Another Bid To Merge With The Enemy

Cleveland's Alhambra Hosts D.O.A. and A Dreaded Rival

The Alhambra had been open since the turn of the century. Bob Hope went there as a child to watch vaudeville, he and family living nearby. The house had long gone to all-film policy by 9-13-50 when necessity opened Alhambra doors to a newest gimcrack lately keeping patrons home, where screen amusement, even so small as seven inch, at least was free. One way to combat the menace was to invite it in. Let them watch their television "in Comfort" on the Alhambra's "Life Size" screen. Theatre TV was a concept floated by showmen to make cathode sporting a shared event, thus baseball and wrestling that crowded venues could cheer together. The scheme had worked to advantage of barkeeping where eyes were fixed as much on tube grapplers and dim-lit B-Ball as liquor being served. How projected television looked on the Alhambra's screen in 1950 can be imagined ... Just figure snafus inherent to nowadays digital moviegoing and multiply same many-fold. At least there was D.O.A. to cushion fall of admission spent, and vision compromised, by the one-eyed monster turned loose at the Alhambra.

UPDATE TO 7/11/14/ POST: Michael Hayde has found some very interesting ads for the Marx Bros. on vaude tour that predate Greenbriar's Jeffers/Saginaw find. Go to Michael's Better Living Through Television and check out his fine research.