The CASWELL Theatre building was built in the late 1800s and originally operated as a store. The theatre opened in 1938 and was owned by the North Carolina Amusement Company. The first movie to play was ‘Stablemates’, starring Mickey Rooney. The price of admission was $.10 for children and $.20 for adults. The theatre closed its doors in 1957.
(January 13, 1920)–
Union Dye Works Regain Lease on Blue Mill Theatre Building and Start $45000 Addition – LARGE ADDITION FOR UNION DYE – Cleaning and Dyeing Co to Erect Big Building Adjoining Their Present Quarters to Make Room for Their Growing Business ……… Announcement was made this morning by Louis and Morris Plous, the proprietors of the Union Dye Works, that they had secured from the Collins Amusement Company the lease for the building formerly known as the Blue Mill Theatre and that the building would be remodeled immediately as a large addition to the present quarters of the Union Dye Company. Two stories will be added to the present structure and this with the purchase of new equipment for the building will cost in the neighborhood of $45,000. Work was started this morning in dismantling the Blue Mill Theatre to make way for the new addition. The entire interior of the theatre was torn out today and as soon as the work advances far enough the front will be torn out to be replaced by one similar to the front of the present quarters of the Union Dye Company. Work will be rushed on the addition by Contractor Otto Windorf in an attempt to complete the building by the first of March to have it in readiness for the spring business of the company. Louis Plous, one of the owners of the Union Dye Company in explaining the plans for the- new addition, declared that the business of the company had long outgrown its present quarters and that the company had long sought to secure the present site for their new building. The mail order business of the company has increased by leaps and bounds and the new addition will be turned over largely for the handling of this business. There will also be quartered in the new building a complete dyeing department which will leave more room in the present building of the company for its cleaning establishment. Contracts have also been let by the company for a large amount of new machinery which will make the plant one of the most complete cleaning and dyeing institutions of the kind in Wisconsin. The addition will cause the addition of a large number of employees to the pay-roll of the company, bringing the total above seventy-five. The transaction closed this morning marks the passing of the Blue Mill Theatre, one of Kenosha’s best known film houses. The building was built by the Plous Brothers several years ago and has been leased and managed for several years by the Collins Amusement Company in connection with the management of the Burke Theatre. During this time it has showed many of the film successes of the country and has been one of the most popular playhouses of the city. (Kenosha Evening News)
The Village Board, at its August 11th Village Board meeting at 8:00 p.m. will consider the Historic Preservation Commission’s recommendation to deny a certificate of appropriateness for the demolition of the Libertyville theater building. The meeting will be held virtually due to the Restore Illinois Phase 4 restrictions. Members of the public who wish to comment may do so prior to the meeting by sending an e-mail to or dropping off a written comment to the Village Hall at 118 W. Cook Avenue. The meeting agenda may be found here: www.libertyville.com/agendacenter . The virtual meeting link is located at the top of the agenda. Members of the public may also comment during the meeting by using the chat function or sending an e-mail to .
Daily Herald, Feb. 27, 2015: Community cheers refurbished Antioch Theatre’s encore
Converted from a live performance venue in 1924, the Antioch Theatre never was known for the ornate architecture seen in some other suburban movie palaces of the era. But for 90 years, it has been a mainstay of downtown Antioch, a place where generations of residents in the small town were drawn for entertainment and camaraderie.
Over time, the theater lost its luster. By last summer, attendance was down, the building was in extensive disrepair and an auction in lieu of foreclosure was a possibility.
Downtown business owner Tim Downey bought the building with the hope of a rekindling the attraction.
The result is a complete $750,000 renovation and upgrade to digital equipment and the conversion of an adjoining retail space into a second, more intimate theater.
The encore of the Antioch Theatre began Friday afternoon and the community responded.
For kids, the attraction in the smaller space was “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water.”
The audience also filled 160 floor seats and 56 balcony seats in the main theater to see “Kingsman: The Secret Service.”
“This is great,” said Mike Malone of Antioch. “We’re really excited to see the theater reopen up. It’s great to be back”
“Your downtown is still the social center, it’s the heartbeat of most communities,” said Mayor Larry Hanson, who grew up in Antioch.
And once again, the Antioch Theatre is contributing to that sentiment.
The last picture show
(Joyce Whitis, Mar. 25, 2007)
“Five or six years ago they had a big shin dig up in Archer City when several hundred movie buffs motored into town. Scattered among the guests were movie stars, Jeff Bridges and Cloris Leachman, who played in The last Picture Show, a movie that first opened in 1972. The occasion for this celebration and a trip down memory lane, was the first showing of that movie in the town in which it was depicted nearly 40 years ago. The movie wasn’t popular in town in ‘72. This time would be different. Folks had matured so they said.
You remember that Archer City’s Pulitzer Prize winning author, Larry McMurtry, wrote that book about growing up in a small Texas town. Everyone assumed that the Show was about Archer City where McMurtry lived and went to high school. Therefore practically everybody there was more than shocked when they read in that book that the high school basketball coach’s wife had an affair with one of the students. That was not a Texas thing to do and it ruffled more than a few feathers. And then there was that scene where the lovely Cybil Shepherd and her friends went skinny dipping in a pool in Wichita Falls.
My Lord! What next?
That was the way we thought 40 years ago, and my dear, times have changed. Today it seems that an awful lot of teenagers are proud to parade across a computer screen and unblushingly reveal activities that would have sent their mothers underground for life. Not only do these children get vocal but their language would melt industrial strength paint right off the farm machinery.
Everybody at that party in Archer City seemed more than happy to lay down a couple of hundred to see the 37-year-old movie, The Last Picture Show. This time it was almost in the original movie theater. Actually the picture show which was the subject of the book and resulting flick, burned sometime in the mid-sixties. This showing of the film that has become a classic was next door to the old Royal Theater. The new building, built behind an old storefront, is now a performing arts theater.
I can’t help but wonder what arts will be performing in Archer City. Maybe book reviews. The town has close to half a million hard copies. McMurtry himself owns three warehouses packed to the rafters and as if that wasn’t enough, somebody put in his own bookstore.
I have a strong attachment for that little town with the beautiful old courthouse and the streets, mostly deserted, except for tourists with armloads of books, moving from book warehouse to book warehouse. My memory zips back to a cool fall evening in 1945. Football is in the air, Texas High School Football, that is. Chillicothe’s Eagles are about to take on Archer’s Wildcats and our pep squad is marching to its own drum down Main Street. There isn’t much traffic, there never is, and when a car comes up behind us, we just saunter to one side of the pavement and march on.
When our line passed the Royal Theater I remember shouting to my best friend, “The Strand is bigger than that.” I was referring to The Strand Theater in Chillicothe where everybody that I knew saw every show that came to town. The “hubba hubba” crowd (that was before cool, and bad and in the ‘40s meant really hot stuff) sat on the back row and we never let the younger kids infringe on those seats. The back row, though not stated publicly, was reserved for high school seniors to sit and hold hands, sigh and maybe steel a kiss when the usher wasn’t looking.
Like the story line in The Last Picture Show, my hometown was also centered around the movie theater. That’s where you met your friends when you were in grade school; where your beau took you on your first date; where you watched that other world unfold on a flat piece of canvas and its power could transport you to some beautiful, romantic place far away where only the handsome and brave lived.
Movies were an education for my generation, not just entertainment. Gone With the Wind set my heart pounding and ignited a fire inside and a love for my Southern heritage that has never been extinguished. I’ve seen that movie probably 50 times and every time I cry with Scarlet at the end. Stagecoach brought us John Wayne. Judy Garland took us by the hand and led us through the Technicolor land of dreams and we closed our eyes and clicked our heels and knew that we had been transported to a wonderland. Gene Autry and Roy Rogers sang their way into our hearts because the good guy always won. In our world that was the way it was.
