(Chicago Tribune, January 8, 1989, by Rudolph Unger) The lights on movie theater marquees in Chicagos Loop have been flickering out one by one over the years, and the Loops last marquee was to go dark Sunday as the Woods Theater closed its doors. The demise of the theater where “Gone with the Wind“ premiered on a reserved-seat basis in 1940, beginning an engagement that lasted an entire year, will make Monday the first day in more than three-quarters of a century that the citys Loop will be without a movie theater. The Woods, on the northwest corner of Randolph and Dearborn Streets, will close to make way for a 30-story office building, becoming the latest victim of the Loops decline as an entertainment center and its growth as a commercial center. The 1,100-seat Woods is the last movie house to join the scrap heap of the once glittering film palaces that radiated like brillant necklaces near the intersection of State and Randolph Streets. “There was always a festival air surrounding the intersection of State and Randolph, the center of the Loops night life,” said Edward Barry, a veteran newspaper cultural critic. “I still recall the first of the great silent Harold Lloyd comedy films,Safety First,at the Chicago in 1923, in which he hung from the Wrigley Building clock.” The late Danny Kaye, the funny man whose uproarious first movie, “Up in Arms,” graced the Woods marquee for a year in 1944, would weep if he could see the Loop today, devoid of even a single silver screen. Bob Hope, that other funny man who once stood penniless outside Loop theaters in the 1920s before his star ascended, would certainly look in amazement at the shuttered show houses and sites of razed cinema palaces whose marquees once were emblazoned with the names of the brightest stars in Hollywoods firmament: actors such as Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, Charlie Chaplin, Jack Benny, Fred Astaire, John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Spencer Tracy. Actresses such as Greta Garbo, Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Joan Fontaine, Judy Garland, Ingrid Bergman and Barbara Stanwyck. The Chicago Theatre, long the flagship of the sumptuous Loop show places, was saved from destruction through a massive civic effort to refurbish it as a center of live entertainment. But shadows overhang its future since its operator, Chicago Theatre Productions, went into bankruptcy last summer, and the theater has been reopened only for an occasional event since. The Woods Theater, the Loop’s last movie house, on the northwest corner of Randolph and Dearborn Streets, was to close Sunday to make way for a 30-story building. Gone forever are such popular show houses as the State-Lake Theater, across the street from the Chicago. The Loop, just south of the Chicago, which for a time featured newsreels, is long gone. The Roosevelt, a block south on State, and the opulent Oriental, on Randolph just west of State, gave way to stores. The United Artists, down the street from the Oriental and kitty corner from the Woods, closed last year. The Garrick, onetime neighbor of the Woods, was replaced with a parking garage. The Apollo, just west of the Garrick, made way for the Greyhound bus terminal, which itself is now to be razed so that twin office towers can be built on Randolph Street. The McVickers Theater, on Madison Street just west of State, was taken over by film producer Mike Todd to feature his Todd-A-O process films, beginning with the screen version of the musical “Oklahoma.“ North of the Woods on Dearborn Street, the two Dearborn Cinemas had a short-lived existence after opening in the old Michael Todd and Cinestage Theaters. The properties, owned by Todds estate, are to be sold to the developer of the Greyhound property and restored to their original names, Harris and Selywn, and their original use as playhouses. Also long gone from the scene is the Palace Theater, in the Bismarck Hotel complex, once known as the home of the wide-screen Cinerama films. At one time, the Palace, like the Chicago, the State-Lake and the Oriental, featured not only first-run films from Hollywood but they also hosted live stage entertainment. “From childhood on, going to movies was a big thrill,” recalled Herman Kogan, Chicago historian and newspaperman. “On Saturdays, that meant going to one of the big Loop show palaces, where you could see stage shows as well as first-run films.” There were other, smaller theaters scattered about the Loop where B films or reruns of first-run movies could be seen, usually for a cut-rate price. These included the Monroe, the Clark and the LaSalle, which stood on the site of the present-day St. Peter Catholic Church at 110 W. Madison St. The Today theater, located on Madison Street just west of Dearborn and which specialized in newsreels, also disappeared. The movies came to Chicagos Loop-traditionally defined as the city blocks lying within the “loop“ of the downtown elevated tracks-early in this century.
(Chicago Tribune, March 10, 1918) Since theater building is a habit to which Chicago is little addicted, a brief, provincial enthusiasm may be condoned for A. H. Woods and his new house, the Woods, at Randolph and Dearborn. Mr. Woods is known as a showman of many successful enterprises, operating extensively in racy farce, modern melodrama, and character comedy of the Potash and Perimutter type. He is an intrepid investor in the stages, but his daring is mitigated usually by an intuition which preserves him. That is, he avoids the five per cent that is hopelessly good in the theater and the five per cent that is hopelessly bad, and he banks, reluctantly, no doubt, on the ninety per cent that is prudently mediocre.
He is, one suspects, a man with few illusions, and none of the florid managerial vanities that inspire such stupid and ignorant posings as “The Judge of Zalamea.” The commonplace or successful show is the better for Mr. Woods having done it, because he does it as well as it can be done without interfering with the attendances. His name on an entertainment is assurance that, while it may not mean much as drama, it signifies a great deal as theater. So the ingenuous wanderer within the Union Loop, seeking amusement rather than edification, will usually find the new Woods a satisfactory haven.
It is a good-looking theater. From Michael & Fox, who are literary as well as architectural, it is learned that upon the outside it is an artistic liaison between office building and playhouse. Inside it is as quiet as a midwestern library, with solid walnut walls, purple carpets and chairs, and a conservative lighting scheme of gray and lavender. The first floor auditorium is one of the most spacious in America, with something like 700 seats on it, and all of them permitting an unobstructed view of the stage. There is no gallery, but the balcony is commodious and comfortable. Two foyers are quiet and dignified in brown and purple, “adding,” say the architects, “to the feeling of elegance that is characteristic of the whole.”
“FRIENDLY ENEMIES,” the first play for the Woods theater, comes from the titular Capital, with the plaudits of the President. …
When and if Mr. Woods gets the electric lights on his theater in operation, the Dearborn street facade will announce “Sam Bernard and Louis Mann,” while emblazoned on the Randolph street front will be “Louis Mann and Sam Bernard.” In case it is learned that the sign on one thoroughfare is more conspicuous than that on the other, a scheme of equable alternation will be arranged by the arbitrators. Thus Mr. Woods is comfortable, Mr. Bernard and Mr. Mann are 50 per cent happy, and Mr. Mann and Mr. Bernard the remaining fifty. All are content except perhaps the bilious observer, who thinks he sees in the minor details of the alliance one of the several reasons that acting is to art what kopeck is to finance.
(Chicago Tribune, March 19, 1918) - An explosion of dynamite shattered the east doors of the new Al H. Woods theater at Randolph and Dearborn streets last night and started a campaign by the police and the state’s attorney’s office to head off a reign of terror alleged to have been planned by union labor sympathizers. Threats to prevent the big playhouse from opening its doors to the public on Monday are said to have been made by labor representatives and soon after the blast had stirred great excitement at the busy downtown corner. Acting Chief Alcock and Assistant Fleming were on the scene looking for evidence upon which to base prosecution. State’s Attorney Hoyne, who is in Hot Springs, Ark., was in communication with his office by long distance telephone and gave directions for the inquiry.
Actual Damage Slight.
The explosion caused property damage of less than $75 despite the fact that it was of sufficient force to smash windows in a passing street car. Nobody was injured, although scores of persons were in the immediate vicinity. Following the explosion, which took place at 7:15 o’clock, George H. Thomas, the contractor who erected the building, and Lou M. Houseman, western representative of Al H. Woods, owner of the theater, admitted their suspicion that sheet metal workers might be implicated. Half a stick of dynamite blew up, either from a slow fuse or a match, just outside the Dearborn street entrance. The actual damage will not exceed $75.
What the Trouble Was About.
Mr. Thomas declared there had been labor trouble ever since construction started. Last Monday, he said, the electrical workers walked out in sympathy with the sheet metal trade, which quit the job three months ago because he refused to substitute iron doors for ones of steel already in position. Had the demands of the unions been acceded to, Mr. Housdeman said, the theater opening would have been delayed three months. Thomas Walsh, business agent of the sheet metal workers, was reached by telephone last night, but refused to talk. He was recalled to the telephone three times. Finally he said:
PROCLAMATION - Whereas one of the technical advances for which our country is noted has been taking place in the entertainment field with the development of three-dimensional motion pictures and
Whereas on May 6 the city of Kenosha will become the first city in Wisconsin where theater patrons can enjoy the advantages of the latest and most modern development in this field known as stereophonic sound,
Therefore I as city manager declare Wednesday, May 6 as “Stereophonic Three Dimension Day” in Kenosha and express best wishes to the local theater which has brought this unique entertainment experience to our citizens.
CUSTER, City Manager (Kenosha News, May 6, 1953 for the simultaneous premiere of HOUSE OF WAX at the Kenosha Theatre.)
