The theater’s proscenium arch.
Built on the site of Henry Ford’s first garage, the Michigan Theatre opened on August 23, 1926 in Detroit, Michigan. The 4,038 seat theater was designed by Chicago-based theater architecture firm Rapp & Rapp (also known for the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn) for the Balaban and Katz Theatre Corporation.
View of the auditorium from the balcony.
The National Theatre opened on September 16, 1911 in Detroit, Michigan. Designed by Detroit architect Albert Kahn (who designed so many buildings in Detroit that he was nicknamed, “the architect of Detroit”), the National is noted as his only theater and is the oldest surviving building from the city’s original theater district. Built in the Art Nouveau style, the exterior of the building is covered with terra cotta from Pewabic Pottery, another Detroit landmark.
View of the auditorium from the balcony.
The Madison Theatre opened on October 16, 1920 in Peoria, Illinois. It was built by architect Frederic J. Klein (known for Rockford, Illinois’ Coronado Theatre) for the Robinson Amusement Company. The 1,739 seat theater was originally designed in the Adamesque style and was remodeled in 1936 in the simpler art deco style to ease the maintenance of the building.
View of the auditorium from the side of the balcony.
Proctor’s Palace Theatre opened on January 31, 1916 in Yonkers, New York. The 2,300 seat theater was designed by William E. Lehman who is also known for the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey. It was built for theater magnate F.F. Proctor. Lehman designed the auditorium with a mix of French, Flemish and Italian style architecture. He is quoted as saying, “I wanted to create a building that will wear well.” The complex also included a six story office building.
National Theatre Detroit, MI
Just a quick reminder – there are still tickets available to my lecture at the Observatory in Brooklyn on December 3 at 7:30PM.
Tickets can be purchased at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4687750187?ref=elink
For more information about the lecture check out Atlas Obscura and the Observatory’s websites.
http://atlasobscura.com/blog/american-palace
http://observatoryroom.org/2012/11/07/the-fall-of-the-american-movie-palace-2/
Proctor’s Palace Theatre, Yonkers, New York.
On December 3, I’ll be giving another lecture on the Fall of the American Movie Palace as part of the Atlas Obscura Speakers series at the Observatory in Brooklyn. I’ll be adding some new images and information, so if you came to the first one, there’s still a reason to check it out.
Here’s some information about it from the Observatory’s website:
There’s nothing remarkable about a movie theater today, but there used to be. When the great American Movie Palaces opened, they were some of the most lavish, stunning buildings anyone had ever seen. With the birth of the multiplex, theater companies found it harder and harder to keep these buildings open. Some were demolished, some were converted, and some remain to this day. “The Fall of the American Movie Palace” will take you through the history of these magnificent buildings, from their opening in the early 1900s to years after the final curtain.
Check out Atlas Obscura for more information, and to purchase tickets. http://atlasobscura.com/blog/american-palace
Tickets can also be purchased at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4687750187/eorg
Metropolitan Opera House Philadelphia, PA
Thank you to everyone who came out to the lecture on Saturday night! I’ll be giving another lecture for the Woodbury Historical Society on September 23rd. It will be held at the Woodbury Senior Center in Highland Mills, NY from 2-4pm.
For more information check out their website:
http://woodburyhistoricalsociety.org/events.html
View of the Shore Theatre from the balcony.
Just a reminder – From the Balcony print sale is still on until September 14.
The sizes available are:
8.5″x11″ – $25.00
12″x18″ – $50.00
16″x24″ – $75.00
Check out the From the Balcony post for more information.
Logan Theatre Philadelphia, PA
I’m currently running a poll for my next blog post on the After the Final Curtain Facebook page. The theater that receives the most likes will be the next post on AtFC. Click here to cast your vote!
Madison Theatre Peoria, IL
Uptown Theatre Racine, WI
Majestic Theatre East St. Louis, IL
Avalon/New Regal Theatre Chicago, IL
The Shore is one of the 22 theaters in my new book “After the Final Curtain: The Fall of the American Movie Theater.” Find out more here.
View of the auditorium from the balcony.
