The Golden Age of Indianapolis Theaters

by Caldwell, Howard

• ISBN13: 9780253354600
• ISBN10: 0253354609
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-07-07
• Publisher: Quarry Books

Summary

Opening a window on a storied past, long-time Indianapolis television journalist and lifelong theatregoer Howard Caldwell presents the story of the magnificent theatres of Indianapolis. Caldwell shares with us the pleasure these majestic spaces brought to thousands of Hoosiers during their glory days-when an outing to the theatre was a special event and film was still a marvel of technology. He discusses the roles played by the greatest stars of the day and relates the origins of Indy's famous theatres: theMurat, theCircle, theIndiana, theEnglish, and theLyric, to name a few. Caldwell points out which theatres featured burlesque shows and vaudeville routines explores the traditions of regional and national theatre productions, notes when the first motion pictures and talkies came to town, and highlights old time musical reviews and symphonic performances. Vividly illustrated with rare photos and anecdotes,The Golden Age of Indianapolis Theaterscelebrates the city's rich theatre tradition.

Author Biography

Howard Caldwell is a retired newscaster for WRTV-6 in Indianapolis

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Birth of a Theater Buff	p. 1
Theater One and What Happened Before	p. 7
A War's Effect and Another Theater Is Born	p. 15
Theater Count Briefly Jumps to Three	p. 21
English's Opera House and Its Impact	p. 29
The 1890s and Its Seeds of Change	p. 41
Theater Enhancement and the Gentle Intrusion of Moving Pictures	p. 51
English's and the Grand Lead the Growing Theater Parade	p. 61
The Shuberts Come to Town as the Theater Competition Grows	p. 71
City's First Movie Palace Enhances Respectability of Going to the Movies	p. 83
The 1920s and the Birth of New Challenges	p. 95
The Silent Film Era's Finale	p. 111
Sound Moves in with a Vengeance	p. 125
The 1930s and Its Challenges	p. 137
The 1930s and Its Challenges II	p. 151
The Rest of the 1930s Survivors	p. 165
The 1940s, a Decade of Success and Sadness	p. 177
The 1950s Bring Changes and New Competition	p. 189
A Brief Look at What Happened Next	p. 201
Bibliography	p. 205
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