On trips “back home” I always stop in Archer City to buy a book or take yet one more picture of what remains of the old Royal Theater. In Chilli the Strand is long gone, cleared off by a giant yellow machine with a tremendous front-end loader that just cranked up and pushed the source of all our dreams into dust. I still have a piece of it though. Once, after the building had stood vacant for a long time, staring out at the street like an old woman who forgot where she was, I went inside and sat down in all the dirt that had collected on the seats in the back row, I sat there all by myself for quiet awhile and thought about those wonderful years and all the friends I knew and with whom I shared moments in time. Many of those friends are buried in the little cemetery outside of town, others I lost track of and have no idea of what roads they took in life. After awhile I got up and ripped a piece of art deco molding from the wall and walked with it back to my car.
That red and white trim is nailed to the wall in my utility room and it gives me pleasure to stare at it and remember how it was in the 1940s at the last picture show in town. I could write my own book about that."
The new marquee has been installed, a recreation of the original, and awaits power.
Poblocki Sign Company spokesman Blair Benes said “Members of our team spent time in the city archives to find as many old black and white photos of the original theater as possible. That, in conjunction with Kahler Slater, the architect, and MacRostie Historic Advisors we were able to pool our resources and determine as accurately as possible things like color, bulb style and spacing, the pattern of the stain glass element” but with LED technology and digital displays. Once power is connected, a “flipping of the switch” event is planned to as a formal celebration of the new 13-foot-tall 32-foot-wide marquee and 52-foot-tall 11-foot-wide 1,200-bulb blade sign.
Benes credited dozens of Poblocki workers involved in the three-month fabrication and roughly three weeks of on-site prep work. “The golden crown was hand-spray applied painted to achieve the gradient you see at the top. Due to all of the detailed scroll and channel work these displays spent more time in prep and taping work than actually in the paint booths.”
The Bella Union Theatre is seen several times in background scenes in “Impact” (1949) which caught my eye and I researched its identity. See our photo gallery.
Pretty Prairie saves small town theater for the future
(by Kathy Hanks, Jun. 12, 2018)
The Blue Shoes Theatre in Pretty Prairie is now fully restored and renovated, Wednesday, June 6, 2018, after two storms caused significant damage to the building in July, 2013. Five years after the roof of Pretty Prairie’s theater blew off in a storm, it’s back in business and operated by local high school students.
For more than 30 years it was known as Pretty Prairie Civic Theatre but has been renamed the Blue Shoes Theatre because the words “Blue Shoes,” were painted on the bricks above the Collingwood General Merchandising store and spotted by Cliff Wray in a historic photograph. It was Wray, from Hutchinson, who restored the building before handing it over to the high school’s entrepreneur, career, and technical management classes.
“When I saw that picture I wanted to name it Blue Shoes,” Wray said. Blue Shoes were a brand of footwear sold back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Doc Martens of their day, Wray said.
Two back-to-back storms blew through Pretty Prairie during the summer of 2013 causing extensive structural damage to the 1890s buildings housing the Civic Theatre. It left the carpet in the lobby saturated and covered with chunks of plaster.
After the storm, Wray with Wray Roofing, was in town repairing the roof at Pretty Prairie Middle School. He heard about the damage to the theater which occupies the former Collingwood General Merchandising and Coal building and the State Bank, both once owned by the Collingwood family, early settlers of Pretty Prairie.
Wray was concerned when he heard talk that it might have to be torn down because the city couldn’t afford the repairs. So he went to the city council to see if he could buy the buildings and prevent an empty gap appearing on Main Street.
“I’m not from Pretty Prairie, but they always talked about the theater,” Wray said. “And tearing it down would be like pulling up roots underneath a tree.”
He was prepared to pay up to $500 for the buildings. However, the city sold the theater for $1.
It took several years, but with the help of the city, family, volunteers and his crew with Wray Roofing, the job was completed.
After giving it some thought, Wray, who has served on the Buhler School Board for 23 years, handed the theater over to the Pretty Prairie School District to use as an extension of their classrooms.
“Kids don’t have a lot of opportunities, and I thought what a great idea for them to run the theater,” Wray said.
It’s now their theater; they are invested, said Randy Hendrickson, superintendent.
Managing a theater fits into the high school’s entrepreneur, career, and technical management classes. They applied for and received a movie license. Then they were trained to be projectionists by Darrell Albright, who operated the Civic Theatre on a volunteer base for more than 30 years.
Students have already operated the theater on different occasions, including after-school movies on Fridays.
“I know the high school kids can do a good job,” Hendrickson said. “They will learn how to deal with people, showing up on time to work. They will learn about advertising and marketing. They’ll get a lot out of it.”
Already they have selected and ordered movies, others operate the projector while some get the popcorn ready, and others sell tickets in the original ticket booth. After the show, there is clean up detail including windows and bathrooms.
Hendrickson said the gift of the theater opens up a variety of learning opportunities with everything from entrepreneurial theater management and business to technology and theater classes.
Meeting in the lobby of the small theater on a recent morning with Hendrickson and Albright, Wray said that Darrell the former proprietor of the theater represented the past, while the school was the future.
In the 1920s the store was known as Grace Graber’s Dry Goods, then in 1936, the two stores and the bank were converted into the Civic Theatre. By 1955, television had killed the small town’s theater business, said Albright.
For the next few decades, the building was used for special town gatherings. Then in April 1981, Albright and his family re-opened with the movie “High Noon.”
Before the storm hit this town of 600 people, the Civic Theatre was the place to go for classic Saturday night movies. An “Our Gang” episode played before the feature film. That’s because Carl Switzer, who played Alfalfa in the series, briefly lived in Pretty Prairie while he was married to Dian Collingwood.
On a good year, about 3,000 people would come from around the area to see an old movie at the theater. It has also been used as a spot for class reunions and wedding receptions, especially popular with couples who met and fell in love at the theater.
This summer the Blue Shoes Theatre will host “Stage 9: On Broadway” at 2 p.m., June 24. All the proceeds will go to the career and technical education program for the entrepreneurial theater management
“If not for Cliff this would be a bare lot,” Hendrickson said. “We’re indebted to him for his work, time and for our kids to have this opportunity.”
The building dated to about 1910. The theatre proprietor remains unknown at this date. No ads were placed in 1913, and the 1914 Wright’s Kenosha Directory listed the space as occupied by tailor Ernest Gianantonio. Germano opened the Central Pharmacy on the corner space and it’s believed that for decades thereafter the former theatre space hosted a tavern. It’s now a parking lot. (Thanks to Al Westerman for his research on the West Side Theatre.)
he Plaza Theatre announced plans to offer drive-in movies in the Reineman’s True Value parking lot across from the theatre. The Plaza had offered classic pictures at the lot every August for years on its two-story inflatable screen. This year, owner Shad Branen said they plan to screen new pictures outdoors as well.The lot will be limited to 50 vehicles. Audio will be broadcast through an FM radio frequency.
Studios delayed the release of new pictures and suspended production for those slated to come out later this year. For this Saturday, the Plaza plans to screen the Disney and Pixar animated film “Onward,” which was what was showing at the Plaza when it closed in March. Patrons will pay $25 per vehicle which will include a $5 certificate for concessions either delivered to their vehicle or picked up themselves, though masks and social distancing is requested. The Plaza’s restrooms will also be available.
The show starts at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. Reservations will be taken only through plaza4.com and the Plaza Theatre’s Facebook page.
The Milky Way Drive-In Theatre opening at 6 p.m. on Friday evening, May 22, 2020 began a season of entertainment through Labor Day. “Onward” heralded its grand opening, followed by “Fast & Furious” and “Hobbs & Shaw” at 8:45 p.m. Tickets are $35 per car, limited to the number of seatbelts.
The theatre’s selection of food and drink includes hamburgers, Impossible burgers, hot dogs, French fries, popcorn (of course) and candy. Soft drinks available are Coke/Diet Coke, Sprite, and Mellow Yellow; adult beverages are Miller Lite, Coors Lite, Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, Lakefront Riverwest Stein, Lakefront Brewery IPA and White Claw Raspberry & Mango. Bottled water is also available. Concession orders are made and paid for via app and delivered to your car via car-hop.
