THEATRE AND CINEMA PROGRAMS FROM BUFFALO AND ELSEWHERE

This is some of my collection. I have more, but I can’t remember how much more. Eventually I’ll scan it all, but don’t hold your breath. It’s best not to look at any of these links directly on line, as that will slow down your computer and the server. Instead, if you have a PC, right-click on any link and choose “Save Link As.” If you have a Mac, hold down the CONTROL button as you click the mouse, and that should bring up a menu allowing you to choose to save the item to your hard drive.


Star, 1888. Architect: W W Carlin. Demolished 1924.

Teck, 1901. Largely demolished 1940. What little remained of the walls was incorporated into the later Publix house, Shea’s Teck.

Park, 1905 (later Shea’s Court Street). Architect: Leon H Lempert Sr. Demolished 1941.

Park, 1905 (later Shea’s Court Street).

Park, 1905 (later Shea’s Court Street).

Majestic, 1912. Architect: Leon H Lempert Jr. Demolished 1927.
1893-01-23STAR THEATRE: Wang
Circa 1896Seating Diagrams: The Music Hall was later gutted and rebuilt into the Teck, and the Court Street was demolished and replaced by the Park a/k/a Shea’s Court Street Vaudeville
1903-05-25TECK THEATRE: The Black Flag
1908-12-28TECK THEATRE: The Wolf
1919-12-22TECK THEATRE: At 9.45
1921-01-24STAR THEATRE: Kick In
1921-10-10LYCEUM THEATRE: Ragged Robin
Sometime in the early 1920sTECK THEATRE: Maverick (I don’t think this ever made it to Broadway)
1922 or laterTECK THEATRE: Whispering Wires
1923-11-12TECK THEATRE: The Wasp
1924-05-06TECK THEATRE: The Fool
1924-09-01TECK THEATRE: Sweet Little Devil
1924-09-15TECK THEATRE: Minick
1925-11-02TECK THEATRE: The Student Prince in Heidelberg
1926-09-20TECK THEATRE: Queen High
1926-09-27TECK THEATRE: Stylish Stouts (I don’t think this ever made it to Broadway. There was apparently a typo in one of the programs. Must have opened on the 27th, not the 20th. The typo caused the gal a bit of confusion, for she penciled in her response to the play under a wrong date!)
1926-11-01TECK THEATRE: First Love
1926-11-08TECK THEATRE: The Green Hat
1926-11-22TECK THEATRE: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
1926-12-27TECK THEATRE: Princess Flavia
1927-01-03TECK THEATRE: Craig’s Wife
1927-01-17TECK THEATRE: A Night in Paris
1927-01-31The Patsy (No idea where this played.)
1927-02-19ERLANGER THEATRE: Wings (Yes, the movie. The Erlanger didn’t have a projection booth, and so a temporary one had to be installed for this limited engagement.)
1927-09-26TECK THEATRE: O-o, La, La!
1927-10-10ERLANGER THEATRE: Out of the Night
1927-11-14TECK THEATRE: The Banshee
1927-12-05TECK THEATRE: The Spider
1927-12-12TECK THEATRE: The Shanghai Gesture
1927-12-19TECK THEATRE: The Constant Wife
1927-12-26TECK THEATRE: Oh Johnny!
1927 or laterTECK THEATRE: The Letter
1928-01-09ERLANGER THEATRE: The Barker
1928-02-06TECK THEATRE: Broadway
1928-02-13ERLANGER THEATRE: Lulu Belle (The illustration folds out, but my copy is water-damaged and I'd destroy it if I tried to unfold it)
1928-03-26TECK THEATRE: Gay Paree
1928-05-07TECK THEATRE: Sunny Days
1928-05-28ERLANGER THEATRE: Saturday’s Children
1928-11-12TECK THEATRE: The Age of Innocence
1929-04-15TECK THEATRE: Gay Paree
1929-04-22ERLANGER THEATRE: Rio Rita
1929-11-04TECK THEATRE: Queen Bee (This was the last tryout before Broadway.)
1931-02-02TECK THEATRE: The Barretts of Wimpole Street
1934-12-31TECK THEATRE: The Silent House
1942-10-22ERLANGER THEATRE: Papa Is All
1943-11-22ERLANGER THEATRE: Breden-Savoy Company present Gilbert and Sullivan revivals
1944-11-23ERLANGER THEATRE: Errand for Bernice
1945-12-10ERLANGER THEATRE: School for Brides
1950-03-22ERLANGER THEATRE: Lend an Ear
1953-02-09ERLANGER THEATRE: Guys and Dolls

