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For this thread, I focused on Ohio's small and mid-size cities, but Ohio's big cities have a great collection of theatres as well, from Playhouse Square in Cleveland to Columbus' King-Lincoln district, to Cincinnati's abandoned Regal.

 

This site has a wonderful collection of photograhps of nearly every Ohio theatre in the late '70's/early 80's: http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=ohio&catpagesize=25&catpageindex=2

 

ADA – Ada

ZAda.jpg

 

AKRON - Civic

ZAkronCivic.jpg

 

AKRON - Highland

DSCF2624.jpg

 

ATHENS – Athena

ZAthena.jpg

 

ATHENS – Varsity

ZAthens.jpg

 

BELLEFOUNTAINE – Holland

ZBellefountaineHolland.jpg

 

Interior of Holland (Heritage Ohio Image)

ZBellefountainI.jpg

 

BOWLING GREEN – Cla-Zel

ZBowlingGreenClaZel.jpg

 

BRYAN – Bryan

ZBryan.jpg

 

CALDWELL – Roxy

ZCaldwell.jpg

 

CANTON – Palace

ZCanton.jpg

 

CELINA – Celina

ZCelina.jpg

 

CHARDON – Geauga

ZChardonGeuga.jpg

 

CHILLICOTHE – Majestic

ZChillicotheMajestic.jpg

 

COLUMBIANA – Columbiana/Main Street

ZColumbianaMainSt.jpg

 

DAYTON - Victoria

DSCF0577.jpg

 

EUCLID – Lake/Lakeshore

ZEuclidLakeshore.jpg

 

FAIRBORN - Fairborn

2009_0503CTN0044.jpg

 

FREMONT – Paramount

ZFremontParamont.jpg

 

GALION – Galion

ZGalion.jpg

 

GALLIPOLIS – Colony

ZGallipolisColony.jpg

 

GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE

ZGeneva.jpg

 

GREENVILLE – Wayne

ZGreenville12.jpg

 

HAMILTON – Palace

ZHamiltonPalace.jpg

 

HILLSBORO – Colony

ZHillsboroColony.jpg

 

IRONTON – Rona

ZIronton.jpg

 

LIMA - Ohio

ZLimaOhio.jpg

 

LORAIN – Palace

ZLorainPalace.jpg

 

MANSFIELD – Renaissance (with the demolished Madison Theatre’s Marquee)

ZMansfieldRenaisance.jpg

 

MARIETTA – Colony

ZMariettaN.jpg

 

Original Facade

ZMarietta.jpg

 

MARION – Palace (recently received an addition like Mansfield’s Renaissance)

ZMarion.jpg

 

MASSILLON – Lincoln

ZMassillonLincoln.jpg

 

MAUMEE - Maumee

MaumeeTheater.jpg

 

MIDDLETOWN – Strand/Studio (demolition pending)

ZMiddletownStudio.jpg

 

MOUNT GILEAD – Capitol

ZMtGilead.jpg

 

NORTH BALTIMORE – Virginia

ZNBaltimoreVirginaClark.jpg

 

NEWARK – Midland

ZNewarkMidland.jpg

 

NORWALK – Norwalk

ZNorwalk.jpg

 

OBERLIN – Apollo (recently renovated)

ZOberlin.jpg

 

ORRVILLE – Orr (demolished shortly after I took this photo for a new CVS)

ZOrrville.jpg

 

OXFORD – Princess

ZOxfordPrincess.jpg

 

OXFORD – Miami Western

ZOxfordWestern.jpg

 

PORT CLINTON – Clinton

ZPortClinton.jpg

 

PORTSMOUTH – Columbia (the theatre behind this façade was restored and then burned)

ZPortsmouthColumbia.jpg

 

SANDUSKY – State

ZSanduskyState.jpg

 

SEBRING - Strand

2009_0531Ytown0081.jpg

 

SIDNEY – Sidney

ZSidney.jpg

 

SPRINGFIELD – Regent

ZSpringfieldRegent.jpg

 

SAINT MARYS – St. Marys

ZStMarys.jpg

 

TIFFIN – Ritz

ZTiffinRitz.jpg

 

TOLEDO - Ohio

Lagrange01-1.jpg

 

