East Side Story

This time, a quick plug for one of our locals--Sarah C. Oltrogge, of the State Historical Society, has just published a fascinating new book that concentrates on the East Village area of Des Moines, tracking over a hundred years of history through a treasure-trove of photographs. The visuals alone are fascinating in and of themselves, but what makes this so much more than your average coffee-table look-through is Sarah's accompanying text--she has a knack for picking out and interpreting details that completely bring these pictures to life. It's like having a good friend take you on a tour through her hometown--but with time-traveled factored in as well. Once she gets you started, you'll be making repeat visits to these pages and picking out details on your own.

For you fellow Lost Cinemaphiles, you'll find a couple of items not seen here or in my film--a rare snap of the Mini-East adult theatre, and the similarly elusive Iowa Theatre (not to be confused with its westside counterparts of the same name).

The book is part of the well-known "Images of America" series issued by Arcadia Publishing, and is available through Amazon.com (prices vary from day to day, but they're generally good), the better local book stores, and also at various East Village store outlets.

If you're especially lucky, you can catch Sarah signing copies in person and dishing tales of East Side history in her upcoming personal appearances. You should be able to find info about these here; her first signing (at the West Des Moines Barnes and Noble this month) did very well and found her book supply pretty well depleted by day's end.

Add this to your Des Moines history bookshelf as soon as you can--though I suspect it will have more time in your hands than on the shelf!

Jerry Lewis Goes South

Here's an obscure one, due to its very short life: the Jerry Lewis Cinema 1 and 2, deep in S.E. 14th territory. The above article comes from the Carlise Citizen, November 16, 1972.

The idea behind this chain was "If you can push a button, you can run a Jerry Lewis Cinema!" These somewhat prefab mall-box theatres were designed to be plopped down into any local shopping center, and to require only 2 employees to operate it: a ticket taker, and a concessions person-slash-projectionist (aka, button-pusher). The films arrive weekly, the overhead is low, and local entrepreneurs make big profits for themselves and Jerry. How could you lose, right?

But lose they did, across the country. The reasons were manifold: the likeness of Jerry himself was a turnoff. The prefab machinery tended to break down, with no one in the vicinity to effect repairs. And, perhaps worst of all, programming was in short supply. Jerry's idea was to reintroduce the concept of the family-friendly theatre in an era already drowning in R's and X's. The problem: hardly anybody was producing the stuff. The G rating was even beginning to be seen as a liability--if it's General, it's super watered down for kiddies only, rather than the general concept of "family"--"something for everyone".

Mr. Tony Magnani was the proprietor of Des Moines' entry into the franchise, and sadly, I don't think it lasted more than a couple of years. I recall seeing a rerelease of "Scrooge" there one winter, but I don't recall any details whatsoever of the theatre itself, and have no idea of what now stands at S.E. 14th and Indianola Road. (Readers, rescue me here!)

In a way, the failure of Lewis' automated-film-box franchise is ironic--considering that it is practically the model of most multiplex operations today.

For a fuller treatise on the Jerry Lewis Cinemas franchise story, check out this excellent Cinelog article here.

Rudy at the Amuz-U in the 40s

Courtesy of his son John Elman, here is Rudy Elman manning the main portal of the Amuzu sometime in the 1940s.

Astute Cines fans know that the senior John Elman opened the Amuzu in 1913 and turned it over to Rudy later on. Rudy also received former rival theater The Star (situated just west across the alley) as a wedding present--The Star was operated for a time by A.H. Blank as part of his early his theatre empire.

John Elman of today tells us to look carefully at the tiling beneath Rudy's feet, and you will see the theatre's name spelt out in its alternate, hyphenated variation: "AMUZ-U". (John also tells us that it didn't strike him until years later that the name was a pun on "Amuse You"! His wife happened to point this out to him...)

A Funny Thing Happened, By The Way, To The Forum IV

...what happened is, of course, that it is now the Hobby Lobby, in what I still think of as the Ardan's Plaza, right next to Merle Hay.

As far as Lost Cinemas go, it ain't much--I don't even have the exact dates when this was opened and closed, though I think it's safe to say Sometime In The 70s to Sometime In The 90s. This was typical of the boxy, nondescript mall multiplexes that began to plague the scene after the Golden Era ended.

This telop slide design suggests there was something ornate and Roman about the Forum's architecture--but tain't so. About the only thing it had in common with ancient Rome is--it fell!

The Des Moines, 1943

Crowds line up for the war feature "Bataan", which places this photo in 1943. You'll notice the marquee is of the same style seen 2 years later--and 2 weeks prior to the war ending--during the world premiere of "State Fair" at this theatre and the Paramount.

This photo comes courtesy of Lost Cines reader Craig McCue, who is currently authoring an Arcadia book for the West Des Moines Historical Society. (Let us know when that hits print, Craig!)

Hmmm, are those sailors standing in line? And if so...are they real, or for publicity?

Film Progress Update!

Greetings once again to all you patient people out there!