ROCHESTER PROGRAMS


1888. Architects: Warner & Brocket (exterior) and Leon H Lempert Sr (interior). Demolished 1934.
(Sadly, I have never been able to find a usable illustration of the interior.)
1907-09-12 Top o’ th’ World George Washington Jr The Spider’s Web
1909-09-02 Top o’ th’ World
1909-10-04 The Fair Co-Ed Your Humble Servant Ben-Hur
1909-10-22 Salvation Nell The Coast of Chance The Merry Widow
1909-10-25 The Coast of Chance The Merry Widow The Gay Hussars
1909-11-01 The Gay Hussars Van Allen’s Wife (world première) The Dollar Mark
1910-01-13 Miss Patsy Detective Sparkes The Third Degree
1910-01-14 Detective Sparkes The Third Degree Cohan & Harris Minstrels with George Evans
1910-02-18 Sham The Servant in the House Alma Wo Wohust Du
1910-04-08 Miss Ruth St Denis in Hindoo Dance—Pantomimes 3 Twins Actors’ Fund Benefit Coming on 21 April
1910-04-26 Inconstant George Laugh and Help [local show] The First Night
1910-05-19 The Music Master Cousin Kate
1910-06-27 Lyceum Players in The Little Minister Lyceum Players in York State Folks
1910-07-04 Lyceum Players in York State Folks
1910-08-25 The Country Boy The Girl from Rector’s
1910-09-23 Mid-Channel The House Next Door The Scandal
1910-10-20 The Arcadians The Other Fellow Ambition
MUCH MORE TO COME

SYRACUSE


Empire Theatre. 1911. Architect: Leon H Lempert Jr. Demolished 1961.

Above photocopies are from original photographs in the Onandaga Historical Association’s collection

The entrance was through the still-standing Gurney Block, designed by Taber & Baxter.
1912-04-15 The Old Homestead

MORE PLACES

1939-03-05 Galli-Curci Theatre, Margaretville NY

1939-03-26 Galli-Curci Theatre, Margaretville NY

1941-03-30 Galli-Curci Theatre, Margaretville NY

1949-09-21 Ambassador Theatre, Manhattan NY (Germany Year Zero)

Hamilton, Ontario

1880-11-29. ON. Hamilton. Grand Opera House. (Leon H Lempert Sr, original scenic designer and decorator. Demolished 1962.)

“Music and the Drama,” 11 May 1907

Bennett Theatre, a/k/a Temple Theatre, 1907

Cinema licence voted down, 17 February 1911

Queens Theatre, 1913

Princess Theatre, 1913


(Original interior; architect: Leon H Lempert Jr)
Lyric Theatre, 1913

(Courtesy of Hamiltonian theatre buff Brian Morton, we have some other interesting items. Please see http://rjbuffalo.com/lyric_theatre_hamilton_ontario.html for what I’ve been able to piece together about this building’s sad history. Oh, and here’s an exterior taken in 1960, showing the fifth story that was added on, post-Lempert.)

Loew’s Theatre, a/k/a Capitol Theatre, 1917

Tivoli Theatre, 1924

Miscellaneous Theatres and Cinemas

Sheila Turcon, Popular Entertainment in the Late Nineteenth Century

Theatres and Cinemas, Directory Listings by Year

Theatres and Cinemas, Directory Listings by Address

LEON H LEMPERT & SON, THEATRICAL ARCHITECTS

The Works of Leon H Lempert & Son, Theatrical Architects (several pages missing).

1865. NY. Rochester - Rochester Opera House. (A young Leon Senior was hired as scenic designer and later as manager.)

1878-06-20. NY. Rochester. Tom Karl, Tenor, program at Corinthian Hall.

1879-01-22. Leon Senior’s house seized by sheriff.

1880. NY. Churchville. Bogardus Opera House.

1880-11-29. ON. Hamilton. Grand Opera House.

1880. NY. Rochester. Universalist Church.

1884. Sketch by Leon Senior.

1886-01-04. NY. Watertown. City Opera House.

1886-01-04. NY. Watertown. City Opera House. Postcard.

1890-09-01. NY. Albion. Grand Opera House. Later renamed Pratt Opera House.

1891-09-05. NY. Rochester. Musee Theatre. Later renamed Wonderland, and then Empire Theatre.

1892-01-14. NY. Rochester. Cook’s Opera House.

Lucille Lempert, photo as bride.

1894-06(?). NY. Rochester. Corinthian Academy of Music.

1898-12-26. NY. Rochester. Baker Theatre. Later renamed the Gayety Theatre.

1902-12-23. NY. Rochester. National Theatre. Later renamed Sam S Shubert Memorial Theatre, The Club, Loew’s Vaudeville Theatre, Avon Theatre, Fay’s Theatre, Comerford’s Capitol

1903-02-04. NY. Clyde. Clyde Opera House.

1903-12-30. NY. Rochester. News stories of the fire in Chicago.

1904-08-20. NY. Rochester. Corinthian Theatre.

1909-12-06. NY. Rochester. Temple Vaudeville Theatre.

1910-12-26. NY. Rochester. Colonial Theatre. Later renamed the Rialto Theatre.

1913-08-11. ON. Hamilton. Lyric Theatre. See photo above. See also a rough draft of an article at http://rjbuffalo.com/lyric_theatre_hamilton_ontario.html

1913-09-08. NY. Rochester. Children of To-Day at the Sam S Shubert Memorial Theatre.

1914-11-10. NY. Rochester. The Regent Theatre.

1924-01-25. NY. Rochester. Lempert family tree.

1927-01-01. NY. Rochester. Clark family tree.

1927-11-07. NY. Rochester. The Rochester Theatre. Later renamed Loew’s Rochester Theatre.

1934-01-14. CA. Pasadena. Leon Junior dies.

1950-02-23. ME. Waterville. Carro dies.