Adjacent stadium lavatories are open for use.
Mike Zimmerman is the CEO of ROC Ventures, developer of the Ballpark Commons mixed-use development and owner of the Milwaukee Milkmen baseball team.
Old Nortown Theater Lot on Western Avenue To Become a Wendy’s – by Linze Rice, January 28, 2016
WEST RIDGE — The site where the old Nortown Theater was built in 1931 along Western Avenue will soon become a Wendy’s fast food restaurant, according to records. In December, city officials approved a building exception for the drive-through restaurant, sponsored by Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th), and the Wendy’s website lists a new location coming to 6324 N. Western Ave.
Officials with the burger chain did not respond to requests for comment.
The property at 6324-46 N. Western Ave. was the home to the Nortown Theater from 1931-90 and was known for its nautical architectural themes — complete with mermaids on its facade — before trying to transition into the multiplex movie theater scene in 1984. The theater even housed a Wurlitzer organ before it was demolished in September 2007. The lot almost became a six-story condo building with retail and parking, property records show.
In January 2007, property owner and Dunkin' Donuts mogul Amrit Patel hired VOA Associates for work on the lot. By December 2008 VOA said in court documents it had “satisfactorily performed services” — but was still owed $90,746 by Patel. Patel also built the Monsoon Plaza across the street, which he planned to develop before the market crashed in 2008. The plaza was recently bought by BMW dealership owner Joe Perillo, though it’s not expected to become a car lot.
In May 2012, the property was foreclosed upon (in 2009 alone Patel faced 14 foreclosures and more than $28.4 million in owed fees — including $8.8 million for Monsoon Plaza’s construction) and by October it was bought by developer Adrian Tudor. Tudor was sued by the city in February 2013 for various code violations at the site, and in April he signed the building over to the city.
In October 2013, the city settled with Tudor, who agreed to pay $748 in fines and litigation fees, and legal documents show Tudor admitted to storing and parking vehicles at the property since December 2012.
The new blade sign was installed this week. Here’s a video on the project, coincidentally a good in-depth report on how it was accomplished. (Links vanish quickly here; it’s advised you copy the video.)
I’ve always been a fan of blade signs. These to me exemplify the presence of their host theatres in cities and demand our attention to them. So it’s especially rewarding to see the Warner getting a recreation of its blade sign back after 54 years. Here’s a video link to this job and perhaps the best documentary on their construction that you’ll find. (Links have a way of quickly going inactive, so it’s advised that you record the video quickly if it’s of interest.)
NEW ROXY THEATRE HAS GALA OPENING; Its 6,200 Seats Filled, While Throng in Streets Tries in Vain to Get In.
NOTABLES IN THE AUDIENCE
Good Wishes From Coolidge, Smith and Walker Are Flashed on Screen
(Mordaunt Hall, March 12, 1927)
The new Roxy Theatre, at Seventh Avenue and Fiftieth Street, which was opened last night amid a blaze of lights, is another monument to those story-telling shadows that started less than thirty years ago in dingy stores with tin-pan pianos and borrowed chairs. This new addition to New York’s great chain of entertainment houses seats 6,200 persons and was erected at a cost said to have been close to $10,000,000. Less than eighteen months ago on the site where this majestic building now stands were the old car barns. It is a fulfilment of the cherished ambition of S. L. Rothafel, better known as “Roxy,” whose first job in New York was that of a cash boy in a Fourteenth Street department store.Long before the hour set for the formal opening of the Roxy’s doors an imposing throng gathered. They were eager to see Gloria Swanson, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and other notables who were expected to be present. And judging by the many distinguished persons one noticed in the grand rotunda, everybody who was able to come was there. Miss Swanson, whose production, “The Love of Sunya” had the distinction of being the first presentation in this new theatre, arrived about 8:30, and she would have been earned off her feet had not several men gathered around her and escorted her to her seat in one of the orchestra rows. Other screen celebrities had similar experiences, and it was not the people on the sidewalk who forged around them but those who had gained admission to the building.
A Building of Distinction.
The Roxy Theatre has already been described in THE NEW YORK TIMES, and it lives up to all the eulogies written about it. It is a building of distinction with a pleasing color combination of old rose and dull gold to greet the eye. There are entrancing windows in the auditorium which are so lighted that it seems as if the sun were streaming through them. Looking back from the eighth or tenth row of the orchestra last night, there was an impressive sea of faces. It was a striking sight just to watch the packed auditorium from the rear rails, for this is a theatre that might be the home of opera, with its lofty proscenium arch, its comfortable seats, its striking loges and its roomy balcony. The aisles are unusually wide, and through them the uniformed attendants hurried back and forth knowing exactly the seats called for by the tickets. Yet with all its tremendous size there is, as Mr. Rothafel has explained, a certain feeling of intimacy about the structure.
How Roxy Got Idea for First Scene.
It was while Mr. Rothafel was leaning over the rail of a steamship bound for Europe that he obtained his idea for the opening scene in this theatre. It happens to be a burnt-orange sunset with the stars just visible in the sky. This was gradually transformed through streaky clouds into the American flag. It was accomplished with marked artistry, and the audience arose as the 110 men in the orchestra, guided by H. Maurice Jacquet, played “The Star-Spangled Banner. "Just before this impressive sight a man garbed as a monk appeared, and at the last words of his brief talk — "Let there be light” — a flood of light revealed the great band of musicians. Everything was done on a scale suitable to the size of the theatre. At first the ballet numbered about twenty, then more and more girls were added to the array of dancers until more than a hundred were on the stage at one time. There were old Southern melodies, including “The Suwanne River,” “My Old Kentucky Home,” sung by more than a hundred voices in a compelling setting.
Coolidge Letter on Screen.
Instead of having speeches Mr. Rothafel decided to use the screen, and so one read a letter from President Coolidge to Mr. Rothafel. It ran: “I wish to express my appreciation of what you have done to give real pleasure to the veterans in the Walter Reed and other hospitals through securing radio equipment for their use. And I am glad to learn that you are continuing your interest in this charitable work. "Secretary Wilbur’s communication read:"I wish through the good offices of the International News Reel to extend you very good wishes, for the navy appreciates the interest you have taken in the patients in our hospitals and the pleasure they have derived from the radios installed largely by reason of your efforts. Mayor Walker’s letter was as follows: "In wishing you every possible congratulation upon the occasion of the opening of the Roxy Theatre I feel that I am only one of the tremendous multitude of those who regard you with similar sentiments. The splendid entertainments which under your direction have been sent over the air into the homes of the nation have made millions of friends for you."I feel confident that the Roxy Theatre will win for you a comparatively great host of admirers. The dedication of the proceeds for the opening night for the purchasing of radio stations for institution for war veterans is only consistent with your many benevolences of the past. "I wish you every good fortune for years to come.
Telegram from Governor Smith.
Governor Alfred E. Smith sent a telegram which read: "You are soon to realize your ambition in furtherance of the pleasures of the public and I send hearty congratulations on the opening of the new Roxy Theatre together with the very best of good wishes for its future success."Vice President Charles G. Dawes sent the following message:"The new theatre, I am informed, is a splendid testimonial to Mr. Rothafel’s energy and business enterprise and I congratulate him."The orchestra had descended to a level below the stage during the screening of these documents, when it came up again (on the elevator platform), Erno Rapee officiated as conductor. Airs from the opera "Carmen” were played as a prelude to the screening of a Vitaphone feature, a scene from the second act of Bizet’s masterpiece. The efforts of the musicians were greeted with hearty applause and then Giovanni Martinelli and Jeanne Gordon were heard and seen (on the screen) in this scene from “Carmen.” Signor Martinelli’s rendition was as fine as his initial presentation, “Vesti la giubba,” from “I Pagliacci.” His voice burst from the screen with splendid synchronization with the movements of his lips. It rang through the great theatre as if he had himself been on the stage. Miss Gordon’s part in this performance was also striking.
