The Cool History of Cleveland

The Alhambra Theater
At one time the City of Cleveland had two distinct downtown areas - the current downtown location and a second downtown area located at E. 105th and Euclid known as Doan’s Corner. (The old Elysium, once the largest indoor ice skating rink in the world, was located at E. 105th and Euclid as well. See the story here http://coolhistoryofcleveland.blog.com/2008/12/.) Anyway, located near the corner of E. 105th was the stunning Alhambra Theater - “The House with the Organ.”

A bustling intersection full of life and vigor. The Alhambra was opened at the turn of the 20th Century and was considered one of the most famous vaudeville theaters in the U.S. Bob Hope often noted the Alhambra Theater and the pull of the stage that eventually got him into show business. I find the above photo such a romantic reminder of how Cleveland used to be. The next photo - shot from almost the same vantage point - shows the crumbling Alhambra in the early 1970’s.

The theater was eventually torn down and the land is now part of the landscape of the Cleveland Clinic.

The Circle Theater
Also along Doan’s Corner thriving business and entertainment district was the Circle Theater - which was conveniently located directly across the street from the Alhambra Theater. Originally known as the Hoffman Theater, the Circle was entertaining up to 2,000 patrons a night with vaudeville, stage shows and eventually movies. The theater hit some dark days after World War II but briefly enjoyed a renaissance as a showcase for up and coming acts like Dottie West and Elvis Presley. In fact, the King’s first two performances in Cleveland were at the Circle Theater. The theater was torn down in the early 1960’s. But in its heyday it was a stunning place. The photo below shows a mob of cars and trolleys at E. 105th and Euclid with the Alhambra on the left hand side of the photo and the Circle directly acorss the street on the right.

The Aragon
This theater holds the historical footnote as being the last ballroom to have been open from the big band era in Cleveland. It was opened in 1930 on West 25th on the site of an old roller rink. The Aragon’s performers were a who’s who of the time - with Glenn Miller, The Dorsey’s, Freddy Martin, Guy Lombardo and the Andrews Sisters all blessing the stage. In fact, radio broadcasts from big bands continued until the mid 1960’s. Unfortunately, the Aragon has opened and closed many times since then. Today the building is still on West 25th waiting for the next big band to grace its stage.

The Embassy Theater
The Embassy was originally known as the Columbia Theater and was opened in the fall of 1887 on Euclid Avenue. The Embassy favored melodramas, vaudeville and comic opera. In fact, the theater was one of the first “burlesque” theaters in Cleveland (although it was considered a “refined” burlesque theater with the men viewers seperated from the women who were watching from special balconey seating). The theater was famous for its hidden tunnel to the Oaks Cafe on Vincent Street and its marble stairs leading to a special bar on Euclid Avenue. In 1938 most of the original theater was torn down and replaced with a “modern movie theater.” The Embassy was torn down in 1979 to make way for the National City Bank Building.

I love this photo for a couple of reasons - great street lights on the south side of Euclid (essentially you are viewing Euclid Avenue and the corner of East Night) and I love the street car rails in the middle of the street. Cool stuff.

All of the theaters mentioned here are but a tip of the proverbial iceberg - soon we will be offering some good history on the Alpha Theater, the Colonial Theater, Keith’s Theater, the Castle Theater, the Columbia Theater, the Garden Theater, the Stillman and the Grand Vaudeville Theater. It is true Cleveland enjoys a rich tradition of arts and culture - but why does it seem as if we have lost so much of it?