The Monster Demands a Mate in Chicago!

 Universal Weekly, May 4, 1935:

"Portions of the huge crowd that lined up early on opening day for Bride of Frankenstein at the [RKO] Palace, Chicago." 

"Opposite the booth a thrill chart, which also followed the pressbook suggestion, was given a two week advance display.
 It was equipped with flasher lights, giving the display the added advantage of animation."

"Emergency booth used as lobby ballyhoo in advance and during the run."

"Giant advance display in lobby."

IMDb

Rotten Tomatoes

Theatre Talks will be celebrating classic horror during the month of Halloween. Visit us (if you) at:

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Since 1997 theatre historian,  Cezar Del Valle, has conducted a popular series of  theatre talks and walks, available for  historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.

Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, a three-volume history of borough theatres.

The first two chosen 2010 OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Theatre Historical Society. Final volume published in September 2014.

Currently seeking funding for “Editing & Formatting” the first three volumes of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, 3rd Edition

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Prospect Hall and the Venetian Gardens

 

Brooklyn's historic Prospect Hall is slated for demolition. In 1908, the hall and its outdoor gardens  were also the studios of the Crescent Film Company operated by Herman Kolle (brother of hall proprietor William Kolle) and Fred J. Balshofer.

Excerpts from One Reel a Week by Fred J. Balshofer and Arthur C. Miller, University of California Press 1967:

“Next to and in connection with the dance hall was an open air summer beer garden. On warm summer evenings neighborhood families would sit around at the separate tables, drink nickel schooners of beer, and watch second-rate vaudeville on a stage raised about seven feet above the ground. A screen rolled down from the arch over the stage and this was used to show movies.

“A song plugger sang popular tunes, accompanied by a piano, while the hand-colored lantern slides on the screen changed according to the lyrics of the song. There was only enough business to warrant operating on Saturday and Sunday evenings. If it rained, people would move into the dance hall and the show would continue there.” 

“We used one corner of the summer garden for our open-air studio and, as in the early days of Lubin, daylight was our only source of light for photography. We arranged a tiny laboratory under the stage and bought a used Pathe field camera that had seen better days.”

The Moving Picture World, November 28, 1908

National Register of Historic Places

The Real Deal

Since 1997 theatre historian,  Cezar Del Valle, has conducted a popular series of  theatre talks and walks, available for  historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.

Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, a three-volume history of borough theatres.

The first two chosen 2010 OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Theatre Historical Society. Final volume published in September 2014.

Currently seeking funding for “Editing & Formatting” the first three volumes of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, 3rd Edition

AboutMe

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"An Experiment in Film Design"

Exhibitors Herald-World, March 16, 1929

Excerpts from an article by Douglas Fox

"Important among the features of the Film Art Guild's new theatre in New York is the 'screenoscope,' designed by Frederick Kiesler of Vienna. In 1918 Kiesler began his plans for an 'ideal motion picture theatre.' It was Kiesler who designed the Film Art Cinema."

"This theatre, which was opened February 1, seats only 485 persons. Yet it incorporates much that is new in both vision and acoustics and combines the greatest projection economy with the utmost in projection scope." 

"A section of the lounge, a chamber of modern comfort
and modernistic appointments--in both respects candid to the point of bluntness." 

 

"The auditorium looking towards the rear, showing the arrangement of the indirect lighting
and deeply upholstered, chair-like, blue and silver seating." 

 

  "The left side of the auditorium, showing the black wall strip used as a second screen.
The ceiling flares upwards towards the rear." 

 

"The 'camera eye,' half shut.
This feature, called by the inventor the 'screenoscope,' is well shown
in this photograph of the auditorium."  

 

House of Shadow Silence,
an audio/visual virtual reality experience that transports audiences to a simulation of the historic Film Guild Cinema. 

 

Film Guild Cinema
52 W. 8th Street,
New York, NY

Renamed 8th Street Playhouse on May 14, 1930.
Closed November 26, 1992.