(Sat., Jan.29, 1921) - THEATRE DEAL IS NOW CLOSED -
Virginian Theatre Leased by Collins Theatrical Enterprises -
EXPLAINS NEW PLANS -
Virginian to Continue to Be the Home of Vaudeville and Also Super Film Attractions —–
The merger of the management of the Virginian and Burke Theatres was completed on Friday evening when a lease for the Virginian Theatre was secured by the Collins Theatrical Enterprise as anticipated in the unofficial announcement made on Friday. The lease was sealed, signed and delivered on Friday afternoon just after four-thirty and the new management is to take control of the theatre on the first of February. The lease provides an option for the purchase of the property, should this be desired at a later date. For the present, Manager Fred Dayton will remain in charge of the theatre until the new management becomes acquainted with the operation of the theatre.
Reflects Success of Past
The expansion of the theatre holdings of the Collins Theatrical Enterprise reflects the success which they have achieved in the management of the Burke Theatre on Market Square. The members of the company are Mrs. Lillian K. Collins, who in the near future will take personal charge of the Virginian; Charles Collins and Marvin B. Kincaid, all three of whom will be associated in the management of the two theatres. It is planned to continue the Virginian theatre as the home of high class vaudeville in Kenosha. As in the past, vaudeville will be staged there on the last three days of the week and on Sunday with an entire new bill for each Sunday program. The merger of the theatre with the Burke will also make it possible to supplement these shows with high class film attractions whenever this is advisable.
Daytons Explain Future Plans
Edward and Fred Dayton, who for the past eleven months have been successful in the management of the Virginian Theatre, have sold out their interest to the Virginian Theatre Company, which organization leased the property to the new holder. The Dayton brothers plan to devote their time to their growing insurance business, the extent of which made it necessary for them to withdraw from the theatrical management for the present. They have recently expanded their insurance business to such an extent that it requires the greater part of their time. The Virginian is also to be open each and every day as the new management plans to bring feature super-films here for the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday performances. The film contracts held by the Collins Theatrical Enterprise will enable them to present some of the latest and most attractive releases at this theatre. E. Z. Jones, Jr., who for the past six months has been in charge of the publicity for the Burke Theatre, will be placed in charge of the publicity work for the two show houses.
Has Interesting History
The merger of the two theatres is an interesting chapter in the history of the Collins Theatrical Enterprise. The company started several years ago when Mrs. Lillian K. Collins took over the ownership and control of the Burke Theatre. At that time Mr. Collins was a salesman for the J. P. Smith and Company, large importers pf New York and Chicago, but in a few months the business of the Burke Theatre grew to such large dimensions that he resigned his position to aid in the management of it. The many friends of the Burke grew to such large numbers that they could not be accommodated at the one theatre and the Orpheum Theatre on Market Street was leased, remodeled, and under the name of the Blue Mill operated very successfully by Marvin B.. Kincaid with the assistance of Mr. and Mrs. Collins.
Expected New Theatre
Then for the first time in the history of the Blue Mill property, it became a successful movie shrine. Then the owners of the property came to Manager Kincaid and secured a release on the lease with the intimation that the property would be sold and a larger and finer theatre built on Main Street to be leased to the Collins Theatrical Enterprise. It was a great disappointment when this deal failed to materialize but the acquisition of the Virginian Theatre now marks the fulfilling of it in another way.
Yesterday the owners of the Fox Theatre, now officially the Stevens Point Opera House, removed the iconic Fox Theater marquee from its façade in what Mayor Mike Wiza said is an effort to “restore it to its original look, not the look we remember from the ’60s and ’70s, but the original look. And honestly, it’s probably much more practical, since it’s not going to be a movie theater anymore. We decided to take the building over. We didn’t have the ability to save it, nor did we have the money to fix it, so what we did was have an engineer go in and determine if all of it needed to come down and it didn’t,” Wiza said. He said the back two-thirds were structurally unsound and demolition on that had to be done. Fortunately, a large section visible from Main Street was able to be salvaged … the front third, basically the lobby, and the second floor ballroom. Wild Card Corporation owned an adjacent building and stepped in, said Wild Card Customer Success Manager Joe Schoenberg, who added that they will display the important parts of the sign inside the renovated space. "The actual opera house was here long before Fox was, and we want to keep it that way.” The building will house a catering kitchen and events space, and will feature a German-style beer garden in the back.
The 158-car Milky Way Drive-In cinema is back for another summer after debuting last year as a popular COVID-safe attraction. Its second season will begin May 22 with a Bon Jovi drive-in concert experience broadcast to about 300 outdoor theaters and select indoor cinemas across the United States, Canada and Ireland, according to producer Encore Drive-In Nights. Milky Way is one of six drive-ins across Wisconsin broadcasting the show. Admission is $89 per vehicle with a maximum of six patrons. Milky Way’s lineup through June 6 includes “Frozen II,” “Black Panther,” “Marvel’s The Avengers,” and “Minions.” “Jurassic Park” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” were scheduled as a double feature on June 3. On days when the adjoining Milwaukee Milkmen sports team doesn’t play a home game, programs are shown on a 40-foot LED screen, with sound transmitted via a stereo radio frequency.
Tickets are $35 per vehicle. The cinema serves an array of concessions, available to order online for delivery by carhop. It also hosts a rotating selection of local food trucks and vendors. “After a great inaugural year at Milky Way, we’re very, very excited to bring back the drive-in experience for 2021,” said Mike Zimmerman, CEO of ROC Ventures, developer of the Ballpark Commons mixed-use development and owner of the Milwaukee Milkmen. “The Milky Way Drive-In offers a terrific food-and-entertainment ‘night out’ experience in a safe environment.”
January 2, 1926: McVickers Robbery Seen As Inside Job (AP) — Executives of McVickers theatre were scrutinizing rogues gallery files today while police were seeking former employees of the theatre after the treasurer was held up last night and robbed of $1,000. A robber familiar with the theatre’s floor plan and routine sequestered the treasurer, his wife and another employe and forced them to deliver up the contents of the safe. The police are convinced that intimate knowledge of the layout of the building was necessary to smooth execution of the robbery.
(March 13, 1922 - Kenosha Evening News) -
The Story of Saxe Brothers Who Caught Gleam of Big Idea — Pioneers of the Movies ______
The Saxe brothers John and Tom have been something like patron saints to the moving picture industry in Wisconsin and their management has branched out into other states. They were among the first men of the nation to realize the value of the moving picture as an educational institution. They saw the great possibilities of it to the lover of the cleanest and best in amusements at the minimum price. They saw early the important place that the motion picture was destined to play in modern life and they decided to have a part in the important development.
It was Tom Saxe who first predicted that motion pictures would become entertainment de luxe with productions so elaborate that managers would be justified in asking admission prices on a par with those of the legitimate houses.
Started Fifteen Years Ago
It Was five years before the “Divine Sarah” Bernhardt gave motion pictures real standing by joining the movies that John Saxe, now president of the Saxe Amusement company, and Tom Saxe, secretary of the company, began to dabble in pictures. They set up an old “Hale’s Touring Car” on Grand avenue in Milwaukee as the start of their business. Thousands of people recall this old car when people looked through the windows at pictures which flashed past. It’s a long step from the old touring car to the pictures of today but the Saxe boys were right at the head of the procession in every advancement.
The old car got too small. The world was moving faster, and Saxe Brothers moved with the world. They bought the old Orpheum Theatre in Milwaukee and converted it over to pictures. It was a real success, and then the Saxe boys began to branch out. They secured the Lyric theatre, the Princess, the Crystal and the Alhambra, which they made one of the biggest houses in the nation given over to the new and favorite form of entertainment.
Took a Gamble at “Pictures”
The Saxe Brothers took a gamble on pictures. They made old houses larger and built new ones with a view of giving the motion picture everything possible in the way of attractive investure. They called in the magic art of music to make pictures more attractive and added many things which brought a new and different attraction for the picture shows. Many times the expenditures made to try out new experiments were much greater than the returns, but the forward-looking Saxe Brothers were willing to take a chance because they believed that the ultimate success of the picture as an entertainment was far in the future. It was natural that the Saxe Brothers should become a commanding part in the management of the picture business in Wisconsin With their center in Milwaukee; they have been branching out year after year, until now the company has a part in the management and control of twenty-five theatres in Milwaukee and other parts of Wisconsin.
Theatres in Many Cities
The directory of the Saxe enterprises now includes the Strand, Rialto, Princess, Theatorium, the Miller (a vaudeville house), Modjeska, Savoy and Tivoli in Milwaukee, three houses in Waukesha, three in Oshkosh, four in Marinette, two in Kenosha, and one each in Green Bay and Wausau. The close connection of all of these theatres makes it possible for the controlling company to furnish to all the houses the best in motion picture entertainment with the minimum of cost.
Not the least of the interesting features connected with the new Orpheum Theatre is the fact that it signalizes an active interest of two pioneers of a great idea in Kenosha. John E. Saxe and Tom Saxe have done a lot to make life more liveable for the people of Wisconsin. Their connection with the new Orpheum Theatre is a guarantee of a broad policy looking forward all the time. The interest that they have shown in the development of the theatre in Kenosha is one of the happy incidents. When the Dayton boys were looking about for someone of real theatre experience, they found Tom Saxe, and they found that he had an idea that their idea of Kenosha being the real place for a real theatre was a decidedly valuable asset.