URBANA – Urbana

ZUrbana.jpg

 

WAPAKONETA – Wapa

ZWapakoneta.jpg

 

WARREN - Robbins (marquee missing)

100_3644.jpg

 

WOODSFIELD – Monroe

ZWoodsfieldMonroe.jpg

 

WOODVILLE - Limelite

2009_0426NC0164.jpg

 

WESTERVILLE - State

WestervilleState.jpg

 

YOUNGSTOWN – Paramount (now demolished)

ZYoungstownParamount.jpg

 

YOUNGSTOWN - State

10YtownDtown20.jpg

Other theatres I can come up with off the top of my head:

 

 

ALLIANCE – Mt. Union

 

BEXLEY – Drexel

 

CINCINNATI (Downtown) -Taft, Albee (facade, anyway)

CINCINNATI (Oakley) – 20th Century

CINCINNATI (Covedale) – Covedale

CINCINNAIT (Clifton) – Esquire

CINCINNATI (OTR) – Imperial, Emery, Empire (oops)

CINCINNATI (Northside) – Park

CINCINNATI (West End) - Regal

 

COLUMBUS (Downtown) - Palace, Ohio, Southern

COLUMBUS (University District) - Agora

COLUMBUS (Mount Vernon) - King, Lincoln

COLUMBUS (Clintonville) - Studio 35

COLUMBUS (Southeast) - Livingston

COLUMBUS (Short North) - Garden

 

CLEVELAND (Skaker Square) - Colony/Shaker Square Cinemas

CLEVELAND (Detroit-Shoreway) - Capitol

CLEVELAND (Downtown) - Allen, Hanna, Ohio, Palace, State

CLEVELAND (Westown) - Variety

CLEVELAND (North Collinwood) - LaSalle

CLEVELAND (Buckeye) Moreland

 

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS – Cedar Lee, Centrum

 

MARIEMONT - Mariemont

 

TOLEDO (Downtown) - Valentine

Even more than Cincinnati's Palace, Hamilton's Paramount, and Cleveland's Hippodrome, the demolition of Cincinnati's Albee will forever haunt me.

 

albee_445x550.jpg

Yes, that Albee is really something.

 

CINCINNATI (Downtown) -Taft, Albee (facade, anyway)

I don't understand though, is the facade (or part of it) still standing?

 

Just like the Albee haunts you, the Hippodrome haunts me.

They saved the facade then moved it to the front of the Convention Center.

Great thread idea. I'd been planning to post something on theaters named for the towns where they're located, but you even stole my thunder on that. I've got pics of the Bryan, Ada, Sidney, Celina, Urbana and Norwalk. You've added Galion.

 

The Albee's loss is unfortunate.

I am impressed, though, with the saving of the facade and re-incorporating it into someplace else.

I really really like efforts like those... it's even more impressive to know they made an effort like that in the 70s, when I'm guessing that wasn't so popular. 

That sign on the Lima gets me every time.  "Teen Party". 

The rather staid facade of Akron's Civic belies the wonders that lie within.

Great thread, I love old theaters!  I have a photo of the Colony in Gallpoliz from when I was there doing sound for an MTV concert with Recording Workshop.  I think I have a photo of the Majestic in Chillicothe also.  What do you know about Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Center in Gallopoliz?  That's where the MTV concert was and it was pretty much right next door.

Great Stuff Ink

I kinda dig that Urbana one.

"You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers

I kinda dig that Urbana one.

 

Maybe that's where the Party Girls hang out? :-D

As a sucker for neon, thought I would see if folks have night shots of some of these wonderful facades.

 

To start it off, this is the Galion Theater - opened in 1949. It has seen hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovation and restoration over the last 15 years, and currently houses the local community theatre. The facade is covered with porcelain enamel, and the giant black tubes actually hide lights which reflect off the green backdrop.

 

t1.jpg

t2.jpg

Sharonville also had a small theatre that has recently been transformed into the Sharonville Arts Center or something.

I'm not exactly sure, but I think the building in Canton was once Loew's.  I remember going to the movies on that side of Market St, near the Renkert Building in the early 60s.  The inside I can recall quite clearly but not the outside.  It was a typically ornate movie palace interior, with an enormous crystal chandelier, strangely lit in purple.  That sticks in my mind because my parents both commented on it.

