Tootin' my own horn

[Roaring20s]

I had fun last night. The Rialto Theatre, in downtown Tucson, held its annual fund raiser.
The theatre was turned into a Gin Joint for the night. It was full of flappers, old sports, and good eggs.
Hootch was flowing and I was lucky to slip out as it got raided!

Rialto.1.png (428.43 KiB) Viewed 1885 times

I cranked out two hours of Roaring20s music.

Picture 3.png (370.88 KiB) Viewed 1885 times

Eccentricity (even electricity) was in the air!
The Victor was the star. Did you notice who had my back? That's right, I was energized via the atmosphere!

Many folks were amazed that it was the real McCoy. Some even knew their onions.

James.

[alang]

Sounds like you had a great time. Cool that the building still exists after all theses years.

Andreas

[Henry]

The news is apparently not as good as one might have hoped. It appears that the architectural integrity of the interior has been compromised. More info here: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5893

BTW, cinematreasures.org is a wonderful site if you are a fan of old theaters, as I am. I spent a lot of time in this one growing up: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8237

[De Soto Frank]

I had fun last night. The Rialto Theatre, in downtown Tucson, held its annual fund raiser.
The theatre was turned into a Gin Joint for the night. It was full of flappers, old sports, and good eggs.
Hootch was flowing and I was lucky to slip out as it got raided!

Rialto.1.png

I cranked out two hours of Roaring20s music.

Picture 3.png

Eccentricity (even electricity) was in the air!
The Victor was the star. Did you notice who had my back? That's right, I was energized via the atmosphere!

Many folks were amazed that it was the real McCoy. Some even new their onions.

James.

Was that your Franklin touring ccar parked out front ?

[Roaring20s]

It was great fun to see the community come out and support this important Tucson venue!
http://www.rialtotheatre.com/history/

Henry, we have another important venue down the street that may be to your liking. This one has received the historic makeover.
I've seen Citizen Kane, Dracula, Planet Of The Apes and others, as-well-as the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West.
http://www.decopix.com/tucsons-art-deco-fox-theatre/
http://foxtucsontheatre.org/about/history/

If I had known, I could have finished up at the Rialto and gone down the street to the Fox and catch Buster Keaton in the General!
That would have been the icing on the cake! Better luck next time.

Gangster buffs might know that across the street from the Rialto is Hotel Congress.
http://hotelcongress.com/events/january/
http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2011/01/ ... in-tucson/

James.

[XCaptBill]

Very cool James!

[Henry]

Here's our local gem of a restored, functioning movie and live stage theater, the Roxy in Northampton, PA: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/470

Be sure to click on the "Photos" button to see the house!

[De Soto Frank]

Here's our local gem of a restored, functioning movie and live stage theater, the Roxy in Northampton, PA: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/470

Be sure to click on the "Photos" button to see the house!

Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel got his start in show business in lowly, rural Forest City, PA ( about 20 miles north of the bustling metropolis of Carbondale ), with his "Family Theatre", a combination cinema and skating rink.

He quickly outgrew the little tank-town sandwiched between the New York, Ontario & Western and Delaware & Hudson RRs, and by 1912, he was in NYC, managing theatres and producing shows.


I don't know if the Northampton Roxy has any historical connection to Rothafel... but he was the original "Roxy"...


Found a Cinema's Treasures link to the Forest City Rothafel theatre:

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/7209

[Henry]

Wow, thanks, Frank! I had never seen the interior shot of the Family Theatre; the exterior shot is reproduced in Ross Melnick's book "American Showman" (Columbia Univ. Press, 2012), which chronicles in great detail Samuel "Roxy" Rothapfel ("red apple" in Deutsch, changed by Roxy to "Rothafel") and his times in American theater, specifically movie and presentation (vaudeville, variety, etc.) houses. There were/are many theaters named Roxy, after the famous and late-lamented (demolished c. 1961) Roxy Theatre in New York City. I was fortunate enough to attend a movie in the Roxy c. 1958-9; it was a shadow of its glory days---just the movie, no pit orchestra or stage show---and my memories of it are very dim.

"Our" Roxy Theatre was originally the Lyric; the name is in stone on the upper façade. When it was re-decorated in 1933, the name was changed to "Roxy." The New York Roxy had opened in 1927.

[De Soto Frank]

Henry,

I ran across Melnick's book in my searching last nite... is it worth the investment ?


The photos of the Family Theatre were "buried" in a digitized book, that came up several pages into a search on the Freedman Theatre...


Kind of sad to snoop around the Cinema Treasures site by location, and browse all the dead & gone theatres. Some buildings have been re-purposed and live-on, but most are now only memories...