rreen018 Astor Theater History Page 4 HOME HISTORY EVENTS LOCATION ARTICLES NON-PROFIT DANCE MUSIC FILM PLAYS LINKS ISTORY ck to HISTORY topes SEARCH Astor Theater Sto The Last Drive-In by Tim Lambrecht ‘A few weeks ago, when the Winter finally began to break and we had our first sixty degree day of the Spring, | thought to myself, hmmm, | wonder when the drive-ns will be opening, should be soon The start of the drive-in season signals the beginning of summer to me, as the start of the baseball season does for other people. By coincidence, the very next day, | saw a news story, which told of the J) beginning of the demolition of the 41-Twin drive-in on South 27th Street. I thought, there goes another drive-in, | had been to the 41-Twin a number of times over the past few years. (Anyone who frequents drive-ins cant help but notice their options have been dwindling each year.) What upset me was when they said that akeorsan hy this was the last operating drive-in in the Milwaukee area! Now, if | want to go to a prt mene titeter drive-in, I think have to go up to the Dells! Library of Congress Now I admit to be overly nostalgic at times, (I prefer County Stadium to Miller Park) but I'm not naive either, I understand the economic realities of operating a driv movie theatre. While huge multiplex movie theatres are popping up in all areas, the drive-ins have been dying a ‘slow, painful death, one-by-one. Growing up on the north side of town, my friends and | used to frequent the Starlight drive-in just off I-43. We used to see all types of movies, everything from Cheech and Chong double features, (cough cough), to the predictable comedy and action film pairings that were so routinely paired. And lest we forget the dusk-to-dawn horror film marathons.) But we didnt always go for the movies. We'd simply make plans to go to the drive-in, sometimes not even knowing what movies were playing, I'm sure everyone, who is at least in their mid-twenties, has a drive-in memory or two themselves. From the ‘steamy dates to the concession stands, to the silly cartoons counting off the minutes until the next feature, there was always something to do. The drive-in movie experience is much different than a standard theater-going experience. First of course there are the cars. As you drive through the aisles of cars looking for a speaker that worked, you may recognize a friend's car in a nearby spot. (My friend Paul even found his dream car, a 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner at a drive-in. He talked to the owner, who just happened to be selling it, and before long, Paul was driving it, It is unlikely that ‘scenario wouldve played itself out in a standard theatre parking lot setting.) ‘Then there is the feeling of community. Despite the fact that couples or groups would each be in their own car, there was a lot of interaction at drive-ins. Many drive-ins had play areas for the kids near the screen, where they ‘could play on a swing set or slide with other kids while their parents or siblings were nearby. Drive-ins were also good for interaction between friends. More often than not, you'd sit through a bad movie to get to one you wanted to see, Well, during that bad movie, you and your friends had time to talk, go to the Concession stand for some snacks, or whatever. It's sad that Milwaukee cannot support at least one drive-in theatre. It's also sad that future generations will not know have a drive-in experience of their own, and will not know what they were except for watching TV shows like Happy Days Unfortunately, it appears that the drive-in has slipped from a summertime option to mere nostalgia. Back to topics rips astrtheater.orghistorya rem! 18rreano18 Astor Theater Histry Page 4 Remodeling Stores into Small Theatres From “Radford’s Details of Building Construction” 1911 Edited by William Radford, President of the Radford Architectural Company, Chicago, llinois Almost all towns, no matter how small, now have or soon will have a moving picture theatre. The majority of these places find quarters in store rooms, which are required to be remodeled for this use. The room should be at least 18 ye Suggested Design for imple Front OL oF 20 feel wide and 60 feet long, the ideal size being 24 by 90 feet. The ceiling height is important on account of ventilation and should be 14 feet, though 16 or 18 feet is better. The room should have side or rear exits which must be marked and the doors hung so as to open out. The store front is always removed and the room closed in with a partition placed about 14 feet back from the front. This gives the wide vestibule which is so necessary in an altractive place, The floor plan shows a good arrangement for an up-to-date moving picture house. Note that each aisle is essa marked by a small red light placed sree under glass in the floor. The piano Detail of Floor at the Rear isle Pit is placed below the level of the floor to keep the player out of the line of vision. The sectional view gives a good idea of the raised floor, balcony and ticket office. It will be noticed that the three rows of seats at the rear are above the level of the main aisle. Floor Plan Showing Also Arrangement of Lights and of Ventilators These plans are only guidelines for general use, therefore variations of them may be necessary in some cases nips astrtheater.orghistoryarem! 28rreeno18 Astor Theater History Page 4 to accomodate individual situations accordingly. Back to topics Theatorium, First Movie Theater in Milwaukee, Razed The Milwaukee Journal, February 4, 1923 The Theatorium is but a memory. Perhaps few MilWwaukeeans know the little motion picture house that did business near the northeast comer of Second Street and Grand Avenue. But back in the days when the film industry was in its infancy, the Theatorium was the most popular place in town. ‘The Theatorium, Milwaukee's first movie house, is being tom down. There were other business firms in the same building. There was Adeline's Eat shop and Kalt's restaurant, Leo Abraham's cigar store, Solomon's jewelry store and Charles Fox's haberdashery, but the Theatorium was the pioneer of them all Seventeen years ago, Thomas Saxe conceived the idea of running a Hales Touring Car. He fitted up the ‘Theatorium as a railroad parior car. The patrons sat on the observation platform and gazed at a sheet behind which a projecting machine of a crude sort was placed. The machine threw the reflections on the back of the sheet in those days, while a man with a hose stood by and dampened the sheet so that the pictures would show through. There was also a device operated by a lever, which caused the floor of the Theatorium to rock, thus making the patrons believe they were really viewing the landscape motion pictures from the rear of a moving train. There were 40 seats in this Hales Car, named after a railroad car, used for the same purpose, which toured the country. That a was the first picture show of any kind in Milwaukee Alitte later, Mr. Saxe installed nickelodeon equipment. Then it was that many Milwaukee mothers missed their change and their children. When a child could not be found, searchers watched t rips astrtheater.orghistorya rem! aerreeno18 rips astrtheater.orghistorya rem! Astor Theater Histry Page 4 a8rreeno18 rips astrtheater.orghistorya rem! Astor Theater Histry Page 4 eyrreeno18 rips astrtheater.orghistorya rem! 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