Loew's Theatres

 From the Plain Dealer, July 10, 1956.

New Cleveland Theatres Planned

 This article gives an indication of the scope of the theatre construction boom of the early 1920's.

From, Moving Picture World, March 27, 1920. The Playhouse Square theatres are here as are the Capitol, Keith's 105th, Loew's Park, Detroit, Regent, Corlett, Astor, to name a few. The Lyceum is on here twice, Loew ended up only building one west side house.

Ohio Theatre

 The Ohio Theatre opened 105 years ago tonight! Much more here.

From the Plain Dealer, February 14, 1921.

Loew's Ohio & State Closing

 Fifty seven years ago tonight, few thought the theatres would ever reopen.

From The Plain Dealer, February 9, 1969.

From The Plain Dealer, February 4, 1969.

Mayfair Casino

 The Mayfair Casino, located in Loew's Ohio Theatre, 1513 Euclid Avenue, 1935-37.

From the Plain Dealer, December 4, 1935. Much more on the Mayfair and Loew's Ohio can be found here.

Ten Commandments

 Charleton Heston in the front lobby of Loew's Ohio at the beginning of a 29-week run for the Ten Commandments, from Motion Picture Exhibitor, December 26, 1956.

Ad from the Plain Dealer, November 30, 1956.

Playhouse Square

 This book, Playhouse Square and the Cleveland Renaissance is a must have. We caught John at the Lakewood Library the other night, great book, although it is odd reading about myself like I'm a historic figure. I've been in several books over the years, this one has an index and was written by an actual historian, so it seems more real.

Ray Shepardson

 Ten years gone...

Ray Shepardson in the RKO Palace ladies' room, from the Plain Dealer, March 19, 1972.

It's hard to believe over half a century has passed since I first walked into the Allen and encountered Ray's enthusiasm. There weren't many who thought those four theatres were worth saving, but Ray had a vision of a reborn theatre district and worked tirelessly towards that goal, with little help at first. I have many fond memories of the two of us cleaning the Allen after shows or climbing around Loew's Ohio and State, surveying the roof leaks, and Ray and Ceil playing badminton on the Allen stage. I can still picture him on that cold night at Loew's State running around the empty lobby explaining how we were going to transform it into the Playhouse Square Cabaret and run a show named Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris for a few weeks, then figure out what to stage next. No one could have imagined the runaway hit it would become, because after all "no one is going to go down there anymore." That show really quieted the crix as the Playhouse Square area started to slowly rebound.

Few now remember how bleak Playhouse Square looked back then, empty theatres, empty storefronts, even the streetlights didn't work. From The Plain Dealer, February 7, 1972, the RKO Palace is out of view on the right, shorn of its marquee, the front boarded up.

Early on, there weren't many others working to support the project, money was pretty much nonexistent, cash flowed from the few memberships Ray or Burt LeGrande could scrounge up along with the take from concessions at the many rock and roll shows booked at the Allen in the 1971-72 timeframe. There were few paid employees when I arrived on March 25th, 1972. Ceil Hartman was the business manager, Ralph D. Smith known by all as "Smitty," was a general handyman, Victor Villimas worked the BO and did other odd jobs such as walking up and down Euclid Avenue in a Yogi Bear costume to promo a show, Solomon "Bugs" Alexander who did general maintenance but was gone a few weeks after I got there. Weldon Carpenter had already been there and left, only to return a few months after Brel opened. In late 1972 Dennis Wild (sp?) would be hired to fill the void. The only people who hung around for more than a month or two really believed in Ray's vision, this job did not pay very well, often not at all, and the working conditions were horrendous, cold and dirty more often than not, but we persevered. A brief overview of the beginning of the rebirth can be found here.