A September, 1983 Racine Journal Times article reported that in about 1912 Jack Benny [Benjamin Kubelsky] was brought to Racine to form and play in the pit orchestra of the Rex (then Racine Theatre) by Philip Dahlberg along with Cora Salisbury up from Waukegan to play with him. Together the trio supplied the musical accompaniment to the shows of the ring season. Benny played the violin. He was just 18 years of age.
Racine theater being demolished despite efforts to save it - Capitol Theater built in 1928
(Chernéy Amhara, Anchor/Reporter)
After standing tall for more than 90 years, the Capitol Theater, as it was once called, is coming down in Racine.
The city ordered the demolition despite a local group’s efforts the past two years to save it.
The theater was built in 1928 and was renamed Park in 1981.
According to the city, there was more than $100,000 in unpaid property taxes on the theater, and the city said the past owner did not keep it up to date.
The group that has been fighting to keep it open wanted to buy and restore and repair the theater.
“And it could have been back to a public venue. Les Paul played here in 1930 when he was 14 years old. It is history,” said Judith Schulz, of Friends of the Capitol Theater. “This history belongs to everybody and when people love a building this much, and the history of it, elected officials should certainly listen to their constituents.”
The demolition will continue through next week.
WISN 12 News reached out to the city for comment on the protest and demolition but has not received a response.
Demolition of the former Capitol / Park Theater on Washington Avenue in Racine began three days ago despite continuing pleas to the mayor, Cory Mason, for delays so the Friends of the Capitol Theatre could present its plans for saving it.
The daily Racine Journal-Times wrote that demolition was authorized for this month but was delayed by recent heavy snowfall.
The Friends of the Capitol Theater announced that it had raised sufficient funds to meet the theatre’s most pressing needs, but the group’s hard-fought and vocal efforts were unsuccessful in convincing city officials to delay demolition.
The Journal-Times reported that despite city leaders' repeated insistence that the building complex could collapse and injure someone or damage property with resultant litigation, the paper reported that the building was steadfast and its roof held tight during the recent onslaught.
(July 7, 1926) Cameo Theater Opens Saturday On Burke Site - Restored Saxe Theater is One of City’s Finest Picture Houses
Like a beautiful object of art chiseled by a master craftsman and set in miniature,, Kenosha’s Cameo theater will open Saturday on the site of the old Burke building. True to its name the theater has been fashioned into a compact work of beauty with beautifully blending colors and restful contours. The name, which won first prize in a recent contest directed by James E. Morrissey, manager of the Saxe-theaters in Kenosha, was suggested by Mrs. Eleanor Casey Schmitz and was chosen as particularly appropriate to the style of theater into which it has been made.
Lovely Decorating
The interior of the Burke theater which was razed by fire several months ago was almost entirely wrecked and in its place the Cameo theater was fashioned. Decorations throughout are characteristic of cameo design and the colors used are a soft shell pink blended with a dust blue. Wall panels are stippled in two shades and are framed in polychrome borders. Simplicity is dominant in drapes and mural decorations. The tiny lobby will contain a number of full length mirrors and will be hung with delicate shaded drapes on which are painted cameo medallions. Lighting effects in the theater will retain the cameo colors and blend the pink and blue into a soft laveder shade.
Is Cozy Theater
The Cameo theater seats only 400 people and is small in comparison to others of the city but its size adds to the effect of coziness and comfort aided by the most modern fixtures and conveniences. The new seats are broad and comfortable with wide aisles and ample spacing. A new ventilation system forces air through the building constantly and will maintain the reputation of the theater for its cool atmosphere in summer. To facilitate the showing of pictures a new Day-lite silver sheet has been supplied as well as the most modern of projection machines.
Picture Programs
It is planned by Mr. Morrissey to bring the cream of the year’s film offerings to the Cameo theater and there with artistic surroundings to show them to the best advantage. The program will begin on Saturday which is the official opening day of the theater. Thereafter the picture program will be changed twice a week on Sunday and Wednesday. One of the most remarkable features of the restored theater is its new $18,000 Barton organ which has been installed. Miss Edna Van Wald Tavlin will be organist. As a specialty, Orthman’s Harmony Orchestra of Janesville which played at the Burke some time ago has been engaged to furnish music for the new theater alternating with the organ.
The following is the Wisconsin State Historical Society’s file on the CAPITOL Theatre:
“3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. 3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. 3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. 3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. 3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928.
Historic Name:Capitol Theatre
Reference Number:120910
Location (Address):3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE
County:Racine
City:Racine
PROPERTY FEATURES
Year Built:1928
Survey Date:20012015
Historic Use:theater
Architectural Style:Mediterranean Revival
Structural System:Brick
Wall Material:Brick
Architect:Dick and Bauer
Additional Information:A ‘site file’ exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. Resurveyed 2015.
Built in 1928 as Capitol Theater. Movie theater and vaudeville stage. Theater twinned in 1976, closed in 1986.
2016- “The Capitol Theatre is located on Washington Avenue on the far west side of the city of Racine in the neighborhood of West Racine (Figures 1 and 2). The building occupies the entire parcel on which it sits. A sidewalk parallels the north side of the property and a narrow alley runs the length of the east side of the property between it and a commercial building and parking lot. Additional parking lots are located to the west and south of the property. Residential parcels are located at the southern end of the west side of the property.
Exterior
The two-story Capitol Theatre was constructed in 1928.1 It has a rectangular footprint with an angled facade to conform to Washington Avenue (Figure 3). The building has a flat roof with a brick chimney stack. The rear portion, where the stage/screen was, is a story taller than the front of the building. The facade front Washington Avenue is divided into three sections consisting of a central pavilion housing the theater entrance flanked by a storefront bay on either side. The pavilion has a front gable roof that is capped in large tiles and is framed by wide brick pilasters. The pilasters have concrete caps. A decorative motif adorns the east pilaster. The pavilion’s second story is brick with tiled and stucco panels. A prominent window display on the pavilion’s second story consists of three one-over-one sash windows in arched openings. Each arch is framed in alternating bricks and concrete pieces, and Ionic pilasters flank the center window. Each of these windows has a relief motif set into the arch above the window opening.
The theater marquee divides the first and second story of the pavilion. The marquee angles outward over the sidewalk and has a stepped, vertical panel of lights at its center. The sides of the marquee have backlit message boards with changeable lettering. Each side is topped by a backlit sign that reads “The Park.” The theater entrance is glazed with two pairs of off-center glass doors with glass transom windows, and a plate glass display window is located to the west of the doors. The walls surrounding the entrance are clad in vertical wood siding.
The flanking storefront sections each have a shallow, tiled, shed roof within the parapet. Both sections are divided into three fenestration bays and have a single brick dentil course directly below the shed roofs. The walls are brick and have decorative brick and tile panels below the second-story windows, and concrete belt courses above the storefronts. The second-story windows are one-over-one sashes. The east section’s second-story windows are capped with lintels of alternating brick and concrete pieces. The east section’s storefront has a transom window that consists of square glass lights and spans its full width. The east two bays are glazed with plate glass display windows resting on a tiled wall. The store entrance is angled and recessed in the westernmost bay.
The west section’s second-story windows are also one-over-one sashes, but are unevenly spaced. The eastern and central bays have lintels of alternating brick and concrete that match those on the east section; however, the outer, western window is set into an arched opening with a motif that matches those in the center pavilion. The distinction between the western window bay and the other two bays is also enhanced by a small break in the belt course. The window’s arch is mirrored on the bay’s first story, which consists of an entrance recessed within an arched entryway. The arch is comprised of composite pilasters that are topped by alternating brick and concrete pieces on the outside of the arch and narrow concrete pieces on the inside. A storefront occupies the eastern two first-story bays of the west section. The easternmost bay is glazed with a large, plate glass display window resting on a tiled wall. The central bay has an angled, recessed pedestrian door. The remaining storefront wall is clad in vertical wood siding.
The east, west, and south elevations consist of brick walls with minimal fenestration. The east elevation has a stepped parapet near the center of the elevation. A pair of one-over-one sash windows is located on the second story of the north end, with a single one-over-one sash window below.To the south of the paired windows is an enclosed porch with a doorway and two plate glass windows, and is clad in horizontal siding. A window is located below that has been infilled. A single one-over-one window is located towards the south, rear portion of the east elevation, and several paired doors are located below grade along the elevation. The rear, south elevation has paired doors on the east and west ends of the first story, and a long, narrow window above a concrete block-filled portion towards the west side. The west elevation has a stepped parapet that mirrors that on the east elevation, and paired, single windows towards the north end. The approximate northern one-third of the west elevation has been covered in stucco.
Interior
The main entrance of the theater, located below the marquee in the central pavilion section, opens onto a long, narrow lobby. The floor is tiled and the ceiling is coated in plaster with a rough finish. The side walls are divided into sections by pilasters, which are topped by an entablature with ornamental plaster running the length of the lobby. Within each segment is a rectangular panel, with ornamental plaster along the edges and glass-front display units in the center, which are also surrounded by ornamental plaster and topped by hooded light fixtures. To the rear of the lobby is a small foyer with an arched ceiling and ornamental plaster along the cornice. Small restrooms are located on the east and west sides of the foyer. The projection room is located above the foyer.
