Stanley Theater (Utica, New York)
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Address | 261 Genesee Street Utica, New York United States |
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Owner | Stanley Center for the Arts |
Type | Movie palace |
Capacity | 2,963 |
Screens | 1 |
Current use | Performing arts center |
Opened | September 10, 1928 |
Website | |
www | |
Stanley Theater | |
Coordinates | 43°5′56″N 75°14′10″W / 43.09889°N 75.23611°W |
Architect | Thomas W. Lamb |
Architectural style | Baroque |
NRHP reference No. | 76001255[1] |
Added to NRHP | August 13, 1976 |
The Stanley Theatre is a historic
History
Originally owned by the Stanley-Mark Strand Corporation chain (founded by brothers Mitchel H. Mark and Moe Mark), the Stanley Theatre (and entire movie theatre chain) was purchased three days before opening by Warner Brothers. The company was eager to showcase its products on as many screens as possible. The theatre opened on September 10, 1928,[2] with the silent movie Ramona starring Dolores del Río.
Thomas W. Lamb, a prolific theatre architect, designed the 2,963 seat cinema for the Mastbaum chain of theatres. The theatre was named for Stanley, one of the Mastbaum brothers. While Lamb and his firm designed over 300 theatres worldwide, he is considered to be somewhat of a local, having owned a camp in the Adirondacks. (His great-grandson lives in the Albany area today.[when?])
The Stanley was built in less than 13 months on the expanding southern edge of downtown, some four blocks away from Utica's theatre district. All the theatres located there were razed during the Urban Renewal era of the 1960s and 70s. The Stanley remained open through all of this, though it suffered many years of neglect. In 1974, when the threat of destruction became very real, the Central New York Community Arts Council (renamed Stanley Center for the Arts in 2008) spearheaded a campaign to acquire the property, which it did for $135,000.
The design
While the Stanley Theatre continued to be primarily a movie house, it introduced live events early in its history. Today it is host to the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute Great Artists Series (over 75 years); Broadway Theatre League (50 years); Utica Symphony (over 60 years); and the Mohawk Valley Ballet (over 25 years).
Notable early performers included legendary singers
The theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[1] It is significant for its relationship to the early movie industry and its distinctive architecture.[3]
The Stanley underwent major renovations in 2007.[4]
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System – (#76001255)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ Tomaino, Frank (September 4, 2018). "Utica growing, prospering when Stanley debuted Sept. 10, 1928". Utica Observer Dispatch. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)" (Searchable database). New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved August 1, 2016. Note: This includes Sherwood, Bruce T. and Doris Vanderlipp Manley (January 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Stanley Theater" (PDF). Retrieved August 1, 2016. and Accompanying six photographs
- ^ BABER, CASSAUNDRA (March 28, 2007). "Stanley will close curtains today". Utica Observer Dispatch. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
External links
Media related to Stanley Theater (Utica, New York) at Wikimedia Commons