 

Downtown Columbus also had several other movie palaces that were torn down in the 60s.  Memorable were the Grand and the Hunt's Cinestage.  Both were in deplorable condition then, but could have been saved. We needed more surface parking apparently. 

 

 

Youngstown's State Theatre:

StateTheatre.jpg

But, the building to the left, and the house of the theater was demolished.  It looks more like this now:

WFederal2.jpg

 

This is my best picture of Powers Auditorium. (formerly the Warner Theater)  The interior is very nice.  I was told that the lobby was modelled after the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. (not a very good match for the Art Deco exterior)

Sep07FladCenterMorning.jpg

 

The Palace Theater in Youngstown should also be mentioned.  It was demolished long before I was even born, though.  It was still in good shape when demolished.  Legend says it was torn down because the powers that be thought a certain local developer was going to build a new shopping center there.  But, the developer decided to build the Southern Park Mall in Boardman, instead.

 

I believe these are the 2 oldest theater buildings still standing in Cleveland. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

First, is the Enjoy U theater near the intersection of Detroit & Lake in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. I believe this building was last used as an Artists' studio. As it says on the building, it's from 1911.

From Encyclopedia of Cleveland History: "By the time of World War I, the city was dotted with silent movie houses bearing such fanciful names as Wonderland, Fairyland, Moonlight, Lark, See It, and Enjoy U."

 

DSCF1893.jpg

 

 

Anyone familiar with the West Side Market area in Ohio City will recognize this as the old Moda Nightclub-- very nice when it first opened, became much-maligned by the community, closed, and is still empty.

It started out though as the Rialto Theater.

From Cinematreasures.org : the Rialto opened on October 19, 1919 and closed in 1957.

 

DSCF1889.jpg

neat thread -- i'm a little surprized it's taken this long to do a thread on all the great old ohio movie theaters!

 

i know you like the small towns -- so from 2007 here is the amherst cinema

 

img0916go8.jpg

I stole this picture of Wellington's old Lonet Theater (ca. 1930) from ink's thread.  It's the green tiled one on the left, and you'd never know it was a theater by looking at the facade today.

 

2007_0205Ashland0058.jpg

 

Unfortunately the Wellington Historical Society's site is down, because I have seen a pic on their site of this building in 1931 when it was an active movie house.

^If there's one thing Columbus does not have enough of, it's surface parking lots. Parking lots > historic movie theaters. The beauty of Columbus is that they really recognized the need to demolish their Downtown, and didn't let anyone stand in the way:

 

 

Indeed: Downtown Columbus, due to suburban-style zoning codes applied to the urban core, in effect required demolition of great old buildings to accommodate parked cars a few hours per day. On the other hand, downtown Columbus has three beautifully restored theaters: the Ohio, the Palace and the Southern.

I'm not exactly sure, but I think the building in Canton was once Loew's.  I remember going to the movies on that side of Market St, near the Renkert Building in the early 60s.  The inside I can recall quite clearly but not the outside.  It was a typically ornate movie palace interior, with an enormous crystal chandelier, strangely lit in purple.  That sticks in my mind because my parents both commented on it.

 

Downtown Columbus also had several other movie palaces that were torn down in the 60s.  Memorable were the Grand and the Hunt's Cinestage.  Both were in deplorable condition then, but could have been saved. We needed more surface parking apparently. 

 

 

 

I think you are talking about the old Ohio theatre.  You can see it pictured here on the far side of the Renkert building.  I know it's far away, but you can still make out the sign.  Unfortunately, now it is a parking lot!  The building that Rob pictured is on the near side of the Renkert building but I cannot makeout what it was being used as at the time:

 

Edit:  Here is where I found the picture. http://www.flickr.com/photos/34511002@N05/

 

3211251589_690e3779b0_o.jpg

 

  • 2 weeks later...

The long, long gone (25 years ago, I think) Lake Theater in downtown Painesville (Opened in 1939 on the same day Hitler invaded Poland. Guess which story was given the main headline in the local paper the following day?). Maybe it's a good thing it was demolished; it looked like the marquee was about to  collapse--

OH766.jpg

  • 2 months later...

