Ashland Theatre
Ashland, VA
Photo courtesy Moon Mullins OX-76

The Ashland Theatre stands tall along England Street with a handsome combination of brick, glass block, and glowing neon. Its fluted vertical sign and geometric marquee bring a fine dose of 1940s Art Deco to the railroad town known locally as the “Center of the Universe.”

The theater opened on August 10, 1948, with Sitting Pretty, starring Robert Young and Maureen O’Hara. Admission was 14 cents for children and 40 cents for adults. Like many Southern theaters of the period, the Ashland originally maintained segregated seating, with Black patrons directed to a separate balcony.

After closing during the 1990s, the building stood deteriorating until Jean and A.D. Whittaker donated it to the Town of Ashland in 2013. A $2.1 million restoration preserved the distinctive facade and neon while creating a comfortable 300-seat auditorium for movies and live performances. The theater celebrated its grand reopening on December 26, 2018.

UPDATE: The Ashland Theatre is no longer merely “on its way to restoration.” It remains open as a nonprofit film and performing arts venue, with its restored neon sign once again lighting the center of town. 08-26

State Theatre of Ithaca
Ithaca, NY
Photo courtesy Jay Lin

The towering marquee of the State Theatre of Ithaca still lights up West State Street, though first-run movies are no longer on the bill. Behind the sign is a rather unusual movie palace with Collegiate Gothic decorations and a deep blue ceiling filled with twinkling stars.

Believe it or not, the building began life in 1915 as an automobile garage and showroom. It was transformed into a theater for nearly $500,000 and opened on December 6, 1928, with the silent film Show Girl. Admission was 50 cents.

The State stopped showing regular first-run movies in February 1996. It was condemned the following year and faced demolition for a parking lot. Historic Ithaca purchased the building in 1998, beginning the long job of repairing the roof, removing the balcony cinema, and restoring the old palace.

UPDATE: The State Theatre remains open as Ithaca’s last surviving historic theater. The restored marquee shines once again, while the auditorium now hosts concerts, comedy, stage productions, and community events. 08-26

Baronet Theatre (Gone)
Asbury Park, NJ
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

The colorful Baronet Theatre certainly brightened up its corner of Fourth and Kingsley Avenues. Best of all was that big script sign perched above the entrance, dotted with little bulbs that may or may not have still worked when this photo was taken.

The theater opened in 1913 as the Ocean Theatre and began as a 546-seat vaudeville house. Walter Reade gave it an Art Deco makeover in 1953 and renamed it the Baronet in 1962. That marquee reportedly came from Reade’s Baronet Theatre on West 57th Street in New York City.

After years of foreign films, art films, and eventually adult movies, the Baronet closed for good in 2007. Its auditorium roof collapsed during the winter of 2009, and the badly damaged building was demolished in September 2010.

UPDATE: The old theater is gone, but its colorful Baronet script sign was saved. It is now mounted on the side of The Asbury Hotel, which also operates a rooftop movie space appropriately called the Baronet. 08-26

Music Hall Theatre
Tarrytown, NY
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

The old Tarrytown Music Hall looks right at home among the storefronts along Main Street. Its tall, bulb-lined sign announces that this Victorian theater is still open for business, just as it has been for well over a century.

The Music Hall opened on December 12, 1885. It was built by local chocolate manufacturer William L. Wallace and designed with an interesting mix of Queen Anne and Victorian details. Early patrons even had an indoor gallery where they could park their bicycles. Now there is a feature most modern theaters forgot!

Silent movies arrived in 1901, joining the concerts, vaudeville acts, flower shows, and community gatherings already held inside. By 1980, the aging theater faced demolition for a parking lot, but a local nonprofit purchased it and began the long process of restoration.

UPDATE: The Tarrytown Music Hall remains open as Westchester County’s oldest operating theater. Its glowing sign still welcomes audiences for concerts, comedy, movies, and stage productions. 08-26

Colonial Theatre (Gone)
Allentown, PA
Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf

The weathered marquee of the Colonial Theatre hangs over Hamilton Street like the last reminder of a much busier movie house. Its faded reader boards and battered corner sign had definitely seen better days by the time this photo was taken.

