I have an original lobby standee ad for this film, it’s a tombstone that says “Here lies the body of Grimby Quill. He went to see House on Haunted Hill” From the Lockport Schine theater.
Ahhh the glorious marquee! Notice the smaller RKO stained glass medallion on the corner of the marquee? Two of those were in the Foley collection. One resides proudly in the ESTMIM museum and one in my home as one of the prized items in my personal Schine collection. This photo is mounted on the wall next to it.
The RKO Keith Theater was proudly part of the Schine Chain at one time. Many artifacts from the theater were acquired by Jim Foley, a Syracuse collector when it was demolished. Jim displayed these items along with countless other theater artifacts in his home museum until his death. At that time, the Foley family entrusted me to sort, catalog and disburse the items as i saw appropriate.
Many of the RKO Keith items are now residing at the aforementioned Empire State Theatre & Musical Instrument Museum located in the Art & Home Center building on the New York State Fairgrounds. That building also proudly houses the pipe organ that was rescued just ahead of demolition by the ESTMIM gang. Organ concerts are given regularly and the museum room is always open during intermission.
The organ and museum are also an unlikely but highly attended attraction during the yearly State Fair! Young and old make it a point to visit each year with the major draw being the player piano. The ESTMIM members generously allow anyone whose feet will reach the pedals to select a roll and pump away at their favorite song.
This theater is now in use by a small church. The marquee is still up. The church leaders were very nice and let me come in and take lots of photos as they worked on sprucing up the interior. There really wasn’t much to photograph since the theater has been badly altered over the years. It was never as opulent as the Schine Geneva Theater on Seneca Street but had a look all of its own.
AUBURN â€" Shirley Martinez remembers going to see movies at the Schine Theater when she was a child, and from the candy counter to the restrooms in the basement where you could weigh yourself on a scale for a penny, the details remain etched in her memory today, years after the theater closed down.
Martinez, of Auburn, and about 15 others have started a new group called Citizens for Schine and the Betterment of Downtown Auburn, Inc. that is now focusing on cleaning up the historic Schine Theater in an attempt to make it safer and possibly someday restored.
“We need to do something,†she said. “If we can do something with it for the community, it would be for the better.â€
The group has its work cut out for it.
Over time, the South Street buildingâ€\s art deco facade has grown dirty and the back of the building has been vandalized and used as a repository for garbage, car tires, dead trees and a shopping cart. Martinez pointed out that not only is the building becoming unsightly, but itâ€\s also becoming dangerous.
“If there was ever a fire, it would be bad,†she said.
In addition to a fire hazard, the rubble also creates a place for unseen mischief, Martinez said.
The group incorporated in March, said chair Peter Ruzicka, of Auburn. Members started cleaning a couple weeks ago. They removed some of the garbage out from behind the theater and also gave some attention to the buildingâ€\s facade.
Martinez said the city has agreed to pick up the trash from the cleanup effort as long as itâ€\s bagged properly, while a few Vietnam War veterans have volunteered to take away some larger pieces of rubble, such as broken pallets.
“Weâ€\re trying to do it as best we can,†she said. “Itâ€\s going to take time.â€
Both Martinez and Ruzicka said it will be awhile before the group can begin work inside the theater due to asbestos that is in the ceiling. Weeding, removing trash and cleaning the outside of the windows and doors will have to suffice for now.
“We want to start outside and move in,†Martinez said.
Daniel Waters said working outside and being visible raises awareness, shows that someone is devoting time to the Schine and may interest community members in joining the cause.
Martinez said the new group hopes to work alongside the Cayuga County Arts Council, which owns the Schine, to restore the once-magnificent theater, built in 1938.
“Both of our groups want to work together,†she said. “We want to be a force with a force.â€
The Citizens for Schine have just been accepted as members of the arts council, Martinez added.
Ruzicka said he heard from the arts council that, should the theaterâ€\s rehabilitation go well, the Schine may become a multi-use facility with 1,000 seats.
“Itâ€\s the biggest part of the contemporary history of Auburn,†he said.