 

 

Since 1997 theatre historian,  Cezar Del Valle, has conducted a popular series of  theatre talks and walks, available for  historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.

Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, a three-volume history of borough theatres.

The first two chosen 2010 OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Theatre Historical Society. Final volume published in September 2014.

Currently seeking funding for “Editing & Formatting” the first three volumes of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, 3rd Edition

AboutMe

Goodreads

 

 

When the Earth Trembled

 "April 18, 1906--San Francisco was wrecked by a Great Earthquake at 5:13 a.m., and then destroyed by the seventh Great Fire that burned for four days" (Museum of the City  of San Francisco).

Tivoli Opera House

 

In 1913, Lubin filmed what may be the first fictional movie account of the San Francisco earthquake-- "When the Earth Trembled."  It incorporated several scenes from their 1906 newsreel of the aftermath.

 

From Writing the Photoplay, Esenwein & Leeds, 1913, Theatre Talks collection

 "Construction of a scene in the Lubin studio which took twenty men one month to make
and was destroyed in two seconds when the camera was turned on for a San Francisco earthquake scene." 

 

"Showing destruction of stage properties
used to illustrate the earthquake scene. "

 

When the Earth Trembled

When the Earth Trembled

Since 1997 theatre historian,  Cezar Del Valle, has conducted a popular series of  theatre talks and walks, available for  historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.

Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, a three-volume history of borough theatres.

The first two chosen 2010 OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Theatre Historical Society. Final volume published in September 2014.

Currently seeking funding for “Editing & Formatting” the first three volumes of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, 3rd Edition

AboutMe

Goodreads

Beacon Theatre, 116 Main Street, Port Washington, NY

Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society

Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society:

"The single, huge theater originally had stage shows, a large pipe organ, and boasted their 'Gala Stage Attraction'.
Built in 1926, the movies that would have been shown were silent, with 'Talkies' not taking hold until about 1930.
The opening drew 600 people to the formal opening celebration, with an admission of 25 cents, quite a bit for those days."

Port Washington News:

"Two thousand attended the opening night of the Beacon Theatre with excitement, lining Main Street in anticipation to fill the
1,500-seat theater.
The opening night featured a performance of 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' the “Beautiful Galathea” overture performed by
The Beacon Symphony Orchestra with Arthur Holstein conducting, a dedicatory address from Surrogate Judge Leone D.
Howell, a newsreel, a Technicolor classic movie short, Argentine dancers, harmony singers, Sid Hall and his Blue Ribbon
Orchestra and the feature presentation of The Life of Riley with Charles Murray and George Sidney."

Port Washington Public Library: Interior the Beacon:

Two views of the theatre in 2008

The Island Now, February 2, 2018:

"Bow Tie Cinemas Port Washington has closed.

The cinema, located at 116 Main St., has removed all lettering from the marquee and movie posters from the outside.

According to Great Neck resident Diane Coffield, the Connecticut-based Bow Tie Cinemas made a 'corporate decision' to
close the theater due to poor attendance and low revenues. It is unclear what will happen to the building."

Since 1997 theatre historian,  Cezar Del Valle, has conducted a popular series of  theatre talks and walks, available for  historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.

Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, a three-volume history of borough theatres.

The first two chosen 2010 OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Theatre Historical Society. Final volume published in September 2014.

Currently seeking funding for “Editing & Formatting” the first three volumes of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, 3rd Edition

AboutMe

Goodreads

Paris Theatre Closed

New York City’s Last Single-Screen Cinema Shuts Its Doors:

IndieWire

Vanishing New York

Paris Theatre, 4 W. 58th St., New York, NY

Excerpts (quotes & photos) from the Architectural Forum, January 1949:
“Manhattan’s first new postwar motion picture house is, besides an excellent design, an uncharted venue in real estate and movie merchandising.”

