The $1 million Majestic Theater in EastSt. Louis, Illinois, opened in 1928. With seating for 1,767, it was part of theSt. Louis-based Samuel Komm Theatre chain. The theater closed in 1960 and wasa dded to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. (PMT - 1)
The Majestic Theater boasted a huge foyer, chandeliers, thick-pile carpet, a three-tier balcony, a Wurlitzer concert pipe organ, and a huge movie screen that was 20 feet high. The ladies rest room was especially large and contained a powder room with overstuffed lounge chairs and divans. (PMT - 2)
The Madison Theatre in Peoria, Illinois opened on October 16, 1920. Architect Frederic J. Klein oversaw the construction of the 1,739-seat theater. Originally designed in the Adamesque style, the auditorium features a high domed ceiling with classical-inspired plasterwork decorating both the ceiling and side walls. (PMT - 3)
Built in 1908, this Beaux-Arts Building, designed by the architectural company of Dawson& McLaughlin and named for local military veterans, served as a performing arts building as well as city hall. (PMT - 4)
Gary, Indiana’s Palace Theater— designed by architect John Eberson, who designed more than 100 movie palaces that span the United Statesand the globe—opened in 1924. The Palace was the jewel of the city’s entertainment and dining district. When U.S. Steel’s Gary Works’ production began to diminish in the 1950s, the theater began its lengthy decline. It shut down in 1972. (PMT - 5)
Originally opened as a vaudeville house named the Liberty Theater in 1918, the Paramount Theater in Youngstown, Ohio, was acquired by the Paramount Pictures Corporation in 1922 and converted to a movie palace designed to seat 1,700 patrons. (PMT - 6)
Although Paramount Pictures went into receivership in 1933, the Paramount Theater continued to prosper for decades. In the 1960s, however, the downtown district experienced numerous economic strains, and the movie house went into a sharp decline. Although the theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places it has since been demolished. (PMT - 7)
The Variety Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio, is a 2,000-square-foot Spanish Gothic vaudeville and movie house that was built by the Variety Amusement Company. With a capacity for 1,900 patrons, the Variety Theatre included a 350-seat balcony. (PMT - 8)