The Shore Theatre opened as the Loew’s Coney Island Theatre on June 17, 1925 in Brooklyn, New York. The 2,387 seat theater was built by the Chanin Construction Company, which was also known for the construction of the now demolished Roxy Theatre in Manhattan. Before opening, the theater was leased to the Loew’s theater chain for an annual cost of $150,000. The Shore was designed in a Renaissance revival style by the Reilly & Hall architecture firm, who were proteges of famed theater architect Thomas W. Lamb. Reilly & Hall included a nautical theme in the theater’s design, due to the building’s proximity to the ocean. According to an article in the New York Times, construction of the theater cost over $2,000,000, ( $27,000,000 when adjusted for inflation.) The cost of construction was quite high for a theater of the Coney Island’s size, and that was due to the ground beneath the building being largely made up of sand.
View of the auditorium from the side of the balcony.
The Shore opening was presided over by Loew’s theater chain founder Marcus Loew, and included many of that era’s stars of stage and screen. Some of the many celebrities at the opening included; Johnny Hines, Barbara LaMarr, Mae Busch, Virginia Lee Corbin, and Teddy Sampson. Nine bands from various nightclubs around the city performed and the opening feature was the movie “The Sporting Venus” starring silent film star Blanche Sweet. According to an account by the Brooklyn Citizen, the crowd at the opening was so large it had to be cordoned by police. The theater was designed to be a combination house, showing both vaudeville and motion pictures, but eventually largely phased out the vaudeville performances, only bringing them back on special occasions.
A water fountain in the theater’s lobby.
On February 15, 1941, David Dolinsky, the manager of the Loew’s Coney Island, was being escorted to a local bank to deposit the day’s receipts by NYPD officer Leon Fox. A car pulled up alongside them and opened fire killing Fox. The robbers were eventually caught and sentenced to death, but the sentence was overturned after they appealed to the United States Supreme Court.
Much of the proscenium arch has collapsed due to leaks in the roof.
Evro Theatre Corporation acquired the theater from Loew’s Inc. in September 1964. Sam Kantor, the president of Evro, had worked for Brandt Theatres for almost 30 years, and continued to do so with his new company. Brandt handled the booking and advertising for the theater, which was renamed Brandt’s Shore Theatre. A little over a year later on January 1, 1966 the Brandt Co. switched the theater to a live performance venue beginning with a production of “Let’s Dance.” They attempted to appeal to Brooklyn’s large Jewish population by presenting stage shows such as “Bagels & Yox.” but that failed to catch on. On May 16, 1966, the Shore joined Leroy Griffith’s burlesque circuit with a show titled “Stars ‘n’ Strips Forever.” The burlesque shows were eventually phased out and the theater resumed showing motion pictures.
The orchestra level was used to store kitchen equipment.
By the early 1970’s, the Shore had turned to exploitation and eventually adult films. The theater closed permanently in March of 1973. Horace Bullard, owner of the Kansas Fried Chicken chain, purchased the building in 1978, and began to convert it into a casino. The seats on the main level were removed and the main floor was leveled before the state decided not to allow gambling on Coney Island. The Shore Theatre building was declared a historical landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on December 10, 2010. It was sold to Pye Properties for $20 million dollars in January 2016. In June 2018, Pye Properties announced that they plan on turning the building into a hotel with a a spa, banquet hall, and a bathhouse. They did not specify how much, if anything, of the theater will remain.
A compass in the center of the auditorium ceiling.
More of the nautical plaster work that covers the auditorium ceiling.
The foyer of the Shore Theatre.
View of the Proctor’s Troy Theatre from the side of the upper balcony.
The Proctor’s Troy Theatre opened as the Proctor’s Fourth Street Theatre on November 23, 1914 in Troy, NY. It was designed by architect Arlard Johnson and built by the Charles P. Boland Company for F. F. Proctor. The 2,283 seat theater cost $325,000 to build and was the largest of Proctor’s theaters in New York State when it opened. The building is five stories tall and in addition to the theater, contains space for offices and retail.
After the Final Curtain 