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Cinema Halls Then and Now

Cinema Halls Then and Now

By Stephan Talmon-Gros on 21.3.2022

Automatically translated from German

With the rise of the film industry at the beginning of the 20th century, hundreds of cinema halls were built in North America. These grand buildings were constructed in the distinctive style of the era. In the 1960s, with the rise of television and multiplex centers, a gradual decline began. Many of these halls were closed or repurposed into churches, libraries, or supermarkets. Photographers Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre have impressively documented this decline in a newly released book. Let’s not allow cinema halls in Switzerland to meet the same fate 😅!

Photo by Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre aus der Serie Theaters 2005-2021

PARAMOUNT THEATER IN BROOKLYN NY 2008

4,124 seats, designed by architects Rapp and Rapp, opened (1928), artists like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Liberace, and Frank Sinatra performed there, closed (1962), used as a sports hall for Long Island University (since 1962).

LOEW'S THEATER IN MONTREAL QC 2013

2,853 seats, opened (1917), divided into 5 halls (1976), closed (1999), used as a gymnasium (since 2005).

RIVOLI THEATER IN BERKELEY CA 2013

1,402 seats, built (1925), closed (1950s), later used as various supermarkets.

GIRARD AVENUE THEATER IN PHILADELPHIA PA 2011

900 seats, opened (1891), converted into a cinema (1927), closed (early 1960s), later used as various supermarkets (since 1967).

RIALTO THEATER IN SAN FRANCISCO CA 2013

600 seats, opened (1925), closed (1929), later repurposed as retail stores, then used as a billiard hall (since 1972).

STATE THEATER IN WEST ORANGE NJ 2009

981 seats, opened (before 1934), closed (date unknown), used as a bus depot, gutted (2013).

UPTOWN THEATER IN CHICAGO IL 2009

4,381 seats, largest theater in Chicago, designed by architects Rapp and Rapp, opened (1925), used as a concert hall (late 1970s), closed (1981), listed in the National Register of Historic Places (1986), awaiting restoration.

FOX THEATER IN INGLEWOOD CA 2008

1,008 seats, opened as a cinema (1949), served as the main venue for Hollywood premieres in the 1950s with stars like Marilyn Monroe and The Three Stooges, closed (1984), listed in the National Register of Historic Places (2012).

BOOK RELEASE

The book 'Movie Theaters' by Yves Marchand, Romain Meffre, and Ross Melneck, featuring the complete photo series, was published in 2021 by Prestel Publishing. View the book.