Miss Swanson’s Skillful Acting.
Miss Swanson’s picture, “The Love of Sunya,” based on Max Marcin’s play, “The Eyes of Youth,” is an intriguing picture, with pardonable exaggerations, but none the less skillfully directed by Albert Parker, who was responsible for the direction of Douglas Fairbanks’s prismatic feature, “The Black Pirate.” And Miss Swanson herein gives a far better performance than in any other of her films in the last two years. This picture was started somewhat abruptly, for there was no main title flashed on the screen or a list of players and characters. Despite this omission the audience evidently became interested in the film story, which is one concerned with crystal gazing and seeing the future. The heroine, Sunya (Miss Swanson), has the chance to marry three men, and through a Hindu clairvoyant she is permitted to learn all that may happen to her as the wife, first of the impresario, then of the banker and finally of the diligent, handsome young hero.Mr. Parker has worked out expertly the idea of impressing on the audience the journey into the future. First Sunya is beheld sitting before the crystal; then there appear on the screen peculiar shapes and transparencies until one sees Sunya as the mistress of the impresario, impersonated by Andreas de Segurola. Sunya, toward the end of the episode, becomes tired of the bickering and recrimination between the impresario and herself and one night she seeks relief in wine. There is a stirring scene in which the heroine gives way to her temper, flinging everything, from from flowers to furniture, about the room, and finally, after causing the impresario to flee, she throws his hat and cane after him.Miss Swanson’s impersonation of the intoxicated singer in this chapter is excellent. She expresses sarcasm, anger, and gives a clever portrayal of the luxury-loving prima donna. Mr. Parker introduces effective ideas in telling this story, and the photographing and lighting are most artistic. Whether it is a scene of a revel in a drawing room or a talk between two men in the stage wings, Mr. Parker pictures it with originality, and he carefully keeps to the trend of the story, never permitting cinematics to interrupt the interest in the narrative.
Official List of Guests.
The official list of invited guests, which did not by any means include all of the well-known New Yorkers who were present, follows: Major Gen. Lejeune, Mayor Walker and Mrs. Walker, Gov. Moore of New Jersey, Gloria Swanson and the Marquis de la Falaise de la Coudraye, Mr. and Mrs. John Boles, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Parker, Mr. and Mrs. Allen Moore, Mr. and Mrs. Pierre Bedard, Count de Margoenant Rene Guetta, Gen. and Mrs. Stewart, Gen. Summerall, Senator Copeland, Senator Edwards, Senator Wagner, Senator Capper, Charles Chaplin, Irving Berlin, Mrs. Otto Kahn, Mrs. P. Kochanski, Will Hays, J. J. and Lee Shubert, Col. Fred'k Pope, Philip Russell, Harold Roberts, Charles Richardson, Mr. and Mrs. W. Atkinson, Herbert Lubin, Police Commissioner McLaughlin, John J. Dorman, John Kenion, John H. McCooey, K. F. Sutherland, Judge Edward Reigelman, Harold Lloyd, Joseph M. Schenck, Adolph S. Ochs, Mr. and Mrs. R. Rowland, May Allison, James R. Quirk, Keats Speed, Herbert B. Swope, Maj. H. C. Woodward, William T. Dewart, Walter Wanger, Sol Bloom, Theodore E. Burton, Jesse Lasky, Nathan Burkan, Paul Block, Lowell Sherman, Phil Payne, Pauline Garon, Lois Moran, Sam Katz, Lois Wilson, Mary Brian, Thomas Meighan, Hope Hampton, Ralph Pulitzer, Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Wright, Herbert J. Krapp, Dr. A. H. Gianinni, Magistrate Eliperin, Ben Bernie, Judge Mitchell May, Bor. Pres. Byrne, S. W. Straus, Alexander Lambert, A. Hammerstein, Joseph Plunkett, Texas Guinan, Bor. Pres. Miller, Gov. Trumbull of Connecticut, K. Binzausas, The British, Italian and Austrian Consuls General.
Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre near Jefferson to open June 19
Rob Thomas | The Capital Times
Lee Burgess, owner of the Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre in Jefferson, is shown here in this 2011 photo. Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday that drive-in theaters can open with proper restrictions.
Two weeks ago, Leo Burgess would have bet that the big screen at his drive-in theater, Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre near Jefferson, would stay dark for the entire summer because of coronavirus restrictions.
So Burgess was caught by surprise by Gov. Tony Evers’ order on Monday that allowed drive-in theaters in Wisconsin to operate.
“It actually came quite suddenly,” Burgess said Wednesday. “I’d been working with our industry reps and our lobbyists. But given how government usually works, I didn’t expect quick action.”
Executive Order #36 allows drive-ins to open, provided that they do not offer outdoor seating, reservations and payments are handled online if possible, and that patrons only leave their cars to pick up food and drinks or use the restroom. Food and drink sales have to comply with other “Safer at Home” restrictions, and theater employees may deliver food and drinks to their car.
“A semblance of normalcy returns,” George Rouman, president of the National Association of Theater Owners of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, said in a statement. “Based on the drive-in theater business model, this will enable guests to find some enjoyment and normalcy outside of their homes in a safe environment.”
Because he was unsure if the theater was even going to be able to operate this summer, Burgess said he is just this week starting to prepare the Highway 18 facility for opening. So the theater, located about 30 miles east of Madison, won’t open until Friday, June 19.
“It’ll be a short, flat season,” he said. “But a little bit’s better than nothing.”
The other big challenge facing drive-in theater operators is what movies to show. Movie studios have been pushing back all their releases, such as “Black Widow,” “No Time To Die” and “F9,” to the fall or next year because there are so few theaters open.
So for the first few weeks, Highway 18 will play classic retro films, Burgess said. He’s not announcing yet what those movies will be, but said that film distributors have been helpful. “They’ve been pretty good, making a lot of great titles available to us at reasonable terms.”
Right now, the first summer blockbuster set for theatrical release is the Christopher Nolan time-travel spy thriller “Tenet” on July 17, followed by Disney’s “Mulan” on July 31 and “Wonder Woman 1984 on Aug. 14.” If those movies don’t get delayed further (a big if), Burgess said Highway 18 will screen them.
Burgess said that with that vast majority of movie theaters closed, he doesn’t fault the studios for delaying those big tentpole films. But losing them will hurt business.
“I am just sitting here hoping against hope that they don’t pull those titles off the schedule,” he said. “If they do, that leaves the drive-in just showing old movies for the rest of the summer.”
Burgess said he’s not sure what kind of business the drive-in will see when he opens in June. But in addition to his regulars who come each summer, he does think new customers who have been “stir crazy” for several months and just want to go see a movie will show up as well.
“I think we’ll get some crowds,” he said. “How long that will last with retro titles is up in the air. It’ll be something of an experiment.” (Madison Capitol Times, May 15, 2020)
The Milwaukee Symphony hung a 50' recreation of the original Warner Theatre blade sign on its new home on the Saturday morning of May 9th. The original sign was removed in August of 1966 and its new replacement was created and installed by Milwaukee’s Poblocki Sign Company, which had created many of Milwaukee’s original theatre marquees and vertical signs. The Warner Theatre had been renamed the Centre in 1964. The original’s whereabouts are unknown and most likely it was not saved. The Symphony announced in February that its new home and performance venue would be named the Bradley Symphony Center, but the blade sign will say “Warner” as a tribute to the Art Deco movie palace.
The CASWELL Theatre building was built in the late 1800s and originally operated as a store. The theatre opened in 1938 and was owned by the North Carolina Amusement Company. The first movie to play was ‘Stablemates’, starring Mickey Rooney. The price of admission was $.10 for children and $.20 for adults. The theatre closed its doors in 1957.
