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B-movie promotional fliers from Baltimore area theaters

 Collection — Box: 1, Folder: 2
Identifier: MS-0854

Content Description

Derived from dealer description: This collection includes over seventy promotional fliers from Baltimore area theaters created from approximately 1954 to 1963 housed in a custom-made box. The fliers feature theater mastheads and a rotating selection of advertisements for upcoming film premieres. The fliers predominately advertised b-movies, including Village of the Damned (1960), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Peeping Tom (1960), Mothra (1961), Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958), and The Haunting (1963). Some major releases are also represented, such as Rear Window (1954), Lolita (1962), The Great Escape (1963), and Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Actors Jerry Lewis, Marlon Brando, John Wayne, and Elvis Presley are featured among with other famous actors of the time. The advertisements include promotional photographs and taglines for the films. The main venues represented are the Colonial Drive-In Theatre, the Patterson Theater, the Belnord Theatre, the Apollo Theatre, the North Point Drive-In, the Broadway Theatre, the Rialto Theatre, and the Capitol Theatre.

Dates

  • Creation: approximately 1954-1963

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval. Collection is open for use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

Creator

There is currently no biographical information available on the creator of this collection.

Apollo Theatre

The Apollo Theatre was opened on December 26, 1920 on Harford Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. The theater closed in 1981.

Source: "Apollo Theatre." Cinema Treasures. Accessed April 18, 2019. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5559.

Belnord Theatre

The Belnord Theatre was originally built and opened in 1911, designed by architect John Fruend Jr. It was demolished in 1919 and the ‘new’ Belnord Theatre was built, designed by architect William O. Sparklin, opening on May 14, 1921 with seven hundred and ninety seats all on a single floor. The new theater was equipped with a manual Kimball organ. A balcony with additional seating was added in October 1921. The Belnord Theatre closed in fall of 1969 and was converted into a supermarket.

Source: "Belnord Theatre." Cinema Treasures. Accessed April 18, 2019. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/9956.

Broadway Theatre

The Broadway Theatre opened in 1913 on South Broadway in Baltimore, but was severely damaged by a fire in January 1916. It was rebuilt to the plans of architect Benjamin Frank and had the look of a medieval castle when it reopened May 15, 1916. The theater closed in 1978.

Source: "Broadway Theatre." Cinema Treasures. Accessed April 18, 2019. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5568.

Capitol Theatre

The Capitol Theatre opened in 1921 on West Baltimore Street in Baltimore, Maryland and closed in 1970.

Source: "Capitol Theatre." Cinema Treasures. Accessed April 18, 2019. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/5569.

Colonial Drive-In Theatre

The Colonial Drive-In Theatre opened in 1955 on Solomons Island Road in Annapolis, Maryland with a capacity for seven hundred cars. The opening day movie was Pete Kelly's Blues starring Jack Webb. The Colonial Drive-In closed around 1967 and has since been demolished.

Source: "Colonial Drive-In." Cinema Treasures. Accessed April 18, 2019. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/10839.

North Point Drive-In

The North Point Drive-In opened on June 27, 1948 in Dundalk, Maryland with a capacity for six hundred vehicles. The drive-in closed in 1982.

Source: "North Point Drive-In." Cinema Treasures. Accessed April 18, 2019. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/10190.

Patterson Theatre

The first Patterson Theater to occupy 3136 Eastern Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland opened in 1910. In 1918, the building was renovated and reopened as the “New Patterson”. The Patterson Theater housed a second floor dancehall with a wide stage and organ that could only be turned on by climbing under the stage. In 1929, the “New Patterson” closed and the theater was operated by the Durkee Organization from 1930-1995. The theater is currently managed by the Creative Alliance, a community organization which renovated the building in 2000.

Source: Hallmen, Sierra. "The Patterson." Explore Baltimore Heritage. Accessed April 18, 2019. https://explore.baltimoreheritage.org/items/show/512.

Rialto Theatre

The Rialto Theatre opened on June 24, 1916 on West North Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. It was designed by architectural firm Sparklin & Childs in an Italian Renaissance style. It was equipped with a Kimball organ and originally provided seating for four hundred and ninety-nine people. The seating capacity was enlarged to six hundred and fifty in 1919 and again in 1927, when the building was remodeled and the seating capacity increased to seven hundred and eighty-five. The theater was renovated once more in 1960 and was closed in 1964. The building has since been demolished.

Source: "Rialto Theatre." Cinema Treasures. Accessed April 18, 2019. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/40082.

Extent

.167 Cubic Feet (1 letter-sized folder)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Promotional fliers from Baltimore area theaters created from approximately 1954 to 1963. There is currently no information available on the creator.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from Michael Laird Rare Books in March 2018, with support from Claire and Allan Jensen.

Processing Information

Processed by Kristen Diehl in April 2019.

Title
Guide to the B-movie promotional fliers from Baltimore area theaters
Author
Kristen Diehl
Date
2019 April
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
The Sheridan Libraries
Special Collections
3400 N Charles St
Baltimore MD 21218 USA