Volunteers were few and far between, aside from Ray's college friend, Gordon Bell, Veralynne Bosko would have been the first, meeting Ray in 1970 at the law firm where she worked, when Ray had come to incorporate the Playhouse Square Association. Veralynne's friends would often come down to help out; "Poe" (pronounced Poe-ee) Ken Plocica probably the tallest person I've ever known at around 6'10", Kevin McAndrew, Pete Weber, and "Flemo" Chuck Fleming were the main ones helping usher shows at the Allen and clean up afterwards. Later on, these guys would help clean out the Loew's theatres as well as helping Smitty, Dennis and I take down the massive Cinerama screen in Loew's State. I have vivid memories of Veralynne, Ceil and a few others selling popcorn and soda at 25¢ to swarms of rock concert goers at the Allen throughout 1972. There was also a group of Garfield Heights High School kids known as the "Next Generation" that would help out at the Allen as ushers in 1971-72. Later on, my friend Russ Richards would come down to help out as well, then work on the run up to the Brel opening. Nick Spontelli, a retired Loew's engineer came down to put Loew's State's heating system back into order, without Nick's expertise we would have had no heat for the Cabaret.

Hard to believe now, but a very real possibility then, The Plain Dealer, May 25, 1972.

Aside from Ray, all of these people have been forgotten, there's fewer of us every year, only Ceil and I remain from the summer of 1972. From time to time, I still have some very vivid dreams about these theatres, and all these people from so long ago. It would be rather nice if some of us could get a look at the place every so often, without having to purchase tix. It's been impossible to get any kind of access the last few years, a condition not likely to change anytime soon, I fear.

Ohio Theatre

 The Ohio Theatre opened 102 years ago tonight, October 2018 photo. More info on the Ohio can be found here.

Loew's State & Ohio Theatres

 A half century ago today, we began work in Loew's Ohio, after the theatres narrowly avoided demolition. There were three of us, Ralph "Smitty" Smith, Dennis Wild (sp?) and me, it was freezing in there, The story is here.

This little building doesn't look like much, but it's the glue that hold the entire complex together. Its loss would have been devastating.

Loew's Ohio

 79 years ago today, Loew's Ohio reopened after six years of darkness.

From the Plain Dealer, September 23, 1943.

A Cleveland Classic Party in A Classic Cleveland Theatre

 

From The Cleveland Press, August 11, 1972.

An important event in the quest to save the two Loew houses was a tennis party for the Junior League, held in conjunction with the Cleveland Classic tennis match on August 7-13th. For about two weeks we worked full tilt on this event. We used the stage as a dance floor, much to the consternation of Local 27. Smitty and I boxed in part of the alleyway between the Allen and the Stouffer Building with 2x4’s and heavy plastic. This was used as a cooking area for Paul Hom whom Smitty knew. Some of the lighting Smitty put together for the event were old stage lights we scrounged up from Loew’s State, repainted flat black, along with some colored flood lights. Two bands were played that night, Woodsmoke with M. Melinda Myer on the stage, and Trevor Guys and Doll, a famous local society group played in the lobby. The event was a rousing success and was a pivotal moment in which the Junior League started to lobby on our behalf. The fruits of this event would be apparent in the months and years ahead.

Theatres to Stay Closed

 This is 11 days before the Palace closed, and 11 days before the Apollo 11 moon landing. My favorite line is "The State will not be used as a theatre again." 

From the Plain Dealer, July 9, 1969. 

1972: "Loew's Ohio and State Theaters To Be Razed"

 A headline that galvanized opposition to razing Loew's State & Ohio.

Plain Dealer, May 25, 1972. I do remember being razzed a bit at school that day.

Plain Dealer, May 25, 1972.

Cleveland Press, May 25, 1972. 

Plain Dealer, May 25, 1972. A group of like-minded individuals appear on the scene ready to make a significant contribution.

Scene, June 1 - 7, 1972. I never listed to/watched Alan Douglas after this, although I was in school and fortunately missed this.

Plain Dealer, June 3, 1972. The Junior League makes a rather significant contribution. 

Plain Dealer, June 3, 1972.

Variety, August 8, 1972. This was pretty much the situation by the beginning of August, bleak, with some room for optimism.

The Cleveland Press, August 11, 1972. The Tennis Party also attracted the interest of other influential individuals. 

Plain Dealer, September 9,1972.

Plain Dealer, December 23, 1972. Finally, a deal was worked out. The problem then became what to do with two theatres that were little more than shells.... Stay tuned.....

