Newton Theater: The 1937 Brookland Movie House Behind the 12th Street CVS
On July 29, 1937, a capacity crowd packed a brand-new 1,007-seat Art Deco movie house at 12th and Newton NE. Look up: the ziggurat is still there.
Theaters
Washington has a rich theatrical history, from the days when Ford’s Theatre was the city’s premier playhouse to the grand movie palaces that lined the downtown streets. These posts explore the stages, screens, and performances that entertained the capital.
The Avalon Theatre in Chevy Chase DC: 100 Years of Movies
In 1923 the Chevy Chase Theatre opened at 5612 Connecticut Avenue NW. Renamed the Avalon in 1929, it survived 78 years of Hollywood and one Loews bankruptcy that gutted it in 2001. Neighbors raised roughly $750,000 and reopened it in April 2003. The lights are still on.
Lights, Camera, Laughs! Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone Charmed Washington, DC
In March ’36, comedy “royalty” Jack Benny & wife Mary Livingstone arrived in DC, bringing laughs galore to delight politicos & fans. Dubbed “royal couple” by press, the duo charmed the capital for a week with wisecracks ‘a plenty before departing in style, leaving smiles for miles.
Crandall’s Metropolitan Theater: Coolest Theater South of the North Pole
Harry Crandall’s Metropolitan Theater opened at 9th and E NW in 1918, hosted DC’s first talkie, and was demolished in 1968. Here’s its story.
9th and G Streets NW in 1922: What the Metro Center Area Looked Like 100 Years Ago
A detailed 1922 photograph and map showing the area around today’s Metro Center at 9th and G Streets NW, when it looked very different.
“Quite Pretty” Wife Catches “Fairly Good-Looking” Husband With Woman
A scene was enacted just outside the National Theatre last night at the close of the performance which may end in a divorce suit.
Remembering the Republic Theatre at 13th and U St.
Take a look back at the Republic Theatre on the north side of the 1300 block of U St. Opened in 1921, it was unfortunately demolished in 1976 to make way for the new Metro. See a photo of the theater from 1945-46!
The Knickerbocker Theater Collapse: DC’s Deadliest Disaster, January 28, 1922
Just after 9pm on January 28, 1922, the Knickerbocker’s roof caved in mid-comedy. Ninety-eight died. It is still DC’s deadliest disaster.
Gem Thief Holds Hundreds at Bay: A Crazy Crime Story at the Gayety Theatre
Explore the crazy crime story of the 1922 gem thief who held hundreds at bay in Washington, D.C. near the Gayety Theatre. Read the full story and see a 1921 map of the area.