Moving Picture World (Jul - Aug 1918)

366 THE MOVING t/rjv PICTURE WORLD July 20, 1918 Woodlawn Is Chicago's Bouse Beautiful m %/ca(Zd s. Lake City's New Motion Picture Theater Reflects Personality as Well as Nationwide Research of Manayer Andrew Karzas THE Woodlawn theater, opened April 26, 1918. at 853-855 East Sixty-third street, is without doubt the most architecturally beautiful and attractive moving picture theater jet built in Chicago. There are many other expensive and fine theaters in the city, among them the Central Park theater, the Chateau, etc., which it would be difficult to surpass in any part of the country, but there is a peculiar beauty about the Woodlawn house that places it in a class by itself. It was built by the Woodlawn Theater Company, of which Andrew Karzas is managing director, and to him is due. in the first place, the scheme of this beautiful temple for moving pictures. Early in 1915 Mr. Karzas began collecting data and details for the structure, and in order to inform himself thoroughly he made a nationwide inspection of all the best known picture houses in the country. \ew York, Philadelphia, Baltimore. Boston. Washington, Detroit, St. Louis. Denver, Seattle. San Francisco and other important points were visited, and the result of his studies and observations is well reflected in the Woodlawn. He was especially Fortunate to find in H. L Newhouse an architect who could express these ideas in the structure itself. Mr. Newhouse is one of the foremost architects in the country in the building of picture theaters, and he has devoted himself specially for several years past to tin-. tyz»e of structure. It can be safely said that the Woodlawn includes all the best features of the best theaters in the country at the present time. The Auditorium. Chief care and attention were, of course, centered on the auditorium o t t h e Woodlawn. The site o I t li e auditorium alone occupies 120 b) l-'o feet, but n i* not rectangular m form. It is inclosed by walls, whose foundations are octagonal in shape, and tinseat an placed in amphitheater order a n d number 2.<hm). Each is commodious ami upholstered. The rows an g r a d e d downward a distance and then upward so as to a if, ird t\ <' a \ iew of the screen. There is a ground floor only in t li e Woodlawn, there being no balcony. The e n t ire structure is built of st,,iu-, steel and concrete, and the Style of the interior a r c h i t e ctur e and decorations is Roman. Tlie octagonal walls referred to are picturesque in appearance and artistically decorated. The upper surface of each of four of these walls bears a panel painting, each painting being a replica of a Roman garden. remaining four walls and the octagonal ceiling are all decorated in an exquisite color scheme of red. gold and blue. Nine ponderous Romanesque lighting fixtures are sus pended from the octagonal ceiling, the center one weighing over half a ton. Yari-co'lored lights, controlled by dimmers, are contained in each of these inverted fixtures,, while others are distributed along the walls, particularly beneath the panel paintings of the gardens of Rome. It can readily be seen that beautiful colored light effects can be produced by means of this system, such as dawn, the splendor of a sunrise, dusk, etc., each of which may be used to intensify the effect of a scene in the picture on the screen. Thoroughly modern ventilating and heating systems have been installed in the house, guaranteeing a perpetual circulation of fresh air and the forcing out of the impure, aswell as a temperature in winter that is always comfortable without impairing the purity of the air. The proscenium opening for the screen is about fifty feet in width, and it is draped on the sides and above by material Andrew Karzas. Managing Director Woodlawn Theater Company. Partial View of Woodlawn Auditorium. . rich velvet appearance. The velvet curtain also drapethe screen w lie t in use. The old-fashioned orchestra pit lias been superseded in the Woodlawn by the modern orchestra] balcoin. At c.oh end of the balcony railing is a small staLic, one tor the soloist and the other for the singer. The balcony railing is adorned with Dowers and trailing vines, behind which the members of the orch< seated. The Woodlawn auditorium is also thoroughly pi againsl accident b\ lire Opening off the auditorium. p> sixteen exits, eat h of which run due, th into the si level, and the entire house tan be emptied in three minutes. This has been proved by actual practice. The doors of these exits are never locked, nor tan thej be locked from th< inside. Thej a ' <■ proof againsl accident, for the momettl the slightest pressure is put on the inner side of the dooi n is automatically unlocked and opened. Mr. Karzas, in order to insure doubly the safety of his patrons, has supplied just twice the number of exits called lor by the law in this , . The Outer Lobby. The Woodlawn has an outer and an inner lobby, the latter leading into the foyer. The outer lobby is spacious and picturesque. In the center is the box office, chastely pretty in its polychrome ornamental trimmings. High up is a brilliantly illuminated dome, into the cenjet "I which, I beneath, a stream of electric light i mil;, Mowing. This litfht in turn is reflected into the interior of the lobby in thousands of Streaming rays. The Inner Lobby. The inner lobby, leading into the foyer, is spacious and ii ally beautiful. Italian marble, finely matched, extends from floor to ceiling, while rich marble columns and pilasters stand out in bold relief. On the center of the floor stand two massive rases, of Romanesque design, filled with vari-colored artificial flowers. The Foyer. Roman architecture and decorations prevail in the foyer, the beautiful ornamental ceiling being delicately tinted with