Playhouse Square

 Fifty years ago, in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 19, 1972.

I started working at the Allen a week later, it was pretty bleak down there at the time.

From the Plain Dealer, February 7, 1972.

Loew's State & Ohio Theatres

 Fifty-three years ago today.

From the Plain Dealer, February 9, 1969.

New Years Eve

 Can't remember when we last went out for New Year's Eve.

The Hotel Winton later became the Pick-Carter Hotel and is currently an apartment building. From the Plain Dealer, December 31, 1921.

Wille's Music Box was on the second floor of the Loew Building, from the Plain Dealer, December 31, 1931.

Chef Boiardi's, behind the Western Union office on 9th Street, from the Plain Dealer, December 30, 1934. Hector Boiardi is later known as Chef Boyardee purveyor of prepackaged Italian foods.

The Mayfair Casino (Ohio Theatre) from the Plain Dealer, December 29, 1935. The Mayfair was a short-lived operation in the transformed Ohio Theatre, closing in 1937.

From the Plain Dealer, December 23, 1973. The New Year's Eve parties at Playhouse Square were something of legend. I think it was in 1975 when a bus-pan filled with ice and champagne somehow got delivered to me....

Loew Building - 1515 Euclid Avenue

The Loew Building 1921-2021 - 100th Anniversary!

The four story Loew Building opened in the spring of 1921. Originally known as the Ohio Theatre Building, and later as the Loew's State Theatre Building, and more recently as simply the Loew Building. The building is overshadowed by larger neighbors, the Bulkley Building and the Allen Theatre on the west, and the 22 story B.F. Keith Building and Palace Theatre to the east. The entrances to the Ohio Theatre and the State Theatre dominate the ground floor, however there have been noteworthy tenants on the floors above. In a lot of ways this little building is the glue that holds the theatre district together.

The Loew Building, May 2019.

From Moving Picture World, June 18, 1921. The Keith Building is in the early stages of construction and has yet to appear on the right.

The Loew Building, July 25, 1956, Clevelanders headlining pix at both Loew houses, from the Cleveland Memory Project.

-------------------------------- Ground Floor ----------------------------------

Marshall Drug ad, Plain Dealer, March 27, 1921. Marshall Drug was a big chain in Ohio until 1972 when it was absorbed by Cunningham Drugs of Detroit.

From The Plain Dealer, April 3, 1921. 

Marshall's was around until the early 1930's, when it was replaced by....

From The Plain Dealer, August 22, 1935.

From The Plain Dealer, March 18, 1936. Mayell & Hopp didn't last long before Weinberger moved in.

Snipped from "Another Lease in Euclon Building," The Plain Dealer, November 3, 1936. Ten years later Adolph Weinberger consolidates his stores and names them Gray Drug.

The Plain Dealer, December 22, 1936

Nothing like a little excitement out front, The Plain Dealer, May 10, 1939.

The Plain Dealer, February 3, 1941.Weinberger is replaced by Miller Drug, late summer 1943.

The Plain Dealer, September 10, 1943. Miller Drug occupies the space until around 1960.

The Plain Dealer, April 6, 1962.

The Plain Dealer, September 5, 1964.

The Plain Dealer, August 1, 1967. Sid Friedman was a legendary agent, quite a character as well.

The Plain Dealer, August 12, 1967.

The Plain Dealer, March 16, 1968. As near as I can tell, LaMar's remained open until late 1970.

Most of the LaMar's space was used as the kitchen and prep areas for Brel, and the ensuing productions in the Playhouse Square Cabaret. Paul Hom and his crew could turn out 500 meals a night easily. The front section, facing Euclid, was used as a break room for waiters and busboys, and later used for storage. 

From The Plain Dealer Action Tab, October 5, 1973. Paul and his mother were always trying to feed me, they were super nice people.

----------------------------------- Second Floor ---------------------------

The Plain Dealer, September 12, 1920.

The Plain Dealer, February 26, 1921.

The Plain Dealer, February 27, 1921. Unsure of why they're using 1521 Euclid, Loew's State has always been 1515, the Ohio, 1511, and later 1513. 1521 is later a Keith building storefront.