The original theater auditorium is located behind the foyer. The interior of the auditorium has been heavily altered from its original configuration. In 1975 and 1976, the theater was divided into two separate screening rooms? This was accomplished by bisecting the main theater down the center, from north to south. A partition wall was installed by cutting directly through the oval, coffered, plaster ceiling. The coffered ceiling contains ornamental plasterwork along the interior margins, and decorative stenciling is located between the coffer and exterior corners of the auditorium. In addition to loss of original material, there are many holes and other damaged areas in the ceiling. Other alterations have included installing a new wall at the front of the theater for the projection screen, installing fabric panels on the walls, and installing a ventilation system and drop ceiling, which also resulted in significant damage to the plaster ceiling. Some ductwork, and the metal skeleton of the drop ceiling and several ceiling panels remain. No theater seats remain in the building.
Behind the projection screen wall is the original stage/screening area of the theater, which was not as impacted by the interior remodel. Segments of the original plaster on the walls remain, including fluted pilasters and large panels outlined in ornamental plaster that reach from the floor to the ceiling. A large pilaster on each side, with paired brackets, supports a large arch spanning the width of the theater that has ornate plasterwork. A portion of the large, coffered ceiling is visible, although it was also bisected by the projection screen wall. To the front of the coffer is an ornate ventilation grill surrounded by stenciling.
The stage is surrounded by a large, wide proscenium arch that is covered in ornamental plaster, which is painted in many places. Above and to the front of the stage is an oblong ceiling coffer. To the sides, and slightly in front of, the stage, are two opera boxes. These are also set within arches that have ornamental plaster, and above each arch is a decorative plaster wreath and garland."
Bibliographic References:“Park I and II Theater.” Accessed April 1, 2015. www. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/7439.
RECORD LOCATION
Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin
As demolition looms, Racine group holds out hope for theater
By Bret Lemoine, FOX6 News, Milwaukee
RACINE, Wis. - The wrecking ball is inching closer to a Racine theater built in 1928. Weather may have stalled demolition for now, but it’s not stopping one woman’s determination to save it.
If you’re surprised to see Racine’s Capitol-Park Theater still standing, don’t tell Judith Schulz.
“It will stand forever if no one knocks it down,” Schulz said.
Schulz continues her fight to keep the wrecking ball away. The city issued a raze order, and it was expected to be torn down this week.
“For me, my family built it. But my heart opened up to this whole thing when I started seeing how many other people care about this,” said Schulz.
In January, FOX6 News was there as Racine police kept Schulz and members of her Capitol Theater Friends group from going inside. Crews had just finished asbestos abatement and deemed the nearly 100-year-old building unsafe.
“Give this building a chance to relive its history in Racine forever,” said Joanne Haysmer-Wachs.
Schulz’s group announced in January that it had raised $40,000 in pledges to repair the building’s roof and brick walls. City officials said that wouldn’t come close to covering the $157,000 in unpaid property taxes that have accumulated over the last decade.
“The county has given us a couple of processes we can use. One is a payment plan – a monthly payment plan over five years,” said Schulz.
The city also estimates restoration costs could reach $9 million or more. Schulz, though, disputes that.
A city spokesman tells FOX6 that the crews contracted to tear it down have a total of 15 days to complete the project. Schulz envisions the space as a cultural arts center for the community.
“We submitted to the city on Feb. 5 a development plan. Yes, we should have submitted it sooner,” Schulz said.
Every day it stays untouched is another day Schulz can dream of an encore for the once majestic venue: “There’s always hope! It’s still standing.”
Schulz said her group has entered into a purchasing agreement with the building’s current owner. The 15-day demolition timeline started on Tuesday, Feb. 9 – leaving less than two weeks to be torn down.
Statement from the City of Racine:
“The City of Racine appreciates the dedication and enthusiasm of those individuals who want to preserve the Park Theatre. Unfortunately, the current owner of the building is engaged in what we call demolition by neglect. He has allowed the building to fall into terrible disrepair, has not paid taxes in many years, and is now looking to off load the property to avoid his responsibilities. While the group from West Racine has the best intentions, they have not been able to raise enough funds to cover the cost of repairs, take on the tax liability from the current owner which is necessary to acquire the property, or begun the capital campaign to raise the 9-13 million dollars to restore the building. The process the group outlined to the City includes hopes that the County will forgive the back taxes, foreclose on the property, transfer it to the City, and assumes the City would be willing to take on the liabilities owning a property in that condition. Even if this process were possible, it would require multiple votes from the County Board and City Council, and would take a significant period of time. While we understand that local residents have asked others to review the condition of the building, City elected leaders and staff must trust and rely on the 30 years of expertise that our Chief Building Inspector has in evaluating structures. He takes no pleasure in having to take down a building like this, but does not believe the structural integrity of the building will withstand harsh winds or heavy snows, let alone, the pounding and shaking of road construction set to begin adjacent to the building this spring. We hope the local residents will find other buildings which are less far gone to invest in and preserve, and that as a City, we must find ways to hold property owners responsible so that this scenario does not continue to repeat itself.”
Preservationists say they have the money to save the Capitol-Park Theater; seek meeting with city leaders
RACINE — The contract that authorized Azarian Wrecking to demolish the Capitol-Park Theater on behalf of the City of Racine went into effect on Tuesday.
On Thursday afternoon, the building was still standing, the reason for the delay unknown. The demolition authorization lasts until near the end of the month. Sam Azarian, owner of Azarian Wrecking, did not return calls Thursday.
Jonathan Eeg and Reme Bashi — members of the community trying to save the historic theater — were out in front of the building on Thursday, despite the freezing temperature.
“We’re still hopeful,” Eeg said.
The Friends of the Capitol Theater announced this week they had raised the money in pledges needed to address the city’s most pressing concerns, 1. That the building is dangerous, and 2. The city would be liable if anyone were hurt as a result.
“We can start next week,” Eeg said of the plan to secure the building.
They also submitted a 7-page development/restoration plan to the city.
They continue to seek a meeting with city leaders, namely Mayor Cory Mason.
Growing response
The group Friends of The Capitol Theater released a photo this week of the snow accumulated on the Capitol-Park’s roof, an aerial photo that showed the roof had not collapsed under the first serious snowfall of the winter.
Ken Plaski, the city’s chief building inspector, predicted the roof could collapse in the first big snowstorm. But the historic building withstood the storm, again.
Bashi said pledges and contacts continue to come in — not only from the U.S. but from other countries, as well.
Musicians especially are interested in the Capitol-Park Theater because it is where Waukesha-native Les Paul — then known as Red Hot Red — allegedly “got the bug” to be a performer and musician. Paul went on to invent the solid body electric guitar and is now enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Bashi said she only recently became aware the theater was in trouble. So, she went to work contacting people and trying to get the word out.
She said there were so many uses for the old theater, including the potential for a Racine Cultural Art Center.
“It costs the city nothing to wait,” Eeg said, explaining if the group just had three months, they could demonstrate for the city that the building could be saved.
City leaders have repeatedly expressed concern that the building could collapse and injure someone or damage property. Were that to happen right now, prior to anyone else taking over the building, the city (and thus taxpayers) could be held liable.
The Alvin Theater, 1612 W Chicago, on Chicago between Ashland and Marshfield. In 1913, Alvin Alberti, son of Edward Alberti, started a small chain of theaters in Chicago. In 1914, he opened the Alvin Theater at 1612-14 W Chicago. The theater contained approximately 600 seats. In later years, it was part of the Balaban & Katz Wonder Theaters chain. Notice the movie posters. (1937)
In 1913, Alvin Alberti, son of Edward Alberti, started a small chain of theaters in Chicago. In 1914, he opened the Alvin Theatre. The theater contained approximately 600 seats. In later years, it was part of the Balaban & Katz Wonder Theaters chain.
(Dec. 7, 1968) – Accept Theater Pipe Organ for UW’s Parkside Campus –The University of Wisconsin-Parkside acquired a large and rare theater pipe organ Friday when the university board of regents accepted a gift valued at nearly $30,000 from the RKO-Stanley Warner Theaters of New York City. The instrument, a Barton Theater Pipe Organ, is valued at $26,500. A Barton Console lift and platform for the organ, valued at $3,000, is included in the gift. The organ is at the Capitol Theater in Madison, where it will remain until an auditorium for housing the huge instrument becomes available in the new building now under construction. Instrumental in obtaining the gift was Fred Hermes of Racine, chairman of the Dairyland Chapter of the American Association of Theater Organ Enthusiasts, a Parkside spokesman said. (Kenosha News)
The building dimensions were given as 125' by 25'. Near the end of its operations, the seating capacity was listed as 252 in advertisements.