The Uptown Theatre opened on this date ninety-five years ago.
(January 13, 1920)– Union Dye Works Regain Lease on Blue Mill Theatre Building and Start $45000 Addition – LARGE ADDITION FOR UNION DYE – Cleaning and Dyeing Co to Erect Big Building Adjoining Their Present Quarters to Make Room for Their Growing Business ……… Announcement was made this morning by Louis and Morris Plous, the proprietors of the Union Dye Works, that they had secured from the Collins Amusement Company the lease for the building formerly known as the Blue Mill Theatre and that the building would be remodeled immediately as a large addition to the present quarters of the Union Dye Company. Two stories will be added to the present structure and this with the purchase of new equipment for the building will cost in the neighborhood of $45,000. Work was started this morning in dismantling the Blue Mill Theatre to make way for the new addition. The entire interior of the theatre was torn out today and as soon as the work advances far enough the front will be torn out to be replaced by one similar to the front of the present quarters of the Union Dye Company. Work will be rushed on the addition by Contractor Otto Windorf in an attempt to complete the building by the first of March to have it in readiness for the spring business of the company. Louis Plous, one of the owners of the Union Dye Company in explaining the plans for the- new addition, declared that the business of the company had long outgrown its present quarters and that the company had long sought to secure the present site for their new building. The mail order business of the company has increased by leaps and bounds and the new addition will be turned over largely for the handling of this business. There will also be quartered in the new building a complete dyeing department which will leave more room in the present building of the company for its cleaning establishment. Contracts have also been let by the company for a large amount of new machinery which will make the plant one of the most complete cleaning and dyeing institutions of the kind in Wisconsin. The addition will cause the addition of a large number of employees to the pay-roll of the company, bringing the total above seventy-five. The transaction closed this morning marks the passing of the Blue Mill Theatre, one of Kenosha’s best known film houses. The building was built by the Plous Brothers several years ago and has been leased and managed for several years by the Collins Amusement Company in connection with the management of the Burke Theatre. During this time it has showed many of the film successes of the country and has been one of the most popular playhouses of the city. (Kenosha Evening News)
The Village Board, at its August 11th Village Board meeting at 8:00 p.m. will consider the Historic Preservation Commission’s recommendation to deny a certificate of appropriateness for the demolition of the Libertyville theater building. The meeting will be held virtually due to the Restore Illinois Phase 4 restrictions. Members of the public who wish to comment may do so prior to the meeting by sending an e-mail to or dropping off a written comment to the Village Hall at 118 W. Cook Avenue. The meeting agenda may be found here: www.libertyville.com/agendacenter . The virtual meeting link is located at the top of the agenda. Members of the public may also comment during the meeting by using the chat function or sending an e-mail to .
Daily Herald, Feb. 27, 2015: Community cheers refurbished Antioch Theatre’s encore
Converted from a live performance venue in 1924, the Antioch Theatre never was known for the ornate architecture seen in some other suburban movie palaces of the era. But for 90 years, it has been a mainstay of downtown Antioch, a place where generations of residents in the small town were drawn for entertainment and camaraderie.
Over time, the theater lost its luster. By last summer, attendance was down, the building was in extensive disrepair and an auction in lieu of foreclosure was a possibility.
Downtown business owner Tim Downey bought the building with the hope of a rekindling the attraction.
The result is a complete $750,000 renovation and upgrade to digital equipment and the conversion of an adjoining retail space into a second, more intimate theater.
The encore of the Antioch Theatre began Friday afternoon and the community responded.
For kids, the attraction in the smaller space was “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water.”
The audience also filled 160 floor seats and 56 balcony seats in the main theater to see “Kingsman: The Secret Service.”
“This is great,” said Mike Malone of Antioch. “We’re really excited to see the theater reopen up. It’s great to be back”
“Your downtown is still the social center, it’s the heartbeat of most communities,” said Mayor Larry Hanson, who grew up in Antioch.
And once again, the Antioch Theatre is contributing to that sentiment.
The last picture show (Joyce Whitis, Mar. 25, 2007)
“Five or six years ago they had a big shin dig up in Archer City when several hundred movie buffs motored into town. Scattered among the guests were movie stars, Jeff Bridges and Cloris Leachman, who played in The last Picture Show, a movie that first opened in 1972. The occasion for this celebration and a trip down memory lane, was the first showing of that movie in the town in which it was depicted nearly 40 years ago. The movie wasn’t popular in town in ‘72. This time would be different. Folks had matured so they said.
You remember that Archer City’s Pulitzer Prize winning author, Larry McMurtry, wrote that book about growing up in a small Texas town. Everyone assumed that the Show was about Archer City where McMurtry lived and went to high school. Therefore practically everybody there was more than shocked when they read in that book that the high school basketball coach’s wife had an affair with one of the students. That was not a Texas thing to do and it ruffled more than a few feathers. And then there was that scene where the lovely Cybil Shepherd and her friends went skinny dipping in a pool in Wichita Falls.
My Lord! What next?
That was the way we thought 40 years ago, and my dear, times have changed. Today it seems that an awful lot of teenagers are proud to parade across a computer screen and unblushingly reveal activities that would have sent their mothers underground for life. Not only do these children get vocal but their language would melt industrial strength paint right off the farm machinery.
Everybody at that party in Archer City seemed more than happy to lay down a couple of hundred to see the 37-year-old movie, The Last Picture Show. This time it was almost in the original movie theater. Actually the picture show which was the subject of the book and resulting flick, burned sometime in the mid-sixties. This showing of the film that has become a classic was next door to the old Royal Theater. The new building, built behind an old storefront, is now a performing arts theater.
I can’t help but wonder what arts will be performing in Archer City. Maybe book reviews. The town has close to half a million hard copies. McMurtry himself owns three warehouses packed to the rafters and as if that wasn’t enough, somebody put in his own bookstore.
I have a strong attachment for that little town with the beautiful old courthouse and the streets, mostly deserted, except for tourists with armloads of books, moving from book warehouse to book warehouse. My memory zips back to a cool fall evening in 1945. Football is in the air, Texas High School Football, that is. Chillicothe’s Eagles are about to take on Archer’s Wildcats and our pep squad is marching to its own drum down Main Street. There isn’t much traffic, there never is, and when a car comes up behind us, we just saunter to one side of the pavement and march on.
When our line passed the Royal Theater I remember shouting to my best friend, “The Strand is bigger than that.” I was referring to The Strand Theater in Chillicothe where everybody that I knew saw every show that came to town. The “hubba hubba” crowd (that was before cool, and bad and in the ‘40s meant really hot stuff) sat on the back row and we never let the younger kids infringe on those seats. The back row, though not stated publicly, was reserved for high school seniors to sit and hold hands, sigh and maybe steel a kiss when the usher wasn’t looking.
Like the story line in The Last Picture Show, my hometown was also centered around the movie theater. That’s where you met your friends when you were in grade school; where your beau took you on your first date; where you watched that other world unfold on a flat piece of canvas and its power could transport you to some beautiful, romantic place far away where only the handsome and brave lived.
Movies were an education for my generation, not just entertainment. Gone With the Wind set my heart pounding and ignited a fire inside and a love for my Southern heritage that has never been extinguished. I’ve seen that movie probably 50 times and every time I cry with Scarlet at the end. Stagecoach brought us John Wayne. Judy Garland took us by the hand and led us through the Technicolor land of dreams and we closed our eyes and clicked our heels and knew that we had been transported to a wonderland. Gene Autry and Roy Rogers sang their way into our hearts because the good guy always won. In our world that was the way it was.