Where in Paineseville was the Lake? I lived there in 1979 and I can't place it.

A couple that I don't think have been mentioned yet in Cleveland are the Moreland in Buckeye (the CDC working to redevelop this into a multi-use event venue, not unlike what's going on with the Variety) and the Metropolitan (which is now the Agora).

 

Check out http://cinematreasures.org/, which gives great listings by city and status of the theater. But be ready to be depressed by the number that have been demolished.

 

- Within a 10-mile radius of downtown Cleveland, for instance, they list 13 theatres as being open, 1 in renovation, 38 closed and 48 demolished.

- Within 10 miles of downtown Columbus, 14 open, 15 closed and 16 demolished.

- Within 10 miles of downtown Cincinnati, 11 open, 1 in renovation, 45 closed and 49 demolished.

 

:(

Where in Paineseville was the Lake? I lived there in 1979 and I can't place it.

It was on South State St. between Main and E. Washington (but closer to Main). I think by 1979 it was just showing second run, if not third run B-movies.* It was a huge theater for a small town--about 1500 seats, with a spare Art Deco interior. My high school held its graduation there. Angela's Pizza (an old style place dating back to the 40's) was next door (though maybe no longer around in 1979); and Phillipbar's (a paint/home improvement store going back decades) was across the street.

 

*Note: Lake Theater closed for good in 1975.

  • 6 months later...

man what an awesome thread! i cant help think about what was lost too, particularly in lorain, but you could say anywhere.

 

while the lorain community saved the palace, it's too bad the other six(!) historic downtown movie theaters are lost: the state, the ohio, the elvira, the wonderland, the tivoli & the dreamland (now iglesia pentecostal church i think?) and also the old movie theaters in the city's other downtown in south lorain: the grove, the lorain and the pearl (opened 1915, demo'd 2003!). i remember going to some of them as a kid when they were decrepit dumps, but i bet more than a few could have been restored.  :|

 

the wonderland (1900-ish)

ICA050803697web.jpg

 

here's the tivoli and the ohio in 1972 via cinema treasures:

MakeThumbImageaspxID2fPortals2f02f12fO2fOH620.jpgMakeThumbImageaspxID2fPortals2f02f12fO2fOH616.jpg

 

factoid: in 1928 the lorain palace was the first movie theater in ohio to have 'talking pictures.'

 

factoid: probably the worst ohio movie theater disaster was the result of ohio's worst tornado, the 1924 saturday afternoon tornado that destroyed downtown lorain and particularly the crowded state theater (built 1900), resulting scores of injuries to the crowd of 200+ and somehow only 15 deaths.

Lt58.jpgICA050803144web.jpg

 

^ The Pearl Theatre building in Lorain was demolished within the past 10 years - I remember being in there when it was the Amvet's Value Village thrift shop and the interior had been totally gutted.  The only remnant that let you know you were in an old theater was the sloped floor.

 

The Grove theater became part of the American Croatian Club on Grove Avenue, but was demolished in the 1990's to build a cookie cutter Rite Aid store.  http://www.americancroatianclub.com/club_history.htm

 

 

 

 

  • 3 years later...

The long, long gone (25 years ago, I think) Lake Theater in downtown Painesville (Opened in 1939 on the same day Hitler invaded Poland. Guess which story was given the main headline in the local paper the following day?). Maybe it's a good thing it was demolished; it looked like the marquee was about to  collapse--

OH766.jpg

I found this picture taken the same year Lake Theater opened (at least the Barbara Stanwyck movie is from 1939--w/ Adolphe Menjou-lol) and it already looked like it was on it's last legs. I don't remember the sign leaning like that! (admittedly not the best picture) I just recall how it looked at night with lights blazing brightly (I had read it was the last Art Deco building in Lake County :-()--

15555450458_4597a9106f_z.jpg

  • 1 month later...

There was a tour of the old Robbins Theater in Warren recently. Sadly I missed it but, a friend went and got some fantastic photos. I'll have to ask her if I can use them here. The interior is in far worse condition than I ever imagined.

Bring it on!

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