(Chicago Tribune, January 8, 1989, by Rudolph Unger) The lights on movie theater marquees in Chicago
s Loop have been flickering out one by one over the years, and the Loops last marquee was to go dark Sunday as the Woods Theater closed its doors. The demise of the theater where “Gone with the Wind“ premiered on a reserved-seat basis in 1940, beginning an engagement that lasted an entire year, will make Monday the first day in more than three-quarters of a century that the citys Loop will be without a movie theater. The Woods, on the northwest corner of Randolph and Dearborn Streets, will close to make way for a 30-story office building, becoming the latest victim of the Loops decline as an entertainment center and its growth as a commercial center. The 1,100-seat Woods is the last movie house to join the scrap heap of the once glittering film palaces that radiated like brillant necklaces near the intersection of State and Randolph Streets. “There was always a festival air surrounding the intersection of State and Randolph, the center of the Loops night life,” said Edward Barry, a veteran newspaper cultural critic. “I still recall the first of the great silent Harold Lloyd comedy films,Safety First,at the Chicago in 1923, in which he hung from the Wrigley Building clock.” The late Danny Kaye, the funny man whose uproarious first movie, “Up in Arms,” graced the Woods marquee for a year in 1944, would weep if he could see the Loop today, devoid of even a single silver screen. Bob Hope, that other funny man who once stood penniless outside Loop theaters in the 1920s before his star ascended, would certainly look in amazement at the shuttered show houses and sites of razed cinema palaces whose marquees once were emblazoned with the names of the brightest stars in Hollywoods firmament: actors such as Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, Charlie Chaplin, Jack Benny, Fred Astaire, John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Spencer Tracy. Actresses such as Greta Garbo, Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Joan Fontaine, Judy Garland, Ingrid Bergman and Barbara Stanwyck. The Chicago Theatre, long the flagship of the sumptuous Loop show places, was saved from destruction through a massive civic effort to refurbish it as a center of live entertainment. But shadows overhang its future since its operator, Chicago Theatre Productions, went into bankruptcy last summer, and the theater has been reopened only for an occasional event since. The Woods Theater, the Loop’s last movie house, on the northwest corner of Randolph and Dearborn Streets, was to close Sunday to make way for a 30-story building. Gone forever are such popular show houses as the State-Lake Theater, across the street from the Chicago. The Loop, just south of the Chicago, which for a time featured newsreels, is long gone. The Roosevelt, a block south on State, and the opulent Oriental, on Randolph just west of State, gave way to stores. The United Artists, down the street from the Oriental and kitty corner from the Woods, closed last year. The Garrick, onetime neighbor of the Woods, was replaced with a parking garage. The Apollo, just west of the Garrick, made way for the Greyhound bus terminal, which itself is now to be razed so that twin office towers can be built on Randolph Street. The McVickers Theater, on Madison Street just west of State, was taken over by film producer Mike Todd to feature his Todd-A-O process films, beginning with the screen version of the musical “Oklahoma.“ North of the Woods on Dearborn Street, the two Dearborn Cinemas had a short-lived existence after opening in the old Michael Todd and Cinestage Theaters. The properties, owned by Todds estate, are to be sold to the developer of the Greyhound property and restored to their original names, Harris and Selywn, and their original use as playhouses. Also long gone from the scene is the Palace Theater, in the Bismarck Hotel complex, once known as the home of the wide-screen Cinerama films. At one time, the Palace, like the Chicago, the State-Lake and the Oriental, featured not only first-run films from Hollywood but they also hosted live stage entertainment. “From childhood on, going to movies was a big thrill,” recalled Herman Kogan, Chicago historian and newspaperman. “On Saturdays, that meant going to one of the big Loop show palaces, where you could see stage shows as well as first-run films.” There were other, smaller theaters scattered about the Loop where B films or reruns of first-run movies could be seen, usually for a cut-rate price. These included the Monroe, the Clark and the LaSalle, which stood on the site of the present-day St. Peter Catholic Church at 110 W. Madison St. The Today theater, located on Madison Street just west of Dearborn and which specialized in newsreels, also disappeared. The movies came to Chicagos Loop-traditionally defined as the city blocks lying within the “loop“ of the downtown elevated tracks-early in this century.(Chicago Tribune, March 10, 1918) Since theater building is a habit to which Chicago is little addicted, a brief, provincial enthusiasm may be condoned for A. H. Woods and his new house, the Woods, at Randolph and Dearborn. Mr. Woods is known as a showman of many successful enterprises, operating extensively in racy farce, modern melodrama, and character comedy of the Potash and Perimutter type. He is an intrepid investor in the stages, but his daring is mitigated usually by an intuition which preserves him. That is, he avoids the five per cent that is hopelessly good in the theater and the five per cent that is hopelessly bad, and he banks, reluctantly, no doubt, on the ninety per cent that is prudently mediocre. He is, one suspects, a man with few illusions, and none of the florid managerial vanities that inspire such stupid and ignorant posings as “The Judge of Zalamea.” The commonplace or successful show is the better for Mr. Woods having done it, because he does it as well as it can be done without interfering with the attendances. His name on an entertainment is assurance that, while it may not mean much as drama, it signifies a great deal as theater. So the ingenuous wanderer within the Union Loop, seeking amusement rather than edification, will usually find the new Woods a satisfactory haven. It is a good-looking theater. From Michael & Fox, who are literary as well as architectural, it is learned that upon the outside it is an artistic liaison between office building and playhouse. Inside it is as quiet as a midwestern library, with solid walnut walls, purple carpets and chairs, and a conservative lighting scheme of gray and lavender. The first floor auditorium is one of the most spacious in America, with something like 700 seats on it, and all of them permitting an unobstructed view of the stage. There is no gallery, but the balcony is commodious and comfortable. Two foyers are quiet and dignified in brown and purple, “adding,” say the architects, “to the feeling of elegance that is characteristic of the whole.” “FRIENDLY ENEMIES,” the first play for the Woods theater, comes from the titular Capital, with the plaudits of the President. … When and if Mr. Woods gets the electric lights on his theater in operation, the Dearborn street facade will announce “Sam Bernard and Louis Mann,” while emblazoned on the Randolph street front will be “Louis Mann and Sam Bernard.” In case it is learned that the sign on one thoroughfare is more conspicuous than that on the other, a scheme of equable alternation will be arranged by the arbitrators. Thus Mr. Woods is comfortable, Mr. Bernard and Mr. Mann are 50 per cent happy, and Mr. Mann and Mr. Bernard the remaining fifty. All are content except perhaps the bilious observer, who thinks he sees in the minor details of the alliance one of the several reasons that acting is to art what kopeck is to finance.
(Chicago Tribune, March 19, 1918) - An explosion of dynamite shattered the east doors of the new Al H. Woods theater at Randolph and Dearborn streets last night and started a campaign by the police and the state’s attorney’s office to head off a reign of terror alleged to have been planned by union labor sympathizers. Threats to prevent the big playhouse from opening its doors to the public on Monday are said to have been made by labor representatives and soon after the blast had stirred great excitement at the busy downtown corner. Acting Chief Alcock and Assistant Fleming were on the scene looking for evidence upon which to base prosecution. State’s Attorney Hoyne, who is in Hot Springs, Ark., was in communication with his office by long distance telephone and gave directions for the inquiry.
Actual Damage Slight.
The explosion caused property damage of less than $75 despite the fact that it was of sufficient force to smash windows in a passing street car. Nobody was injured, although scores of persons were in the immediate vicinity. Following the explosion, which took place at 7:15 o’clock, George H. Thomas, the contractor who erected the building, and Lou M. Houseman, western representative of Al H. Woods, owner of the theater, admitted their suspicion that sheet metal workers might be implicated. Half a stick of dynamite blew up, either from a slow fuse or a match, just outside the Dearborn street entrance. The actual damage will not exceed $75.
What the Trouble Was About.
Mr. Thomas declared there had been labor trouble ever since construction started. Last Monday, he said, the electrical workers walked out in sympathy with the sheet metal trade, which quit the job three months ago because he refused to substitute iron doors for ones of steel already in position. Had the demands of the unions been acceded to, Mr. Housdeman said, the theater opening would have been delayed three months. Thomas Walsh, business agent of the sheet metal workers, was reached by telephone last night, but refused to talk. He was recalled to the telephone three times. Finally he said:
I know nothing about it.
PROCLAMATION - Whereas one of the technical advances for which our country is noted has been taking place in the entertainment field with the development of three-dimensional motion pictures and
Whereas on May 6 the city of Kenosha will become the first city in Wisconsin where theater patrons can enjoy the advantages of the latest and most modern development in this field known as stereophonic sound,
Therefore I as city manager declare Wednesday, May 6 as “Stereophonic Three Dimension Day” in Kenosha and express best wishes to the local theater which has brought this unique entertainment experience to our citizens.
(Sat., Jan.29, 1921) - THEATRE DEAL IS NOW CLOSED - Virginian Theatre Leased by Collins Theatrical Enterprises - EXPLAINS NEW PLANS - Virginian to Continue to Be the Home of Vaudeville and Also Super Film Attractions —– The merger of the management of the Virginian and Burke Theatres was completed on Friday evening when a lease for the Virginian Theatre was secured by the Collins Theatrical Enterprise as anticipated in the unofficial announcement made on Friday. The lease was sealed, signed and delivered on Friday afternoon just after four-thirty and the new management is to take control of the theatre on the first of February. The lease provides an option for the purchase of the property, should this be desired at a later date. For the present, Manager Fred Dayton will remain in charge of the theatre until the new management becomes acquainted with the operation of the theatre.
