The Paramount Theatre
Hamiltonians were awaiting the opening of the Paramount Theater, which would become the largest and most luxurious of several downtown movie theaters. Plans were announced in December 1929, and construction began in 1930.
The theater site — whose address was 18 S. Second St. — extended 90 feet on South Second Street and Journal Square and 175 feel along Court Street.
A theater was one of several two and three-story buildings razed for the Paramount. The Eagle Theater, at the corner of Court Street and Journal Square, had been built as a post office.
The Miami Building at the corner of South Second and Court streets had been a social center, the site of meetings, stage shows and dances.
The new theater also displaced the Eatmore Restaurant, two cigar stores, a grocery, a taxi office, a barber shop, a shoe shine parlor, a clothing store and a stationery store.
Demolition of those buildings began Tuesday, Feb. 18, 1930.
The Paramount was designed by George Rapp and C. W. Rapp, theater architects, whose office was in the Paramount Building on Times Square in New York City.
The Paramount interior was described as a "combination of the classic and modern period, with a dominant Italian Renaissance motif. The vaulted dome ceiling, as well as the series of attractive niches, artfully illuminated by concealed lights . . . give maximum acoustic qualities."
Its main floor, 113 feet in length, seated 1,483 while the balcony capacity was 330.
The Midland Co. of Cincinnati, headed by Frank Messer, was the general contractor. Its theater-building experience included the Albee, Palace, Keith, Capitol, Cox and Schubert theaters in Cincinnati.
The Paramount grand opening Friday evening, March 6,1931, began with a parade from North Fifth and Dayton streets, led by the American Legion drum and bugle corps.
Block-long lines formed north and south of the theater before the box office opened at 7 p.m. Patrons bought gold tickets that they were able to keep as souvenirs.
The opening program included remarks by Mayor Raymond H. Burke and the dedication of the Barton-Balaban theater organ by Edwin Schenck, formerly an organist with WLW in Cincinnati.
A newsreel preceded the feature film, "Fast and Loose," a romantic comedy starring Miriam Hopkins, Carole Lombard, Charles Starrett and Frank Morgan.
"I'd Climb the Highest Mountain," called "the song that has become popular in all Paramount houses," was played before the film started.
The Paramount was owned by Paramount-Publix, a national chain, which also operated the Palace Theater on South Third Street. Nat Turberg, who had been at the Palace, was managing director of the new theater and Charles Wood was assistant manager.
Paramount admission was 50 cents for adults for evenings and Sunday shows, 30 cents at matinees and 10 cents for children anytime.
Prices were lower at other downtown theaters (Rialto, Palace and Lyric) which charged adults 25 cents during evenings and Sundays, 15 cents for matinees and 10 cents for children.
The Paramount's last show was 29 years later on Labor Day, Sept. 5,1960,
The property had been purchased in March 1960 by the Citizens Bank for a 40-car parking lot next to its main office in the Rentschler Building.
The Paramoun' complex was razed, except a portion on the corner of Second and Court streets, which housed the Dalton Dress Shop. Cleveland Wrecking Co. completed the job in January 1961.
The theater site — whose address was 18 S. Second St. — extended 90 feet on South Second Street and Journal Square and 175 feel along Court Street.
A theater was one of several two and three-story buildings razed for the Paramount. The Eagle Theater, at the corner of Court Street and Journal Square, had been built as a post office.
The Miami Building at the corner of South Second and Court streets had been a social center, the site of meetings, stage shows and dances.
The new theater also displaced the Eatmore Restaurant, two cigar stores, a grocery, a taxi office, a barber shop, a shoe shine parlor, a clothing store and a stationery store.
Demolition of those buildings began Tuesday, Feb. 18, 1930.
The Paramount was designed by George Rapp and C. W. Rapp, theater architects, whose office was in the Paramount Building on Times Square in New York City.
The Paramount interior was described as a "combination of the classic and modern period, with a dominant Italian Renaissance motif. The vaulted dome ceiling, as well as the series of attractive niches, artfully illuminated by concealed lights . . . give maximum acoustic qualities."
Its main floor, 113 feet in length, seated 1,483 while the balcony capacity was 330.
The Midland Co. of Cincinnati, headed by Frank Messer, was the general contractor. Its theater-building experience included the Albee, Palace, Keith, Capitol, Cox and Schubert theaters in Cincinnati.
The Paramount grand opening Friday evening, March 6,1931, began with a parade from North Fifth and Dayton streets, led by the American Legion drum and bugle corps.
Block-long lines formed north and south of the theater before the box office opened at 7 p.m. Patrons bought gold tickets that they were able to keep as souvenirs.
The opening program included remarks by Mayor Raymond H. Burke and the dedication of the Barton-Balaban theater organ by Edwin Schenck, formerly an organist with WLW in Cincinnati.
A newsreel preceded the feature film, "Fast and Loose," a romantic comedy starring Miriam Hopkins, Carole Lombard, Charles Starrett and Frank Morgan.
"I'd Climb the Highest Mountain," called "the song that has become popular in all Paramount houses," was played before the film started.
The Paramount was owned by Paramount-Publix, a national chain, which also operated the Palace Theater on South Third Street. Nat Turberg, who had been at the Palace, was managing director of the new theater and Charles Wood was assistant manager.
Paramount admission was 50 cents for adults for evenings and Sunday shows, 30 cents at matinees and 10 cents for children anytime.
Prices were lower at other downtown theaters (Rialto, Palace and Lyric) which charged adults 25 cents during evenings and Sundays, 15 cents for matinees and 10 cents for children.
The Paramount's last show was 29 years later on Labor Day, Sept. 5,1960,
The property had been purchased in March 1960 by the Citizens Bank for a 40-car parking lot next to its main office in the Rentschler Building.
The Paramoun' complex was razed, except a portion on the corner of Second and Court streets, which housed the Dalton Dress Shop. Cleveland Wrecking Co. completed the job in January 1961.