On trips “back home” I always stop in Archer City to buy a book or take yet one more picture of what remains of the old Royal Theater. In Chilli the Strand is long gone, cleared off by a giant yellow machine with a tremendous front-end loader that just cranked up and pushed the source of all our dreams into dust. I still have a piece of it though. Once, after the building had stood vacant for a long time, staring out at the street like an old woman who forgot where she was, I went inside and sat down in all the dirt that had collected on the seats in the back row, I sat there all by myself for quiet awhile and thought about those wonderful years and all the friends I knew and with whom I shared moments in time. Many of those friends are buried in the little cemetery outside of town, others I lost track of and have no idea of what roads they took in life. After awhile I got up and ripped a piece of art deco molding from the wall and walked with it back to my car.
That red and white trim is nailed to the wall in my utility room and it gives me pleasure to stare at it and remember how it was in the 1940s at the last picture show in town. I could write my own book about that."
© Gannett Co., Inc. 2020. All rights reserved. Stephenville Empire-Tribune ~ 702 E. South Loop, Stephenville, TX 76401
The new marquee has been installed, a recreation of the original, and awaits power. Poblocki Sign Company spokesman Blair Benes said “Members of our team spent time in the city archives to find as many old black and white photos of the original theater as possible. That, in conjunction with Kahler Slater, the architect, and MacRostie Historic Advisors we were able to pool our resources and determine as accurately as possible things like color, bulb style and spacing, the pattern of the stain glass element” but with LED technology and digital displays. Once power is connected, a “flipping of the switch” event is planned to as a formal celebration of the new 13-foot-tall 32-foot-wide marquee and 52-foot-tall 11-foot-wide 1,200-bulb blade sign.
Benes credited dozens of Poblocki workers involved in the three-month fabrication and roughly three weeks of on-site prep work. “The golden crown was hand-spray applied painted to achieve the gradient you see at the top. Due to all of the detailed scroll and channel work these displays spent more time in prep and taping work than actually in the paint booths.”
The Bella Union Theatre is seen several times in background scenes in “Impact” (1949) which caught my eye and I researched its identity. See our photo gallery.
The Nob Hill Theatre is seen briefly in the 1948 feature “Impact”.
The Gate Theatre is seen in the distance briefly towards the beginning of “Impact” (1948).
Pretty Prairie saves small town theater for the future (by Kathy Hanks, Jun. 12, 2018)
The Blue Shoes Theatre in Pretty Prairie is now fully restored and renovated, Wednesday, June 6, 2018, after two storms caused significant damage to the building in July, 2013. Five years after the roof of Pretty Prairie’s theater blew off in a storm, it’s back in business and operated by local high school students.
For more than 30 years it was known as Pretty Prairie Civic Theatre but has been renamed the Blue Shoes Theatre because the words “Blue Shoes,” were painted on the bricks above the Collingwood General Merchandising store and spotted by Cliff Wray in a historic photograph. It was Wray, from Hutchinson, who restored the building before handing it over to the high school’s entrepreneur, career, and technical management classes.
“When I saw that picture I wanted to name it Blue Shoes,” Wray said. Blue Shoes were a brand of footwear sold back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Doc Martens of their day, Wray said.
Two back-to-back storms blew through Pretty Prairie during the summer of 2013 causing extensive structural damage to the 1890s buildings housing the Civic Theatre. It left the carpet in the lobby saturated and covered with chunks of plaster.
After the storm, Wray with Wray Roofing, was in town repairing the roof at Pretty Prairie Middle School. He heard about the damage to the theater which occupies the former Collingwood General Merchandising and Coal building and the State Bank, both once owned by the Collingwood family, early settlers of Pretty Prairie.
Wray was concerned when he heard talk that it might have to be torn down because the city couldn’t afford the repairs. So he went to the city council to see if he could buy the buildings and prevent an empty gap appearing on Main Street.
“I’m not from Pretty Prairie, but they always talked about the theater,” Wray said. “And tearing it down would be like pulling up roots underneath a tree.”
He was prepared to pay up to $500 for the buildings. However, the city sold the theater for $1.
It took several years, but with the help of the city, family, volunteers and his crew with Wray Roofing, the job was completed.
After giving it some thought, Wray, who has served on the Buhler School Board for 23 years, handed the theater over to the Pretty Prairie School District to use as an extension of their classrooms.
“Kids don’t have a lot of opportunities, and I thought what a great idea for them to run the theater,” Wray said.
It’s now their theater; they are invested, said Randy Hendrickson, superintendent.
Managing a theater fits into the high school’s entrepreneur, career, and technical management classes. They applied for and received a movie license. Then they were trained to be projectionists by Darrell Albright, who operated the Civic Theatre on a volunteer base for more than 30 years.
Students have already operated the theater on different occasions, including after-school movies on Fridays.
“I know the high school kids can do a good job,” Hendrickson said. “They will learn how to deal with people, showing up on time to work. They will learn about advertising and marketing. They’ll get a lot out of it.”
Already they have selected and ordered movies, others operate the projector while some get the popcorn ready, and others sell tickets in the original ticket booth. After the show, there is clean up detail including windows and bathrooms.
Hendrickson said the gift of the theater opens up a variety of learning opportunities with everything from entrepreneurial theater management and business to technology and theater classes.
Meeting in the lobby of the small theater on a recent morning with Hendrickson and Albright, Wray said that Darrell the former proprietor of the theater represented the past, while the school was the future.
In the 1920s the store was known as Grace Graber’s Dry Goods, then in 1936, the two stores and the bank were converted into the Civic Theatre. By 1955, television had killed the small town’s theater business, said Albright.
For the next few decades, the building was used for special town gatherings. Then in April 1981, Albright and his family re-opened with the movie “High Noon.”
Before the storm hit this town of 600 people, the Civic Theatre was the place to go for classic Saturday night movies. An “Our Gang” episode played before the feature film. That’s because Carl Switzer, who played Alfalfa in the series, briefly lived in Pretty Prairie while he was married to Dian Collingwood.
On a good year, about 3,000 people would come from around the area to see an old movie at the theater. It has also been used as a spot for class reunions and wedding receptions, especially popular with couples who met and fell in love at the theater.
This summer the Blue Shoes Theatre will host “Stage 9: On Broadway” at 2 p.m., June 24. All the proceeds will go to the career and technical education program for the entrepreneurial theater management
“If not for Cliff this would be a bare lot,” Hendrickson said. “We’re indebted to him for his work, time and for our kids to have this opportunity.”
The building dated to about 1910. The theatre proprietor remains unknown at this date. No ads were placed in 1913, and the 1914 Wright’s Kenosha Directory listed the space as occupied by tailor Ernest Gianantonio. Germano opened the Central Pharmacy on the corner space and it’s believed that for decades thereafter the former theatre space hosted a tavern. It’s now a parking lot. (Thanks to Al Westerman for his research on the West Side Theatre.)
he Plaza Theatre announced plans to offer drive-in movies in the Reineman’s True Value parking lot across from the theatre. The Plaza had offered classic pictures at the lot every August for years on its two-story inflatable screen. This year, owner Shad Branen said they plan to screen new pictures outdoors as well.The lot will be limited to 50 vehicles. Audio will be broadcast through an FM radio frequency. Studios delayed the release of new pictures and suspended production for those slated to come out later this year. For this Saturday, the Plaza plans to screen the Disney and Pixar animated film “Onward,” which was what was showing at the Plaza when it closed in March. Patrons will pay $25 per vehicle which will include a $5 certificate for concessions either delivered to their vehicle or picked up themselves, though masks and social distancing is requested. The Plaza’s restrooms will also be available.
The show starts at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. Reservations will be taken only through plaza4.com and the Plaza Theatre’s Facebook page.
The Milky Way Drive-In Theatre opening at 6 p.m. on Friday evening, May 22, 2020 began a season of entertainment through Labor Day. “Onward” heralded its grand opening, followed by “Fast & Furious” and “Hobbs & Shaw” at 8:45 p.m. Tickets are $35 per car, limited to the number of seatbelts.