The Plain Dealer, April 4, 1921. Note the erroneous reference to the Bulkley Building which also opened around the same time, with the Allen Theatre opening April 1.

From Variety, March 4, 1921.

The Plain Dealer, March 6, 1921.

From Variety, April 15, 1921. The Carlton was open less than six weeks when they were hit by yeggs.

The Plain Dealer, October 3, 1921.

The Plain Dealer, January 20, 1922.

The Plain Dealer, September 1, 1922.

The Plain Dealer, February 20, 1924.  Eventually Sophie Tucker becomes financially involved, often appearing herself. Ole Olsen later becomes half the comedy team of Olsen & Johnson, who were frequent visitors to the neighboring RKO Palace. Legend has it they developed Hellzapoppin' on the Palace stage.

From Variety, October 9, 1924. Miss Tucker's involvement in the Carlton caused her financial distress, and led her to cancel a week at the neighboring Keith's Palace to avoid process servers.

From Variety, January 21, 1925. Note: Garry(sic) Proper(sic) is actually Harry Propper, long time Cleveland area nightclub entrepreneur. Later he is one of the principles of the ill-fated Mayfair Casino in the Ohio Theatre below.

From Variety, March 25, 1925.

From Variety, September 17, 1924. Phil Spitalny was a few years earlier music director next door at the Allen Theatre.

Snipped from Ruth L. King, "Smyth Quartet, Rupp Orchestra to be Featured" from The Plain Dealer, October 19, 1924. These remote broadcasts will make bandleaders like Guy Lombardo nationally famous.

The Plain Dealer, October 22, 1924.

The Plain Dealer, September 20, 1925. 

From Radio Digest, January 30, 1926. WTAM's 50,000 watts covered about a third of the country.

From Variety, December 29, 1926.

The Plain Dealer, February 27, 1927.

A raid by federal agents on New Years Eve led to the arrest of assistant manager Fred Wong, from The Plain Dealer, January 1, 1930.

The Plain Dealer, January 1, 1930.

The Plain Dealer, January 1, 1930.

From The Plain Dealer, January 3, 1930.

The Plain Dealer, April 16, 1930.

The Plain Dealer, January 25, 1930.

The Plain Dealer, January 29, 1931.

The Plain Dealer, February 2, 1931.

The Plain Dealer, February 7, 1931. This column was usually written by Eleanor Clarage, unsure why the change, no mention of vacation.

The Plain Dealer, February 15, 1931.

The Plain Dealer, February 15, 1931.

The Plain Dealer, March 1, 1931.

The Plain Dealer, March 22, 1931. A quarter century later, Mrs. Thaw needed no introduction.

Beauty salon tie-in, from The Plain Dealer, March 27, 1931.

Blurb, from The Plain Dealer, March 29, 1931.

The Plain Dealer, October 25, 1931. Otto Wille had run a successful nightclub on Lakeshore Boulevard for years, but like it's predecessors, this version of the Music Box didn't last long. It appears the space was empty for the next ten years.

Cleveland's Stage Door Canteen operated on the second floor from January 14, 1943 until October 26, 1945. This was one of eight canteens in the country operated by the American Theatre Wing and free to servicemen.

The Plain Dealer, December 29, 1942.

The Plain Dealer, January 15, 1943.

Bob Hope and Jerry Colonna on the Canteen stage, undated photo from the New York Public Library.
More on the Canteen can be found here.

The Plain Dealer, April 14, 1946.

The Plain Dealer Action Tab, August 26, 1966. Arthur Murray would remain in this location until December 1972.

---------------------------------- Third Floor -------------------------------

The Plain Dealer, September 29, 1946. Sergei Popeloff was a famous Russian ballet dancer, who danced with Anna Pavlova, and later founded the original Cleveland Ballet in 1935.

The Plain Dealer, October 23, 1949.

The Ten Thirty Gallery occupied a portion of the third floor from about 1946 to 1952, from The Plain Dealer, April 17, 1949.

The Plain Dealer, October 1, 1950. 

