Shea's Criterion Theatre
W. Mohawk Street and Pearl Street,
Buffalo,
NY
14202
W. Mohawk Street and Pearl Street,
Buffalo,
NY
14202
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Shea Theatres
Architects: William Worth Carlin
Styles: Romanesque Revival
Previous Names: Star Theater
Nearby Theaters
The Star Theater was opened December 24, 1888. A 2/6 WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organ, Opus 342, was shipped from North Tonawanda, New York on April 20, 1920. Buffalo is only 14 miles away so it should have arrived at the theatre the same day. What happened to the organ after that is unknown.
It was renamed Shea’s Criterion Theatre on September 5, 1920 reopening with a sneak preview of Gloria Swanson in “Something to Think About”. It was closed and demolished in 1924.
Contributed by
Ret. AKC(NAC) Bob Jensen
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
The Criterion used to be the Star Theater. Located at the corner of W. Mohawk & Pearl Streets, the Star, designed by W.W. Carlin, opened Dec.24,1888 with 1,425 seats. It became the Criterion Dec.3,1923 and was razed June 22,1924.
Here is a history of the Star Theatre as a legitimate house, from 1888 to 1919. It only mentions briefly that it then became a movie house called the Criterion.
The Art Institute of Chicago provides this drawing, captioned “Levi Theatre, for Emanuel Levi, Buffalo, N.Y.” The drawing might be by the theater’s architect, William Worth Carlin. The building was designed in the Romanesque Revival style.
The Criterion opened on Sunday September 5, 1920 with a sneak preview of Demille’s “Something To Think About” starring Gloria Swanson.
How the Criterion opened. http://www.archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew222unse#page/2228/mode/2up
An article about the Criterion’s planned opening and details about it’s management and upgrading. http://www.archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew222unse#page/1942/mode/1up/search/%22something+to+think+about%22
An article giving the opening date as Sunday, September 5, 1920. http://www.archive.org/stream/filmdailyvolume11314newy#page/596/mode/1up/search/%22shea’s%22
Reopening as Criterion on September 5th, 1920
Shea’s Criterion opening 04 Sep 1920, Sat The Buffalo Times (Buffalo, New York) Newspapers.com