The theatre’s selection of food and drink includes hamburgers, Impossible burgers, hot dogs, French fries, popcorn (of course) and candy. Soft drinks available are Coke/Diet Coke, Sprite, and Mellow Yellow; adult beverages are Miller Lite, Coors Lite, Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, Lakefront Riverwest Stein, Lakefront Brewery IPA and White Claw Raspberry & Mango. Bottled water is also available. Concession orders are made and paid for via app and delivered to your car via car-hop.
Adjacent stadium lavatories are open for use.
Mike Zimmerman is the CEO of ROC Ventures, developer of the Ballpark Commons mixed-use development and owner of the Milwaukee Milkmen baseball team.
Under construction in May, 2020.
Installed in May, 2020.
Old Nortown Theater Lot on Western Avenue To Become a Wendy’s –
by Linze Rice, January 28, 2016
WEST RIDGE — The site where the old Nortown Theater was built in 1931 along Western Avenue will soon become a Wendy’s fast food restaurant, according to records. In December, city officials approved a building exception for the drive-through restaurant, sponsored by Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th), and the Wendy’s website lists a new location coming to 6324 N. Western Ave. Officials with the burger chain did not respond to requests for comment.
The property at 6324-46 N. Western Ave. was the home to the Nortown Theater from 1931-90 and was known for its nautical architectural themes — complete with mermaids on its facade — before trying to transition into the multiplex movie theater scene in 1984. The theater even housed a Wurlitzer organ before it was demolished in September 2007. The lot almost became a six-story condo building with retail and parking, property records show.
In January 2007, property owner and Dunkin' Donuts mogul Amrit Patel hired VOA Associates for work on the lot. By December 2008 VOA said in court documents it had “satisfactorily performed services” — but was still owed $90,746 by Patel. Patel also built the Monsoon Plaza across the street, which he planned to develop before the market crashed in 2008. The plaza was recently bought by BMW dealership owner Joe Perillo, though it’s not expected to become a car lot.
In May 2012, the property was foreclosed upon (in 2009 alone Patel faced 14 foreclosures and more than $28.4 million in owed fees — including $8.8 million for Monsoon Plaza’s construction) and by October it was bought by developer Adrian Tudor. Tudor was sued by the city in February 2013 for various code violations at the site, and in April he signed the building over to the city.
In October 2013, the city settled with Tudor, who agreed to pay $748 in fines and litigation fees, and legal documents show Tudor admitted to storing and parking vehicles at the property since December 2012.
https://www.newsbreakapp.com/n/0P4olLc3?s=a99&pd=03KtvuNZ
The new blade sign was installed this week. Here’s a video on the project, coincidentally a good in-depth report on how it was accomplished. (Links vanish quickly here; it’s advised you copy the video.)
https://www.newsbreakapp.com/n/0P4olLc3?s=a99&pd=03KtvuNZ
I’ve always been a fan of blade signs. These to me exemplify the presence of their host theatres in cities and demand our attention to them. So it’s especially rewarding to see the Warner getting a recreation of its blade sign back after 54 years. Here’s a video link to this job and perhaps the best documentary on their construction that you’ll find. (Links have a way of quickly going inactive, so it’s advised that you record the video quickly if it’s of interest.)
NEW ROXY THEATRE HAS GALA OPENING; Its 6,200 Seats Filled, While Throng in Streets Tries in Vain to Get In. NOTABLES IN THE AUDIENCE Good Wishes From Coolidge, Smith and Walker Are Flashed on Screen (Mordaunt Hall, March 12, 1927) The new Roxy Theatre, at Seventh Avenue and Fiftieth Street, which was opened last night amid a blaze of lights, is another monument to those story-telling shadows that started less than thirty years ago in dingy stores with tin-pan pianos and borrowed chairs. This new addition to New York’s great chain of entertainment houses seats 6,200 persons and was erected at a cost said to have been close to $10,000,000. Less than eighteen months ago on the site where this majestic building now stands were the old car barns. It is a fulfilment of the cherished ambition of S. L. Rothafel, better known as “Roxy,” whose first job in New York was that of a cash boy in a Fourteenth Street department store.Long before the hour set for the formal opening of the Roxy’s doors an imposing throng gathered. They were eager to see Gloria Swanson, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and other notables who were expected to be present. And judging by the many distinguished persons one noticed in the grand rotunda, everybody who was able to come was there. Miss Swanson, whose production, “The Love of Sunya” had the distinction of being the first presentation in this new theatre, arrived about 8:30, and she would have been earned off her feet had not several men gathered around her and escorted her to her seat in one of the orchestra rows. Other screen celebrities had similar experiences, and it was not the people on the sidewalk who forged around them but those who had gained admission to the building. A Building of Distinction. The Roxy Theatre has already been described in THE NEW YORK TIMES, and it lives up to all the eulogies written about it. It is a building of distinction with a pleasing color combination of old rose and dull gold to greet the eye. There are entrancing windows in the auditorium which are so lighted that it seems as if the sun were streaming through them. Looking back from the eighth or tenth row of the orchestra last night, there was an impressive sea of faces. It was a striking sight just to watch the packed auditorium from the rear rails, for this is a theatre that might be the home of opera, with its lofty proscenium arch, its comfortable seats, its striking loges and its roomy balcony. The aisles are unusually wide, and through them the uniformed attendants hurried back and forth knowing exactly the seats called for by the tickets. Yet with all its tremendous size there is, as Mr. Rothafel has explained, a certain feeling of intimacy about the structure. How Roxy Got Idea for First Scene. It was while Mr. Rothafel was leaning over the rail of a steamship bound for Europe that he obtained his idea for the opening scene in this theatre. It happens to be a burnt-orange sunset with the stars just visible in the sky. This was gradually transformed through streaky clouds into the American flag. It was accomplished with marked artistry, and the audience arose as the 110 men in the orchestra, guided by H. Maurice Jacquet, played “The Star-Spangled Banner. "Just before this impressive sight a man garbed as a monk appeared, and at the last words of his brief talk — "Let there be light” — a flood of light revealed the great band of musicians. Everything was done on a scale suitable to the size of the theatre. At first the ballet numbered about twenty, then more and more girls were added to the array of dancers until more than a hundred were on the stage at one time. There were old Southern melodies, including “The Suwanne River,” “My Old Kentucky Home,” sung by more than a hundred voices in a compelling setting. Coolidge Letter on Screen. Instead of having speeches Mr. Rothafel decided to use the screen, and so one read a letter from President Coolidge to Mr. Rothafel. It ran: “I wish to express my appreciation of what you have done to give real pleasure to the veterans in the Walter Reed and other hospitals through securing radio equipment for their use. And I am glad to learn that you are continuing your interest in this charitable work. "Secretary Wilbur’s communication read:"I wish through the good offices of the International News Reel to extend you very good wishes, for the navy appreciates the interest you have taken in the patients in our hospitals and the pleasure they have derived from the radios installed largely by reason of your efforts. Mayor Walker’s letter was as follows: "In wishing you every possible congratulation upon the occasion of the opening of the Roxy Theatre I feel that I am only one of the tremendous multitude of those who regard you with similar sentiments. The splendid entertainments which under your direction have been sent over the air into the homes of the nation have made millions of friends for you."I feel confident that the Roxy Theatre will win for you a comparatively great host of admirers. The dedication of the proceeds for the opening night for the purchasing of radio stations for institution for war veterans is only consistent with your many benevolences of the past. "I wish you every good fortune for years to come. Telegram from Governor Smith. Governor Alfred E. Smith sent a telegram which read: "You are soon to realize your ambition in furtherance of the pleasures of the public and I send hearty congratulations on the opening of the new Roxy Theatre together with the very best of good wishes for its future success."Vice President Charles G. Dawes