Staff writer Kelly Voll can be reached at 282-2239 or Follow her on Twitter at CitizenVoll
I enjoyed a wonderful evening in support of Proctor’s last Saturnday night. It was the first fundraising outreach for the group and the turnout was very encouraging. Legislators from the local, state and federal levels were there as well as many movers-and-shakers too. And many everyday Troy residents (are they Trojans??) who are thrilled to see this project finally moving forward. KUDOS to all who are working to see the wonderful auditorium protected and used again and I do hope to see many more of these events as the project moves forward.
Karen Colizzi Noonan, President
Theatre Historical Society of America
Theatre Historical Society visited the Ambler last summer as part of its 2009 Conclave in the Philadelphia/Baltimore/Wilmington area. The group was highly impressed by not only the careful preservation of the theater but the staff’s knowledge and respect for the theater’s place in history. It was certainly a star of the 5 day tour!
A belated HAPPY NEW YEAR to Ross, Patrick, Andreas and all the great folks who make Cinema Treasures possible! We are happy to work closely with you guys to keep America’s Historic Theaters in front of the public eye. Here’s to the next generation who picks up this torch!
Karen Colizzi Noonan, President of Theatre Historical Society
Daily Times (Salisbury, Maryland)
January 4, 2010 Monday
Pocomoke native to manage Mar-Va Theater
By, Jenny Hopkinson
POCOMOKE CITY — Emily Rantz remembers Saturday afternoons from her childhood, waiting outside the Mar-Va Theater for her parents to pick her up after a matinee.
Soon the 26-year-old Pocomoke City resident will have plenty of new memories of the historic Art Deco-style theater as she takes over as the manager of the performing arts center.
“Going there as a kid, you would always see people you knew, friends from school,” Rantz said, reminiscing about the smell of the popcorn and the candy she would buy. “People have so many great old memories of the Mar-Va, and we want to help them start making new ones.”
Rantz enters the new position as the Mar-Va Theater Performing Arts Center prepares for its first full season, which starts with a kickoff celebration on Jan. 9.
Volunteers have been working for more than seven years to reopen the former vaudeville and silent movie house. The theater first opened in 1927, selling tickets for 10 cents each. It was redecorated in the 1930s at the advent of talking films. Movies and performances continued there until 1993, when it closed for lack of patrons. By then, tickets cost $3.50.
In 2003, the theater was in ruins, hindered by lack of use and a leaking roof, said Arnold Torres, president of the Mar-Va Theater Performing Arts Center Board of Directors. That year, a group of volunteers bought the building and began an ambitious $1 million renovation plan.
Over the next seven years, the theater was remodeled to look just as it did after the 1937 renovation. With the exception of the central heating, air condition and new and more comfortable seats, the renovations are accurate to the time, Torres said.
The organization was able to obtain a grant to fund one full-time staff member and began looking for applicants earlier this spring.
Rantz stood out from the dozens of other potentials, Torres said, because of her enthusiasm, marketing experience and ability to reach out to different groups of people to fill seats.
Rantz, a Pocomoke City native, has a degree in mass communications and marketing from Salisbury University. Prior to taking the position at the Mar-Va, she worked in advertising sales for a company in Salisbury.
When a family member told her the theater was hiring, she jumped at the opportunity.
“I’ve always wanted to work in my hometown,” Rantz said, adding that driving to Salisbury each day was tiring.
The chance to give back to the community that raised her was important, she said.
“Pocomoke has that genuine small-town feel. It’s a great town to raise your kids in,” Rantz said. “My family is here, my husband is from here. It’s good to be surrounded by people who care about you.”
As she takes the reins at the theater, Rantz plans to use the experience she gained as an advertiser — helping other people market their businesses — to fill seats during performances.
“I would like to bring in people from not only the Pocomoke City area but down in Virginia, to Salisbury, Ocean City and lower Delaware. I’d like to put the Mar-Va back on the map,” she said.
And with events scheduled nearly every weekend in 2010 — including viewing of new movies such as “Sherlock Holmes” and “Up in the Air” — Rantz will have a lot to get done.
“I want to bring the Mar-Va back to life,” she said.