It's admittedly been a long time since I've added to the blog--this isn't due to a lack of interest in the Lost Cinemas--but rather, because I've been working very hard to finish the documentary film of the same name. Whereas this kind of project normally has things like a budget, a set amount of time, and an army of people to work on it--it's been pretty much just me.

When I set out to make this film, I imagined it as being about 22 minutes long, and able to fit nicely into a commercial half-hour TV slot. Upon putting together the rough cut about a month ago, the running time came out to around 44 minutes! (Double your pleasure!) And it didn't feel overlong. Even so, I've been trimming whatever draggy spots and irrelevancies that might make anybody but me bored--and it's just getting better. There's been much work done to animate photos and clean up film--especially since there's so little actual film in the first place. Lots and lots of digital cutting up, layering, animating, and re-dirtying it all to make it gel together!

I've had some wonderful surprises on the way--Cal Bierman and his gang at KRNT Radio provided some smack-on voice over work you'll hear in 3 of the mini-films that pop up throughout the narrative. They did a fantastic job at capturing the period feel of the old spot announcers, trailer voices, and radio columnists.

There are only a handful of missing pieces, which I am actively trying to round up. Several scraps of film showing the late great A.H. Blank receiving his "Exhibitor of the Year" award in the early 50s have finally been located, and I should be able to use them to complete the Blank minifilm in the very near future. And I am hoping that some of my friends back home may be able to locate photos of the Eastown-slash-1536, as well as the eastside's Grand Theatre (preferably with that deadly trolley mashing through its doors).

But what's already there, I think, will be tremendously exciting for those of you who love the old theaters: the Paramount stage shows, the Berchel and the President in all their glory and decay, various fires [reconstructed] that downed their houses, and of course the grand and terrible destruction of the Paramount itself, reanimated from Jerry Tormey's incredible SLR photos.

When can you see it?

Here's my rough itinerary for 2010:

1. Getting the rough cut finer-tuned and mixed.

2. Preliminary panel screening of the rough cut, followed by the final fine-tuning and mix.

3. Los Angeles screenings and entries into festivals--which ones and where are all TBD.

4. Des Moines screenings--once again, locations TBD. Both the Varsity Theatre and the Historical Society have both shown strong interest in screening it, and, legalities willing, perhaps there can be some sort of broadcast showings--most likely cable or public TV.

5. I'm hoping to preserve this as some sort of DVD release, with the requisite bonus materials. There are stories and footage I simply couldn't include because of pace and relevance--such as more State Fair premiere footage than any run time would bear, and tales of vaudeville antics that fell just a little too far out of the realm of the cinema world. Hopefully I can raise the funds to cover licensing for this extra material--most of which has never been seen anywhere.

So--as I cut away and polish things up--won't you please take one more look through your scrapbooks and photo albums just in case you missed finding anything that might fit this film? I won't mind at all doing some last minute recuts and rerecords if you have something really exciting! Let's get it all in if we can!

Once again, thanks for your endless patience with "Lost Cinemas"--2010 should be the best year ever as the main event finally hits the screens!

Best holiday wishes to all!

-Mark

The Hiland at Night

Here's another sewn-together view, from the same reel as the Avalon footage, this time of the rekitted Hiland Theatre, now with its "Giant Wide Vision Screen". The 1954 double feature is "Pushover" and "The Law Vs. Billy the Kid".

The lights don't chase on this one, and the lighting from within the glass-brick tower seems to be set to a static pale blue.

The Avalon at Night

I just got ahold of some color movie footage from an aunt of mine here in California--apparently my uncle was experimenting with his ability to shoot lights at night with his 8mm camera, and fortunately for me, he shot 2 local nabes I didn't have footage of previously.

This still is sewn together from 3 separate frame grabs of the pan shot he did of the Avalon in its second location--as you can see on the marquee, the feature is a widescreen re-release of "Gone With the Wind", which dates the film as being from 1954.

In the finished film, you'll get to enjoy the chase lights in all their glory!

Thank you, Donna Jean and Duane, for this film.

Unconfirmed Sighting

Here's an item that's not yet ascertained as being in a Lost Cinema--but it seems very likely:  labeled as "The Derby Show '36", with the tag line "We're in the Money" from the popular song of the same name, these 3 couples are shown on the boards of...what?  It appears to be backstage somewhere, but it's very hard to tell from the out-of-focus, tentlike setup in the background.  And the outfits suggest...dancing?  Acrobatics?  What?  I have no idea, and can't find any record on the internet of what the Derby Show may have been.  (If anyone has any clues, please write!)

According to the back of the photo, the couples are:  Dimples and Chet Naylor, Adele Keller and Bobby Bloom, Edith Fowler and Earl Clark.

A Surviving Sister

No, you’re not seeing a ghost—but instead, the sister theater of the original Capri at 42nd and University, alive and well in Lake City!

After the Iowa Theater in Lake City burned down on New Year's Eve 1958, the town pled with Bob Fridley to help them get a new venue open: they would build it if he would operate it. And so, Fridley took “the best parts of the Capri and the Varsity” and built a new theater that is for the most part a spitting image of the original Capri. Construction was completed circa 1964. Fridley dubbed it "Iowa's Most Beautiful Theater".

