Murphy Theatre
Address | 50 W. Main St. Wilmington, Ohio United States |
---|---|
Coordinates | 39°26′42″N 83°49′46″W / 39.4451044°N 83.8294098°W |
Capacity | 682 |
Construction | |
Opened | July 24, 1918 |
Reopened | January 17, 1934 |
Website | |
themurphytheatre |
The Murphy Theatre is a historic theatre located at 50 West Main Street in Wilmington, Ohio.
History
Construction
Chicago Cubs owner and Wilmington native Charles Murphy financed the construction of the Murphy Theatre.[1] Charles Murphy hired Eveland Construction Company from Cincinnati, Ohio, to build the theatre and construction began in 1916.[1]
Materials
The construction of the Murphy was a massive undertaking. Over 175 cars were used in the construction. The materials used in the construction included: 1 car of metal lathe and tile, 17 cars of hollow tile, 19 cars of solid brick (850,000), 2 cars of
Interior
Proscenium and lobby
The theater had a half-barrel
Electrical and ventilation systems
The theatre also had a modern self-regulating air ventilation system and an electrical system that included 15 miles of electrical wiring and a massive switchboard.[3] After inspecting the theatre the state fire marshal remarked, "Until now the Colonial of Dayton was the finest theater in Ohio, but it now must take second place to this fine amusement palace. It is a revelation to me. Why there is not enough to burn here to start a grate".[1]
Opening day
The theater officially opened on July 24, 1918. Famous acts such as
Notable events
Fire
On January 15, 1934, a fire caused considerable damage to the theatre. The fire is believed to have started from a burning cigarette thrust against the motion picture screen. The fires started at the lower right corner of the picture screen and spread rapidly to the scenery. The people at the theatre were unaware that there was a fire. The asbestos curtain was dropped hurriedly and kept the flames back stage. Firemen battled the flames for more than an hour. The Betsy Ross scenery, two complete scenery sets and 56 sets of line were destroyed. Sound equipment and screens were destroyed at a cost of estimated at $5,000. Insurance covered the cost of the damages.[5]
On January 17, 1934, the Murphy Theatre re-opened. New '
Notably, local filmmaker Kroger Babb's controversial 1945 exploitation film Mom and Dad was shown several times in the Murphy Theatre, featuring live appearances by "hygiene commentator" Elliott Forbes, played by various Wilmington residents. Mom and Dad was added to the National Film Registry in 2005, due to its distinction as "[t]he most successful sex-hygiene exploitation film of all time, a low budget but relentlessly promoted, socially significant film, which finished as the third highest grossing film during the 1940s."[7]
Today
Today the Murphy Theatre is a
The Murphy has been host to nationally acclaimed acts such as the
In pop culture
The theater can be seen in the films Lost in Yonkers and Michael Moore in TrumpLand.
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Native of Wilmington Honored by Citizens on Occasion of Dedication of Magnificent Theater". Wilmington Daily News. 25 July 1918. p. 6.
- ^ a b c Jacobsen, Lenny. "Charles Murphy". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ^ a b "The Murphy Theatre". Wilmington Daily News. 23 July 1918. p. 6.
- ^ "The Theaters". Wilmington Daily News. 24 July 1918. p. 6.
- ^ "Stage Equipment Lost in Flames". Wilmington Daily News. 15 January 1934. p. 1.
- ^ "Crowd at Re-opening of Murphy Theater". Wilmington Daily News. 17 January 1934.
- ^ "Librarian of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Film Registry". Library of Congress. 20 December 2005.
- Wilmington News Journal. 18 September 1999.
- ^ "Wilmington expecting thousands for Glenn Beck visit".