If you go
WHAT. Mar-Va Theater 2010 grand opening
WHERE. 103 Market St., Pocomoke City
WHEN. 6 p.m. Jan. 9
COST. $10
INFO. 410-957-4230, www.mar-vatheater.org
I enjoyed lunch and a movie at the Commodore over the weekend and urge everyone in, around or passing through the VA area to take the time to enjoy this unique theater!
The food was out of this world, quite reasonably priced and served quickly. The seating was delightful (main auditorium is table and comfy chairs – balcony is for popcorn and soda) and the theater is in great shape. An Art Deco delight! This is a single screen theater that is making a go of it by blending it’s historic decor with a very modern concept. They get my HIGHEST marks!!
I visited the Idle Hour on Sunday night and while this is no “palace” in the traditional sense, it is a theater with a lot of heart! The owner is very proud of his theater, the staff are all family and friends, the patrons are extremely loyal! Kudos to Robert Pase for keeping this theater a place where families feel welcome and rowdy patrons are decidedly UN-welcome!
Just got the following note from a friend of mine in MA: “I was at Michael’s class reunion on Saturday. It was at the old York theatre in Athol, MA. They are remodeling it and have made part of it a candlepin bowling alley and another part a bar/lounge. The rest is the gutted theatre. They said it is registered as a historical theatre. This was their first special event and the grand opening was the following day. The have done a great job with the remodeling to date. For instance they took 3-4 months to designing the bar. The curve of the bar matches the circular pattern in the original ceilings and they found fixtures in old storage rooms and cleaned them up and installed them.”
The windmill turns slowly, there are soft lights in some windows of the homes. It’s a magical, unique and rare atmospheric treatment. And quietly tucked away in rural Ohio!
I have an original lobby standee ad for this film, it’s a tombstone that says “Here lies the body of Grimby Quill. He went to see House on Haunted Hill” From the Lockport Schine theater.
Ahhh the glorious marquee! Notice the smaller RKO stained glass medallion on the corner of the marquee? Two of those were in the Foley collection. One resides proudly in the ESTMIM museum and one in my home as one of the prized items in my personal Schine collection. This photo is mounted on the wall next to it.
The RKO Keith Theater was proudly part of the Schine Chain at one time. Many artifacts from the theater were acquired by Jim Foley, a Syracuse collector when it was demolished. Jim displayed these items along with countless other theater artifacts in his home museum until his death. At that time, the Foley family entrusted me to sort, catalog and disburse the items as i saw appropriate.
Many of the RKO Keith items are now residing at the aforementioned Empire State Theatre & Musical Instrument Museum located in the Art & Home Center building on the New York State Fairgrounds. That building also proudly houses the pipe organ that was rescued just ahead of demolition by the ESTMIM gang. Organ concerts are given regularly and the museum room is always open during intermission.
The organ and museum are also an unlikely but highly attended attraction during the yearly State Fair! Young and old make it a point to visit each year with the major draw being the player piano. The ESTMIM members generously allow anyone whose feet will reach the pedals to select a roll and pump away at their favorite song.
And of course I must add that this was part of the Schine Chain, at one time!
: )
This theater is now in use by a small church. The marquee is still up. The church leaders were very nice and let me come in and take lots of photos as they worked on sprucing up the interior. There really wasn’t much to photograph since the theater has been badly altered over the years. It was never as opulent as the Schine Geneva Theater on Seneca Street but had a look all of its own.
Can anyone speak to the interior condition of the theater? Photos?
From today’s CITIZEN –
New group tries to polish up Schine
AUBURN â€" Shirley Martinez remembers going to see movies at the Schine Theater when she was a child, and from the candy counter to the restrooms in the basement where you could weigh yourself on a scale for a penny, the details remain etched in her memory today, years after the theater closed down.
Martinez, of Auburn, and about 15 others have started a new group called Citizens for Schine and the Betterment of Downtown Auburn, Inc. that is now focusing on cleaning up the historic Schine Theater in an attempt to make it safer and possibly someday restored.
“We need to do something,†she said. “If we can do something with it for the community, it would be for the better.â€
The group has its work cut out for it.
Over time, the South Street buildingâ€\s art deco facade has grown dirty and the back of the building has been vandalized and used as a repository for garbage, car tires, dead trees and a shopping cart. Martinez pointed out that not only is the building becoming unsightly, but itâ€\s also becoming dangerous.