Fridley eventually donated the theater to the town in 2003, where it has run as a non-profit ever since. Admission is a mere 2 dollars, with equally reasonable concessions.

If you miss the original Capri, or just feel the need for a great neighborhood movie experience, trek on out to Lake City. (Next time I’m in Iowa, I’m going!) Find out what's showing now at The Lake City Capri Theatre.

These photos were graciously provided by Terry Watters, who is president of the Capri.

Movies at the Park

Though not exactly a Lost Cinema, Riverview Park dovetails into our story not only as a venue owned by Abe Frankle, but also as a place that, on occasion, did exhibit movies—as seen in this newspaper ad.

It’s important to note that about two-thirds of the way down is an instruction as to what streetcars to take to get to the park—Riverview, and indeed a number of the early theaters, were located at trolley stops to take advantage of patron traffic as riders got on and off the line.

This clipping is courtesy of Bill Kooker, of the Kooker family that last owned Riverview as an operating park. Bill is also the webmaster of Fading Memories of Riverview Park.

100% Non-sectarian Family Entertainment!

This ad from 1955 offers up a peculiar blend of programming for family drive-in customers: the story of Christ, advertised here with an illustration of the crucified savior and a promise of “glorious color”, which extends itself to…two color cartoons! (If we could only know what cartoons would fit this particular bill…) And with 53—count ‘em—53 New Testament tableaux to get through, it’s a good thing the S.E. 14th is offering up its special “Speed Lane Snack Bar Service” so you won’t miss a thing!

The original Lincoln

Here is a rare shot of the Center Street neighborhood theater "The Lincoln", in a nightclub incarnation shortly after its run as a movie house. This is not to be confused with the Lincoln on S.W. 9th Street, that later became the Holiday Theater under the auspices of Bob Fridley.

This venue played all-Black features and shorts for its largely Black local population; the Lincoln was part of the vibrant Center Street neighborhood culture that flourished in the early-to-mid 20th century--hopefully you were lucky enough to catch the exhibit on this at the Iowa State Historical Society in the summer of 2006.

The photo on the right is the same location today, as part of a hospital property.

These photos are courtesy of Lost Cinemas reader Big Tommy.

The Genuine Article

Here is the original "Lost Cinemas" article I wrote that was originally published in Tim Fay's wonderful "Wapsipinicon Almanac", which he prints the old-fashioned way using an ancient German press. If you've never seen the magazine, please ask your independent bookseller to get you a copy. It's gorgeous; as I'm fond of saying, even the ads are beautiful.

The article itself is serving as a loose blueprint for the film, though as you'll notice, a few more cinemas (notably all the drive-ins) are now lost, thus dating the story a bit.

Click on the pictures to make it all readable. Enjoy!

Film and Frolics at the Majestic

This ad from the Daily News proves that, even as early as 1921, both movies and vaudeville lived side-by-side at the Majestic, which is generally thought of as a live venue in historical records.

Fatty at the Palace

What could be more appealing than Fatty Arbuckle in The Garage? (Don't answer that, Virginia...) Here we have a nice circus-y logo for the Palace, and the rather odd billing of a two-year-old Fatty short above Farnum's 50-minute long western "feature".

The Strand, 1921

Here we see a nice marquee-style logo for the Strand (formerly the Unique and the Nickeldom), for the Clara Kimball Young feature "Hush".

"Sky Pilot" at the Des Moines, 1921

This ad is notable for the illustrated view of the Des Moines' facade, and for the four-times-daily appearance of the Harmony Four.

Remember, Kids, I'll See YOU On The Patio!

Such was the call of Cappy the Clown in the customized Capitol Drive-In black-and-white trailer (much of which will be included in the Lost Cines video).

My cousin Joe sent me these two great pics of the drive-in--the screen, after it was adapted for widescreen use, and the aforementioned patio, at which patrons could sit outside the snack bar and enjoy the show in the open air. (If Cletus the Slack-jawed Yokel had been there, he might've exclaimed "Hot dang! No more sittin' in the dirt at the drive-in!") And here also, Cappy the Clown dispensed gifts and prizes to the kids.

Come See The Paramount Fall Down

In October 1979, after the illustrious Paramount Theater had tried a short-lived second run as a dinner theatre ("Theatre Fabulous"), the decision came to raze the structure. Its sibling showcase, the Des Moines, had already been demolished 10 years earlier. Both places hosted the gigantic world premiere of "State Fair" in 1945, but the excitement had long since ebbed for the two giants of Grand Avenue.

Jerry Tormey has generously shared his SLR sequence of the Paramount's destruction, shown here in three excerpts. (I am busily sewing together all 23 pictures in After Effects to create a motion version.) Thanks, Jerry, for these amazing pictures.

Large crowds came downtown to witness the Paramount's final show--if you look closely at the first photo, you can see a line of spectators along the top of the building to the east, like all the surrounding buildings that afternoon. They all heeded the last call ever to be seen on the Paramount's ageing marquee: "COME SEE THE PARAMOUNT FALL DOWN".