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The
Historic Palace Theatre was built in
1925 under the direction of Charles A. Dickenson,
former stage manager at the Hodge Opera House.
No expenses were spared to build this magnificent
playhouse. It
was considered the most modern and elegant showhouse
in Western New York at the time. All the rigging,
lighting, projection equipment, and even the
pipe organ, were state of the art and top of
the line.
The
Palace opened its doors on July 18, 1925 to
more than 2,000 guests for the showing of
the silent film “The Ten Commandments.”
An entire staff of ushers and attendants were
dressed in red velour vests and bow ties.
The
theatre was not only advanced, but also exquisitely
decorated. The murals on the ceiling (shown
here), still extant today, show Literature
seated on her throne, attended by Tragedy
on her left, and Music on her right.
The
Palace theatre was one of four major theatres
in Lockport. The Hi-Art, the Bijou, and the
Rialto Theatres all eventually went out of
business because of the Palace. The competition
could not keep up with the Palace’s luxurious
appointments and ever-changing show schedule.
The
Palace became strictly a movie house in the
fifties with the rise in popularity of the motion
picture and the decline of live theatre. “Soundies”
were now more popular and easily obtained and
the demand for live entertainment disappeared.
Shown
here is projectionist Chet Thurston, who worked
at the Palace throughout the forties and early
fifties.
By
1957, the Palace’s only competition, the
Rialto, had closed its doors for the last time.
The Palace was the last of a dying breed in
entertainment, losing its viewers to radio and
television.
On
June 29, 1972, a fire damaged electric lines
on stage, forcing the Palace to close indefinitely.
The damage was so tremendous, electricians told
the owner the theatre would never reopen.
In
1973, the Palace was sold to Elmer Granchelli,
a local developer. Granchelli reopened the Palace
as a movie cinema, and installed a 24-foot projection
screen, reportedly the tallest indoor movie
screen in the county.
The
Palace Theatre is considered a work of art
from the murals on the ceiling to the intricate
wood work throughout the entire building.
For that reason, many local artists have chosen
the Palace as a subject for which to paint
or sketch.
Mural inside the Palace by local Artist Ray
Marshall
Mural displayed at DeSales by local Artist
Ray Marshall
Much of the Palace still remains original to
1927, such as the lighting console located backstage.
Believe it or not, every switch still works
on the beast. It goes to show you that they
don’t make things like they used to.
Throughout
the 1980’s, a modern sound system was
added, giving the theatre surround sound.
The Palace was a beautiful place to go and
see movies, but could not compete with the
multiplexes like those in the malls. A plan
to turn the theatre into three smaller movie
theatres was proposed, but dismissed immediately
because it would have ruined the historic
accuracy of the building.
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