The Plain Dealer, January 9, 1955. Gene Carroll was half of Gene & Glenn in the 1930's. Television gave him a second career.

The Plain Dealer, December 12, 1952. Dick Lurie was later at 1706 Euclid for many years.

The Plain Dealer, May 31, 1959.

The Plain Dealer, November 22, 1970.

The Plain Dealer, October 8, 1971.

Kuban Studio, graphic artists were on the third floor from about 1968 until early 1972, from The Plain Dealer, March 2, 1968.

------------------------ Fourth Floor--------------------------

The Plain Dealer, July 7, 1921.

The Plain Dealer, September 4, 1921.

The Plain Dealer, October 9, 1921.

From Variety, February 10, 1922.

The Plain Dealer, March 17, 1922.

The Plain Dealer, February 25, 1923.

The Plain Dealer, May 30, 1924. The Martha Lee Club was, as near as I can tell, operated by Martha Lee, 2432 Euclid Avenue, the club, and dance instructor Roy H. Lewis shared the same address as her residence in 1921. Activities of the Ohio School of Stage Arts/Thimble Theatre and the Martha Lee Club become somewhat intertwined by 1924, and last until the summer of 1926. The Martha Lee Club also sponsors events at other venues through the mid 1920's, Hippodrome Theatre, Masonic Hall, Public Hall etc. References to the Martha Lee Club Ballroom, seen elsewhere (CWRU's site) are most likely the dance studio on the fourth floor operated by Roy H. Lewis. Mr. Lewis was on the staff of the Ohio School, as well as the Martha Lee Club, and later operated a dance school on the forth floor, independently.  (Martha Lee seems like an interesting subject for further investigation) 

From the Plain Dealer, November 15, 1925.

From Variety, January 6, 1926.

From the Plain Dealer, September 11, 1927.

The Plain Dealer, May 9, 1928.

From Variety, October 10, 1928. 

The Plain Dealer, December 14, 1930. With the addition of Carlton Brickert to the staff, the Thimble becomes the Brickert.

The Plain Dealer, March 15, 1931.

The Plain Dealer, March 29, 1931. The Ohio School of Stage Arts relocated to 18th Street and closes not long afterwards.

The Plain Dealer, October 1, 1931. The last show in the Thimble, it opened on September 29 and closed three weeks later.

The Plain Dealer, October 21, 1931. The fire department shuts the Thimble/Brickert/Piccadilly down, it never re-opens. I was always surprised the city let something like this operate up there. I am also curious as to how it passed inspection to open, and why they really shut it down ten years later. 

From Variety, Chatter, by Glenn Pullen, October 27, 1931

From the Plain Dealer, September 28, 1932. Lewis is around a little longer, then moves to 2031 Euclid, where he remains until 1941.

The International Ship Masters' Association Lodge 4, occupied a rear portion of the fourth floor for about twenty years, mid 1950's to 1971. They had monthly meetings usually sponsored by one of the shipping companies. From The Plain Dealer, January 4, 1961. This group is still in existance.

Possibilities Unlimited occupied part of the fourth floor for a few years in the early - mid 1950's from The Plain Dealer, January 20, 1953.

The Plain Dealer, May 21, 1961. Cleveland Recording moved into the Loew building in 1946, and relocated to 1900 Euclid in early 1971. A number of famous rock groups recorded here in the 1960's: The Outsiders (US), James Gang, Grand Funk Railroad, The Bittersweet, Tiffany Shade, etc.

From The Plain Dealer, October 14, 1970.

Telepix, Productions on Films, and Technical Film Department all occupy a portion of the fourth floor during the late 1940's - 1950's. I suspect some/all of these firms are connected.

----------------------Third-and-a-Half Floor-------------
This floor doesn't face Euclid Avenue, originally occupied by Loew's Ohio Theatres Inc, there was a screening room and several offices. The projection ports are still visible.

Fred Desberg was the original General manager of Loew's Ohio Theatres Inc. From Exhibitor's Trade Review, September 22, 1923.

From the 1927 City Directory.

