Martin Theatre

85 Ocoee Street,
Cleveland, TN 37311

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Crescent Amusement Co., Martin Theatres

Functions: Office Space

Previous Names: Princess Theatre

Nearby Theaters

Princess Theater at night

The Princess theatre was opened on September 3, 1927. My mother who passed away in 2000 has told me stories about going to the Princess Theatre as a young girl in Cleveland, Tennessee. It became the Martin Theatre by 1971 and closed on October 14, 1972. It is now used for office space.

Contributed by Stephany Davis

Recent comments (view all 8 comments)

JackCoursey
JackCoursey on November 16, 2005 at 5:15 pm

By chance were either the Princess or the Bohemia part of Craigmile Hall? Craigmile was at one time a live theatre and am curious to know if it ever was a cinema?

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on February 22, 2007 at 3:47 pm

Trouble in May 1958:

Manager Arrested

CLEVELAND, Tenn (UPI) – Calvin Harvey, manager of the Princess Theater, will go on trial May 26 on charges the movie “And God Created Women” shown at his theater was obscene. Police arrested Harvey Friday at the end of the film’s five-day run.

TinsleyBros
TinsleyBros on August 7, 2014 at 2:47 pm

I recently acquired the ledger book from 1954 that shows the accounting for all movies shown at the Princess Theater that year. Shows employees, income, expenses, how many pounds of popcorn sold…. etc. Neat find. Calvin Harvey was the owner.

AlanCo4
AlanCo4 on July 26, 2016 at 6:31 pm

This theatre stands today….houses the United Way offices directly behind the Cleveland Summit.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on June 28, 2020 at 3:42 am

Robert L. George and Mitchell T. Kinder’s book Cleveland says that the Princess Theatre opened on September 3, 1927. The Martin closed on October 14, 1972.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin on September 6, 2023 at 10:31 am

From Nashville’s morning newspaper “The Tennessean” August 7, 1927 page 7:

New Sudekum Playhouse Nears Completion

Cleveland, Tenn., Aug. 6 - With the arrival here of the $10,000 pipe organ for the new theater being built by the Crescent Amusement Company of Nashville the handsome show house being erected takes a forward step towards its completion for a formal opening on Labor Day September 5.

Tony and Harry Sudekum, president and secretary by the company, were in Cleveland Wednesday being accompanied by the company’s interior decorator, who started work on the interior of the building immediately. As soon as the interior is completed the organ will be installed by R. J, Hatch, expert organ builder, who manages all work of this kind for the Crescent company.

The organ is a two manuel with electric action and has, in addition to the regular stops chimes, xylophone, orchestral bells, and harp attachment.

Will Dunklin
Will Dunklin on September 6, 2023 at 11:25 am

From the Nashville morning newspaper “The Tennessean,” September 6, 1927 page 3

NEW PRINCESS THEATER AT CLEVELAND OPENED

Special Musical Program is given by Cole

Cleveland, Tenn., Sept. 5 - The new Princess theater was officially opened today. The picture presented is “Convoy” and there was a special musical program by Leon Cole of Nashville on the fine, golden voice Kimball pipe organ.

This addition to Cleveland’s business houses is bing made by the Crescent Amusements Company of Nashville of which Tony Sudekum is president.

Attention to the theatre is commanded by the attritive front of the building with its electric sign of 600 lights. The sign includes three in one, the largest across the front of the marquisa (sic!) and one across each end. In the lobbies an artistic effect has been introduced by the decorators. The outside lobby with tiled floor has walls decorated in harmonies colors.

The inside lobby harmonizes with the outer lobby in decorative scheme and is lighted by chandeliers of bronze design. The motif of the interior decorations is similar to those used in the leading theatres of America carrying out the ideas of the Crescent Amusement Company’s own decor * -ator. Mural decorations are in * panel effect with the outstanding color being blue. The ceiling is *(word indecipherable, possibly ‘festooned’) in brown and the lighting is both from ceiling and candle effects for the walls, making a most artistic arrangement.

The wings are hung with heavy blue drapes, trimmed with dull gold fringe. Similar drapes are used for the stage curtain. The seats are the latest improved theatre chairs with cushions and backs of leather and are the last word in comfort. An orchestra pit provides space for both the organ and an orchestra.

The Princess was erected by the Summer Construction Company for the Crescent Amusement Company at a cost of $100,000.

  • Note: the asterisks show the position of obvious printing errors in the newspaper article where lines of text are placed incorrectly and a couple of words are too faint to read. The text written here is my best guess.
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