Reflects Success of Past
The expansion of the theatre holdings of the Collins Theatrical Enterprise reflects the success which they have achieved in the management of the Burke Theatre on Market Square. The members of the company are Mrs. Lillian K. Collins, who in the near future will take personal charge of the Virginian; Charles Collins and Marvin B. Kincaid, all three of whom will be associated in the management of the two theatres. It is planned to continue the Virginian theatre as the home of high class vaudeville in Kenosha. As in the past, vaudeville will be staged there on the last three days of the week and on Sunday with an entire new bill for each Sunday program. The merger of the theatre with the Burke will also make it possible to supplement these shows with high class film attractions whenever this is advisable.
Daytons Explain Future Plans
Edward and Fred Dayton, who for the past eleven months have been successful in the management of the Virginian Theatre, have sold out their interest to the Virginian Theatre Company, which organization leased the property to the new holder. The Dayton brothers plan to devote their time to their growing insurance business, the extent of which made it necessary for them to withdraw from the theatrical management for the present. They have recently expanded their insurance business to such an extent that it requires the greater part of their time. The Virginian is also to be open each and every day as the new management plans to bring feature super-films here for the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday performances. The film contracts held by the Collins Theatrical Enterprise will enable them to present some of the latest and most attractive releases at this theatre. E. Z. Jones, Jr., who for the past six months has been in charge of the publicity for the Burke Theatre, will be placed in charge of the publicity work for the two show houses.
Has Interesting History
The merger of the two theatres is an interesting chapter in the history of the Collins Theatrical Enterprise. The company started several years ago when Mrs. Lillian K. Collins took over the ownership and control of the Burke Theatre. At that time Mr. Collins was a salesman for the J. P. Smith and Company, large importers pf New York and Chicago, but in a few months the business of the Burke Theatre grew to such large dimensions that he resigned his position to aid in the management of it. The many friends of the Burke grew to such large numbers that they could not be accommodated at the one theatre and the Orpheum Theatre on Market Street was leased, remodeled, and under the name of the Blue Mill operated very successfully by Marvin B.. Kincaid with the assistance of Mr. and Mrs. Collins.
Expected New Theatre Then for the first time in the history of the Blue Mill property, it became a successful movie shrine. Then the owners of the property came to Manager Kincaid and secured a release on the lease with the intimation that the property would be sold and a larger and finer theatre built on Main Street to be leased to the Collins Theatrical Enterprise. It was a great disappointment when this deal failed to materialize but the acquisition of the Virginian Theatre now marks the fulfilling of it in another way.
Not in Rainier, Oregon.
Yesterday the owners of the Fox Theatre, now officially the Stevens Point Opera House, removed the iconic Fox Theater marquee from its façade in what Mayor Mike Wiza said is an effort to “restore it to its original look, not the look we remember from the ’60s and ’70s, but the original look. And honestly, it’s probably much more practical, since it’s not going to be a movie theater anymore. We decided to take the building over. We didn’t have the ability to save it, nor did we have the money to fix it, so what we did was have an engineer go in and determine if all of it needed to come down and it didn’t,” Wiza said. He said the back two-thirds were structurally unsound and demolition on that had to be done. Fortunately, a large section visible from Main Street was able to be salvaged … the front third, basically the lobby, and the second floor ballroom. Wild Card Corporation owned an adjacent building and stepped in, said Wild Card Customer Success Manager Joe Schoenberg, who added that they will display the important parts of the sign inside the renovated space. "The actual opera house was here long before Fox was, and we want to keep it that way.” The building will house a catering kitchen and events space, and will feature a German-style beer garden in the back.
The 158-car Milky Way Drive-In cinema is back for another summer after debuting last year as a popular COVID-safe attraction. Its second season will begin May 22 with a Bon Jovi drive-in concert experience broadcast to about 300 outdoor theaters and select indoor cinemas across the United States, Canada and Ireland, according to producer Encore Drive-In Nights. Milky Way is one of six drive-ins across Wisconsin broadcasting the show. Admission is $89 per vehicle with a maximum of six patrons. Milky Way’s lineup through June 6 includes “Frozen II,” “Black Panther,” “Marvel’s The Avengers,” and “Minions.” “Jurassic Park” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” were scheduled as a double feature on June 3. On days when the adjoining Milwaukee Milkmen sports team doesn’t play a home game, programs are shown on a 40-foot LED screen, with sound transmitted via a stereo radio frequency. Tickets are $35 per vehicle. The cinema serves an array of concessions, available to order online for delivery by carhop. It also hosts a rotating selection of local food trucks and vendors. “After a great inaugural year at Milky Way, we’re very, very excited to bring back the drive-in experience for 2021,” said Mike Zimmerman, CEO of ROC Ventures, developer of the Ballpark Commons mixed-use development and owner of the Milwaukee Milkmen. “The Milky Way Drive-In offers a terrific food-and-entertainment ‘night out’ experience in a safe environment.”
January 2, 1926: McVickers Robbery Seen As Inside Job (AP) — Executives of McVickers theatre were scrutinizing rogues gallery files today while police were seeking former employees of the theatre after the treasurer was held up last night and robbed of $1,000. A robber familiar with the theatre’s floor plan and routine sequestered the treasurer, his wife and another employe and forced them to deliver up the contents of the safe. The police are convinced that intimate knowledge of the layout of the building was necessary to smooth execution of the robbery.
(March 13, 1922 - Kenosha Evening News) - The Story of Saxe Brothers Who Caught Gleam of Big Idea — Pioneers of the Movies ______
The Saxe brothers John and Tom have been something like patron saints to the moving picture industry in Wisconsin and their management has branched out into other states. They were among the first men of the nation to realize the value of the moving picture as an educational institution. They saw the great possibilities of it to the lover of the cleanest and best in amusements at the minimum price. They saw early the important place that the motion picture was destined to play in modern life and they decided to have a part in the important development.
It was Tom Saxe who first predicted that motion pictures would become entertainment de luxe with productions so elaborate that managers would be justified in asking admission prices on a par with those of the legitimate houses.
Started Fifteen Years Ago
It Was five years before the “Divine Sarah” Bernhardt gave motion pictures real standing by joining the movies that John Saxe, now president of the Saxe Amusement company, and Tom Saxe, secretary of the company, began to dabble in pictures. They set up an old “Hale’s Touring Car” on Grand avenue in Milwaukee as the start of their business. Thousands of people recall this old car when people looked through the windows at pictures which flashed past. It’s a long step from the old touring car to the pictures of today but the Saxe boys were right at the head of the procession in every advancement.
The old car got too small. The world was moving faster, and Saxe Brothers moved with the world. They bought the old Orpheum Theatre in Milwaukee and converted it over to pictures. It was a real success, and then the Saxe boys began to branch out. They secured the Lyric theatre, the Princess, the Crystal and the Alhambra, which they made one of the biggest houses in the nation given over to the new and favorite form of entertainment.
Took a Gamble at “Pictures”
The Saxe Brothers took a gamble on pictures. They made old houses larger and built new ones with a view of giving the motion picture everything possible in the way of attractive investure. They called in the magic art of music to make pictures more attractive and added many things which brought a new and different attraction for the picture shows. Many times the expenditures made to try out new experiments were much greater than the returns, but the forward-looking Saxe Brothers were willing to take a chance because they believed that the ultimate success of the picture as an entertainment was far in the future. It was natural that the Saxe Brothers should become a commanding part in the management of the picture business in Wisconsin With their center in Milwaukee; they have been branching out year after year, until now the company has a part in the management and control of twenty-five theatres in Milwaukee and other parts of Wisconsin.
Theatres in Many Cities
The directory of the Saxe enterprises now includes the Strand, Rialto, Princess, Theatorium, the Miller (a vaudeville house), Modjeska, Savoy and Tivoli in Milwaukee, three houses in Waukesha, three in Oshkosh, four in Marinette, two in Kenosha, and one each in Green Bay and Wausau. The close connection of all of these theatres makes it possible for the controlling company to furnish to all the houses the best in motion picture entertainment with the minimum of cost.
Not the least of the interesting features connected with the new Orpheum Theatre is the fact that it signalizes an active interest of two pioneers of a great idea in Kenosha. John E. Saxe and Tom Saxe have done a lot to make life more liveable for the people of Wisconsin. Their connection with the new Orpheum Theatre is a guarantee of a broad policy looking forward all the time. The interest that they have shown in the development of the theatre in Kenosha is one of the happy incidents. When the Dayton boys were looking about for someone of real theatre experience, they found Tom Saxe, and they found that he had an idea that their idea of Kenosha being the real place for a real theatre was a decidedly valuable asset.
A September, 1983 Racine Journal Times article reported that in about 1912 Jack Benny [Benjamin Kubelsky] was brought to Racine to form and play in the pit orchestra of the Rex (then Racine Theatre) by Philip Dahlberg along with Cora Salisbury up from Waukegan to play with him. Together the trio supplied the musical accompaniment to the shows of the ring season. Benny played the violin. He was just 18 years of age.