“If there was ever a fire, it would be bad,†she said.
In addition to a fire hazard, the rubble also creates a place for unseen mischief, Martinez said.
The group incorporated in March, said chair Peter Ruzicka, of Auburn. Members started cleaning a couple weeks ago. They removed some of the garbage out from behind the theater and also gave some attention to the buildingâ€\s facade.
Martinez said the city has agreed to pick up the trash from the cleanup effort as long as itâ€\s bagged properly, while a few Vietnam War veterans have volunteered to take away some larger pieces of rubble, such as broken pallets.
“Weâ€\re trying to do it as best we can,†she said. “Itâ€\s going to take time.â€
Both Martinez and Ruzicka said it will be awhile before the group can begin work inside the theater due to asbestos that is in the ceiling. Weeding, removing trash and cleaning the outside of the windows and doors will have to suffice for now.
“We want to start outside and move in,†Martinez said.
Daniel Waters said working outside and being visible raises awareness, shows that someone is devoting time to the Schine and may interest community members in joining the cause.
Martinez said the new group hopes to work alongside the Cayuga County Arts Council, which owns the Schine, to restore the once-magnificent theater, built in 1938.
“Both of our groups want to work together,†she said. “We want to be a force with a force.â€
The Citizens for Schine have just been accepted as members of the arts council, Martinez added.
Ruzicka said he heard from the arts council that, should the theaterâ€\s rehabilitation go well, the Schine may become a multi-use facility with 1,000 seats.
“Itâ€\s the biggest part of the contemporary history of Auburn,†he said.
Staff writer Kelly Voll can be reached at 282-2239 or Follow her on Twitter at CitizenVoll
Louis – I just sent you an email. Let me know if you don’t get it.
– Karen
http://www.troyproctors.com/
They will be very happy to hear from you Gregg!
I enjoyed a wonderful evening in support of Proctor’s last Saturnday night. It was the first fundraising outreach for the group and the turnout was very encouraging. Legislators from the local, state and federal levels were there as well as many movers-and-shakers too. And many everyday Troy residents (are they Trojans??) who are thrilled to see this project finally moving forward. KUDOS to all who are working to see the wonderful auditorium protected and used again and I do hope to see many more of these events as the project moves forward.
Theatre Historical Society of America
Tick… tick… tick… tick….
I was THERE and i’m not quite sure where it is! : ) I do know that we were pretty close to Maryland when we were there. Definitely a rural area.
Awww…. Pepe holding a flower, how appropriate!
I’m curious – what is the symbolism of the coins? I’ve seen small stones at grave markers but never coins.
Theatre Historical Society visited the Ambler last summer as part of its 2009 Conclave in the Philadelphia/Baltimore/Wilmington area. The group was highly impressed by not only the careful preservation of the theater but the staff’s knowledge and respect for the theater’s place in history. It was certainly a star of the 5 day tour!
Congratulations Capitol Theater folks! How nice to see a bit of the psst returned to the front of the theater – next stop… that marquee! CARRY ON! : )
A belated HAPPY NEW YEAR to Ross, Patrick, Andreas and all the great folks who make Cinema Treasures possible! We are happy to work closely with you guys to keep America’s Historic Theaters in front of the public eye. Here’s to the next generation who picks up this torch!
Karen Colizzi Noonan, President of Theatre Historical Society
Daily Times (Salisbury, Maryland)
January 4, 2010 Monday
Pocomoke native to manage Mar-Va Theater
By, Jenny Hopkinson
POCOMOKE CITY — Emily Rantz remembers Saturday afternoons from her childhood, waiting outside the Mar-Va Theater for her parents to pick her up after a matinee.
Soon the 26-year-old Pocomoke City resident will have plenty of new memories of the historic Art Deco-style theater as she takes over as the manager of the performing arts center.
“Going there as a kid, you would always see people you knew, friends from school,” Rantz said, reminiscing about the smell of the popcorn and the candy she would buy. “People have so many great old memories of the Mar-Va, and we want to help them start making new ones.”
Rantz enters the new position as the Mar-Va Theater Performing Arts Center prepares for its first full season, which starts with a kickoff celebration on Jan. 9.
