‘Twas the afternoon before the night before Christmas 1911, and all through the house, eager Glens Falls theater goers clutched their souvenir sheet music copies of the “Park Theatre March,” newly composed for the grand opening by Albert L. Moquin.
“This march is one of the catchiest pieces of music ever played on a piano, and will surely find a place on the piano of every house,” The Post-Star predicted.
Mayor S.D. Kendrick said a few kind words at 2 p.m. Dec. 23, 1911, and the curtain opened for the debut program of first-run silent films, illustrated sing-along reels, and live entertainment, including Richard Cole and a colleague singing a duet, “Silver Threads Among the Gold,” written by lyricist Eben Eugene Rexford, a Johnsburg native.
Earl Benedict led a four-piece orchestra of violin, piano, saxophone and drums.
Vaudeville acts, booked through the United Family Time Circuit, joined the regular lineup two days later.
Among the acts appearing at the theater in its first few weeks were magician Frederick Hurd, shadowgraph artist Frazee, and comedian Floretta Clark.
Capacity afternoon and evening crowds became the norm at the 800-seat theater.
“The Park Theatre is offering the best ten cents worth of amusement to be found in the city,” The Post-Star reported.
The dime admission – the equivalent of $2.70 in 2020 dollars – would be a bargain today, even when adjusted for inflation.
A six-lane bowling alley opened in the theater’s basement in mid-January, with four lanes for large pins and two lanes for candle and duck pins.
The owners intended to draw spectators, not just bowlers, by organizing three local bowling teams, the “Park Five,” the “Park Candlers,” and the “Champions” to compete with top teams visiting from out of town.
The Post-Star heralded the advent of The Park Theatre as not just an entertainment bonanza, but an economic development catalyst.
“There is no doubt that the new theatre will do much toward putting Park Street on a plane with the leading streets in the city.”
The original owners, who sold the theater two years later, were all Park Street business men.
James and Fred Bellen owned a bottling works, Isaac Ginsburg a discount department store, and Joe Miller a restaurant.
The Park was the only motion picture theater operating in Glens Falls at the time.
The Empire Theatre on South Street was still booking only live stage shows at the time.
The former Wonderland Theatre had operated at 23 Ridge Street from February 1907 to October 1909, and there had been a couple of early temporary makeshift motion picture theaters in downtown.
New owners that purchased The Park Theatre in 1913 installed a pipe organ, which was improved with added features in 1916.
In 1919 the pipe organ was moved to the newer Rialto Theatre on Warren Street, as The Park switched its focus to just motion pictures.
The Rialto Corp. was operating both theaters at the time.
The Depression era economy and competition from newer motion picture theaters brought an end to the operation, but it would eventually have a second life as a theater more than eight decades later.
The Park Theatre closed temporarily in late 1932.
It re-opened in January 1933, showing second-run features, but closed permanently a few months later.
By that time, four other theaters were showing motion pictures downtown: The Rialto, Paramount, State and Empire.
The Glens Falls Post Co., publisher of The Post-Star and Glens Falls Times, purchased the theater building in 1937, and used it as a printing plant until the 1970s.
The building fell into disrepair over the years, and at one point was slated for demolition, but a community advocacy organization stopped it.
Glens Falls businesswoman Elizabeth Miller purchased the building in 2014, renovated and restored it to its original grandeur, and in 2018 opened The Park Theater, a performing arts center for music, dance, drama and films, with Doc’s Restaurant downstairs.
The grand opening, as in 1911, included a performance of the “Park Theatre March.”
This story was made possible by Doc’s Restaurant and The Park Theater.
Have you been back to Doc's yet to try out their new summer menu? Between the great food, the ambiance of the gorgeous patio (complete with summer blooms, string lights overhead, and the sounds of live music on Friday nights!), it’s the perfect summer night out. Too hot? The classic charm of the main restaurant inside the Park Theater never disappoints. Staying in? Take-out is available too! Book your table for this coming weekend here - Doc’s orders ;)
Thanks for supporting the businesses that support Glens Falls Living!
MAURY THOMPSON
Maury Thompson was a reporter for The Post-Star for 21 years before he retired in 2017. He now is a freelance writer and documentary film producer specializing in regional history. Thompson is collaborating with Snarky Aardvark Films to produce a documentary about Charles Evans Hughes and the Adirondacks, which is expected to release in September 2020. See the trailer here. Read his full bio here.