The battle is lost. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1783568838634123/permalink/2998274050496923/
There was a Theatre Historical Society tour through the MARSHALL SQUARE in about 1984 as it still operated as a cinema.
Racine theater being demolished despite efforts to save it - Capitol Theater built in 1928 (Chernéy Amhara, Anchor/Reporter) After standing tall for more than 90 years, the Capitol Theater, as it was once called, is coming down in Racine.
The city ordered the demolition despite a local group’s efforts the past two years to save it.
The theater was built in 1928 and was renamed Park in 1981.
According to the city, there was more than $100,000 in unpaid property taxes on the theater, and the city said the past owner did not keep it up to date.
The group that has been fighting to keep it open wanted to buy and restore and repair the theater.
“And it could have been back to a public venue. Les Paul played here in 1930 when he was 14 years old. It is history,” said Judith Schulz, of Friends of the Capitol Theater. “This history belongs to everybody and when people love a building this much, and the history of it, elected officials should certainly listen to their constituents.”
The demolition will continue through next week.
WISN 12 News reached out to the city for comment on the protest and demolition but has not received a response.
©2021, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WISN-TV
Demolition of the former Capitol / Park Theater on Washington Avenue in Racine began three days ago despite continuing pleas to the mayor, Cory Mason, for delays so the Friends of the Capitol Theatre could present its plans for saving it.
The daily Racine Journal-Times wrote that demolition was authorized for this month but was delayed by recent heavy snowfall.
The Friends of the Capitol Theater announced that it had raised sufficient funds to meet the theatre’s most pressing needs, but the group’s hard-fought and vocal efforts were unsuccessful in convincing city officials to delay demolition.
The Journal-Times reported that despite city leaders' repeated insistence that the building complex could collapse and injure someone or damage property with resultant litigation, the paper reported that the building was steadfast and its roof held tight during the recent onslaught.
(July 7, 1926) Cameo Theater Opens Saturday On Burke Site - Restored Saxe Theater is One of City’s Finest Picture Houses Like a beautiful object of art chiseled by a master craftsman and set in miniature,, Kenosha’s Cameo theater will open Saturday on the site of the old Burke building. True to its name the theater has been fashioned into a compact work of beauty with beautifully blending colors and restful contours. The name, which won first prize in a recent contest directed by James E. Morrissey, manager of the Saxe-theaters in Kenosha, was suggested by Mrs. Eleanor Casey Schmitz and was chosen as particularly appropriate to the style of theater into which it has been made.
Lovely Decorating
The interior of the Burke theater which was razed by fire several months ago was almost entirely wrecked and in its place the Cameo theater was fashioned. Decorations throughout are characteristic of cameo design and the colors used are a soft shell pink blended with a dust blue. Wall panels are stippled in two shades and are framed in polychrome borders. Simplicity is dominant in drapes and mural decorations. The tiny lobby will contain a number of full length mirrors and will be hung with delicate shaded drapes on which are painted cameo medallions. Lighting effects in the theater will retain the cameo colors and blend the pink and blue into a soft laveder shade.
Is Cozy Theater
The Cameo theater seats only 400 people and is small in comparison to others of the city but its size adds to the effect of coziness and comfort aided by the most modern fixtures and conveniences. The new seats are broad and comfortable with wide aisles and ample spacing. A new ventilation system forces air through the building constantly and will maintain the reputation of the theater for its cool atmosphere in summer. To facilitate the showing of pictures a new Day-lite silver sheet has been supplied as well as the most modern of projection machines.
Picture Programs
It is planned by Mr. Morrissey to bring the cream of the year’s film offerings to the Cameo theater and there with artistic surroundings to show them to the best advantage. The program will begin on Saturday which is the official opening day of the theater. Thereafter the picture program will be changed twice a week on Sunday and Wednesday. One of the most remarkable features of the restored theater is its new $18,000 Barton organ which has been installed. Miss Edna Van Wald Tavlin will be organist. As a specialty, Orthman’s Harmony Orchestra of Janesville which played at the Burke some time ago has been engaged to furnish music for the new theater alternating with the organ.
The following is the Wisconsin State Historical Society’s file on the CAPITOL Theatre:
“3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. 3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. 3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. 3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. 3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE, a Mediterranean Revival theater, built in Racine, Wisconsin in 1928. Historic Name:Capitol Theatre Reference Number:120910 Location (Address):3015-3021 WASHINGTON AVE County:Racine City:Racine PROPERTY FEATURES Year Built:1928 Survey Date:20012015 Historic Use:theater Architectural Style:Mediterranean Revival Structural System:Brick Wall Material:Brick Architect:Dick and Bauer Additional Information:A ‘site file’ exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. Resurveyed 2015.
Built in 1928 as Capitol Theater. Movie theater and vaudeville stage. Theater twinned in 1976, closed in 1986.
2016- “The Capitol Theatre is located on Washington Avenue on the far west side of the city of Racine in the neighborhood of West Racine (Figures 1 and 2). The building occupies the entire parcel on which it sits. A sidewalk parallels the north side of the property and a narrow alley runs the length of the east side of the property between it and a commercial building and parking lot. Additional parking lots are located to the west and south of the property. Residential parcels are located at the southern end of the west side of the property.
Exterior The two-story Capitol Theatre was constructed in 1928.1 It has a rectangular footprint with an angled facade to conform to Washington Avenue (Figure 3). The building has a flat roof with a brick chimney stack. The rear portion, where the stage/screen was, is a story taller than the front of the building. The facade front Washington Avenue is divided into three sections consisting of a central pavilion housing the theater entrance flanked by a storefront bay on either side. The pavilion has a front gable roof that is capped in large tiles and is framed by wide brick pilasters. The pilasters have concrete caps. A decorative motif adorns the east pilaster. The pavilion’s second story is brick with tiled and stucco panels. A prominent window display on the pavilion’s second story consists of three one-over-one sash windows in arched openings. Each arch is framed in alternating bricks and concrete pieces, and Ionic pilasters flank the center window. Each of these windows has a relief motif set into the arch above the window opening.
The theater marquee divides the first and second story of the pavilion. The marquee angles outward over the sidewalk and has a stepped, vertical panel of lights at its center. The sides of the marquee have backlit message boards with changeable lettering. Each side is topped by a backlit sign that reads “The Park.” The theater entrance is glazed with two pairs of off-center glass doors with glass transom windows, and a plate glass display window is located to the west of the doors. The walls surrounding the entrance are clad in vertical wood siding.
The flanking storefront sections each have a shallow, tiled, shed roof within the parapet. Both sections are divided into three fenestration bays and have a single brick dentil course directly below the shed roofs. The walls are brick and have decorative brick and tile panels below the second-story windows, and concrete belt courses above the storefronts. The second-story windows are one-over-one sashes. The east section’s second-story windows are capped with lintels of alternating brick and concrete pieces. The east section’s storefront has a transom window that consists of square glass lights and spans its full width. The east two bays are glazed with plate glass display windows resting on a tiled wall. The store entrance is angled and recessed in the westernmost bay.
The west section’s second-story windows are also one-over-one sashes, but are unevenly spaced. The eastern and central bays have lintels of alternating brick and concrete that match those on the east section; however, the outer, western window is set into an arched opening with a motif that matches those in the center pavilion. The distinction between the western window bay and the other two bays is also enhanced by a small break in the belt course. The window’s arch is mirrored on the bay’s first story, which consists of an entrance recessed within an arched entryway. The arch is comprised of composite pilasters that are topped by alternating brick and concrete pieces on the outside of the arch and narrow concrete pieces on the inside. A storefront occupies the eastern two first-story bays of the west section. The easternmost bay is glazed with a large, plate glass display window resting on a tiled wall. The central bay has an angled, recessed pedestrian door. The remaining storefront wall is clad in vertical wood siding.
The east, west, and south elevations consist of brick walls with minimal fenestration. The east elevation has a stepped parapet near the center of the elevation. A pair of one-over-one sash windows is located on the second story of the north end, with a single one-over-one sash window below.To the south of the paired windows is an enclosed porch with a doorway and two plate glass windows, and is clad in horizontal siding. A window is located below that has been infilled. A single one-over-one window is located towards the south, rear portion of the east elevation, and several paired doors are located below grade along the elevation. The rear, south elevation has paired doors on the east and west ends of the first story, and a long, narrow window above a concrete block-filled portion towards the west side. The west elevation has a stepped parapet that mirrors that on the east elevation, and paired, single windows towards the north end. The approximate northern one-third of the west elevation has been covered in stucco.
Interior The main entrance of the theater, located below the marquee in the central pavilion section, opens onto a long, narrow lobby. The floor is tiled and the ceiling is coated in plaster with a rough finish. The side walls are divided into sections by pilasters, which are topped by an entablature with ornamental plaster running the length of the lobby. Within each segment is a rectangular panel, with ornamental plaster along the edges and glass-front display units in the center, which are also surrounded by ornamental plaster and topped by hooded light fixtures. To the rear of the lobby is a small foyer with an arched ceiling and ornamental plaster along the cornice. Small restrooms are located on the east and west sides of the foyer. The projection room is located above the foyer.
