In February 1912 builder/developer Ingwald Moe announced plans to erect a $100,000 theater in Gary. Moe purchased three lots on the east side of Broadway near the corner of 5th Avenue and Broadway on which he erected a five-story office building and a theater that became the second in the city to be called Gary. He incorporated and became president of the Northern Indiana Investment Company. The new Gary had 1100 seats on the main floor, balcony and gallery, later reduced to 800 seats. The theater presented motion pictures and stage plays. In August 1913 the Gary opened with a presentation of “The Road to Happiness.” In April 1953, after forty years of presenting movies, vaudeville and stage attractions, the Gary Theater closed its doors.
In October 1948 newly formed Tri-City Drive-In Corp. broke ground on a 70-acre site for a 1000-car drive-in theater costing $100,000 at 5th Avenue and Cline in Hammond (but near Gary). It was tentatively named Starlight.
In September 1948 the Monta & Rose Circuit of East Chicago announced plans to construct the Hammond 41 Outdoor Theatre on Route 41. The 41 was designed by the Rapp & Rapp firm, which still existed but without the famous founding brothers.
The Lake was open as early as 1945. In July 1945 operator Bernstein Theaters assigned a new manager to the “recently remodeled” Lake, so it wasn’t a newly built theater but was probably a preexisting one.
In July 1919 Venus Amusement Company, aka Bikos and Obreshk, took over the Lyric. In March 1920 W.J. Hall, owner of the Plaza in Lansing, MI, purchased the Lyric, “a burlesque and vaudeville house,” and proposed to spend [$50,000] to make it into a high-class moving-picture theater. Hall arranged to have a Photoplay organ installed to furnish music to patrons.
Designed by Gary architect Harry Warriner, the Roosevelt opened in 1927, a few months after showman Nick Bikos’s July 1926 announcement that he would build a $150,000 theater at 1436 Broadway. In August 1926 Warriner, who designed several outstanding buildings in northwest Indiana, was reported to be drawing up the plans. G. Chappas was contracted to erect the two-story brick theater-and-office building at 1436-50 Broadway in October 1926. The Roosevelt is first mentioned in the January 1927 issue of Variety: “The [Gary Roosevelt] will play vaudeville and tabs through [Billy] Diamond.” The theater had main-floor and balcony seating for 1000. In the early 1970’s, flush with urban-redevelopment funds, Soul, Inc. re-decorated the beautiful marquee and reopened the theater. For a brief time it was called the Soul Theater. The building was demolished in the mid-1970’s.
The theater seated 760, according to Film Daily Year Book. This might have been a Y&W theater. In January 1946 V.U. Young, who was then president of Y&W Management Corp., purchased a vacant site in Miller.
Variety shows the theater under construction in November 1927 and reported that the Roxy opened in December 1927 with 800 seats. The local newspaper showed the address as 3762 Broadway.
The Art was at 620 Broadway. It was initially operated by V.U. Young and C.J. Wolf. Young and Wolf owned several inter-related companies that in turn owned and or operated theaters. In September 1920 A.B. Marcus sold the Art to Julius Nussau.
On February 12, 1907, builder/developer Ingwald Moe bought land at 760 Broadway on which he erected the Broadway, an early nickelodeon and the first of two Gary theaters to bear that name. The property was sold to Pittman-Watson Company in 1913 for $45,000.
The Fifth Avenue’s auditorium was tucked behind a two-story retail/apartment block that fronted on the south side of West 5th Avenue. The theater, stores and apartments were part of the McNair Building. The theater was associated with the Allied Buying and Booking Circuit, Chicago.
Gary had a second theater with the name Broadway. Located at 1678 Broadway, it opened in 1916 and was closed by 1939.
The plot purchased by V.U. Young was in Miller at Sixth and Lake streets and was to be used to erect an ultra-modern theater.
In February 1912 builder/developer Ingwald Moe announced plans to erect a $100,000 theater in Gary. Moe purchased three lots on the east side of Broadway near the corner of 5th Avenue and Broadway on which he erected a five-story office building and a theater that became the second in the city to be called Gary. He incorporated and became president of the Northern Indiana Investment Company. The new Gary had 1100 seats on the main floor, balcony and gallery, later reduced to 800 seats. The theater presented motion pictures and stage plays. In August 1913 the Gary opened with a presentation of “The Road to Happiness.” In April 1953, after forty years of presenting movies, vaudeville and stage attractions, the Gary Theater closed its doors.
In October 1948 newly formed Tri-City Drive-In Corp. broke ground on a 70-acre site for a 1000-car drive-in theater costing $100,000 at 5th Avenue and Cline in Hammond (but near Gary). It was tentatively named Starlight.
In September 1948 the Monta & Rose Circuit of East Chicago announced plans to construct the Hammond 41 Outdoor Theatre on Route 41. The 41 was designed by the Rapp & Rapp firm, which still existed but without the famous founding brothers.
The Lake was open as early as 1945. In July 1945 operator Bernstein Theaters assigned a new manager to the “recently remodeled” Lake, so it wasn’t a newly built theater but was probably a preexisting one.
In July 1919 Venus Amusement Company, aka Bikos and Obreshk, took over the Lyric. In March 1920 W.J. Hall, owner of the Plaza in Lansing, MI, purchased the Lyric, “a burlesque and vaudeville house,” and proposed to spend [$50,000] to make it into a high-class moving-picture theater. Hall arranged to have a Photoplay organ installed to furnish music to patrons.
Designed by Gary architect Harry Warriner, the Roosevelt opened in 1927, a few months after showman Nick Bikos’s July 1926 announcement that he would build a $150,000 theater at 1436 Broadway. In August 1926 Warriner, who designed several outstanding buildings in northwest Indiana, was reported to be drawing up the plans. G. Chappas was contracted to erect the two-story brick theater-and-office building at 1436-50 Broadway in October 1926. The Roosevelt is first mentioned in the January 1927 issue of Variety: “The [Gary Roosevelt] will play vaudeville and tabs through [Billy] Diamond.” The theater had main-floor and balcony seating for 1000. In the early 1970’s, flush with urban-redevelopment funds, Soul, Inc. re-decorated the beautiful marquee and reopened the theater. For a brief time it was called the Soul Theater. The building was demolished in the mid-1970’s.
The theater seated 760, according to Film Daily Year Book. This might have been a Y&W theater. In January 1946 V.U. Young, who was then president of Y&W Management Corp., purchased a vacant site in Miller.
The Roxy was equipped with Western Electric sound in December 1929.
Variety shows the theater under construction in November 1927 and reported that the Roxy opened in December 1927 with 800 seats. The local newspaper showed the address as 3762 Broadway.
The Art was at 620 Broadway. It was initially operated by V.U. Young and C.J. Wolf. Young and Wolf owned several inter-related companies that in turn owned and or operated theaters. In September 1920 A.B. Marcus sold the Art to Julius Nussau.
On February 12, 1907, builder/developer Ingwald Moe bought land at 760 Broadway on which he erected the Broadway, an early nickelodeon and the first of two Gary theaters to bear that name. The property was sold to Pittman-Watson Company in 1913 for $45,000.
The Fifth Avenue’s auditorium was tucked behind a two-story retail/apartment block that fronted on the south side of West 5th Avenue. The theater, stores and apartments were part of the McNair Building. The theater was associated with the Allied Buying and Booking Circuit, Chicago.
Hammond-based Bernstein Theaters operated the Lake.