 Is there anything sweeter than a beautiful movie palace? 
You probably recognize Grauman's Chinese Theatre, in Los Angeles. These days it's called TCL Chinese Theatre, because it's owned and operated by TCL Corporation—based in China, ironically. Since we write so often about movies we thought it appropriate to discuss the beautiful buildings in which the films were exhibited. Back in the day these were usually purpose-built structures, though some did split duty for stage productions and concerts. While many of these old palaces survive, nearly all surviving vintage cinemas in the U.S. were under threat at some point. Generally, if they hadn't been given historic protection they wouldn't be upright today.
Other times, if a city was poor, real estate costs didn't rise and old buildings stood unthreatened, usually idle. This happened often in the American midwest, where movie houses were neglected for decades before some were resurrected amid downtown revitalizations. It sometimes happens in Latin America too, although occasionally the formula fails. For example, Cartagena's majestic and oft photographed landmark Teatro Colón, located in the historic section of Colombia's most popular coastal tourist city, was torn down fewer than six months ago to make way for a Four Seasons Hotel.
Some of the cinemas below are well known treasures, while others are more unassuming places. But even those lesser known cinemas show how much thought and work was put into making moviegoing a special experience. The last photo, which shows the Butterfly Theatre in Milwaukee, exemplifies that idea. The façade is distinguished by a terra cotta butterfly sculpture adorned with light bulbs. As you might guess, many of the most beautiful large cinemas were in Los Angeles, which means that city is well represented in the collection. Enjoy.
 Paramount Theatre, Oakland (operational).
 Cine Maya, Mérida (demolished).
 The Albee Cinema, Cincinnati (demolished)
 Cooper Theatre, Denver (demolished).
 Paras Cinema, Jaipur (operational).
 Cathay Cinema, Shanghai (operational).
 Academy Theatre, Los Angeles (operational).
 Charlottenburg Filmwerbung, Berlin (demolished).
 Pacific's Cinerama Theatre, Los Angeles (operational).
 York Theatre, Elmhurst (operational).
 La Gaumont-Palace, Paris (demolished).
 Essoldo Cinema, Newcastle (demolished).
 Théâtre Scala, Strasbourg (operational).
 Teatro Colón, Cartagena (demolished in 2018).
 Teatro Coliseo Argentino, Buenos Aires (demolished).
 Pavilion Theater, Adelaide (demolished).
 El Molino Teatro, Barcelona (operational).
 Fox Carthay Theatre, Los Angeles (demolished).
 Kino Rossiya Teatr, Moscow (operational).
 Nippon Gekijo, aka Nichigeki, Tokyo (demolished).
 Cine Impala, Namibe (operational).
 Cine Arenal, Havana (operational).
 Teatro Mérida, Mérida (operational, renamed Teatro Armando Manzanero).
 Ideal Theater, Manila (demolished).
 Odeon Cinema, London (semi-demolished, converted to apartments).
 Mayan Theatre, Los Angeles (operational).
 Rex Cinema, Port au Prince (being restored).
 Urania Kino, Vienna (operational).
 Tampa Theatre, Tampa (operational).
 The Butterfly Theater, Milwaukee (demolished).
 Shoot first, ask questions later. 
Above is a Famous Detective Cases from October 1936 with a cover featuring everyone’s worst nightmare—a smalltown cop with a big gut and a bigger gun. Among the articles is a detailed look at Hazel Glab, who was notorious for a while due to being accused of the murder of her wealthy husband John. Police initially couldn’t make a case against Glab, which of course left the press to speculate and theorize. When we were looking at some of those old articles we found several illustrations, including a smoking gun art piece from an April 1930 Milwaukee Sentinel, of which we’ve posted a portion below. There was also a photo of a detective re-enacting John Glab's last moments, with another smoking gun, and we’ve posted that too. Hazel Glab did eventually go to jail—at first it was for forging her husband’s will, but in January 1936 prosecutors indicted her for second degree murder. Glab was paroled in 1943, but she  made news again in 1945 for a domestic incident, in 1958 when she was hauled into court on pandering charges, and yet again in 1965 when she was charged with making threatening phone calls. There are other stories as well—like the time she shot a man in the face for “insulting” her. Glab died in 1977, but perhaps we’ll get back to her a bit later. There’s certainly enough material.
|
 |
The headlines that mattered yesteryear.
1984—Marvin Gaye Dies from Gunshot Wound
American singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye, who was famous for a three-octave vocal range which he used on hits such as "Sexual Healing" and "What's Going On," is fatally shot in the chest by his father after an argument over misplaced business documents. Gaye scored forty-one top 40 hit singles on Billboard's pop singles chart between 1963 and 2001, sixty top 40 R&B hits from 1962 to 2001, and thirty-eight top 10 singles on the R&B chart, making him not only one of the most critically acclaimed artists of his day, but one of the most successful. 1930—Movie Censorship Enacted
In the U.S., the Motion Pictures Production Code is instituted, imposing strict censorship guidelines on the depiction of sex, crime, religion, violence and racial mixing in film. The censorship holds sway over Hollywood for the next thirty-eight years, and becomes known as the Hays Code, after its creator, Will H. Hays. 1970—Japan Airlines Flight 351 Hijacked
In Japan, nine samurai sword wielding members of the Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction hijack Japan Airlines flight 351, which had been en route from Tokyo to Fukuoka. After releasing the passengers, the hijackers proceed to Pyongyang, North Koreas's Mirim Airport, where they surrender to North Korean authorities and are given asylum. 1986—Jimmy Cagney Dies
American movie actor James Francis Cagney, Jr., who played a variety of roles in everything from romances to musicals but was best known as a quintessential tough guy, dies of a heart attack at his farm in Stanfordville, New York at the age of eighty-six.
|
|
|
It's easy. We have an uploader that makes it a snap. Use it to submit your art, text, header, and subhead. Your post can be funny, serious, or anything in between, as long as it's vintage pulp. You'll get a byline and experience the fleeting pride of free authorship. We'll edit your post for typos, but the rest is up to you. Click here to give us your best shot.
|
|