The original theater auditorium is located behind the foyer. The interior of the auditorium has been heavily altered from its original configuration. In 1975 and 1976, the theater was divided into two separate screening rooms? This was accomplished by bisecting the main theater down the center, from north to south. A partition wall was installed by cutting directly through the oval, coffered, plaster ceiling. The coffered ceiling contains ornamental plasterwork along the interior margins, and decorative stenciling is located between the coffer and exterior corners of the auditorium. In addition to loss of original material, there are many holes and other damaged areas in the ceiling. Other alterations have included installing a new wall at the front of the theater for the projection screen, installing fabric panels on the walls, and installing a ventilation system and drop ceiling, which also resulted in significant damage to the plaster ceiling. Some ductwork, and the metal skeleton of the drop ceiling and several ceiling panels remain. No theater seats remain in the building.
Behind the projection screen wall is the original stage/screening area of the theater, which was not as impacted by the interior remodel. Segments of the original plaster on the walls remain, including fluted pilasters and large panels outlined in ornamental plaster that reach from the floor to the ceiling. A large pilaster on each side, with paired brackets, supports a large arch spanning the width of the theater that has ornate plasterwork. A portion of the large, coffered ceiling is visible, although it was also bisected by the projection screen wall. To the front of the coffer is an ornate ventilation grill surrounded by stenciling.
The stage is surrounded by a large, wide proscenium arch that is covered in ornamental plaster, which is painted in many places. Above and to the front of the stage is an oblong ceiling coffer. To the sides, and slightly in front of, the stage, are two opera boxes. These are also set within arches that have ornamental plaster, and above each arch is a decorative plaster wreath and garland."
Bibliographic References:“Park I and II Theater.” Accessed April 1, 2015. www. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/7439. RECORD LOCATION Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin
As demolition looms, Racine group holds out hope for theater By Bret Lemoine, FOX6 News, Milwaukee RACINE, Wis. - The wrecking ball is inching closer to a Racine theater built in 1928. Weather may have stalled demolition for now, but it’s not stopping one woman’s determination to save it.
If you’re surprised to see Racine’s Capitol-Park Theater still standing, don’t tell Judith Schulz.
“It will stand forever if no one knocks it down,” Schulz said.
Schulz continues her fight to keep the wrecking ball away. The city issued a raze order, and it was expected to be torn down this week.
“For me, my family built it. But my heart opened up to this whole thing when I started seeing how many other people care about this,” said Schulz.
In January, FOX6 News was there as Racine police kept Schulz and members of her Capitol Theater Friends group from going inside. Crews had just finished asbestos abatement and deemed the nearly 100-year-old building unsafe.
“Give this building a chance to relive its history in Racine forever,” said Joanne Haysmer-Wachs.
Schulz’s group announced in January that it had raised $40,000 in pledges to repair the building’s roof and brick walls. City officials said that wouldn’t come close to covering the $157,000 in unpaid property taxes that have accumulated over the last decade.
“The county has given us a couple of processes we can use. One is a payment plan – a monthly payment plan over five years,” said Schulz.
The city also estimates restoration costs could reach $9 million or more. Schulz, though, disputes that.
A city spokesman tells FOX6 that the crews contracted to tear it down have a total of 15 days to complete the project. Schulz envisions the space as a cultural arts center for the community.
“We submitted to the city on Feb. 5 a development plan. Yes, we should have submitted it sooner,” Schulz said.
Every day it stays untouched is another day Schulz can dream of an encore for the once majestic venue: “There’s always hope! It’s still standing.”
Schulz said her group has entered into a purchasing agreement with the building’s current owner. The 15-day demolition timeline started on Tuesday, Feb. 9 – leaving less than two weeks to be torn down.
Statement from the City of Racine:
“The City of Racine appreciates the dedication and enthusiasm of those individuals who want to preserve the Park Theatre. Unfortunately, the current owner of the building is engaged in what we call demolition by neglect. He has allowed the building to fall into terrible disrepair, has not paid taxes in many years, and is now looking to off load the property to avoid his responsibilities. While the group from West Racine has the best intentions, they have not been able to raise enough funds to cover the cost of repairs, take on the tax liability from the current owner which is necessary to acquire the property, or begun the capital campaign to raise the 9-13 million dollars to restore the building. The process the group outlined to the City includes hopes that the County will forgive the back taxes, foreclose on the property, transfer it to the City, and assumes the City would be willing to take on the liabilities owning a property in that condition. Even if this process were possible, it would require multiple votes from the County Board and City Council, and would take a significant period of time. While we understand that local residents have asked others to review the condition of the building, City elected leaders and staff must trust and rely on the 30 years of expertise that our Chief Building Inspector has in evaluating structures. He takes no pleasure in having to take down a building like this, but does not believe the structural integrity of the building will withstand harsh winds or heavy snows, let alone, the pounding and shaking of road construction set to begin adjacent to the building this spring. We hope the local residents will find other buildings which are less far gone to invest in and preserve, and that as a City, we must find ways to hold property owners responsible so that this scenario does not continue to repeat itself.”
Preservationists say they have the money to save the Capitol-Park Theater; seek meeting with city leaders
RACINE — The contract that authorized Azarian Wrecking to demolish the Capitol-Park Theater on behalf of the City of Racine went into effect on Tuesday. On Thursday afternoon, the building was still standing, the reason for the delay unknown. The demolition authorization lasts until near the end of the month. Sam Azarian, owner of Azarian Wrecking, did not return calls Thursday. Jonathan Eeg and Reme Bashi — members of the community trying to save the historic theater — were out in front of the building on Thursday, despite the freezing temperature.
“We’re still hopeful,” Eeg said.
The Friends of the Capitol Theater announced this week they had raised the money in pledges needed to address the city’s most pressing concerns, 1. That the building is dangerous, and 2. The city would be liable if anyone were hurt as a result.
“We can start next week,” Eeg said of the plan to secure the building.
They also submitted a 7-page development/restoration plan to the city.
They continue to seek a meeting with city leaders, namely Mayor Cory Mason.
Growing response
The group Friends of The Capitol Theater released a photo this week of the snow accumulated on the Capitol-Park’s roof, an aerial photo that showed the roof had not collapsed under the first serious snowfall of the winter.
Ken Plaski, the city’s chief building inspector, predicted the roof could collapse in the first big snowstorm. But the historic building withstood the storm, again.
Bashi said pledges and contacts continue to come in — not only from the U.S. but from other countries, as well.
Musicians especially are interested in the Capitol-Park Theater because it is where Waukesha-native Les Paul — then known as Red Hot Red — allegedly “got the bug” to be a performer and musician. Paul went on to invent the solid body electric guitar and is now enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Bashi said she only recently became aware the theater was in trouble. So, she went to work contacting people and trying to get the word out.
She said there were so many uses for the old theater, including the potential for a Racine Cultural Art Center.
“It costs the city nothing to wait,” Eeg said, explaining if the group just had three months, they could demonstrate for the city that the building could be saved.
City leaders have repeatedly expressed concern that the building could collapse and injure someone or damage property. Were that to happen right now, prior to anyone else taking over the building, the city (and thus taxpayers) could be held liable.
https://cyinterview.com/judith-schulz-fellow-concerned-citizens-working-to-save-landmark-theater-in-racine-wisconsin-unclear-why-city-set-on-demolishing-it/?fbclid=IwAR0nNU7gp_sX4QbwOwfu-P1lcXQhCVCZ1hGQVx99MXDjGt3EEGTwzmove8M
https://www.wpr.org/listen/1757036 Wisconsin Public Radio report.
The Alvin Theater, 1612 W Chicago, on Chicago between Ashland and Marshfield. In 1913, Alvin Alberti, son of Edward Alberti, started a small chain of theaters in Chicago. In 1914, he opened the Alvin Theater at 1612-14 W Chicago. The theater contained approximately 600 seats. In later years, it was part of the Balaban & Katz Wonder Theaters chain. Notice the movie posters. (1937)
In 1913, Alvin Alberti, son of Edward Alberti, started a small chain of theaters in Chicago. In 1914, he opened the Alvin Theatre. The theater contained approximately 600 seats. In later years, it was part of the Balaban & Katz Wonder Theaters chain.
(Dec. 7, 1968) – Accept Theater Pipe Organ for UW’s Parkside Campus –The University of Wisconsin-Parkside acquired a large and rare theater pipe organ Friday when the university board of regents accepted a gift valued at nearly $30,000 from the RKO-Stanley Warner Theaters of New York City. The instrument, a Barton Theater Pipe Organ, is valued at $26,500. A Barton Console lift and platform for the organ, valued at $3,000, is included in the gift. The organ is at the Capitol Theater in Madison, where it will remain until an auditorium for housing the huge instrument becomes available in the new building now under construction. Instrumental in obtaining the gift was Fred Hermes of Racine, chairman of the Dairyland Chapter of the American Association of Theater Organ Enthusiasts, a Parkside spokesman said. (Kenosha News)