TOD
My favorite rep houses no longer exist
The Seville opened on March 22 1929 closed in 1984 and left to crumble. It is literally just a shell. The owner let it fall apart .As of 2001 or so, the east wall collapsed. Interior gutted and marquee removed. Heavily braced against further collapse. The Seville used to be a great theater. It not only should films but there were live performances. My father told me in the 40's and 50's that Harry Belafonte, Liberace, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Johnnie Ray, The Four Aces, Sarah Vaughan, and Connie Francis. performed there. The Sound of Music played there for almost 3 years!! Actually 2 years and 5o weeks.
It was replaced by Half a Sixpence which opened 41 years ago yesterday. here it is before it fell apart. The whole block is boarded up
The other theater was the Monkland opened March 7 1930 which prior being a rep house it was a twofer. It showed double bills (remember them) whenever a major film finished its first run it would go to the Monkland with a film that didn't do as well at the box office.
I remember I saw the last film to ever play the Monkland. The theater closed never again to be a cinema. It eventually was converted into stores. The last film was Blue Thunder. It closed in 1981 and was gutted in March 1985 to make stores
Here is the Monkland theater as it looks today