Volunteers have been working for more than seven years to reopen the former vaudeville and silent movie house. The theater first opened in 1927, selling tickets for 10 cents each. It was redecorated in the 1930s at the advent of talking films. Movies and performances continued there until 1993, when it closed for lack of patrons. By then, tickets cost $3.50.
In 2003, the theater was in ruins, hindered by lack of use and a leaking roof, said Arnold Torres, president of the Mar-Va Theater Performing Arts Center Board of Directors. That year, a group of volunteers bought the building and began an ambitious $1 million renovation plan.
Over the next seven years, the theater was remodeled to look just as it did after the 1937 renovation. With the exception of the central heating, air condition and new and more comfortable seats, the renovations are accurate to the time, Torres said.
The organization was able to obtain a grant to fund one full-time staff member and began looking for applicants earlier this spring.
Rantz stood out from the dozens of other potentials, Torres said, because of her enthusiasm, marketing experience and ability to reach out to different groups of people to fill seats.
Rantz, a Pocomoke City native, has a degree in mass communications and marketing from Salisbury University. Prior to taking the position at the Mar-Va, she worked in advertising sales for a company in Salisbury.
When a family member told her the theater was hiring, she jumped at the opportunity.
“I’ve always wanted to work in my hometown,” Rantz said, adding that driving to Salisbury each day was tiring.
The chance to give back to the community that raised her was important, she said.
“Pocomoke has that genuine small-town feel. It’s a great town to raise your kids in,” Rantz said. “My family is here, my husband is from here. It’s good to be surrounded by people who care about you.”
As she takes the reins at the theater, Rantz plans to use the experience she gained as an advertiser — helping other people market their businesses — to fill seats during performances.
“I would like to bring in people from not only the Pocomoke City area but down in Virginia, to Salisbury, Ocean City and lower Delaware. I’d like to put the Mar-Va back on the map,” she said.
And with events scheduled nearly every weekend in 2010 — including viewing of new movies such as “Sherlock Holmes” and “Up in the Air” — Rantz will have a lot to get done.
“I want to bring the Mar-Va back to life,” she said.
If you go
WHAT. Mar-Va Theater 2010 grand opening
WHERE. 103 Market St., Pocomoke City
WHEN. 6 p.m. Jan. 9
COST. $10
INFO. 410-957-4230, www.mar-vatheater.org
I enjoyed lunch and a movie at the Commodore over the weekend and urge everyone in, around or passing through the VA area to take the time to enjoy this unique theater!
The food was out of this world, quite reasonably priced and served quickly. The seating was delightful (main auditorium is table and comfy chairs – balcony is for popcorn and soda) and the theater is in great shape. An Art Deco delight! This is a single screen theater that is making a go of it by blending it’s historic decor with a very modern concept. They get my HIGHEST marks!!
I visited the Idle Hour on Sunday night and while this is no “palace” in the traditional sense, it is a theater with a lot of heart! The owner is very proud of his theater, the staff are all family and friends, the patrons are extremely loyal! Kudos to Robert Pase for keeping this theater a place where families feel welcome and rowdy patrons are decidedly UN-welcome!
Any new developments? This is a beautiful Eberson designed theater – is anyone giving it the love and respect it deserves today?
Just got the following note from a friend of mine in MA: “I was at Michael’s class reunion on Saturday. It was at the old York theatre in Athol, MA. They are remodeling it and have made part of it a candlepin bowling alley and another part a bar/lounge. The rest is the gutted theatre. They said it is registered as a historical theatre. This was their first special event and the grand opening was the following day. The have done a great job with the remodeling to date. For instance they took 3-4 months to designing the bar. The curve of the bar matches the circular pattern in the original ceilings and they found fixtures in old storage rooms and cleaned them up and installed them.”
I am hoping to find more info on this.
Very interesting photo! Any idea why the NY Times took the photo? Also – any news on the theater? Feel free to email me at
View link
Bad news for a VERY reusable theater!
The windmill turns slowly, there are soft lights in some windows of the homes. It’s a magical, unique and rare atmospheric treatment. And quietly tucked away in rural Ohio!