“Sponsored by the French Pathe syndicate in an effort to up its U.S. take (now lower than in South America’s pint size Columbia), the cinema restricts its fare to special films, caters to an uptown audience of the cultivated and well-heeled.”

“Fifth Avenue Association, fearful of garish Broadway lights, dictated modest sign front.”

“Steinberg mural wallpaper showing scenes of Paris adds interest to simple room.”

“Series of curves provides top visual and acoustical performance. 

Upholstered seats are spaced 35-40 in. between rows.”

 Joe Wagner on Instagram 

Crain's New York Business

Gothamist

Photograph, Paris Theatre June 8, 2011,  copyright Betty Sword, all rights reserved.
Architectural Forum article part of the Theatre Talks Collection

Since 1997 theatre historian,  Cezar Del Valle, has conducted a popular series of  theatre talks and walks, available for  historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.

Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, a three-volume history of borough theatres.

The first two chosen 2010 OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Theatre Historical Society. Final volume published in September 2014.

Currently seeking funding for “Editing & Formatting” the first three volumes of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, 3rd Edition

AboutMe

Goodreads

Adieu Bijou

Cinema and underground cruising spot has closed.

Bijou, 82 East 4th Street, New York

"Shows old movies to gay patrons who aren't watching them"

--New York Songlines

From the very beginning this subterranean space has served as an entertainment venue.

Certificate of Occupancy, October 22, 1927:

Cellar-- Persons Accommodated 150-- Restaurant, cabaret, and storage    

Originally the Rainbow Inn, it became Club 82 in 1954 (some accounts list 1958), famous for spectacular drag reviews.

Business partner Vito Genovese. like many mobsters, "financed Village gay bars, which were prevented from obtaining legitimate funding due to homophobic laws and social stigmas."

Photo: Queer Music Heritage

Various sources credit the New York Dolls, in 1973 or 74,  as the first rock group to play there.

Marty Thau:

"I was manager of the Dolls and I was approached by the club because they were switching over to glam rock bands. The drag crowd had moved on and the Club 82 never returned to the original format." 

A comment on the blog "It's All Streets You Crossed" differs:
"So many [sic] of the information regarding Club 82, in the glam period, are [sic] incorrect. Club 82 started having bands in '72, not '74. The Dolls were not the first band to play there. Another Pretty Face was the already house band there in '73." 

 An indie-film theatre took over the space in 1978, followed by an all-male strip club. Ron Wood opened the music venue Woody's in 1990, a dismal failure closing after only a few months.

Since  about 1992, the basement has been an on-again-off-again unmarked gay porn theater called the Bijou, featuring second-run Hollywood films in the main theatre with a separate row of private booths.

The Bijou closed for the final time in April 2019, the space has been gutted. According to the New York City Department of Buildings a "stop work order exists on this building."

Since 1997 theatre historian,  Cezar Del Valle, has conducted a popular series of  theatre talks and walks, available for  historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.

Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, a three-volume history of borough theatres.

The first two chosen 2010 OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Theatre Historical Society. Final volume published in September 2014.

Currently seeking funding for “Editing & Formatting” the first three volumes of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, 3rd Edition

AboutMe

Goodreads

Regal Essex 14 & RPX

The Lower East Side has a new 14-screen multiplex. Opened April 6, 2019, at 129 Delancey Street, the Regal Essex 14 &  RPX is part of Essex Crossings, a mix-use development in the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area

Website

And from the windows of the new a glimpse of the old--remains of the Loew's Delancey (1912-1976):

Bedford + Bowery

6sqft

Since 1997 theatre historian, Cezar Del Valle, has conducted a popular series of theatre talks and walks, available for historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.


Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, a three-volume history of borough theatres.


The first two chosen 2010 OUTSTANDING BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Theatre Historical Society. Final volume published in September 2014.


Editing and updating the third edition of the Brooklyn Theatre Index.


AboutMe


Goodreads

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