Loew's Cameo Theatre

90 years ago today Loew's Cameo opened. The 1,250 seat theatre at 709 Euclid Avenue was originally the Columbia Theatre which opened in 1887, but was renamed the Star in 1889. The Star became a burlesque house sometime in the 1890's and operated as such until the early 1920's when Loew interests purchased the site. The Cameo was completely rebuilt at a cost of $100,000 and featured a singing organist and cameos decorating the theatre. Loew's sold the Cameo in October 1931, but the theatre continued to operate until the end of 1937. The house was then purchased by Henry Greenberger and Max Lefkowich who razed the house, excluding the sidewalls, completely rebuilt it, reopening it as the Embassy on October 13, 1938. The Embassy would close on December 1, 1977 and was subsequently razed.

From the Plain Dealer, November 23, 1925.

Lobby, from Motion Picture News, February 20, 1926.

 Auditorium, from Moving Picture World, May 22, 1926.

View towards the stage, from Moving Picture World, May 22, 1926.

From Motion Picture News, February 20, 1926. Note the misspelling of Loew's.

From Moving Picture World, May 22, 1926.

From the Plain Dealer, November 26, 1925.

From the Plain Dealer, November 26, 1925.

From Variety, December 2, 1925.

The Cameo would often day-and-date with Loew's Park, from Motion Picture News, January 30, 1926.

From Film Daily, March 30, 1926.

From Motion Picture News, April 10, 1926.

From the Plain Dealer, April 22, 1926.

From the Plain Dealer, February 11, 1927.

From the Plain Dealer, May 27, 1927.

Talkers come to the Cameo, from Motion Picture News, August 18, 1928.

Loew's ad, from the Plain Dealer, January 16, 1930.

Cameo sold, from Film Daily, October 25, 1931.

From the Plain Dealer, November 3, 1935.

The Cameo seen during a Cleveland Grays parade, 1937. Cropped from a larger image (CP06406) from the Cleveland Public Library.

 From the Plain Dealer, December 19, 1937.

From Film Daily, June 24, 1938.

The end wasn't pretty, from the Plain Dealer, June 19, 1938.

From Variety, August 10, 1938.

The new Embassy opens, from Film Daily, October 17, 1938.