sent the following message:"The new theatre, I am informed, is a splendid testimonial to Mr. Rothafel’s energy and business enterprise and I congratulate him."The orchestra had descended to a level below the stage during the screening of these documents, when it came up again (on the elevator platform), Erno Rapee officiated as conductor. Airs from the opera "Carmen” were played as a prelude to the screening of a Vitaphone feature, a scene from the second act of Bizet’s masterpiece. The efforts of the musicians were greeted with hearty applause and then Giovanni Martinelli and Jeanne Gordon were heard and seen (on the screen) in this scene from “Carmen.” Signor Martinelli’s rendition was as fine as his initial presentation, “Vesti la giubba,” from “I Pagliacci.” His voice burst from the screen with splendid synchronization with the movements of his lips. It rang through the great theatre as if he had himself been on the stage. Miss Gordon’s part in this performance was also striking. Miss Swanson’s Skillful Acting. Miss Swanson’s picture, “The Love of Sunya,” based on Max Marcin’s play, “The Eyes of Youth,” is an intriguing picture, with pardonable exaggerations, but none the less skillfully directed by Albert Parker, who was responsible for the direction of Douglas Fairbanks’s prismatic feature, “The Black Pirate.” And Miss Swanson herein gives a far better performance than in any other of her films in the last two years. This picture was started somewhat abruptly, for there was no main title flashed on the screen or a list of players and characters. Despite this omission the audience evidently became interested in the film story, which is one concerned with crystal gazing and seeing the future. The heroine, Sunya (Miss Swanson), has the chance to marry three men, and through a Hindu clairvoyant she is permitted to learn all that may happen to her as the wife, first of the impresario, then of the banker and finally of the diligent, handsome young hero.Mr. Parker has worked out expertly the idea of impressing on the audience the journey into the future. First Sunya is beheld sitting before the crystal; then there appear on the screen peculiar shapes and transparencies until one sees Sunya as the mistress of the impresario, impersonated by Andreas de Segurola. Sunya, toward the end of the episode, becomes tired of the bickering and recrimination between the impresario and herself and one night she seeks relief in wine. There is a stirring scene in which the heroine gives way to her temper, flinging everything, from from flowers to furniture, about the room, and finally, after causing the impresario to flee, she throws his hat and cane after him.Miss Swanson’s impersonation of the intoxicated singer in this chapter is excellent. She expresses sarcasm, anger, and gives a clever portrayal of the luxury-loving prima donna. Mr. Parker introduces effective ideas in telling this story, and the photographing and lighting are most artistic. Whether it is a scene of a revel in a drawing room or a talk between two men in the stage wings, Mr. Parker pictures it with originality, and he carefully keeps to the trend of the story, never permitting cinematics to interrupt the interest in the narrative. Official List of Guests. The official list of invited guests, which did not by any means include all of the well-known New Yorkers who were present, follows: Major Gen. Lejeune, Mayor Walker and Mrs. Walker, Gov. Moore of New Jersey, Gloria Swanson and the Marquis de la Falaise de la Coudraye, Mr. and Mrs. John Boles, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Parker, Mr. and Mrs. Allen Moore, Mr. and Mrs. Pierre Bedard, Count de Margoenant Rene Guetta, Gen. and Mrs. Stewart, Gen. Summerall, Senator Copeland, Senator Edwards, Senator Wagner, Senator Capper, Charles Chaplin, Irving Berlin, Mrs. Otto Kahn, Mrs. P. Kochanski, Will Hays, J. J. and Lee Shubert, Col. Fred'k Pope, Philip Russell, Harold Roberts, Charles Richardson, Mr. and Mrs. W. Atkinson, Herbert Lubin, Police Commissioner McLaughlin, John J. Dorman, John Kenion, John H. McCooey, K. F. Sutherland, Judge Edward Reigelman, Harold Lloyd, Joseph M. Schenck, Adolph S. Ochs, Mr. and Mrs. R. Rowland, May Allison, James R. Quirk, Keats Speed, Herbert B. Swope, Maj. H. C. Woodward, William T. Dewart, Walter Wanger, Sol Bloom, Theodore E. Burton, Jesse Lasky, Nathan Burkan, Paul Block, Lowell Sherman, Phil Payne, Pauline Garon, Lois Moran, Sam Katz, Lois Wilson, Mary Brian, Thomas Meighan, Hope Hampton, Ralph Pulitzer, Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Wright, Herbert J. Krapp, Dr. A. H. Gianinni, Magistrate Eliperin, Ben Bernie, Judge Mitchell May, Bor. Pres. Byrne, S. W. Straus, Alexander Lambert, A. Hammerstein, Joseph Plunkett, Texas Guinan, Bor. Pres. Miller, Gov. Trumbull of Connecticut, K. Binzausas, The British, Italian and Austrian Consuls General.
Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre near Jefferson to open June 19 Rob Thomas | The Capital Times
Lee Burgess, owner of the Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre in Jefferson, is shown here in this 2011 photo. Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday that drive-in theaters can open with proper restrictions.
Two weeks ago, Leo Burgess would have bet that the big screen at his drive-in theater, Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre near Jefferson, would stay dark for the entire summer because of coronavirus restrictions.
So Burgess was caught by surprise by Gov. Tony Evers’ order on Monday that allowed drive-in theaters in Wisconsin to operate.
“It actually came quite suddenly,” Burgess said Wednesday. “I’d been working with our industry reps and our lobbyists. But given how government usually works, I didn’t expect quick action.”
Executive Order #36 allows drive-ins to open, provided that they do not offer outdoor seating, reservations and payments are handled online if possible, and that patrons only leave their cars to pick up food and drinks or use the restroom. Food and drink sales have to comply with other “Safer at Home” restrictions, and theater employees may deliver food and drinks to their car.
“A semblance of normalcy returns,” George Rouman, president of the National Association of Theater Owners of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, said in a statement. “Based on the drive-in theater business model, this will enable guests to find some enjoyment and normalcy outside of their homes in a safe environment.”
Because he was unsure if the theater was even going to be able to operate this summer, Burgess said he is just this week starting to prepare the Highway 18 facility for opening. So the theater, located about 30 miles east of Madison, won’t open until Friday, June 19.
“It’ll be a short, flat season,” he said. “But a little bit’s better than nothing.”
The other big challenge facing drive-in theater operators is what movies to show. Movie studios have been pushing back all their releases, such as “Black Widow,” “No Time To Die” and “F9,” to the fall or next year because there are so few theaters open.
So for the first few weeks, Highway 18 will play classic retro films, Burgess said. He’s not announcing yet what those movies will be, but said that film distributors have been helpful. “They’ve been pretty good, making a lot of great titles available to us at reasonable terms.”
Right now, the first summer blockbuster set for theatrical release is the Christopher Nolan time-travel spy thriller “Tenet” on July 17, followed by Disney’s “Mulan” on July 31 and “Wonder Woman 1984 on Aug. 14.” If those movies don’t get delayed further (a big if), Burgess said Highway 18 will screen them.
Burgess said that with that vast majority of movie theaters closed, he doesn’t fault the studios for delaying those big tentpole films. But losing them will hurt business.
“I am just sitting here hoping against hope that they don’t pull those titles off the schedule,” he said. “If they do, that leaves the drive-in just showing old movies for the rest of the summer.”
Burgess said he’s not sure what kind of business the drive-in will see when he opens in June. But in addition to his regulars who come each summer, he does think new customers who have been “stir crazy” for several months and just want to go see a movie will show up as well.
“I think we’ll get some crowds,” he said. “How long that will last with retro titles is up in the air. It’ll be something of an experiment.” (Madison Capitol Times, May 15, 2020)
The Milwaukee Symphony hung a 50' recreation of the original Warner Theatre blade sign on its new home on the Saturday morning of May 9th. The original sign was removed in August of 1966 and its new replacement was created and installed by Milwaukee’s Poblocki Sign Company, which had created many of Milwaukee’s original theatre marquees and vertical signs. The Warner Theatre had been renamed the Centre in 1964. The original’s whereabouts are unknown and most likely it was not saved. The Symphony announced in February that its new home and performance venue would be named the Bradley Symphony Center, but the blade sign will say “Warner” as a tribute to the Art Deco movie palace.