From Motion Picture Herald, July 9, 1932. The Loew division offices moved to the mezzanine of the State. This was when the music alcove was most likely sealed off for offices. The Loew division offices remain there until closing, February 9, 1969, when they move to Loew's East.

This area remained vacant until Fred Wolf of Cleveland Recording entered the broadcasting arena.

From Variety, July 13, 1949.

From Broadcasting - Telecasting, May 8, 1950. 5,000 watts doesn't seem like much compared to the 50,000 watts of WTAM and WGAR two of the dominant stations in the market, which could be heard over a third of the country after dark.

From Broadcasting - Telecasting, May 29, 1950.

From Broadcasting - Telecasting, May 29, 1950.

From Broadcasting - Telecasting, August 14, 1950.

From Broadcasting - Telecasting, December 15, 1952.

Candy Lee, left, youngest disc-jockey in the U.S., from Broadcasting - Telecasting, June 15, 1953.

From Broadcasting - Telecasting, January 7, 1957.

From Sponsor, November 21, 1959.

From Sponsor, February 13, 1960.

From Sponsor, December 26, 1960.

From Broadcasting - Telecasting, May 14, 1962.

From The Plain Dealer, June 4, 1965. Westchester Corporation buys the station, WDOK moves to the 3800 block of Euclid Avenue by the end of the year. WDOK - AM becomes WIXY, a hugely successful top 40 station. 

Undated photo of l-r, Norman Wain, Candy Lee, and Howie Lund, from the Cleveland Memory Project. This counter is still there.

The Third-and-A-Half floor has been used for storage the last few years.

Some odds and ends.

From The Plain Dealer, June 3, 1924.

From The Plain Dealer, March 22, 1934.

Millcapp ad from The Plain Dealer, April 1, 1970. Uptown? This isn't 105th & Euclid, odd marketing. These were the guys that wanted to raze the Loew Building, they were incredibly short-sighted. They did no upgrades on this building after they bought it, existing tenants started to leave. 

Millcapp ad from The Plain Dealer, October 27, 1970. 

The Plain Dealer, February 2, 1971.

The Plain Dealer, May 25, 1972.

The Plain Dealer, May 25, 1972.

The Plain Dealer, December 23, 1972. I don't think a lot of people realize just how close these two theatres came to being razed.

We officially took possession January 1, 1973. Arthur Murray were the last to leave, just a couple weeks earlier. The back part of the second floor, the Murray space, leaked pretty bad, that had been going on for some time. The couple Arthur Murray people I talked to in late 1972 said that was a good location for them, but lack of maintenance, and the imminent demolition sent them out to the suburbs. We had first been in the upper floors in the summer of 1972. The Cleveland Recording space on the fourth floor was wide open and we salvaged some lumber to build a concession stand in the Allen. Sometime that October, a friend and I skipped school to see Vice-President Agnew speak out front. Actually he spoke in front of Republican headquarters which were directly across the street. The third floor was a mess, the David Lee space had hundreds, maybe thousands of 8X10, b&w photos of models, they were scattered all over the place. The Kuban space also had a lot of debris, Smitty used a roll of colored paper from here to cover the windows of LaMar's early on. Up on The fourth floor the old Cleveland Recording space yielded enough speaker wire for all of us to use for the next decade. There were also ceiling tiles we recycled for Smitty's pad in the Ohio. Smitty and I spent some time breaking into the remaining offices, with the least amount of damage possible, Millcapp gave us no keys. We drilled out most of the locks, replacing the ones on the front door of the Loew Building, LaMar's and the two Loew Theatres. Some of the usual crew, Poe - Ken Plocica, Kevin McAndrew, Chuck Fleming. and Pete Webber cleared out the upper floors at night during the winter of 1973. They pretty much bagged up most of the debris, and tossed it down the freight elevator shaft. I believe Kay's Light Hauling took it from there. The building remained vacant for the rest of the decade, except for the year a couple architects used the front portion of the fourth floor, 1977, I believe. 

In 1978 Cuyahoga County converted the building into office space. The second floor is now a private club.

Undoubtedly there's a more than a few missing pieces here, which will lead to updates as more information comes to light.