in the 1954 version of “A Star is Born”. Of course over recent years, until 2001, the Shrine Auditorium has been host to the Oscar Awards and others. But back to the Loew’s Pitkin>>>>>
Ok, Thanks lostmemory, guess we just found another mistake in the FDY!
The street address given in the Film Daily Yearbook 1950 is 5254 Shenengo St
According to David Cone’s book ‘Popcorn Palaces’ the San Marco was opened in 1938. It is listed in the Film Daily Yearbook 1950 under South Jacksonville, NOT Jacksonville. Seating is given as 500.
The Five Points is listed in the 1950 Film Daily Yearbook as having 800 seats.