The Colonial opened on October 11, 1920, with The Idol Dancer and a Harold Lloyd comedy. With some 2,200 seats, it was one of Allentown’s grand downtown theaters. It even hosted the world premiere of the Lucille Ball musical Best Foot Forward in 1943.

The theater closed on September 23, 1982, just as Billy Joel’s “Allentown” was hitting the airwaves. Despite the connection in the caption, Joel never played the Colonial. His first Lehigh Valley headlining concert was actually held at the Roxy Theatre in nearby Northampton in 1973. The Colonial’s final attraction was the Swedish comedy Tickled Pink. Quite a closing selection!

UPDATE: After more than two decades of sitting vacant, the Colonial Theatre and its old marquee were demolished in March 2005. The site is now part of the Three City Center development. 08-26

Star Theatre
Dansville, NY
Photo courtesy Jay Lin

This marquee for the Star Theatre looks to have been recently renovated with new panels replacing the originals. The neon on the side is all that's left. The owner felt it was worth protecting with the the aid of a plexiglass shield. Many thanks to Jay Lin for info.

The Star opened in 1921 with traveling vaudeville acts and silent movies. A Marr & Colton pipe organ was installed in 1928 to provide music for those early films. Inside, the theater still has its original plasterwork, brass balcony railings, painted screen frame, and a crystal chandelier. Not bad for a neighborhood movie house!

The theater closed in 1985 and sat dark for more than eight years. Edgar Shults purchased the building in 1994, spent six months restoring it, and reopened the doors that October. One longtime tradition has the operator greeting the audience from the balcony before the movie, sometimes with a preview of coming attractions and a few community announcements.

UPDATE: The Star Theatre remains open as a single-screen movie house, showing first-run films on weekends. The restored marquee is still illuminated along Main Street. 08-26

Seneca Theatre
Salamanca, NY
Photo courtesy Mark Hackett

After a fresh snowfall, the Seneca Theatre looks especially inviting along Main Street in Salamanca. Snow rests across the marquee while the lights underneath add a little warmth to this chilly November night. 11-00

The theater was designed by John and Drew Eberson for the Schine Circuit. Construction began in 1941, but wartime shortages brought everything to a halt for nearly four years. The Seneca finally opened on August 1, 1945.

Movie screenings ended rather dramatically in June 1972 when the remains of Hurricane Agnes flooded the auditorium with eight feet of water. The building eventually found a new life as a community performing arts center. It was later renamed for Salamanca native Ray Evans, the Academy Award-winning lyricist behind “Silver Bells,” “Mona Lisa,” “Buttons and Bows,” and “Que Sera, Sera.” Really, all those songs came from a fellow born in Salamanca!

UPDATE: The Ray Evans Seneca Theater remains open for community plays, concerts, workshops, and special events. Its restored marquee continues to brighten the corner of Main and Broad streets. 08-26

Heights Theatre
Elmira, NY
Photo courtesy Mark Hackett

Stop by for an evening of comedy at the Heights Theatre, or at least check out its sharp front facade. The streamlined marquee, bold lettering, and geometric panels give this neighborhood theater plenty of postwar style. 11-00

The Heights opened on June 16, 1949, with seating for 720 moviegoers. Built in the Streamline Moderne style, it became a familiar entertainment stop in the village of Elmira Heights. Later operators added wooden counter tables in front of some rows, giving patrons a handy place for popcorn and drinks. Why didn’t every theater think of that?

The theater eventually hosted an indoor Sunday flea market before closing shortly before the pandemic. His Tabernacle Family Church acquired the building in 2020 and turned it into a community center rather than a conventional church.

UPDATE: The Elmira Heights Theatre remains open for family movies and neighborhood events. The original facade and marquee survive, while the big screen now occasionally hosts Mario Kart tournaments. Now that sounds like a fun use for an old movie house! 08-26